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Why Are Hoyt Bows So Awesome? – Evan Williams – Hoyt Archery
230 Plays3 months ago
This week Drew has Evan Williams from Hoyt Archery on the Tricer Podcast. Evan and Drew talk about what sets Hoyt apart from the rest of the field. Evan talks in detail about the engineering that goes into Hoyt bows and how those details affect the overall performance. Drew highlights his experience with the RX-8 carbon bow. These guys have a great conversation about hunting, and it wouldn’t be a Tricer Podcast without a great hunting story. Evan shares an exciting story about hunting big bucks.
HOYT ARCHERY
Website - https://hoyt.com
Instagram Hunting - @hoytbowhunting
Instagram Target - @hoyttargetarchery
Instagram Tagged Out - @hoyttaggedout
YouTube - @hoytarcheryofficial
TRICER USA
Website – https://tricer.com
Instagram - @tricerusa
YouTube - @tricer
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Transcript
Introduction and Opening Prayer
00:00:01
Speaker
You are listening to the Tricer Podcast, where we talk all things hunting, gear, and the great outdoors. Before we begin, let's start things out right and put God first. Lord Jesus, I thank you for Tricer, and I ask that you can use this podcast as a way to bring joy to all of our listeners. We lay Tricer and this podcast at your feet. Amen.
00:00:22
Speaker
Man, I wish you guys had been listening to the last hour that I had with this guy because it was a phenomenal podcast, just talking off air.
Industry Insights on Flagship Bows
00:00:30
Speaker
um
00:00:33
Speaker
In the bow industry, there's so many great flagship bows. I would argue that every company makes a really good flagship bow now, and it kind of, like, if it works for you, it works, right? And there's no one who's making it a bad bow.
00:00:48
Speaker
And I always shoot a different brand, I'm not going to talk about that brand because it's a great bow, it shot great for me.
Hoyt RX-8: A Game-Changer?
00:00:53
Speaker
And this year I went and ended up getting a new bow right before tack. I never thought I was going to shoot it, but I ended up getting a brand new Hoyt RX-8. And I'll tell you what, that bow is the best bow I have ever shot. and I shot and like, I shot two tacks of it. I killed some animals with it now already. And my other flagship bow that I got in like the year before has not been shot. And literally I have not shot that bow since I got my Hoyt. So I would be so excited to have Evan Williams from Hoyt on to tell me what the heck is in that bow that makes me love it so much dude. Hey, yeah you and then, you know, our, our engineering team just crushed it this year.
00:01:36
Speaker
um they've kind of had a list of goals and things to work on the last three to five years and in where we wanted to take the product um and made a bunch of little baby steps initially with this new hybrid binary system. um And we knew four years in we wanted to make a big big jump and and this is this is the benchmark at this point. This is how we're going to do it to get there. And they just hit it on the head. Yeah, man. ah So the RX-8 is a carbon fiber bow. I don't have the XL, I have the 30 inch, which I thought like, oh, I don't want a 30, I want a 34 because I'm a taller guy. I've got like a 30 inch draw length.
00:02:22
Speaker
I'm going to, and like I shoot this bow better than any bow I've ever shot. And like, it's like my friends who I shoot with are like, dude, I can't be no good. You shoot that bow. Um, it's this, it's like for me as, as Tricer, which our our whole thing is fast, light, simple, like this bow is like fast, light and simple on how to put it. Um,
00:02:39
Speaker
It's compact, I feel like it's small. I feel like everything is integrated into it, so like it has like um like my stabilizers are integrated into it. All the parts that go onto the bow are like Hoyt specific parts. It's not like adding on parts to a bow, so it's not like I end up with like...
00:02:54
Speaker
Like you buy this real slick, you know, flagship and then you have to add all this stuff onto it and you got this kind of like this big monster. And boy, it's just like this one piece system from the back bar to the, and you don't even need to stabilize it because it's built into it. You can add whatever you want to. um And then dude, it is the, it sounds like an angel fart. Like it's like, it is so quiet, dude, when I shoot this thing, it's remarkable. So I'm sorry for being a fanboy right now, but like, dude, like I am a quite fanboy. I'm so stoked on this mouth.
00:03:23
Speaker
Well, and and and we absolutely love it, you know, and and we've definitely gained a lot of traction and with attack events, like you mentioned. There was 12 of them this year, and I was able to be at 10 of those 12. And just to see people's reactions who, you know, we talked to a number of guys that hadn't shot a Hoyt in over a decade, because of an experience they had with a specific model and that, that draw cycle or the way the back wall felt, whatever the reason was.
Engineering Excellence at Hoyt
00:03:53
Speaker
And it's just, you know, hey, I've got 30 bows here. You know, you about 29, 29 and a half inch straw, let me put you in one and just
00:04:01
Speaker
give me some feedback, tell me what you think. And where we've been able to move the needle for us from a from a ah user experience or that that shot experience from the draw cycle, the noise, the reduction in vibration, um just that that six foot experience where You know, you go to a pro shop, you're at attack event and you have a bare bow that's got a rest on it and a D-loop. There's no sight. I'm shooting into a blank bail at five to six feet. Like our goal is to win that battle. And along with that, like you had mentioned our accessories, we have a system and we call it the inline system. And it is specific to the site mount, the rest integration,
00:04:51
Speaker
The quiver system, our stabilizers both a front and a back bar system and even our our bow mount which we call the go sticks. It's all working together in this inline compatibility system to do a bunch of different things.
00:05:06
Speaker
one we want to bring everything from a lateral perspective, okay which is your side-to- side to side. We want to bring everything as close into the center of that riser as possible to increase stability and our vertical balance. The other thing that we want to do is as we're doing that, we can shift by having two different stabilizer locations in the front. You have a standard position, which is right in the grip where every manufacturer has been for the last 40 years.
00:05:38
Speaker
We also have that lower position that drops that stabilizer mount from right under the grip down towards your limb pocket. So we drop vertically, but we also push it further forward. The reason for that is if we can drop that total mass weight farther down, okay, that bow is going to settle quicker. So you get faster time for pin on target.
00:06:04
Speaker
As we shift it forward, we can also use less weight and a shorter stabilizer to accomplish the same thing that you might be doing with a 10 inch in that normal position, where now you might only need that standard short stop two and a quarter we give you with that bow, or you put or you put a six inch on the front and and you essentially have a six inch that is achieving the same thing as the 10 or even an 11 in that standard position.
