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                                                                                                               Mike Nischalke (703) 380-3595

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Sure-Loc’s New Lethal Weapon Sight Boasts Retina Lock and Gravity Drop Technologies

Superior, Wisconsin (March 26, 2012) — Sure-Loc, the industry leader in competitive archery sights, has added a new Lethal WeaponÔ to its arsenal of hunting sights. The new Lethal Weapon is loaded with a host of new features, including the popular Retina LockÔ as well as Sure-Loc’s new Gravity Drop Technology™.

The sophisticated technology of the Retina Lock provides instant feedback at a glance that will identify even the slightest torque or change in anchor point. This feedback will enforce proper form, build confidence, and most importantly, dramatically extend your effective range.

The new Lethal Weapon is the first hunting sight that easily puts you and the sight in perfect position utilizing Gravity Drop Technology™. This feature allows the sight housing to be rotationally adjusted up to 15-degrees in either direction, left or right, to ensure that the pins are in line with gravity, while accommodating natural hand cant or a tilted bow position. This revolutionary Gravity Drop Technology quickly gives you a tension-free position to reduce fatigue and improve your shooting, even if you have a quiver full of arrows attached to your bow.

In addition, this newly designed sight offers five axes of adjustment, with each axis being micro-adjustable. The Lethal Weapon’s single Allen-head-adjustable micro pins can be moved vertically either individually or as a group. To add durability, each fiber pin is fully enclosed in a stainless steel tube, which also greatly improves brightness in low light conditions. The pins are able to be stacked tightly together for very little gap between them, which is perfect for flatter shooting bows. The Lethal Weapon’s new micro windage adjustments and extended elevation adjustments allow for more precise settings, making this sight even more accurate than tradition pin sets. Laser-engraved indicator marks on the adjustment frame provide instant visual references, so there is never a doubt to your sight settings.

Unlike most traditional hunting sights the Lethal Weapon offers a five-degree micro-adjustable third axis, which is critical to properly adjust this sight level for elevated shooting. Without a properly positioned third-axis level, an arrow will not shoot on a perfect left-to-right plane when shooting up or down.

If you want a dependable, accurate bow sight with unbeatable quality and design, look no further than the new Sure-Loc Lethal Weapon. It is packed with features that, until now, have only been available on the most accurate target sights in the world.

The Lethal Weapon is available with the Retina Lock or without at suggested retail prices of $399 and $299, respectively. This price also includes a lightweight, rheostat-controlled, variable-intensity LED Sight Light. The Lethal Weapon will be at retailers nationwide later this month.

For detailed information on the new Sure-Loc Lethal Weapon and the other Sure-Loc products visit the company website at www.sureloc.com, or call toll-free 1-877-322-9988.

We just got in this great release. WOW! it has a very soft wrist strap that molds to your wrist when you draw your bow. The head is very light and the calipers are very easy to hook on a loop. The Serpent is available in ALL ADJUST or EZ ADJUST. This is a must shoot. Check it out today! Dave Thomas BHP.

Food Plots for Whitetails

By: Elliot Hubbard

Vassar, MI

I remember a day when food plots and land management was a thing nobody did. When you hunted deer, you looked for bedding area, hunted trails and for some use bait piles. For those of us fortunate to hunt on farm land, we had a little extra hand in the card game. Agricultural fields were a sure fire way to see deer and even harvest one of these elusive animals. Over the years on your favorite tv hunt shows, you started seeing these little fields cut into the woods called food plots with deer feeding in these. And that’s how the fire started. Everyone you talk to is planting food plots. I myself have 3 on my property and a 60 acre clover field.

Most people think food plots are simple to put in, and a guaranteed way to see deer. While this is somewhat true, food plots can be very difficult to grow, maintain and even drawing deer in can be a challenge. Over the years I have experimented with things and found some things that have made a great success and an even bigger failure. I will share with you some of the things I have found to work well for me as I feel they will help my fellow hunter. There are five things that I will focus on when planting food plots, Soil type, cover, location, accessibility and surrounding food. These 5 things I have found to be very crucial in my success.

