A dustyvarmint Gear Provider Recommendation

After listening to Jim Barnhart speak at the Madison, Wisconsin Deer and Turkey Classic more than a decade ago I’ve been a fan of “large, open” camouflage patterns like ASAT (All Season, All Terrain).  However, not being “mainstream” it is hard to find quality clothing in that pattern at reasonable prices.  Enter Carl Abrams of ACE.  ACE handles ASAT, Sitka Gear and Wilderness Athlete Products at excellent prices and with outstanding customer service. 

I’ll give you an example of the kind of guy Carl is.  Quite a number of years ago I asked for turkey hunting advice on an archery forum.  Carl sent me a comprehensive packet of turkey hunting guides and calling information he had developed over the years.  He just did it.  No cost.  Just like that.  I still refer to those materials each spring.

Later, while looking for some ASAT camouflage clothing I ran across Carl again.  He was a dealer.  Prices were excellent.  As a very small-framed hunter I always have problems with sizing.  Carl works with me to get things just right.  Service was outstanding.  Additionally, ASAT product quality is excellent.

Before my recent trip to Texas I was looking for some quality camouflage undergarments I could use as an inner layer, but still maintain a camouflage appearance as I stripped off what I didn’t need.  I contacted Carl about Sitka’s Core products in Mothwing Mountain Mimicry, another “large, open” pattern somewhat in between ASAT and the more popularly marketed patterns.  Overall I packed for much colder weather and I can’t tell you what an asset that Core Layer shirt turned out to be.  It was the only lightweight camouflage item I had. 

For your ASAT, Sitka Gear and WAP needs at excellent prices and with outstanding customer service contact Carl from the links page.

A combination of ASAT and Sitka Gear, all from ACE, in Texas. 

happy hunting, dv

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Coming up on Mostly Archery

• dv’s Gear Provider Recommendations – ACE, provider of ASAT, Sitka Gear and Wilderness Athlete Products
• Overhauling A Bow
• Veteran’s Dogsled in Minnesota’s Boundary Water Canoe Area

Commited To The Half-Marathon

I took a big step today and registered for the Wisconsin Marathon’s Half-Marathon.  Held May 2nd, 2009 in Kenosha, WI it is promoted as the “Cheesiest”.

The nearly $50.00 fee is just one more bit of pressure to keep me committed.

happy hunting running, dv

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Coming up on Mostly Archery

• dv’s Gear Provider Recommendations – ACE, provider of ASAT, Sitka Gear and Wilderness Athlete Products
• Overhauling A Bow
• Veteran’s Dogsled in Minnesota’s Boundary Water Canoe Area

Just a quick post this morning. 

I’m currently training for a half-marathon, 13.1 miles, that will be held in Kenosha, WI the first weekend in May.  I want to do this half-marathon to prove that I can at age 19, err… almost 40, and just to keep fit for bowhunting.  Fitness and bowhunting go together like peas and carrots in my opinion (even if I don’t like carrots). 

I’m following Hal Higdon’s Novice Half-Marathon Training Program.   Today’s plan called for a 7 mile run – the longest of my life.  I made it in 1 hour and 9 minutes, but it wasn’t without tribulation.  The temperature was 31 degrees when I left the house and the wind was gusting heavily.  Even with light weight gloves my hands got so cold they were aching.  I ran with them down the front of my sweats the last 1/2 mile. 

Listening to Dan Staton on Bowcast and the Up North Journal on my I-pod helped with the mental aspect as boredom is really my greatest challenge.

Hopefully, blogging about it will add to some peer pressure and keep my motivation up.

happy hunting running, dv

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Coming up on Mostly Archery

• dv’s Gear Provider Recommendations – ACE, provider of ASAT, Sitka Gear and Wilderness Athlete Products
• Overhauling A Bow
• Veteran’s Dogsled in Minnesota’s Boundary Water Canoe Area

Before I post another dv’s Gear Provider Recommendation or my first Gear Review I wanted to drop a note about them.

First, I am not currently sponsored by any retailer, manufacturer or service provider.  If that ever changes I will update this post and each Review or Recommendation will refer back to it.  The bottom line is that if I don’t think something measures up I will tell you about it.