00:06:34
Speaker
so everything is very, very thought out, right? The quivers, okay, are our super light quiver system. We have a standoff that mounts to the riser and then those quivers are laterally adjustable. So they will move on that standoff left or right, depending on the rest that you use. If you use the QAD integrate, it's a dovetail mount that goes right on the back of our riser. So there's nothing on this side of your bow.
00:07:04
Speaker
you lose a little bit of mass weight because you don't have extra mounting pieces. So you produce that machining material. We can also now suck that quiver into where I can literally have it on a 33 or a 34 axle axle because of my draw length. My arrows are short enough. I can have that quiver tight enough in the vertical span between my limbs. I can actually slide it underneath my limbs and not make contact as that Linda flex during my draw cycle.
00:07:33
Speaker
So we're bringing everything into the center. The balance is so much better. I can use an overall lighter mass weight bow and still get the same effect when it comes to my hold, my accuracy, and my consistency. So one of the things that really kind of sold me on the Hoyt is I got a chance to shoot with Josh Jones, MFJJ. We got to shoot together. He came out in San Diego. We have a mutual friend. and And for one, just shout out to Josh, like the nicest guy in the world. I don't know why I like to stereotype him like he was a mohawk. He's going to be a dick. Like, dude, this guy was like, this guy fixed like three bows that blew a part of the shoe. Like just like we'd be shooting. He'd be like,
00:08:15
Speaker
I got it. like freaking like He's like go go jumping from a bullet, dude. Just running over to face him on his bow and like helping my kids. It's the tech nature in us. Again, I and don't care what bow you shoot. like If something goes wrong, like I want to get you back on that course. I want to get you back shooting. um I've gotten to watch Josh at a couple of events this year. and He has some of the best interaction from a personality standpoint. It's in the industry He's the nicest guy in the world man and like I text him a little bit now I'm like he just gets back to you and like he's just such a good dude So yeah shout out to him and a podium archery if you're doing it But what why I brought that up is I'm asking him, you know, we're talking and like Josh What do you think about the Bose this year and he's like?
00:09:00
Speaker
He named two, two bows that really made a change. We can all say Matthews, right? So you he mentioned Matthews and you guys who really made a change like in the industry and like it's noticeably different. but Not like, oh, we changed the color of our limb. You know what I mean? like It's like, wow, you went out there and changed it. And I can say with that, because I'm running all this talk, I'm running that QAD rest. i mean I got the whole back and ye My favorite, one of my favorite parts is that stabilizer built into the bottom. And I don't, all I run is that you enter because it just, it really does just sit down. If that makes any sense, like if you shoot a bow a lot and you're listening to this, you'll understand. Like if your bow will just, it'll just sit down on you. And I'm not having to like, there's not much like twerking with my wrist, right? It really stops my twerking, which has helped me a lot shooting. Cause I feel like my stabilizer is in the middle. I still have that weight there. So it can kind of give it both ways.
00:09:50
Speaker
but that With that statewide on the bottom, it really just sits down and it's good. if I should give you one bad review of your bow. The only bad thing about your bow, and I fixed it, is I love the Go6. They're phenomenal. But dude, glue the feet on.
00:10:03
Speaker
exactly so Glue the feet on. glued mine on. I glued mine on. They're supposed to be. we had an issue we We had an issue with one of our manufacturing partners, and they literally were not gluing feet on.
00:10:18
Speaker
So when I went to the tax, I had a tub of 60 feet and I took glue with me because we had a but a run come in that they didn't glue the feet on and I knew guys were going to lose them. So took replacement feet and was gluing stuff on for guys. so So yeah, if you have go sticks, they are supposed to be glued on. If you are losing them, that's not supposed to happen. So let us know. We'll get feed out to you a little bit of AAE max bond or whatever your glue of choice is. Yeah. Run that on that carbon rod and pop them on. So that's all I did. I actually already, I lost mine in my, I went to Hawaii last a couple of weeks ago and I pulled it out of my by that sicka bag. and I pulled it out and I'm like, I went to go hunting and it was no foot.
00:11:03
Speaker
I went back like that night, it was in my bag. I was like, oh cool, so I just glued them on. I think I just bought some. to replace with these? Gorilla gloves. I found a foot in my bag. like Gorilla gloves put on there and glued it on. and I was like, that's weird. and I kind of felt like it should have been glued on, so I'm glad you said that. It's noticed. because like That's the only real cool thing I have. Another really cool thing about that bow, which is like I'm really into fine details. right like Anyone who knows me knows like I'm a like a tweaker when it comes to engineering and designing and like just tweaking things to be perfect. You guys added like little bumps on your cams.
00:11:38
Speaker
And that way, when you put your cam in the dirt, like it doesn't get your string all dirty and dirt into your cam. And it's like the most ingenious thing. Is that patented or is that like? Because every brand should do that if it's not patented next year. i don't I don't know if there's a patent pending on that or not. and And that was one of the big changes between the VTM series with the HBX Pro and the new, the Alpha X series, which is our aluminum and the RX8s.
00:12:05
Speaker
So we designed the 2023 series Bose. We knew in the back of our minds we were working on a bipod, but we didn't change the HPX Pro Cam from 2022 to 2023. It carried from the Ventum Pro over to the VTM series. So when we released the original Go sticks, it was after the launch. And without having that Cam change, that didn't get that update.
00:12:32
Speaker
So we launched the GoStix knowing we needed this product in the market and we're already in the works on redesigning the Pro Cam to what it is now on the exact and already had that bump on it, knowing we're going to get feedback on this. Guys aren't going to like it because their cams are in the dirt, but we aren't making a change to that part of the the bow and the product for this generation, we know it's coming on the next one. So you know there's a lot of guys that have VTM's asking if they can you know retrofit exact cams and stuff on it, because they they want to have that feature. um But one of the things to combat that is on those go sticks you have four positions. So you can run it up and straight in line with that stabilizer.
