Reality Bowhunting TV Blog

Montana
· Elk Population: 150,000
· Bull/Cow Ratio: 5-25/100
· Nonresidents: $593
· Hunter Success: 22 percent
There are plenty of elk in many pockets of Big Sky country. In fact, Montana continues to boast the second highest elk population of any state by a margin of 30,000 animals. But some populations have plummeted in the past five years. The northern Yellowstone herd is down to 6,000 animals from 19,000 in 1996. Areas north of Yellowstone National Park have seen permits cut and over-the-counter tags change to a draw. Populations in the West Fork of the Bitterroot River and the lower Clark Fork River are 60 percent below objective with just 7 calves per 100 cows. All antlerless tags have been cut and bulls will be hard to come by. Elk populations are well below objectives throughout much of Region 1 in the northwest. Hunters will find elk widely dispersed and wary throughout their traditional ranges in the western third of the state where wolves howl. But the farther one goes east of the Continental Divide, the more elk appear. Most of the eastern portion of the state is 20 percent above population objectives.

Idaho
· Elk Population: 101,000
· Bull/Cow Ratio: 25/100
· Nonresidents: license $155, tag $417
· Hunter Success: 20 percent
Since 2007, Idaho’s elk population has fallen by 24,000. And for the second year in a row, out-of-state tag revenues in the state have mirrored that trend. Hunters list wolves, the economy and nonresident tag prices as factors. This isn’t ideal for state wildlife coffers, but it could be ideal if you’re looking for elk hunting all to yourself. Wolves have hit elk populations hard in the classic elk country of the Lolo, Sawtooth and Selway areas, and the state has capped tags. Bull/cow and cow/calf ratios are in tough shape, and the statewide population could fall below 100,000 for the first time in decades. But the declines are by no means across the board. Elk populations are at or above objectives in 22 of 29 elk hunt zones. And a mild winter boosted cow and calf elk survival rates across most of the state. The Beaverhead, Lemhi, Island Park, Teton, Snake River, Palisades and Tex Creek zones all have healthy herds and offer the kind of elk hunting Idaho is famous for.

Hunting season for deer and elk opens this week across much of the country. Its been a long, hot summer, but we’re finally back to opening week once again. We’ve shot fish, thumped ground squirrels and rock chucks, and shot countless arrows in the backyard as we’ve waited on gameday. How have you prepared? What are the things you do to help you stay in the hunt, even through the off-season? Where will you be on opening day? And what is your bow setup this season? Shoot us an email and let us know.
And best of luck to you this weekend if you’re hunting a state that opens for deer or elk this week.
Shoot Straight!

I want to take a minute to introduce our new friends and RBTV sponsor, Hinton Archery & Outdoors of Murray, KY. Kentucky has long been a sleeper state for big whitetail bucks, but the crew at Hinton Archery, as well as their customers from across the country, continue to find success on Bluegrass Bucks year after year. The archery deer season in KY opens early (September 4th) and hunters from across the south and mid-west annually flog to the state to take advantage of the early season bounty. Danny and the guys at Hinton Archery go above and beyond in their effort to keep these hunters outfitted and prepared for their next hunt…before, during, and after the season.

Hinton Archery is a full-service pro-shop with the latest and greatest gear for both bow and gun hunters, including Under Armour, Scent-Blocker, treestands, scent control products, game calls, and much more. They offer a complete line of archery accessories, targets, arrows, and the industry’s top line of bows including BowTech, Mathews, Hoyt, and Diamond. Rarely will you find a shop that offers such a selection when shopping for your next bow. Hinton Archery and Outdoors also offers a complete taxidermy service. Its just one more step they take to ensure they’re keeping you outfitted before – and after – your hunt. You can visit with the crew at Hinton Archery at the shop located at 621 South 4th St. in Murray, KY or visit them online at http://hintonarchery.com.  

Watch for some early season bow hunts for deer with the guys at Hinton Archery coming up soon…right here at RealityBowhunting.com.
 

Congrats to bow-quiver-guru, Joe Jacks, on a fine Montana antelope he took this week.  Joe runs TightSpot Quiver company based in Montana.  I absolutely love the TightSpot quiver and honestly feel like it is the slickest quiver ever built.  However, I’ve had a lot of folks ask, “What’s all the fuss about TightSpot Quivers?” So here’s a little more info on what sets this quiver apart from all the rest.

Many bowhunters prefer detachable bow quivers because they like to remove the bow quiver from their bow while on stand. The reason they like to remove the bow quiver is because they shoot better without the bow quiver on their bow. They are willing to compromise having their arrows handy to assure shooting accuracy.

TightSpot™ Quivers fit tight to the bow to minimize torque!
The problem is the design of other bow quivers. The further the bow quiver is away from the bow, the more the bow quiver will influence shooting by causing torque. Torque decreases accuracy and makes tuning more difficult, especially with broadheads. The solution is a bow quiver that hangs tight to the bow. This is the premise of the new TightSpot™Quiver with HangTight™ Technology!

The TightSpot™ Quiver is also incredibly lightweight!
Proximity to the bow is only half the equation. The other half is bow quiver weight. The heavier the bow quiver, the more torque it exerts. TightSpot™ Quivers excel here, too! A TightSpot™ Quiver is a super lightweight bow quiver thanks to the wrapped carbon rods and machined aluminum that make up the skeleton of the bow quiver.

Combine “hanging tight” with “weighing light” and you have the world’s first
“no torque” bow quiver!  Check out http://tightspotquiver.com  for all the latest info on this incredible quiver.

