Whitney Isenhart—New Archery Nation Field Staff  |  Wisconsin

Whitney took this beautiful Missouri buck with the Bloodrunner 3-blade in 2009.

I started my 2009 archery season in Missouri. Arriving to temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s, way to hot for the deer to be moving. I saw a lot of nice bucks but they were all in the soybeans at 200 + yards. Every time they got up to change positions and layback down again it taunted me!  Then on the second day of my hunt the acorns started dropping. The deer then quickly changed from their summer pattern, to feeding on acorns. With a bumper crop of acorns we simply could not pattern the deer with white oaks dropping acorns everywhere.

Shortly after returning home I received a call from Hunt Masters Lodge in Missouri inviting me down to hunt and a second chance! This time it would be November and the start of the rut. When I arrived I was very excited, as the rut is a fun time to be in the woods! The first morning I saw a small buck chasing a doe. Hopefully the big bucks would be out moving as the rut turns to full swing. I was happy to see the deer moving, my spirits were high with anticipation for what might lie ahead.

After lunch we checked the wind and headed to a different stand, one that offered a food plot just off a bedding area. The stand was in a dried up crick bed between a CRP field and a food plot. It was about 30 yards to each field edge.  If the plan came together the deer would be coming from across either field. With the rut in swing I would rely on the doe estrus scent I brought to coaxed them in. So I sprayed it on a wick and hung it on a limb.

The wind was blowing from the northwest into the food plot to my right. I thought if anything comes from the woods beyond the food plot and gets a whiff of the deer scent I put out I might have a chance. I also thought if I get a deer to start drifting down wind from me it would camouflage my scent enough to confuse the deer and give me a shot.  The night seemed long until I saw my first deer. It didn’t take long for the food plot to fill up with deer. Shortly after, everything in the field stopped and looked back.  Sure enough out stepped the heavy horned bruiser that was now slowly working  in my direction.

The wind swirled and the tall tined giant could smell the deer estrus scent I had put out. As the big eleven pointer made his way over to my side of the field, my heart started pounding. He was drifting down wind and now knew something was up. He was between the crotch of a tree just on the wood line when he stopped only showing his vitals. He had his nose in the air and was really checking the wind as his nose was telling him something was not quite right. Not only was he picking up my scent, he could smell the doe in estrus sent I put out. This was the edge I needed as it made him pause long enough to give me a shot. I drew back and released the arrow. He took off and not 50 yards from where he was hit he dropped with the camera rolling. The Blood Runner did its job!

Check out my hunt on REALTREE 2010 Monster Bucks XVIII, Volume 2.

Jacob Vavricka—New Archery Nation Field Staff  | California

New Archery Nation Field Staff member, Jacob Vavricka celebrates his first turkey bow kill with a 100gr. Thunderhead.

My dad and I got up at 5:00 am and got everything loaded into the truck and headed out. We walked down into a valley and set up on a bird we heard earlier. My dad started calling and all that came in was a hen. At about 7:30 we moved to a different spot—and right off the bat 3 gobblers lit up off in the distance. We didn't have much time to set up so we just dropped to the ground and stayed still. 

Dennis Howell—New Archery Nation Field Staff  | Colorado

Dennis Howell with a beautiful Coues buck taken with the Hellrazor broadhead.

I talked to four people today that did not even know what a Coues deer was. I can tell you they are the toughest deer to kill with a bow in North America and maybe the world.

I have never hunted the world, heck I have never even had a guided hunt in my life. The one thing that you need to know about me is I hunt only DIY on public land and some private land if I am invited or can pay a reasonable trespass fee. This is what I talk about at my seminars around the country. I also talk about calling elk and other animals.