00:13:23
Speaker
You have a a front down position, which we call cam stand. We have a 45-ish degree angle back that we call the tripod position. And then you can run it all the way back and in line with your quiver gripper. And that's for storage or transportation. If you run it in that back position that we call tripod, if you're running a six inch, an eight inch, or a 10 inch stabilizer in front in that lower position,
00:13:49
Speaker
you can actually tip that bow forward. So you're resting on the go sticks in the stabilizer and now your cam is out of the dirt. So again, it was, we knew as this process went along that we were going to have engineering pieces and concepts to the go sticks, specifically for previous model generations that can take the go sticks, but didn't have that nipple bump, whatever you want to call it. We've got some other, other fun phrases for it here in the office, but Yeah, it's just a... Dude, I'm getting feedback on yours. I can hear myself a little bit. But ah it's just a, like, a fun, like, not a fun, a simple thing that's like, why didn't I think of this? Like, right? Like, one of those things where it's like, why doesn't everybody do this? It's a really cool thing. I really appreciate it. It just shows the attention and detail that you guys have. So, enough about the RX-8. You guys are, in my opinion right now, like,
00:14:50
Speaker
top dogs on the bow front, and you're really making waves. It's like everyone who picks a thing up and shoots it is awesome. think They think it's awesome. um tell me about Tell me about you, man. Who's Evan Williams? and how you get him saying ever I find him, but he doesn't like ear well you. He got talked to Evan from Hoyt. He's so cool.
00:15:09
Speaker
Uh, I'm just a people person. So I've, I've got the gift of gab is my boss always tells me. And, um, you know, I grew up in the Midwest and in South central Nebraska, Northwest Kansas, and, you know, just a small real farm boy, um, grew up in a town where I, where I.
00:15:26
Speaker
lived itself was about 200 people, and then commuted 10 miles down the road to to school of, you know, another 2000 in that town and graduated high school and went to the University of Missouri, Kansas City on a full ride athletic scholarship for competitive rifle shooting. um Got my degree and had the opportunity to move out to Colorado Springs to train at the Olympic Center for a couple of years. And, you know, when I got out there,
00:15:53
Speaker
still had still had some student loans and stuff I was paying off from that and got a part time job, worked at the local pro shop. And as I was getting ready to you know fully get out and retire from competitive shooting, it presented an opportunity to go full time and and started working as ah as a tech on a full time basis at the shop and um Bill and Arliss took me under their wing and and Bill is teaching me everything that he could and um from all aspects of the archery, you know, business and tech side and um had an opportunity. I was getting to know of the guys at Hoyt from trade shows and our sales from the shop. We were, you $500,000 account and um we were running Matthews and Hoyt. We had Prime and Elite and started shooting those and developed a reputation with with a lot of the customers there. and and Guys here at Hoyt got to know me and the position came up in marketing about nine years into that journey.
Career Insights with Evan Williams
00:17:04
Speaker
You know, made the trip out here with the wife and the family in 2015 and been here nine years, starting September 15th. So almost, almost the 19th anniversary. Dang, you've been there a long time. You went there in the middle of the oak season? I did. And it's it's funny. So I actually got the job offer in June of 2015, but the shop I was at was a big enough account that They didn't want to make my boss mad and steal me before elk hunting season because obviously that's, you know, when we're doing the most work. So I got the job offer, um, ended June 1st, July somewhere in there, but the arrangement was actually done with my boss as to when I was allowed to leave. So at the time, the VP of sales for Hoyt was talking to him and, you know, when,
00:17:59
Speaker
When would you basically allow him to move out here and and let him start working with the team? And my boss knew that I had drawn a limited entry elk tag in Colorado that year. So he came to me and goes, I'm going to tell him September 15th. And I know it's in the middle of elk season, but I'm going to flip flop your week to hunt with our other guy, cause we always trade it off year to year. He goes, so I'll have you, if you want to, you'll work the first week and then you'll get the second week of season to go hunt your elk tag in that pre rot phase. And it should be a better week. And then you'll basically have to go right out there. So my, my boss at the pro shop arranged it where I got a better week to do my elk hunt right before I came out to work for Hoyt. And, uh,
00:18:55
Speaker
Couple things on that. One, if you're an entrepreneur and you want to take someone, especially from a friend, the way I handle this is very good. Like in my old business, I had friends like come in and like, um, steal my employees. and It's like, Oh, they were disgruntled or whatever. Like, dude, it is so much more professional to call someone and be like, Hey,
00:19:18
Speaker
This is, this is what's going on. Like I have a friend, I saw this conversation yesterday, like four years ago, one of his welders wanted, and it's a, it's a, voder that it's his brother-in-law, he'd send a school, but he wants a trade. And I said, well, man, I could get, I can get him into a trade. And I was telling someone that I can get him, I can help him get a a career, you know, and make good money, getting a apprenticeship at the union. And, but I said, you know what, I'm going to call this guy first. I called him, Hey man, you know, your Bernal's looking for work.
00:19:46
Speaker
can I do this?" He's like, dude, that would kill me right now. I didn't do it. right it's like I know this is off topic of both or anything, but like it's so important as entrepreneurs not to go and like when you start poaching people like that, and not it's's it's a lot cleaner way to do it. If it's somebody you like, like if you know what I mean, like sometimes again, you have to do it. but like Taking it someone because you think you have a better gig for somebody is not a clean way to do something because you could be, especially on a small boat shop, really hurting. Because your Hoyt, which you mean like no offense to Evan, Hoyt would have made it without you for three months.
00:20:18
Speaker
Your Colorado Springs archery shop would have been like spinning and the owner would have been in there until midnight every night, clutching arrows. yeah you know yeah and and And again, it was you know in that shop, there was there was two of us full-time techs. We had the owner, um who was a full-time firefighter at the time. So he was coming in one maybe one to three days a week, kind of in the evenings, helping out, busy part of the season. And then we had a couple other firefighters. And when we really got bogged down,
00:20:46
Speaker
the main tech and I would literally be in the shop just working on those and those guys were upfront dealing with the customers just so we could rip through those quicker. you know it was It was a very, very small shop just like you know most of these pro shops where you've got two, maybe three key employees that you're running all of your business around. um And even before they made the offer to have me come out and interview, they were talking to him just to make sure like,
00:21:13
Speaker
Is it okay if we have this interview? Because if it leads to something, and then like we don't want to upset you. So just like with you, where you went to somebody first, it's going to wreck me. That's it. <unk> We're not taking this any farther. And and yeah, they they went through the right process to do that.
00:21:35
Speaker
so You know, it'll strengthen your relationship. it's It's like one of those things that some people will tell me, even like if you have something go wrong, if you approach it the right way, it could, it could really actually strike. It's probably a strange relationship between this shop. Where's where it at? So we're based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. So when you were flying in, like, so in that hour that we talked ahead of this that we didn't record, um literally when you were flying in and flying out, we are 200 yards off the runway.
00:22:06
Speaker
I was there yesterday. I had the entire afternoon. I flew in yesterday. point I could come in and stay with you in person. ah I percent ah should have done it. We should have done one in person. I'm sure we'll do one. We could do one in person too. We have like, I'll be up there a bunch. i We ship everything out of Salt Lake. So I fly up there and then we have all the shows coming up and I'm trying to go, I'm trying to get a guy like you to kind of run the shows for me. Cause that way I can kind of just be me at these things. But um yeah, on the small archery shop, we should speak to that real quick too.
The Importance of Small Archery Shops
00:22:37
Speaker
and There's something you said about a really good archery shop, and I sell through big box stores as well, um which is fine, but when it comes to bows, I really do enjoy...
00:22:48
Speaker
that small shop and that that you know having them there to like work on my stuff and know they're there versus going online and buying a bow and then bringing it over here and having it done. Speak to that. It's because you were at a small shop. I go buy a windicator once a week to go sit two hours in the bow shop and hang out with my buddies. and and and it's It's so much more of a a fun environment, not only to to be in as a consumer, but to work in as an employee.
00:23:15
Speaker
You, you know, the owner, you know, the family, um, you know, bill and Arliss for me, like bill is like a second father. Um, there was some rough times as I was transitioning between, you know, getting out of shooting and all that, where, um, the house I was staying in there, were we had a five total roommates. All of us were athletes at the Olympic train center. And I went on a trip with the team and I came back and we had.
00:23:45
Speaker
We had a cyclist, we had two weight lifters, and then a pistol shooter, and then myself. And I went on a rifle trip with the team, came back. um The pistol shooter was in the Marine Corps, was on the WCAP program, which is a world-class athlete program. And literally, I didn't know that that weekend he was finishing his two-year rotation as a shooter and was going back into his duty station.
00:24:14
Speaker
So I came back, he's gone. The entire house is packed up. The the weight lifters and the cyclists had all moved out that weekend because stuff had blown up and the owners decided to sell the house just like that. And so I come back from a trip. All my stuff is boxed up. Everybody else is out of the house. And I literally am sitting there five hours from where I grew up. I had only been in town about three months and I didn't have a place to stay.
00:24:41
Speaker
So, you know, in the shop, we had a lot where we had all of our storage. I threw a cot up there and was sleeping in the shop and they didn't know it for a while. And when he found out, he was, this is not going to happen. Like if something happens, like I don't want you to get hurt. Um, it's not that I don't trust you, but there's better situations. And they literally took me in and brought me into their house and I'm staying with them, working for them now full time.
00:25:09
Speaker
while they are trying to go through their channels and introduce me to people to potentially find a new place to stay. So like, oh, so much to those guys. And it is, it's a small business. There's five to six employees, you're working with their family members. So you are not only supporting a small business, but you're supporting a family.
00:25:31
Speaker
So there's just like I've got nothing but volumes to speak on small businesses, archery pro shops. And and that's really what I love the most about Hoyt and our business model is our bows are direct to a pro shop. You cannot buy our bows online. You can get shirts, you can get hats and the soft goods, you can get some accessories.
00:25:53
Speaker
um but because of the technicality of the bows and us wanting to support small and local businesses in your areas, we're in a pro shop. that's That's the only place you're going to find us other than some key shields here and there that don't have a pro shop in the area. And honestly, it's enjoyable to go get a bow set up by a bow shop and get it done there and talk to somebody. It's like it's it's almost like one of the last It's like one of the last things you could do it with. Like everything's gone online, everything's done. I mean, I guess like I had some gunshots about hanging out in two local, they like I went to sit sound in the back of the owner for a couple hours here and he was talking to me, building me a gun. That's kind of fun too. But like with a bow, like it's so much more technical than a gun. I mean, yeah you know, a gun you put a bolt in and you should pull the trigger, right? You put a scope on it. I mean, there's some stuff there. Unless you're building a custom rifle, right? But with a bow, like you go buy a bow, you can't just go buy a Ruger and like put a scope on it. Like it's like,
00:26:49
Speaker
It has to be set up specifically to you. It's such a catered thing, right? I guess it's like it's like the dude's way of like going and like going to the salon or something, you know what I mean? 100%. 100%. My wife gets her nails done from all these Vietnamese ladies, and she loves it. and they They text. She doesn't show up after two weeks. like They're texting. They're like, the bow shop's the same way, dude. like You go down there, and it's like, they're catered. How's your bow shoot? What can we do for you? This is at least my personal bow shop that I go to. but How can we fix that? Bring it in here. Let's get it down before you go.
00:27:17
Speaker
yeah and and it really it becomes an event right just like just like a total archery or something like that it becomes an event to go to the bow shop even if it's just i'm going on my lunch break to go to the range if they've got one and i'm gonna go shoot some arrows because i need to i need the mental release from work or whatever is going on in my life like That's a place where I can go and I can chill with the boys. it's It's college buddies, it's high school friends and you're just going and catching up and you might not you might not buy a thing, you might not shoot on the range. You're just going and chatting and having a conversation with some some good guys that have become great friends.
00:27:58
Speaker
Yeah, man, for sure. Let's so let's speak to the total archery stuff because I got to shoot two of them this year. We had a booth at one. Next year, we're going to have a booth at four. You're trying to talk me into a fifth.
Community Events: Total Archery Challenge
00:28:09
Speaker
I'm still debating if I want to fly to the East Coast for an event. ah Those are really fun, man, and I think it's a great way for people to For one, you have a hunting experience, right? And shoot, right? Especially if you're trying to get into hunting, you're going to get to meet people. And honestly, most times, like with me, I'm so busy. Like I just kind of pick up a time and I'll go shoot with anybody. I mean, meet guys. And like, I did, I dropped it. I had a couple of groups I shot with, you know but then a few of the days I would just be like, just pick it up and go find somebody and and shoot with them and have a good time. It's just like, I tell people all the time that 3D archery is like golf, but not gay.
00:28:46
Speaker
It's baseds exactly that that is exactly what I relate it to like a total large event is literally the golf for the guys that don't want to go swing a club around.
00:28:58
Speaker
and and it's like right It's golf. It's golf, but you can talk crap to each other and talk in their backswing and you're doing stupid crap. Whenever I shoot three yards, we're always up in the ante. We got to one point, we were one foot on a log, a rolling log this year, shooting all of us. It's a pissing match. It's like you're having fun.
00:29:20
Speaker
one and you can put You can put dinner on the line, you can do a buck a point. you can There's so many things you can do um with it in your group of guys. I got to shoot a couple actual courses with some buddies depending on the event I was at.
00:29:38
Speaker
And I do I take a little diaphragm call with me. And if we've got if we've got a bucket point on the table or we're shooting for dinner, man, I'll get up there and and let them get to full draw and right as I see that that pressure change on a finger or I see them start pulling through their release.
00:29:56
Speaker
that bugle. Here we go. So you can have all kinds of fun. And, you know, there's there's no scoring involved from a, you know, tournament type standpoint. um You know, if you're out there to work on hunting setup, and shoot those targets for vitals, don't shoot for scoring rings, yours, there's so many things and games that you can play, either with yourself or with the group that you're in on how you want to approach the event.
00:30:22
Speaker
Yeah, and it's like, we don't really keep score often. I'll keep score sometimes locally. Like I have an app that'll do it, right? So it's pretty fun. So you can keep scores of groups and you can kind of like talk crap. Like as a group, like it'll score like leaderboard kind of as you do it. I think it's like 10 bucks. And that's a fun way to do it. Cause if you're ever in their pocket, you know, you can't be as honest too. Like when you do it on the phone, like it's like, Hey, you're two behind me right now. And to see, you know, like it just like you're, you're one five away from, you know, losing this thing.
00:30:52
Speaker
I definitely can say what kills me is the missus do the missus or what kill your score whenever you do that It's just like oh, oh you're not supposed to miss. We didn't miss a mister The last event we had in there's a Louisville event the last shot on one of the courses was like a hundred and a I think the guy hit it 132 yards on his range finder on a moose. Like where else are you going to get the opportunity to do that? Like unless you have a target that size, most guys aren't going to want to shoot it, especially if they've got a little, you know, two foot by two foot target.
00:31:31
Speaker
Yeah, I did. ah that was one i I did a Sitka course, probably a Sitka course at um ah you are Montana, and that was like 115. The cool thing about the moose is like it's really hard to miss. It's so big. It's not like a Sasquatch. It's really hard to miss that thing. but yeah Dude, they had some stuff on there. like It was like a 100-yard doll sheep on the Sitka course downhill. and One day, I'd say like if you're It's one thing to go to the range and like bench rest your rifle. It's another thing to go to your house and shoot arrows in the backyard. When you go and shoot at, start shooting through the archery, um you really start to like get humbled a little bit and understand your range, right? Like I really am, like I really do want to keep it under 60 yards. Like it's just, it's not that I'm not capable of shooting further than that. It's just, you start to realize how much stuff can go wrong.
00:32:18
Speaker
on a frozen 3D target versus a moving animal. A live animal. Right. And you see, like, you go to attack a vet, and dude, there's guys who go up with 12 arrows and come back with one or none. Like, there's just arrows broken everywhere, and you're just like, oh my gosh, this is why there's so many arrows running out with arrows in them, because people just don't know how to shoot or don't shoot, you know? Yeah. And a lot of that too is guys that think they know they're set up,
00:32:46
Speaker
but have that experience where, okay, I just did a 25 target course. I've come back with one arrow. um I need to make this change or I need to make that change or you get partway through and realize,
00:33:01
Speaker
I'm not even paying attention to my bubble because of the technicality aspect. You're like, what are my feet doing? What kind of terrain am I on? Are my feet running downhill? But the target is you know far enough away, it's running in the direction. There's such a technical aspect to it that puts you in those hunting situations.
00:33:23
Speaker
I've been on a mule there stock in Colorado on a 42 degree slope that I've got one foot down slope. I've got knee on the ground on the other side, and I'm trying to shoot off kilter downhill into a 77 yard shot that the cut makes it 63.
00:33:44
Speaker
Like there's no other place other than hunting to get that other than going to attack event and being in those situations where you can test not only yourself but your equipment. Is this really built and set the way I need it to and want it to to be successful in the field?
00:34:00
Speaker
Yeah, 100%. And most of you guys too, like I don't only shoot tacks, right? So we have like a 3D shoe at our local rod and gun club every month, like the first Sunday of the month. And it's nothing like a tack. I mean, it's like we walk on. there's like it's It's pretty flat. I mean, there's some there's some little hills involved. There's some technical stuff. There's some bushes and stuff. yeah You got a shoe over trees. But like I think 3D archery for hunters is very important. ah Very important. Honestly, the guy I'm taking hunting with me this weekend,
00:34:28
Speaker
I ran into him in a 3D shoot locally here and he was like using my stuff and I was like, oh, what's up, man? like um And then we started shooting together and now he's like, dude, me and him hanging all the time. Shout out to Joey. Dude, we're going all kinds of things together and he's going to go.
00:34:43
Speaker
We're going to go to Arizona together and hunt deer this year. like it's just like street It's super good way to meet dudes and just have a good time. and and so and and You really do get to perspective like a better perspective on how you shoot and to prepare for those hunts. i I love doing it. I think it's an important way to learn. I'll also say too, like if you want access to brands,
00:35:04
Speaker
like tack is probably the best way to do it. Like bigger, better than the shows, better than like tack is such like a label. It's almost like a festival style. You know what I mean? Like if you got a tack, you're going to come and sit down to my town with me and just hang out with me. You know what I mean? Like, obviously I'm not a big deal, but like you said, like go hunts there. You're sitting down with trail. They're more important than me. Maybe old trail or Lorenzo, you know, or Paul and you're sitting down and hanging out with those guys or Montana night company. Yeah. Sit there and stare at Brady all day long.
00:35:34
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, dude. And it's like, you get to go and like really to see these brands and know these brands. It's just a really cool event. I highly recommend doing it. It is it is an event. It's not a like, and you can show up for a day if you live local, but like really then you can drive in, get a hotel with your buddies, have a good time. and just yeah checking out I recommend doing. You can do one a year. I think you should do one tack a year, at least. yeah and and even Even if you have one local, do that one year, but look at potentially going to some other locations or venues because you're going to meet and see different people. You'll have a core group of vendors that is all at all those events, but that that outside core does change. so you know You might be looking at
00:36:20
Speaker
at a ah company and and they're not at the Vermont or the Pennsylvania event, but they're at the South Dakota or they're at the Montana or Colorado. Because a lot of manufacturers like we talked earlier, they're looking at their product and the majority of demographic users of their products, so where is it going to be more beneficial? you know If you're looking at saddles for a whitetail guy,
00:36:43
Speaker
but you're probably not going to find tethered or a saddle manufacturer in Colorado or Montana. You're going to find them in Pennsylvania. You might see them in Oklahoma, Georgia, ah Kentucky, Michigan, we know one of those events.
00:37:00
Speaker
So depending on if there's products or something that you're looking at, you might want to pick an event based on that so that you can go in and have that face to face with that manufacturer. Like like Drew said, it's it's a festival. So you have manufacturers that are there that I'm looking for guys to talk to. Like my whole role there is to make sure everybody is out there shooting. So if there's a breakdown, again, I don't care what manufacturer you're using.
00:37:25
Speaker
I'll get you fixed up. I got all the parts in the and the trailer to take care of most things. but You guys even have like a paper paper tuning and everything, right? Yeah. So Matt over at Paper Tuner met him in Oklahoma and he just happened to have one.
00:37:41
Speaker
um in the trucks. I was like, dude, that like I don't have one with me. That'd be a good product to have. And literally that sucker weighs nothing. It's a plexiglass system that has a super duty magnet so you can either in your house or shop if you have a home shop.
00:37:59
Speaker
You can screw in hooks and have it there and it's removable. Or for us, where we have that trailer, they've got heavy duty magnets. Literally, I can throw those up and attach them to the frame. And I've got a paper tuner right there, pull it down, it's out of the way. So you know we had a number of breakdowns that we were helping guys with. And hey, come on back here real quick, throw that paper tuner up, boom.
00:38:20
Speaker
So yeah, it was at this all up if you guys haven't seen that product that is one especially if you're trying to do some stuff at home Do paper tuner calm Matt has got just a clean easy simple to use product um So go check those guys out. There's there's a shout out right there And there's a few really cool stuff for doing them at home now. ah And also that that freaking arrow cutter saw, too, is really bitching. Who mods, the mod saw guys. Mod saw. I need to get one. My buddy has, the problem is my buddy has one. And so he always cuts my arrows for me. And then I'm like, oh, what do I need to get one for? i Do I need one? There's one right down the street. and Yeah. Yeah. But it's like, dude, like there's a few things where you can really do this stuff at home. i mean And a lot of guys are going to like a bow press and doing everything. I know like on our hunt, this is when we go to, uh,
00:39:07
Speaker
Colorado, Joey's bringing in like a mobile press with us and like all that stuff. nice But actually, I saw some video where they were dry firing the piss out of an RX-8 and it wasn't blown apart. So do I not? I mean, I'm not gonna do it. But like, and what's going on there, dude? And again, I don't recommend it. Don't dry fire your bow, okay?
00:39:25
Speaker
Yeah. Part of our testing process for strength, durability, but also from a safety aspect, we have a 1500 dry fire and a 1 million cycle test.
Testing Standards for Safety and Durability
00:39:36
Speaker
So every single one of our products goes through those safety and durability checks. It's it's a Hoyt standard.
00:39:44
Speaker
If this model bow does not pass 1500 dry fires, it will not go to market. We will rework the riser. If there's a weak point that we're finding through that test, we'll do whatever we need to do. No product we bring to the market will not pass one of those tests.
00:40:03
Speaker
with that being said, that is in a controlled environment. So that video, we're in a hooter shooter, so there was no torque placed on that grip. So literally, we can line that string track up, nice and straight, and it's firing straight. If you have a good grip position from an anatomical standpoint where you're drawing back straight, if something happens, I've dry fired my bow at 85 pounds. It was a freak accident.
00:40:30
Speaker
whatever happened, right? I've been there. There's two kinds of archers in the world. Those who have dry fired and those who will, okay? I don't know. And because of how I set up into my bow, came back, boom, it happened. Everything went right back down the pipe. No issues. I literally, less than 12 hours later, I've got a turkey on the ground with that same bow.
00:40:54
Speaker
other guys, depending on how they climb into it, if they've got more thumb pressure or more index pressure on that knuckle, you can torque that bow. And if a dry fire happens, you're no longer lining those cams and strings up, you're essentially kind of doing this. So now your string is not tracking, you can jump the track and have essentially that go into a derailment situation where your dry fire is not in the track, it goes on your axle.
00:41:22
Speaker
So that can lead to some string damage, things like that. But we design it to survive those. So depending on, again, depending on torque and and the specific situation. um Most of the dry fires I've seen is guys trying to drop back with fingers just to feel the draw cycle. um And the way the transition from the valley through to that back wall goes, if it drops off too hard,
00:41:49
Speaker
If it bounces, if they've got a 75% versus an 85% because all of our light offs are adjustable, guys bounce off that back wall, boom. So we designed them to survive those depending on The conditions, that kind of tells us what could potentially happen. you know The other thing that we did this year is the RX8s and the Alpha Xs have a quarter inch axle, not a three sixteenths. So we beefed up the axle. That quarter inch axle, so it's a sixteenth of an inch larger, is lasting the entire 1500 dry fires.
00:42:30
Speaker
in years past, we would replace cams and axles because we're not testing those elements in that dry fire test. We replace those from a safety check standpoint. This year, they went the whole way through. Cams and the axles? Axles, yeah.
00:42:48
Speaker
That's impressive, dude. That's really impressive. Yeah, I saw that video and I was like, no way. It's just like, wham, wham, wham. And I was like, wow. and And all those bows, every model is tested at its maximum available draw length and draw weight. So an RX8, we build to 30 inches and we have an 80 pound limb offering. and So we're going to test that at it the max 30 inch draw and the max 80 pounds.
00:43:17
Speaker
on a Z1S, 30 in straw length is the max, 70 pounds is the highest available limb. So that's where it gets tested at. So every model is tested at its maximum available stored energy and potential there. You know what would be really cool is if you killed an awk with one of those bows. One of the dry fire bows? Yeah. If you were like, this bow was dry fired a couple of times, I went and killed an animal with it and it still shot good. attack height So I didn't do it.
00:43:47
Speaker
um Last year, when we released the RX-8, I had a content hunt that we were doing for Hoyt. And so I got an early RX-8, and then Danny Ferris, who co-hosts our bow hunting podcast with me, had another content hunt that he was doing as well. But we both had antelope tags, mine in Utah and his in Colorado before our hunts.