First thing I look at over anything else is location of a food plot. Now I know on tv you see guys hunting over giant ag fields or huge food plots shooting monster whitetails. Well that’s not reality. In reality, most of those deer are farm raised or free range deer with minimal pressure, some bucks are scouted for years before a hunter is placed on them. We in the real world don’t have that. Now I have shot and seen deer in my 60 acre hay field and not saying it can’t be done. First start by getting a topographic map and aerial photo of your property and walking it. Look for thick cover, bedding area, natural food sources like oaks, ridges and crop fields. Circle them on your map and then decide were the best location to put a plot would be and how easy or difficult will it be to get equipment in and out and how easy can I get to it when the season begins. You want spots that are easy to get to, can get plenty of sunlight and can get rain. I prefer to place my plots in-between bedding areas and in valleys. This allows the deer to feel secure in my plot. Especially those big bucks.

Second thing I look at is cover. How much cover is around my food plot. I have found the little ½ to ¾ acre plots with great cover around it are the best over the huge 4-6 acre plots. Ever drive by a huge farm field with deer in it? Most of the deer are within 50 yards of the wood line. The beauty of having the small plots is you can maintain cover close to the deer. A deer will be more relaxed and feel safe in a plot that has cover right next to the plot vs a plot were cover is a ways away. All three of my plots are tucked back in the woods with great cover around them. If you have to, clear cut a section of woods for your food plot. If your land does not allow you to place a plot with good cover, something that will work is plant pine trees along the outer sides of your plot. The deer will feel safe and enclosed.

Next is soil type. General rule of thumb is soil in a swampy area or the woods will have a low ph then soil in an open field. Soil type and acidity is critical to know when it comes to seed selection. All plant grow with best with a particular soil type and ph level. Take soy beans for example. Soybeans are more sensitive to high levels of soil acidity than most other field crops. The optimum pH for soybeans on sandy and clay-textured soils ranges from 5.8 to 6.2. Yields on mineral soils decline as soil pH decreases below pH 5.5. Soybeans also require a lot of potassium, soil knowing how fertile your soil is very important. Another popular plant is clover. Clover need minimal nitrogen as it produces its own. Clover needs soil with a  p.h. of 5.5 or higher, moderate levels of phosphorus and potassium, and adequate moisture.  Get a soil sample tested, it will be the best 15$ that you will spend when it comes to food plots.

Finally surrounding food is important to know. And by surrounding food is agricultural food and what is natural to the area. I am a firm believer in planting what the deer are used to seeing. It’s like when you were a little kid. You have 2 plates next to you, a plate with a cheeseburger and fries and a plate of escargot.  Are you going to eat the plate with the burger or the plate of snails? You don’t want to plant a food plot with plants that may not grow in your area or grow great but the deer will not touch. You want to use plant that deer will recognize as food and that is palatable with the deer. Another thing I strongly urge you to do is go around the area, talk with the farmers and see what they are growing, what your neighbors are planting for plots. I like to plant the opposite of what everyone else is. Now I have 1 plant that I rotate in my plots around every 4 years. I always have a clover plot in one of my 3 plots. Clover is the best natural fertilizer plant for your soil, handles high browse and deer love it. Mix a little annual rye and perennial chicory and you have a great plot. But my other 2 I leave for fall planting and after I know what the neighbors are planting. I want to draw deer in. If the farmer is planting soys and so is my neighbor, then I will plant something else. If I have lots of sugar beats, then I will go another route. But how do I draw deer if I am surrounded by corn? Well a set up that works well for me is this. One plot I plant Brassicas. Brassicas are a great late season food source. After the first frost, starches in the leaves are converted into sugars which makes the leaves sweeter and very palatable to deer. Then once the leaves are gone, they will hammer the beets and bulbs. The other plot I plant a mix of annual rye, oats, soybeans, winter peas and winter wheat. The small tender blades are a deer magnet on my land and the peas and beans add late season protein.

Over the years, I have spent thousands on seed, fertilizer, equipment and fuel. I have felt the joys of success and the disappointment of failure with growing plots. I give you my knowledge of food plots in hopes that you don’t have to start from scratch and wonders like I did. Enjoy the woods, and be safe and happy hunting.

-Elliot Hubbard

Vassar,MI

“A Day of Hunting”
By Zack Leonard
Age: 14

 "It was a late December morning, I had woken up like usual, just before daylight. I was hunting a buck I have been after all season. I knew the end of bow season was near, so if I was going to harvest this buck it would have to be soon. I slipped into my Elusion Camouflage, grabbed my gear, and headed out.