This hunt started this fall when I drew a coues deer only tag in New Mexico. Coues deer only live in southern New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico. They are a whitetail deer that are very small. They remind me of the Texas hill country deer. They are a very pretty petit deer and they eat very good. I had harvested an AZ Coues deer a couple of years ago. He was a small one that barley missed P&Y but I was very proud of him. It took me three years of hunting to get one. I learned a lot about these little deer during those hunts though.  The neat thing is they rut in January and the weather is usually warmer on the border than at home in Colorado. I get reminded of that every time I call home too!

I was very happy to have drawn this great tag and I went down a few days early to scout. There was a full moon when I got there and I knew it was going to affect the deer for sure. Coues deer move from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.—at least that is what I have witnessed—and the guys that hunt them a lot say the same thing. You hunt these deer two ways—glassing the open country or sitting in a treestand over a scrape. I have tried both. I found three scrapes during my scouting time. These scrapes are about the size of a football and they always have a licking branch that is about knee high. I usually see a rub close-by also. This country had a big snow storm and had dumped a foot of snow about 5 days before I got there. The snow was helpful to see the deer sign in. I found trails that you likely would have not even known they were there if not for the snow.

Well, the season started New Year's Day and I was in bed early that eve while everyone else celebrated the new year of 2010. I was in my stand early and I did not see a thing till 10.30—when I saw movement up the snow covered mountain. Then I saw the little gray body and I knew it was a Coues deer. I kept glassing and then I could see a horn. I had just rattled and grunted so I was not sure if he was coming to the calls, or just trailing a hot doe track. He stopped and I could see he was a mature deer with only a spike and a small knot on the other side. I did not even get my new Maxxis 35 off the bow hanger. I Coues grunted again and he came on down and went by me at 14 yards. I thought, “that was great ... and now I want big boy to show up”. I sat all day and never saw another deer. I decided to sit another scrape I had found in another remote canyon. I sat it for two days and never saw a deer.

I decided to make a move and go glass deer in the lower country out of the deep snow. I sat my spotting scope up on the hillside and glassed for two hours and never could see a deer. So I decided to go deeper off of the main trails and look at some new hills. I got to a new area and walked up to this ridgetop and sat up my tripod and started glassing again. I finally saw a flash of gray and white. I thought it might be a coyote. Then I got a good look and my heart started racing. It was a monster buck with his head down checking his scrape line. I took off and got ahead of him. I moved in to the end of the ridge he was on then I saw him still moving with his head down. I moved in closer and got ready and made a grunt and tending grunt and his head came up and looked my way. I was ready with my Maxxis 35 in hand—Easton Axis arrow tipped with a HellRazor 125—ready to do its job. The buck was coming with intent to whoop this intruder that was on his scrape line. I had ranged a tree that I thought he would come close to. He stepped out and I grunted with my mouth and he stopped perfect. I was at full draw and I focused and picked my spot. The shot was 40 yards. I squeezed off my release and I hit him perfect. He went right down. I looked up to the heavens and said “Thanks”. I walked up to this buck and he was bigger than I ever could have imagined. I also could not believe the hole the HellRazor made.

So come out West sometime and hunt D.I.Y. public land—see what you can get.

Good Luck,

Dennis Howell

Durango, Co

Josh Martin—New Archery Nation Field Staff  | Ohio

After almost 8 months of not shooting at a 3D archery tournament—I jumped back in the game with a solid performance. I was able to shoot a 302 on a 30 target course at the Indian Trails May shoot. More importantly this would be my twin boys first real 3D shoot. To say Hunter and Logan had fun would be a gross understatement! They are hooked on 3D now. They absolutely had a blast but wondered why the targets were so far apart. I can understand this question fully ... why is it necessary to walk 3 miles to shoot 30 targets? Nevertheless we all had a blast and nothing better to hone the skills before season and spend some quality time with my boys.