00:44:12
Speaker
So he and I were basically racing each other to try and see who could fill their antelope tag first and get the first official kill with the RX-8. The day before our season opened up, because we opened on the 18th, Colorado opened on the 15th. So the day before our season opened on that Friday, I get a call from Danny. And he is freaking out. He had finally got Bucks into position.
00:44:42
Speaker
They were moving around. He was ranged, hooked up, came to full drop. Boom. Forgot to load an arrow. Literally lost one of his string dampeners. Everything went right back into place. He's literally, I can still hear him cussing and the the ringing of the string. You can hear the, you can hear the tears, the tears. It's hilarious. I'm laughing. And I was like, I was like, does string go right back in the track?
00:45:10
Speaker
yeah I was like, okay, well, if all you lost was one little hole shot in that string, I know you have a bow from last year. It's the same one. Take one out, put the other one back in, and then go shoot at 60 yards. so So literally, he gets back to the house, puts his bow in the press,
00:45:26
Speaker
grabs another whole shot, puts it in, drops out to 60 yards, and is just dropping dimes. And he's like, it didn't, like, the string didn't move, the peep didn't move, like, it still shot a bullet hole, nothing happened. I'm like, yeah. I said, I'm still gonna kill my antelope first. And he ended up shooting his bull. um i e I filled my antelope tag. I did beat him. I gotta throw that in there, just so everybody hears it.
00:45:53
Speaker
And yeah, so on his dry fire, he filled Kansas tag, Colorado elk tag. He did get his Colorado antelope tag. So he went on to shoot at least three animals that I know of with that bow that had been dry fired with only replacing a whole shot, which is our string dampener. That's awesome. Yeah, it's, it's impressive. What a.
00:46:15
Speaker
What new stuff, Yoko? I've heard some rumors. it's like it's all There's always these rumors that there's some... you don't I know you can't tell us, because but at the end of this year, like October, November timeframe, there should be some cool stuff showing up from Hawaii.
00:46:30
Speaker
Yep, so we our goal launch-wise is anywhere from that last week of October to the middle of November. There are some things in there that play an impact on that as to when does engineering finalize product. Then we have our pre-production run where we're doing systems checks in production.
00:46:50
Speaker
making sure our building materials, so all of our specs are correct on those for for production purposes. Then we do a first article run where we're physically approving each individual model. Once that's done, we can go to full-blown production. And we do that early enough, hopefully, that we start building an inventory so that, like last year with the Alpha X and the RX8, we had almost 9,000 bows in pro shops on launch day ready for the consumer right there.
00:47:19
Speaker
um It's the biggest launch we've ever had. um So engineering got stuff done so early, we were able to really ramp up production and get that going. So that timeframe usually allows us to do that when we when we go into that last week of October, middle of November timeframe. And then there's going to be some cool stuff coming.
00:47:42
Speaker
i'm I'm really excited. There's there's some tweaks that that I've been looking forward to. um you know Based on feedback I've given them, my boss has given them, a couple other guys from customer service that are out and doing a lot of stuff. But truly, like our engineering team, you we we pride ourselves in hiring what we call archineers.
00:48:01
Speaker
where you know we are hiring bow hunters and and fanatical diehard bow hunters that went to school and got an engineering degree.
00:48:12
Speaker
you know
00:48:15
Speaker
I think the coolest thing is I got to do a hunt with one of our engineers, Daniel Anselmo, last year up in Idaho. Daniel's a local Utah boy, ah grew up down south where I had my antelope tag this last year.
00:48:29
Speaker
and Went to school to get an engineering degree and his last semester at school just happened to be scrolling through the Hoyt website. He wanted to be in the industry and was finalizing his degree and saw an engineering position come up. And while he's still in school, gets an interview, gets a job offer. So literally he's going straight from school into the Hoyt engineering team. And, you know, Daniel's been here.
00:48:56
Speaker
I think he's he's getting close to the 20-year mark. I think he's at 18. That's Dan, Dan. Daniel and Selmo. Okay. And just call him the mule king. like There's a lot of guys that shoot some really good muleys, but his his buck last year, he just slammed it. 243-inch, non-typical mule dairy.
00:49:26
Speaker
Dude, I just had a guy on from Colorado who shot 200 the last three years in a row, and two of them were on private. He buys tags over there, right? um But he has but a lot of public. One of them was on public. I think he's never picked a bow up before. I don't know what bow he's shooting, so he gets a bow. He's had it for two weeks.
00:49:48
Speaker
classes is a one eighty s on public and she like two thirty seven dude um public went his first archery kill ever is a buck that would you would retire on dude and obviously a picture this but it's a good pod he owns westo precision So he's down in that Hotchkiss Delta area.
00:50:09
Speaker
He's right by West, apparently the West Oak Mountains are right there, so he lives right there his whole life, so it's called West Oak Precision. But dude, the guy, like, pick him up and shoot to 237, it's like, he's literally three 200s in a row, dude, that's awesome.
00:50:22
Speaker
Which, and especially like you talk to guys and, you know, Colorado's are low States. If you want an opportunity to 200 inch mule deer, like close your eyes and just put your finger on a map and hunt around it. You know, any unit at any time, any place can produce an animal like that. Um, numbers are down, but it's just, it's incredible when those deers pop up, like.
00:50:48
Speaker
you know, this buck, there's another guy that has known about him and has planned on actually drawing the tag this year that Daniel ran into. And he's got four, I think four years worth of pictures of this buck. And he's got a set of sheds off of him and and just basically had what I call the whitetail history, right? Because you don't typically see that with mules. And just, you know, could put on over 20 inches.
00:51:17
Speaker
and just blew up. So the you never know when, you never know where. The biologist in the area didn't even know about this deer. Awesome. What tags you got this year, dude? It's elk season. I'm leaving tomorrow for Colorado. What tags you got? When are you
Personal Hunting Stories and Future Plans
00:51:34
Speaker
going elk hunting? I leave tonight. My hunting partner gets in from Pennsylvania about 10 o'clock tonight. We're going to do a Utah general.
00:51:41
Speaker
um We'll have a week on that hunt. um i will be I'll be back a week and then the evening of September 16th, my wife and I are going to take off to Alberta and we have moose tags. So we're going to run up on a moose hunt. I've got a good buddy that we've been trying to go up and hunt with the last couple of years. and and He's got an outfitting business and had ah had a free free week that he couldn't get filled. And he called me and said, hey, we got this week available. You still want to do it. So took him up on that. We're going to be up with them in the pre-rut.