 As I stepped out of the tent I felt the cold air hit me like a freight train. A cold, wintry mist sprayed upon my face, as if a wake-up call to hit the road. After spraying myself with 3D White Oak Acorn Scent from 3D hunting supply, I walked toward my hunting area, with every step hearing a seemingly loud crunch of the crisp, fallen leaves under my feet. I could hear the rumble of distant thunder, from a small storm we had the night before. Today was obviously a great day for hunting.

 Walking down the valley where I had a tree stand up from the previous evening, I could see very clearly that the animals were moving today. To my left, I had spooked two does into the brush. To my right, two squirrels chased each other up and down trees, playing tag. I could see the creek that my tree stand stood only 20 yards from, so I knew I was getting close.

 I arrived at my tree-stand just as the sun was peering over the far tree line. I slowly climbed up my stand and got situated in the seat. I had found a good spot for my stand, just 20 yards from the creek which sat to my right, and only 15 yards from the trail that they use to access the creek, which was directly in front of me. Now it was just a waiting game.

 I fumbled around with my gear to get everything ready. I pulled out my PSE bow I kept strapped to my backpack. I grabbed my arrows, which I purchased from Give ‘Em The Shaft Archery and got them secure in the quiver. I also pulled out my Forest Ghost Buck & Doe Grunter, made by Nature’s Voice Game calls, and started my calling.

 The squirrels had moved their way over to a tree right beside mine, and realized that I wasn’t supposed to be there. Looking directly at me, they barked up a storm for about 10 minutes, eventually they bored themselves enough to go back to playing tag. Slowly but surely they made their way deeper into the woods.

 With limited activity around me, warm clothes on, and a slow trickling sound coming from the creek, I found it hard to keep from falling asleep or day dreaming. I found myself countless times staring blankly into a tree, dreaming of that big buck. Luckily I had brought a book, to keep me busy during the down time of the hunt. So I cracked it open and started reading, hoping it would make time go by faster.

 I was just getting started on my book, when I heard some rustling of the leaves behind me. I didn’t want to turn my head, for fear of whatever it was could be looking at me, and dart away before I could turn my head all the way around. The crashing of the leaves grew louder and louder. I could hear it approaching the side of the tree. With my heart pounding, I glared at it out of the corner of my eye, only to see that it was just a young coyote, trying to pass time by skipping around in the leaves. A heart dropping sensation came over me. I watched the coyote as he wandered off into the wilderness.

 While sitting in the stand I developed a light cough, which over the course of an hour turned into a deep, gripping one. The denseness and quietness of the woods turned every well covered cough into a loud roar. I thought that would spook the deer for sure. But I was lucky enough to have stuck some cough drops in my pocket earlier. It was already past 11 o’clock, and the morning didn’t look very promising. But I couldn’t give up on this buck I have hunted all season, not now after all I have been through.

Since the morning did not come through for me, I decided to return to the same spot and hunt this evening. So, I packed up all of my gear and headed towards camp. On my way to camp I got a phone call from my boss. Of course he wanted me to work next week. The only bad thing is, it was Sunday, and deer season ended on Thursday. Since there was no way to come up here after work or before, it became clear that today was my last day to hunt.

 As I staggered into camp I didn’t see any deer on the skinning post. So I walked up to the campfire and asked if anyone had any luck. Everyone replied no, so that made me feel a tad better. By the time I got there it was already well past noon, so we whipped up some lunch and shared our morning stories. After everyone was finished, I told my friend Paul the news about me having to work. That must have set off a light bulb in his head, for he scurried into his tent.Dumbfounded, I followed him and asked him what on earth he was doing? He had donned his M2D Camo suit and his favorite Hunter Generation cap, snatched up his bow and quickly said, “Hunting!” I couldn’t argue with that, so I grabbed my bow and lead the way to my stand.

 When we came to the tree stand we both climbed up. Since it was a Buddy Stand, it could fit two people comfortably. Just like earlier, I got situated and pulled out my gear. Paul did the same. I started my calling with the Nature’s Voice Game Calls’ Forest Ghost Doe & Buck Grunter, and so began the waiting game.