RBTV’s Hunter Andrews wasted little time in punching his 2010 Montana antelope tag. Hunter dropped the string on a nice buck this morning, just 24 hours into the beginning of another season of reality bowhunting in Montana. With lots of rain in the area he normally hunts, Hunter opted for Plan B…a ranch that played host to an exciting spot-n-stalk adventure for day two of the season. Slippin’ up on a mature antelope is never easy. But throw in a too-close-encounter with a snake along the way, and things can get ugly/exciting quick! After wading through a misplaced snake and a pile of cactus…Hunter managed to slip to within 40 yards of 4 bedded bucks. At 37 yards he let the arrow fly…and his first tag of the 2010/2011 bow season was punched!
Hunter took his antelope buck with his BowTech Destroyer 340, Slick Trick broadhead, Gold Tip arrow, and Trophy Taker rest.
Congrats Hunter!  Keep it up!

http://bowtecharchery.com     http://slicktrick.net    http://goldtip.com    http://trophytaker.com

Praise God…bow season is nearly here once again! With just a few weeks left before deer and elk season cranks up in many places around the country, it’s time to look at some of the gear we’ll be using this fall. We’re proud to be affiliated with some of the top bowhunting companies in the industry. The following are a few of our favorites. It’s the Gear We Use…Part 1.
Black Gold Ascent Sight
The new Black Gold Ascent gives you target sight accuracy with Black Gold’s legendary durability for the ultimate moveable hunting sight. A simple turn of the knob lets you quickly and easily adjust distance.
•Works great with one piece quivers
(unlike most slider sights)
•More range and adjustability than traditional hunting slider sights
•Designed to accomodate computer generated sight tapes
•Quick, smooth and quiet adjustment
•Exclusive front axis adjustments keeps sight dialed in at long ranges.
Find your next bow sight at http://blackgoldsights.com

Trophy Taker SmackDown Arrow Rest
The SmackDown™ is designed for attachment to the bottom limb or the upward moving cable. Using the limb or up cable to operate the rest allows the launcher to raise early as the bow is drawn, lifting the arrow long before the broadhead approaches the bow and long before the cams break over into the letoff position. When the bow is shot, the arrow travels along the launcher for nearly the full length of the shaft resulting in increased arrow guidance time. The increased time that the launcher guides the arrow during the shot makes tuning challenging bows much easier. At the last instant, the launcher is pulled down out of the path of the vanes and held firmly in the down position.

As an added bonus, the SmackDown™ promises to be the quickest and easiest rest to set up and tune that Trophy Taker has introduced to date.
See http://trophytaker.com for more details.

TightSpot Quiver
The Quiver that fits tight to your bow…

The new TightSpot™ Quiver is the first bow quiver designed to help archers shoot better while keeping their bow quiver attached to their bow. The TightSpot Quiver fits tight to your bow, minimizing torque and improving accuracy. It’s the first bow quiver to complement, not compromise, the performance of your hunting bow. TightSpot Quiver is fully adjustable and fits most, if not all, hunting bows. It’s more than just the bow quiver that fits tight to your bow: never before has so much innovation been put into a bow quiver. Many bowhunters like to remove the quiver from their bow because they shoot better without the bow quiver on their bow. They are willing to compromise having their arrows handy to assure shooting accuracy. The folks at TightSpot have solved this problem by making a bow quiver that hangs tight to the bow. That is the premise of the new TightSpot Quiver with HangTight™Technology! TightSpot Quivers fit tight to the bow to minimize torque. Check it out at http://tightspotquiver.com

I’ve had several folks respond to our recent posts on bowfishing, asking for more specifics on the gear used. In years past I’ve used both the Retriever Reel and the old Zebco 808 reel when shooting carp and gar on Kentucky Lake in west Tennessee. You can purchase the bottle-style Retriever Reel from AMS Bowfishing as well as from Muzzy, and the 808 reel can usually be found at your local Wal-Mart. However, on our recent bowfishing trip with the crew at Mallard Manor in Mississippi, I was introduced to the new Xtreme Duty Bowfishing Reel from Muzzy. As the name implies, the Xtreme Duty reel is far superior to the spinning reels I’ve used in the past. Friend and hardcore bowfisherman, Jody Acosta, says his Xtreme Duty reel has far outlasted his other Zebco reels. “My Muzzy reel is still performing really well, even after all the abuse I put it through during a bowfishing tournament,” says Acosta. “My other reels typically won’t make it through more than a couple tournaments.”
The Muzzy Xtreme Duty Bowfishing Reel, featuring a stainless steel foot, all steel and brass drive system, over sized stainless steel roller pick up pin, extra large spool, increased line capacity, and stainless steel hood and push button cap, was built and designed specifically for bowfishing. Muzzy recommends line of either 200# Brownell Fast Flight, reel capacity of 100 ft or 150# Braided Spectra, reel capacity of 150 ft. The Xtreme Duty reel also features dual spool shaft bearings, automotive disc type drag, and is convertible with RH or LH retrieve. The Xtreme Duty reel fits Muzzy’s Anchor Reel Seat.
Muzzy offers the Xtreme Duty reel in a bowfishing kit that has everthing you need…except a bow…to get started in bowfishing. The Muzzy Xtreme Duty Bowfishing Kit includes: 1067-XD Reel, 1080 Fish Hook Rest, 1070 100ft of 200lb line, 1063 Heavy Duty Reel Seat, & 1020-C Classic Arrow W/Carp Point. Check out Muzzy’s great line of bowfishing gear at http://muzzy.com