With some of the earlier big game "Opening Days" just around the corner, I always like to "tune" a new rig with the broadhead model I intend to hunt with. So, with my new Hoyt Maxxis in hand, a dozen "freshly QuikFletch'd" arrows, and a couple Thunderhead EDGE heads in hand—I set out last weekend to do some broadhead tuning. At the end of the "experiment", I had 4 arrows badly in need of new QuikFletch's ... but confidence in my rig to put the Thunderhead EDGE right where I wanted it. Now ... bring on September!

This is a short video showing the shot sequence that resulted in the above photo. As you'll see, the EDGE-tipped arrow drops right on top of the "fieldtip" arrow from the previous shot. You'll be able to see the vane "exit" to the right in slow motion. "Ready to hunt".

Check out this video from the guys at Kentucky Lake Outdoors showing what kind of damage the Bloodrunner 2 blade broadhead can do on some hogs!

Frank Cutrona is an avid bowhunter from Gunnison, CO. Outside of chasing Elk and other game here in the US—Frank spends much of his time hunting and working at his Wild Africa Safaris resort in Africa (www.wildafricasafaris.net).

Frank recently contacted us about a successful hunt for a beautiful 55" Kudo he shot with the new Bloodrunner 2-blade. The Kudu was standing at a slight quartering to angle. Frank placed the shot on the front left leg and it exited out the back right.  The shot took out the lung, liver and produced excellent penetration. Frank stated, "The shot did deflect off the rib cage at some point and bent my Full Metal Jacket arrow. But the amazing part of this is the broadhead was ready to use again!"

Frank followed up his successful Kudu hunt by taking a Blue Wildebeest with the 2-blade Bloodrunner. Both animals went a maximum of 50 yards after the shot before expiring.

Frank will be heading back to Wild Africa Safaris soon in a quest for an Eland, Gemsbuck and Brushbuck.

Congrats to Frank on a fine Kudu—and best wishes for more success on his coming hunts!

Rick Philippi has been a long-time member of NAP's pro staff—and continues his role with NAP as a member of the newly formed New Archery Nation Field Staff. Rick is an avid bowman, and has successfully taken numerous animals over the years. Rick also enjoys writing and filming his own hunts whenever possible. Some of Rick's online articles can be found on Bowhunting.net.

Here's a brief overview of Rick's history and experiences with NAP's products over the years.

For the past twenty years I have used New Archery Products broadheads. I have taken over 200 animals with their broadheads and I can’t think of one instance where a NAP broadhead failed me. President and founder, Andy Simo started the company in 1971 in his basement, and to date, the company has grown into a 29,000 square foot facility. Andy was one of the true pioneers in broadhead development.

The first NAP broadhead I shot was the 160 grain Thunderhead. What a head! The blood trail this head left was like a road map. I have shot the whole lineup of NAP broadheads over the years. Currently I am shooting the Spitfire XP Pro, and what I love about this head is that it shoots exactly like my field tips. Jump out to NAP’s website to look at their whole lineup of products.

Safe hunting,

Rick

Rick is pictured here with a Turkey he killed using the NAP Spitfire.

Rick's son gets in on the action with a fine P&Y buck taken with the Spitfire MAXX.

New Archery Nation Field Staff member, Rick Philippi with a beautiful buffalo taken with the NAP Razorcaps broadhead.

Rick pictured with proof of more Razorcap success!

New Archery Nation Field Staff member, Joe Diestel, recently knocked down an outstanding gobbler on a northern Missouri turkey hunt on May 1, 2010. Joe's bird measured out at 27.5lbs, with 1-1/2" spurs and a 11-7/8" beard. Joe was using the Spitfire Gobbler Getter 100 grain broadheads. Congrats to Joe on an outstanding Spring Tom!

Representatives from NAP attended the 2010 NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program) National Tournament in Louisville, KY on May 6-8. It was great to see so many young archer's turn out to participate and enjoy the event. The event featured archery competitions, as well as a host of exciting contests and games. Over 7,000 young archer's participated in Louisville, and it was great to see so many young boys and girls taking part in such a great event. 

Here are a few photos from the weekend: