NSSF’s commitment to expanding exhibitor space for those in, or catering to, the archery market resulted in the addition this year of the new Archery Pavilion in the Caesars Forum, bringing with it a greater opportunity for dealers to shop more new products, and hopefully build out their businesses to serve more customers.

While some companies already have a presence at SHOT out on the main floor, the new Archery Pavilion gathers archery equipment makers in one place, giving new and smaller companies an excellent chance to impress the archery retailer.

One of those new companies is Pappydon Hunting Products who were showcasing their new, and patented, Tree Tank ground blind. As the name might suggest, the blind sets up in minutes around the trunk of a tree.

Using the tree as the center of the blind allows the hunter to attach their seat(s) to the trunk, and is roomy enough to add in a hunting stool or chair. Hunters can also use climbing sticks to climb up the tree from inside the blind to hunt from a stand. Or, as they pointed out, the hunter inside the blind could opt to send a buddy ‘topside’ to film the hunt.

Right now the Tree Tank is a prototype, but they are planning for product release in anywhere from 60 to 90 days after SHOT. Pappydon is targeting a $400 MSRP, but that’s not yet locked in. A reversible camo option will be available for hunters transitioning from fall to winter hunting.

Another first time SHOT Show exhibitor in the pavilion is Tethrd, which specializes in saddle hunting accessories. They exhibited earlier this month at the ATA Show and signed up for SHOT when the Archery Pavilion was announced, hoping to bring added exposure of their products to hunting retailers.

The adoption of e-bikes by hunters continues, and there were a couple manufacturers represented in the Archery Pavilion. According to Jeff Sampson of Rambo Bikes, hunters account for 80% of their customer base, and that’s heavily weighted toward the archery hunter.

The overall e-bike market continues to grow at a rapid rate – think 200% year-over-year, and projections are that e-bike sales could reach $20 billion by the end of 2024.

Rambo Bikes offers a couple models with prices ranging from $1,500 to $6,000. Their beefy, off-trail bikes even include three models with all-wheel drive. Their bikes can go 35 to 70 miles on a charge, depending on which model you get and the battery you select. Rambo Bikes are also programmable so they can meet Class 1, 2, 3 or unlimited classification.

Because most of their 350 dealers, and a significant portion of the customers, are in the archery community, the Archery Pavilion was an obvious exhibit spot for them.

With 42 years experience in the accessibility market making motorized chair and wheelchair lifts, Your Outdoor is making their first appearance at SHOT Show with lifts marketed to the hunter. Their chair lift (300 lbs capacity) reaches 15 feet and the wheelchair lift (600 lbs capacity) reaches 13 feet. Prices range from $3,500 for the chair and $9,000 for the wheelchair model.

Now, this might not be a purchase for the casual hunter, but for hunting clubs or those that own lots of land and have a big family, these new products may be just the ticket for older or disabled hunters. Wheelchair bound vets can now easily – and safely – hunt from an elevated position thanks to Your Outdoor. And for the grandfather looking to take the grandchildren out on a first hunt, well, a lifetime worth of memories is waiting.

Barnett Outdoors is one of those companies with a booth out on the main floor of SHOT, but they also opted to exhibit in the Archery Pavilion. Over in the Caesars Forum Barnett focused on showcasing their expanding product line for the youth archer. These new models in eye-popping colors will be available in early summer and will be a sure hit with young archers looking to follow in mom and dad’s footsteps.

As part of the Archery Pavilion NSSF included a small demo range. Part of that section included a darkened area where Barnett was showing off their new Buck Ops crossbow digital scope. Designed for prime time hunting, those early morning moments and the last 30 minutes of legal hunting when lighting washes out colors, this new scope allows you to see what you cannot see at those times. The scope’s ability to see colors amazingly clearly in near complete darkness demonstrates the effective advantage gained in those waning moments of the day’s hunt.

Barnett will also be offering a monocular and binocular in the Buck Ops line, which will hit the market later this year.

The opening hours of SHOT Show didn’t immediately pack the Archery Pavilion. Unless you entered and then walked all the way to the back of the main hall, bypassing the major firearms, optics, ammunition and accessory manufactures, to cross over to Caesars Forum, the Archery Pavilion would have to wait. But when I finally left the pavilion to return to the press room it was clear that more dealers had found their way to the new archery showcase, with more to come during the next few days of the show.

Before I made my way out I managed to stop by one booth in the pavilion that wasn’t quite a perfect fit, but was absolutely perfect nonetheless. If you are a regular reader of The Outdoor Wire you’ve seen news from several of the destination hunting states, one if which is Wyoming.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department made its return to SHOT Show this year and found a spot in the Archery Pavilion. If you’re an avid hunter, and haven’t yet hunted Wyoming, then we suggest you reach out to Wyoming Game and Fish by visiting their website and sign up for their email newsletter. That way you can keep on top of the many sporting opportunities the Cowboy State has to offer.

Alas, no free hunts…I asked.

- Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network