” Eeeeeeee…” As a bowhunter, I am sure you have heard that annoying hum of mosquitos buzzing by your ears, as they look and feel for that spot on your body where they can grab a quick meal. I know I certainly have. It has been an issue that has plagued me every time I have gone hunting. It seems as though you start out with just a few buzzing around you, but within minutes it’s like a broadcast went out and the entire population of mosquitoes in the area are buzzing around you. Which leaves you itchy and looking like a swollen golf ball. Not to mention, you have what seems like 1 or 2 less pints of blood in your body.

I had a problem finding a mosquito repellent that not only works well but is safe. Trust me, I have tried it all: Ben’s, OFF, Repel, Cutter, Muskol, Natrapel and many others. Of these products mentioned, some of them didn’t work at all, and others worked moderately well. Many of them contain deet which is toxic and can make you sick. Not to mention, these products tend to have stronger smells. As a bowhunter, you have to be aware of strong unnatural smells that could be caught by the game you are hunting. It was only a year and a half ago that I was introduced to the ThermaCell Mosquito Repellent. This product really changed my hunting experiences for the better, and I would like to take the time to tell you a bit about my experience with it.

What is the ThermaCell Mosquito Repellent

The ThermaCell is a compact revolutionary mosquito repellent lantern that works off of heat generated by a small butane canister. It’s very light weight and can attach to your belt, pants, hunting bag, or whatever you prefer to use. This small yet powerful mosquito repellent will protect a 15×15 square foot area within minutes of being turned on. It blocks over 80% of mosquitos with no odor, messy creams, or oils.

My experience with the ThermaCell Mosquito Repellent

As stated above, I was introduced to the ThermaCell a year and a half ago and have been using it ever since. My first experience with it wasn’t even while hunting, it was during a family BBQ near the end of July. As evening crept in, the mosquitos started becoming a real nuissance. The sprays and lemon scented sticks came out, but none of them alleviated the mosquitos’ fierce attacks. I suddenly remembered the ThermaCell I had purchased and went and to dig it out of my hunting equipment to give it a try.
I put it together, turned it on, and attached it to the folding chair I was sitting in. Within minutes I began to notice less mosquitos buzzing around me. After about 6 or 7 minutes, the mosquitos were so scarce that I barely noticed the few that were buzzing around the area. And best of all, there was no strong odors coming from the ThermaCell. I couldn’t believe it, I had never experienced results like this before. I was both impressed and excited about this mosquito repellent. I ended up using the ThermaCell several more times that summer for BBQs, Bonfires, and outside get togethers. Each and every time I used it, it performed like a charm. I had people asking me where they could get one. I couldn’t wait to try it out hunting where I could really put it to the test.

The ThermaCell’s Performance in the Field

The beginning of September rolled around, and I headed north for my annual moose hunting trip north of Thunder Bay. The temperatures were moderate, hanging at around 65-70 degrees. Just before entering the bush, we stopped at a local shop for supplies and food. We discovered that because of the abnormal temperatures that area had experienced, there was a triple hatching of mosquitoes and a double hatching of black flies. Normally this would be terrible news. However, I was excited to see how well the ThermaCell would hold up against this barrage of mosquitos and black flies.

It was mid afternoon when we headed into the bush, so by the time we got to our camp it was around 5 O’clock at night. We stepped out of the truck and within 10 minutes clouds of mosquitos and blackflies engulfed the area. I quickly tore through my gear and got my ThermaCell. I turned it on and hung it on a nearby tree. It was hell waiting the couple of minutes for it to heat up. Dozens of swollen bumps littered our bodies as we worked furiously setting everything up.

After about 10 minutes, it was like night and day. The clouds of mosquitos and blackflies had dispersed and were being kept back by what seemed like an invisible shield. And although we were still getting attacked by a few groups of mosquitos and blackflies, in my opinion, the ThermaCell did a fantastic job. Especially for the incredible amount of insects that had hatched that year. During the rest of the hunting trip, the ThermaCell worked its’ magic. And while that year the ThermaCell had a harder time keeping up with the incredible amount of mosquitos and blackflies, it worked phenomenally.

My Recommendation for the ThermaCell

I now own 3 ThermaCells and have purchased a few as Christmas gifts for friends and family. I strongly recommend the ThermaCell to anyone who hates being bothered over and over again by pesky mosquitos and blackflies. I know one thing is for sure, I won’t go anywhere outside without it. And I know that once you try it for yourself you’ll feel the same way.

If you would like to be rid of mosquitos forever with a method that is very safe and effective, I would encourage you to get more information on the ThermaCell Mosquito Repellent.

 
As an avid bowhunter I have had the pleasure of experiencing that thrill and exhileration of discovering a new hunting area that shows tremendous sign and potential. However; as any bowhunter knows, hunting a new area usually means hours and hours of prep work during the summer months will be needed in order to get your new hunting spot ready for hunting season in the fall. This of course can be a daunting task especially when you think about the hellish 90+ degree temperatures, cuts, scratches, mosquitos feasting on what seems like every last drop of blood in your body, dense thick brush needing to be cleared and a whole heap of hard tiring work ahead of you.

Any bowhunter that has ever had to do prep work on a new hunting spot will tell you that one of the most important and crucial tools is a good quality hand saw that will be able to rip through small branches, dense brush, and vines. Today I want to give youmy opinion about this hand saw as well as some detail about my experience with Wicked Tree Gears’ Wicked Tough Hand Saw in the field.

Wicked Tough Hand Saw – Description and Specifications
The Wicked hand saw features a rugged cast aluminum handle with a non-slip rubber over-molding designed for an ergonomic comfortable feel in your hands. The blade is an impulse hardened high carbon steel which delivers a fast smooth cutting blade that has been designed to eliminate binding. This tough blade will not bend or break like a lot of the other competition out there today. The Wicked Tough Hand Saw has an overall length of about 8.25″ closed and 14″ open and weighs only about half a pound.

Wicked Tough Hand Saw – My Experience

Simply put I brought the Wicked Tough Hand Saw out to the area I planned on hunting later that fall and started clearing out some hunting lanes and preping a few trees for my tree stand. This area was older and had become overgrown with thick dense brush that I was certainly not looking forward to tackling in the sweltering heat of July. I opened the saw up and began tackling the daunting task of getting rid of a lot of tree branches, vines and thickets that were littering my shooting lanes. The first thing I noticed about the Wicked Hand Saw was that the grip and shape of the handle felt really solid and comfortable in my hands, like it had been designed to fit my hand and was by far the most confortable hand saw I had ever used hands down.

It didn’t take long for me to realize I had stumbled across a rare hand saw. Whether cutting through smaller or larger tree branches the Wicked hand saw took them down with barely the effort I had been so used to using with other hand saws. When I came to areas thick with vines I swung at them with the Wicked Hand Saw like a machete and it cut through them like a hot knife in butter. I was both impressed and thrilled at how quickly the Wicked Tough Hand Saw was making it through the thick brush and most of all that it hadn’t broken or failed after all of the abuse I had put it through.

After 100′s of cut branches, vines and twigs the Wicked Tough Hand Saw was still as sharp and cut just as well as it did when I took it out of the package. This truly is a remarkable hand saw that in my opinion blows the competition out of the water. The bottom line is that the Wicked Tough Hand Saw is extremely comfortable, durable, and sharp. I woul strongly recommend to any bowhunter out there looking for an easier more comfortable way to clear out shooting lanes and trees for tree stands.

Wicked Tough Hand Saw – More Information

If you would like some more information on this incredible hand saw you can vist the Wicked Tree Gear website. You can also take a look at the video below to see the Wicked Tough Hand Saw in action

          Having a family owned archery business has enabled me the opportunity to try many different products of which include BullDog Targets. Obviously what enticed us to first give these targets a try was the unusual offer of a lifetime warranty. We had not previously seen any other target companies doing this and we were curious as to how BullDog Targets was able to extend such an unusual offer. 

          First impressions of the BullDog Target was that it was a solid well constructed target that was a manageable weight and it had 8 small targets printed on the front and back of the target (Doghouse FP)which was a really cool touch, but to be honest I was still very skeptical as I have tried many targets that seemed strong and durable at first and then fall apart like a cardboard box in a rainstorm after only a few months time.

         We set up 4 BullDog Targets in our archery range and and one in our shop and began to test them out. What really impressed me about theses targets was not only its ability to stop arrows flying from higher poundage compound bows (40 – 80lbs) but from crossbows shooting 330+ fps as well. Whether it was at 5 yds or 50 yds the Bulldog Targets were able to stop the arrow after only a few inches of penetration.

          Another surprise I got was that in my experience of shooting at targets whether it be a regular target or a 3D animal target, I am used to having to really put some effort into pulling the arrow from the target and making use of products like arrow pullers and arrow lube. BullDog Targets eliminated this effort completely as you are able to pull your arrows out with very little effort whatsoever.

          The results of our tests are as follows, after 9+ thousand shots at varied ranges of 20-60 yds the BullDog targets in our archery range were still able to effectively stop arrows after a only a few inches of penetration, however; we needed to replace the target faces due to sun damage.  The BullDog target in our shop which has been shot at point blank range (2-3 feet away) for paper tuning, testing arrow speeds and other close work after 5000+ shots needed to have the face cover replaced, but was still easily stopping arrows at speeds of 330+ fps.

          The real test in my mind was the “Lifetime warranty” and how BullDog targets customer service was going to be now that I was ready to make a claim.  I called and told them I needed a few new covers for our BullDog targets, to my shock to be quite honest they sent me the face covers and wrap-around covers for the targets without any big hassle at all.  The only thing I was paid for was the shipping which as about 10 – 15 dollars which in all reality is a small price in comparison for the price of replacing 5 full archery targets.

          Overall BullDog targets are quality field point targets that can withstand anything you throw at them and more.  I am very impressed with them, and at a very reasonable price coupled with a hassle free lifetime warranty you really can’t go wrong.  If you’re looking for a great, long lasting affordable target then I would strongly recommend any of the BullDog Target lineup which can be.   If you want to see all of the BullDog Target lineup or want more information please visit the Bulldog Targets Website

Tips to a Longer Lasting Bulldog Target:

- Frequently alternate target face sides when shooting
- Bring your BullDog target(s) in or cover them to avoid sun damage
- Shoot different areas of the target.
- Don’t use Broadheads on any of these targets