Blind Ambitions

Avery Hexabumpers

Product Description: The first training bumper innovation in years! The HexaBumper’s design eliminates many of the disadvantages of traditional round bumpers and holds up to the daily routines of pro trainers!

• Six flat sides for easier hold
• Raised VGrips promote superior hold
• Valveless design will never take on water
• Firm bumper reduces chomping tendency
• Flasher produces hi-vis strobe effect
• Throw rope included
• 2″ & 3″ diameter models

My Review: In my opinion, the best bumper made period. These are great, thye have no valves top fail or leak, theya re balanced and the weight is great to get a good long throw. I have used them for quite some time and you cannot destroy them. The shape has helped with dogs that have mouthing issues, I cannot say enough good things about them. The only negative I cna say about them , is like most quality equipment, thye are expensive. Most places they run between $5 and $6 per bumper. The initial cost is steep, but they do hold up and last longer than any bumper I have used before. There are some volume discounts for kennels and clubs, if you buy 5 dozen you can get them for $200, which is about $3.33 per bumper, a pretty substantial discount. They come in 4 colors, white, black, orange and black/white flasher. There is a “Pro-Pack of 6 bumpers, which is pictured above, you get three white, on e balck, one orange and a flasher. Give these things a try, you’ll be happy you did.

Armadillo Foam Midi-Mallard:

Product Description: Roughly 2/3 the size of our life-size birds; floats well in the water; excellent for use with wingers; combination of size and balance encourages the dog to properly grip the bird in the middle; appropriate coloring to simulate the real thing; accepts scent; foam body helps to maintain a soft mouth; Range Extender Grip as standard equipment.  Designed for working with grown and adolescent dogs.

My Review: I got 5 of these to try out, and must say I am very pleased. They feel great, they throw good, and the dogs really seem to like them. They are much tougher than I thought they would be, and I believe they will hold up as advertised after using them several times. The paint seems to hold up pretty well considering it is painted on foam. My only complaint is that the midi-mallard doens’t come with the range extender grip liek the full size Armadillo Foam products do. It can be overcome by tying some knots in the rope however. You can find Armadillo Foam products at www.armadillofoam.com I will be buying more of their products in the future.

I have recently had the honor of being named to the SportDog Brand Pro Staff. This is an honor for me, and I hope it will benefit SportDog as well. I have been using SportDog brand products for several years now, and truly believe there is not a better value out there as far as electronic collars go. Along with being a memeber of their Pro Staff, I am also a dealer for their products. If you visit my kennels website (www.averycreek.net) you can find out information on what products I can get and prices. I hope this is a long and mutually beneficial partnership. You cna check out information on some of their staff members here.

Ever been trying to drive to to a new hunting spot or find the hunt test headquarters on a Saturday morning and the mapquest directions you printed just aren’t getting you there? This has happened to me on several occassions, but I think I have found the cure. Last weekend I got a Garmin StreetPilot C330 Navigational System. Essentially it is a high tech GPS for the truck with road maps loaded in it. This little deal is cool, it has listings for restaurants, hotel/motel and places of interest. It has been very reliable in my playing with it over the past week. I am truly impressed with this little “woman in a box”. If you travel much, this may be somehting you should look into. I found it for just over $200 on sale at a big name electronic store. You can read more at www.garmin.com