Second, unless something fails right away it will have been used for some period of time, likely an entire season, before it is reviewed.  One of my pet peeves is the following review, “Just got it in the mail today.  Looks great.  Should work great.  I give it five stars!”  What, are you kidding me?  Reviewing items at the end of a season doesn’t put me on the cutting edge, but that isn’t my purpose.  I want solid-performing gear worth the meager money Mrs. dv allows me to spend.

Gear Providers will likely only be recommended if they have been used at least twice.  Things like returning phone calls and e-mails in a timely manner, standing behind their product and providing great customer service are critical factors.

Third, it is economically unlikely that I can compare multiple models of a particular product.  For instance I can Review a particular rangefinder, but it will be unlikely I can compare that rangefinder to three others by different manufacturers.  However, it may happen on occasion.

happy hunting, dv

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Coming up on Mostly Archery

• dv’s Gear Provider Recommendations – ACE, provider of ASAT, Sitka Gear and Wilderness Athlete Products
• Overhauling A Bow
• Veteran’s Dogsled in Minnesota’s Boundary Water Canoe Area

Part Three of a Three Part Series

This is the final part of a three part series on making the “pot” portion of your own turkey friction call.   You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.  There will be another series on making the striker.

Safety
Be sure to follow all eye, ear, and body part control safety precautions when working in the shop.

15) I’ve formed the rim, sanded from 150-220 and marked some lines for grooves I’ll cut with the skew and burn in with some wire.  Then I sand to 320.  I’ve also applied two coats of cellulose sanding sealer to the inside. Read the rest of this entry »

Part Two of a Three Part Series

This is part 2 of a three part series on making the “pot” portion of your own turkey friction call.   You can find Part 1 here.  There will be another series on making the striker.

Safety
Be sure to follow all eye, ear, and body part control safety precautions when working in the shop. Read the rest of this entry »

For a little Friday chuckle visit this game camera review at Chasingame a leading “common man” source for game camera reviews.  While tongue-in-cheek I do think it pokes some fun into what many consumers expect; nuclear functionality at dirt cheap prices.   

Also, here is another “best of” from my game camera last weekend.  This guy might have some serious soriah, psoriah, ITCHING.

Scratchy Buck

happy hunting, dv

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Coming up on Mostly Archery

• How To – Make Your Own Turkey Friction Call Part 2
• Overhauling My Bow
• dv’s Gear Provider Recommendations – ACE, provider of ASAT, Sitka Gear and Wilderness Athlete Products

Here on Mostly Archery we’ll be talking quite a bit about bowfishing as spring and summer come along.

However, I found this post about winter bowfishing today on the Bowfishing forum at Bowsite. 

Cool!  Got to keep my eye out for an opportunity like that.

happy hunting bowfishing, dv

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Coming up on Mostly Archery

• How To – Make Your Own Turkey Friction Call Part 2
• Overhauling My Bow
• dv’s Gear Provider Recommendations – ACE, provider of ASAT, Sitka Gear and Wilderness Athlete Products

First of a Three Part Series

This is the first of a three part series on making the “pot” portion of your own turkey friction call.   There will be another series on making the striker.

Terminology

First off, I don’t like the name “friction call”.  Box calls, scratch boxes and pots and strikers (what I am making here), among others, are all friction calls.  Similarly, “slates” don’t cover it all either.  There are crystal, glass, aluminum, copper, slate and other surfaces available.  Here I’ll refer to them as “pots and strikers”.

Secrecy

I think it is illegal to share these instructions in several southeastern states, so please keep the contents of the following to yourself. Read the rest of this entry »

I still have a perfect record – no sheds found this weekend.  Turns out deer camp seems to be in a sort of “snow pocket”.  There is still eighteen plus inches of snow on the ground in many places.  That makes it pretty difficult to find any sheds.  Never-the-less I persevered and hit the woods.

We awoke Saturday morning to minus three temperatures, but it was still and sunny outside.  The fishermen took off for the lake and I took off for the woods.  The depth and duration of the snow and its effect on the deer concern me.  We’re going on two-plus months of this.  It has got to be hard on them.  The fresh snow was two days prior to my visit, but in a day-and-a-half of woods’ wandering I found only one new deer track.    They can’t wait that long to eat in these temperatures.  Read the rest of this entry »