01/19/10

Wed thru Fri of last week was the ATA trade show- ATA being the Archery Trade Association. I've been a member for 3 years now. The show was held in Columbus this year, making it convenient when it turned out we couldn't go up all three days. This show is archery's biggest trade show- manufacturers, factory reps, and celebrity spokespeople were there. best of all it's closed to the public, only legitimate archery business people. If you've ever been to one of the deer and turkey expos, or even the Farm Science review, you'd appreciate this. No pushing shoving crowds, and the few kids were well behaved. We got to look at and try out all the newest innovations in archery. There are some creative people out there! One company has an electronic wind direction finder, it senses wind direction then locks in the compass so you know exactly where it's coming from. Scents to attract deer, scent blockers so the deer won't smell you, dozens of different seed formulas for food plots, all of them scientifically designed for the maximum benefits. Archery isn't just about hunting, either. There are a lot of tournament shooters out there, and just as many products to help them do their best. Being broke this year, I didn't place any orders, but I have many catalogs to write up my dream lists, and as soon as I win the lottery I'll stock up with the greatest products ever. There are several companies that design hunting clothing just for women now, so you can "look good killin' it" , as one of them advertises. I'd really like to get more into clothing in my shop. It is a huge investment, tho.