 We had been sitting there for a few hours when a lone doe strolled to the creek to get a drink. This gave Paul and I a glimmer of hope that the buck might come through. We watched the doe as she cautiously got a drink from the creek, and shifted through the leaves in search for something to eat. We hoped she would stick around to draw in the big buck for us. While we were watching her, we heard something walking slowly towards us. As it got closer, my heart started beating faster. With shooting light getting dimmer, the big buck we were after walked into sight.

 Luckily his eyes were focused on the doe by the creek, so I saw a break to grab my bow. I slowly pulled up my bow and nocked an arrow. I waited for him to get broad sided, and pulled my bow back with my finger on the release. With my whole body shaking I anticipated his every move for what seemed like hours. Finally I worked up enough nerve to let out a little bleat sound with my mouth, and he stopped in his tracks. Because I had previously ranged in the yardage from where he was standing, I was able to put the sights right behind his shoulder. I slowly pulled the trigger on the release and watched the arrow fly. It hit the deer right behind the shoulder and he took off.

 Paul looked at me, his eyes nearly wider than the ear to ear smile he had on. It took me a second to realize what I had just done, but when I did, my face looked the same as his. We exchanged some high fives, a few good jobs, and headed down the stand. We were going to give him a while before we went looking for him, so we headed for camp.

 When we got to camp everyone couldn’t wait to hear why we were back so early, so we told them the news. They all got exited, but nobody quite as excited as I was. Since it was already five, we gave him until five thirty, and headed back out there. The whole way I was literally jumping up and down with excitement. I couldn’t wait to get to my trophy and marvel it, and then go show it off! While walking through the woods Paul and I explained everything to my dad, who was going to look for blood with us. By the time we got there we had him jumping up and down too.

We walked out to where the deer was standing when I made the shot, and there was quite a bit of blood. But, as we got farther down on the blood trail, it started it get lighter and lighter. We were running out of light so we tied a little flag to a tree where we found the last blood, and made plans to return the next morning to continue our search for the blood. I didn’t get discouraged though, for we have had to do this several times due to the terrain and how tough the deer are. So we headed back towards camp, where they had some dinner cooked up. We ate up, and talked around the fire for a few hours. Then we went off to bed for a good night’s sleep.

 Well maybe they got a good night’s sleep, but I didn’t. I was up all night thinking about that big buck, wondering if he was still alive. Time slowly clicked by all night, as I watched the second hand on the clock make it’s minutely rounds. Eventually the sun started to come up, and I jumped up out of bed. I hurried over to everyone’s tents to see if they had woken up yet. Of course they hadn’t, so I decided to take it upon myself to “accidently” wake them up. I fumbled around with firewood, rocks, whatever I could get my hands on.

 Finally they stumbled out of their tents. We again headed for the woods to look for the rest of the blood trail. Once we got there we went to the flag where the last blood was. Looking around, we found only a couple more drops. The trail ran cold. My heart sank. I felt so nauseous I couldn’t have told you which way was up. Even though we had no trail to go off of, we took the last blood and followed it straight through, hoping it just stopped bleeding on the outside.

 We probably walked 100 more yards until everyone pretty much gave up. We had started back toward the last blood when I saw something white standing out among the brown leaves. There it lay! My heart rate started climbing, and the sick feeling quickly turned into an exciting one. I felt so relieved. Once everyone got over there we started checking it out. There was a total of 12 countable points, no monster, but a trophy in my book by far.

 Everyone patted me on the back and prepared for dragging it out. We were able to drag it back to the road we walk down to go to the stand. Dad went and got the truck so we could take it to camp. At camp everyone congratulated me and we ate some well deserved lunch. After checking in the deer at a local store, we measured it. It grossed 172 3/8. A fine buck indeed. I didn’t get to spend much time showing it off though! We hung it on the skinning pole, and I had the honors of skinning it. After skinning it out, I stepped back, took a good look, and saw a job well done. Now it’s time to wash up and head to work!

 Final Thought: The time spent in the woods is valuable, and memorable. And I am thankful to have such an amazing family to spend that time with! If you don’t now, you should take some time off to spend in the outdoors with your kid, friend, or maybe even someone you don't know!
Thanks and may God bless,
Zack."