Within the path through the Deer Expo

Last weekend deer hunters flocked to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center for the Annual World Deer Expo. The hunters swarmed the aisles while trailing the hottest items for the upcoming season. Folks were able to get their hands on gear, gadgets, clothing and other accessories. Almost anything related to deer hunting or hunting in general was displayed.

The buzzing crowd and close quarters in some sections had me longing for a solitary tree stand on the backside of anywhere. But , we trudged on thru the lines of bodies to hunt down some of the new items released for this season. Hopefully we located some that might give an edge in the field.hand warmer mouse

Getting warmed up

A new style of hand and body warmer is out, and it is called Click It Hot. The warmer comes in various sizes and is simple to use. The vinyl pouch is filled with a soft jelly substance. A small dimed-sized piece of metal is clicked to activate the warmer.

In a few seconds, the gel begins to harden and the heat begins. The pouch will reach around 130 degrees. A plus to this hand warmer is the pouch can be rejuvenated by placing it in boiling water for around 10 to 20 minutes. The hand warmer can be reused several times. The down side is the heat only lasts for about an hour.

One piece of equipment for bow hunters that has gained popularity is the light arrow nock. The illuminated nocks allows the hunter to see the arrow in flight. The result is to identify the shot location or locate the arrow if it passes through or misses. Some lighted nocks were not reliable and had to be turned on before shooting.

NuFletch Archery has solved both problems. Their new Ignitor Lighted Nock is activated by the bow string on the shot. The unit is like a light stick without any metal connectors. The nock has exclusive inserts for a proper fit on the arrow shaft.

The nock unit is enclosed and waterproof. Hunters can turn off the nock by removing the light stick and pulling up on the bulb. Orange and red colored nocks can remain illuminated for around 15 hours giving hunters plenty of time to recover their game.

Also by NuFletch are the new Ape Arrow Tails. The Ape is a fletching ferrule that is added to archers existing arrow. Your arrow shafts can be trimmed to accept the Ape Tail. The Ape setup provides a stiffer spine for a flatter arrow flight compared with weight front of center arrows.

“The arrow balance is slightly front of center, ” said John Marshall of NuFletch. “The arrow has less vibration and flexing when coming out of the bow. ”

The Ape Tail helps the arrow to stabilize more quickly after the shot providing better accuracy. Also, the added weight to the rear of the arrow counters the broadhead and tip weight for improved trajectory.

Looking good

In recent years more women have taken to the outdoors to enjoy hunting and fishing. Female hunters had a difficult time trying to look their best and keep perfume scents from make up or hair products from alarming the wild game. Deaux Girl has introduced a line of scent-free cosmetics and body care products for women.

There are several different products from oil-free foundations, water-resistant mascara, mineral lipsticks, body lotions, shampoos and other cosmetics. Deaux Girls also offers a scent-free odor eliminator spray. Their products are all natural and environmentally friendly. Men also can use some of these products without smelling like a girl.

Hollywood

Some of the compact video cameras offered low quality and short record times. But recent improvements in technology have produced small high-quality video cameras that are affordable. It has never been easier to video your own hunts.

Killer Cam has released a compact video camera that can be mounted on gun, bow or almost anywhere. The camera has two adjustable lenses and a 2 . 5-inch built-in screen. With the two lenses a hunter can video himself and the shot without having to move the camera.

“The camera uses a micro-SD card, ” Michael Kong said. “You can record up to 45 minutes continuous at 720p resolution. ”

Killer Cam can be mounted on a scope, barrel or bow stabilizer without affecting shooting. The unit has simple controls and uses a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery. Download is simple with the USB out port. There is also an infra-red mode for night work.

Stuff you might use

Every year new gadgets come and go. Sometimes the idea is good but the product is less than desirable. Sometimes a new gizmo has some relevancy and might be useful. Guys and gadgets go together and if we are not careful we can end up toting a truckload of gear into the woods.

A couple of items I ran across and the Expo may have place for the hunter. One of those items is the T-Topper. A simple piece of molded PVC that attaches to the top of a metal fence post. The Topper can be used to mount a game camera or dove decoy.

The topper is locked in place with a metal screw and can be easily removed and relocated. Two stainless-steel clamps are included to affix the game cam. The Topper is a good idea for installing cameras in food plots or along a fence line to capture photos of your next trophy buck.

Target practice is essential in hunting. Nice Targets produces quality plastic film targets with actual photos of game in a natural setting. The targets are for gun or bow and last longer than paper targets. A special non-fading ink is used for printing. The deer targets are viewed at various angles to give the hunter a good sight picture and aim-point on the vital area.

Trimming shooting lanes and clearing a stand site can be a chore. Tiger Jaws has a line of clippers, cutters and saws to help ease the workload. All of the units are heavy-duty and well built. The folding saw has aggressive teeth and a safety handle for blade closing.

Ratchet cutters are available in various sizes. One model has telescoping handles for more leverage and carrying ease. Certain models of the hand ratchet trimmers will fit nicely in a back pack or gear bag.