00:52:21
Speaker
and then I've got ahve got a Kansas tag in my pocket, but I've got a lot of real good buddies also that have that same tag. and My daughter wants to fill the tag, so I will probably be a little more guiding than hunting on that on that Kansas tag this year. but Archery or rifle? Archery. Yeah. Yeah. So good for her. and Try and get my daughter her first bow kill and my niece her first bow kill. And then I've got a real good buddy that used to work with us here at Hoyt. He was our photographer and video guy and got him on a good buck two years ago out there.
00:53:08
Speaker
and missed him twice and just got the itch to to do more whitetail stuff and and pull that tag again this year. and i was able to I actually saw that buck last year and passed him because I recognized him and was like, I'm not going to shoot this deer because you're going to draw the tag next year. He's going to be a year older and we're going to target this one buck.
00:53:30
Speaker
so Now I've never done it. Um, tethered sent me like a full, I mean, I have like every tethered item you can imagine. And I, I've tree sounded a little bit here, like not hunting, just like trying it. It kind of scares the hell out of me. I'm trying to learn how to do it. Practice. Move slow and lots of practice. Like.
00:53:50
Speaker
Again, it's weird because I tell guys like I grew up in in Northwest Kansas, so they're like, oh, you must be you must love whitetail hunting. No, I don't. um it's For me, it's an acquired taste. I grew up on the border where I was far enough west. um I was in some really, really good mule there growing up, and we had moved to Kansas out of Nebraska, and I remember the first like first hunting season we were back, I was in fifth grade, and I was walking from home And I knew mom and dad were going out opening day. And so we're walking back from school and I see dad's truck in the driveway and it was in tailgate first and dad never backed into the driveway. So I knew they got something. And as we go up the driveway, cause it was fairly steep, like there was a rack just above the bed of the truck. Like, and again, I'm, you know,
00:54:43
Speaker
13 years old. So to me, it's sticking up two feet above that the bed of the truck. But we go walking up on what I later taped at 181 inch three by four mule deer. And ah from that point on, it's just like that is, they're so big, they're so majestic. Like, I can be active when ah when we're hunting, I can control more situations by being on the ground in the spot and stock that that everything I did from an athletic standpoint was very centered, very calm, very slow and methodical. And so when I hunt, I am completely the opposite. I want a running gun. I want to be in charge. Me too. I want to do when I want to do it. Honestly, the saddle hunting is really what has spurred more of that fuel for me to hunt whitetail because
00:55:39
Speaker
I can now be more mobile. I can be more aggressive. I can push some boundaries as to, I think I want to slide in here a little bit more or I was hunting last year and I'm horrible at picking spots and thought I was in ah in a good pinch point on a travel corridor and everything I was seeing was about a hundred yards further out. And so literally in the middle of a hunt,
00:56:06
Speaker
Tether down, pull all my stuff, slide in another 80 yards, saddle back up an hour later. Here comes one of the bucks that I knew was in the area. Boom, tag filled.
00:56:18
Speaker
And literally that being mobile and having that ability to make a quick, okay, I'm going to be down out of this tree in 10 minutes. I'm going to slide in. I'm going to be up in another 10 minutes and you know, 30 minutes. And I've completely moved trees and changed everything about this hunt and the environment I'm going to put myself into. So, and, and for me with, you know, having four kids.
00:56:42
Speaker
I feel much safer in a saddle because I'm connected to that tree from the ground all the way up and all the way back down. And if I need or feel the need to, I can not only have my tether attached, but I can keep my lineman belt attached. So I've got two points of contact that will just limit at my range and abilities, but I gain in that that mental safety aspect of I'm not going anywhere because of my attachment to the tree.
00:57:11
Speaker
Yeah, I know that my buddy's bringing his to Colorado. I might bring mine. I think I'm going to, but probably I have a filmer with me, so I can't. It's going to be hard to film if he doesn't have a tree saddle. I think on these over-the-counter orchards, it could be a real advantageous way to do it. It's been really hot over there. No rain, no weather. Find some of these little wallows and just something. Finding some wallows could be a really good, I mean, getting up in a tree saddle, it could be a really good way to kill an elk.
00:57:37
Speaker
I know my buddy is and I told him like I think they could be a really good way to kill me I know I have a few friends have killed like one guy's got like five elk out of the tree stand No. It's a very uncommon but extremely successful way, especially early. If you have an area where you know there's a wallow here and it's been hot and it's been dry, you they're going to consistently be there. you know and And if you want to do that, again, from and from a weight standpoint, you know go with the Lockdown SD, which is the slimmed down version.
00:58:13
Speaker
and go with a one stick, have an aider on it, and instead of using a lineman's belt, just use your tree tether and one stick up. You know, three moves, you're going to be up there. And you're talking, I think the i think the predator platform is two pounds. The carbon version is the same weight but a larger platform. um A one stick is one pound. You put an amp steel aider on it that weighs two ounces. like That whole kit to be able to do that, what, five pounds and you're wearing your saddle, which is another two. So you're only packing in three pounds worth of gear. Easy.
00:58:55
Speaker
yeah Yeah, it's definitely a way I think he's gonna bring his I told him be a good way for him to to get up from the saddle. I know I told him like I'm gonna be filming so we're probably separate a lot of like to get you on a saddle over this week's walls. It's a great way if you have the if you have the mindset to do it. I mean, that's the thing for me is like it's I hate blinds. I hate everything about it. I'm too much of a tweaker. I want to be mobile. I want to be glassing. I want to be trying to make something happen, rather than letting it happen. But honestly, it's probably almost... I bet you more people would be more successful if they let it happen than trying to make it happen, to be honest, if you want to be honest with yourselves. It's just not as fun for me. Yeah. And again.
00:59:38
Speaker
It's bit me more often than not being overly aggressive and trying to make something happen. um But when you push those boundaries and you get aggressive and it works out, you're like, yes, like that's exactly how I want it to go in and I made this work. You start forgetting about the 20 failed stocks because you got aggressive. That that one worked and it just, it hooked you. Now you throw a decoy in on top of that. Ooh, there's a game changer. Really?
01:00:09
Speaker
Yeah. We'll see how it goes over here. I mean, like I said, we're going to be gone for tomorrow's the 31st. I think season opens on the 2nd over there in Colorado. So I'm planning on hunting through the 12th. I got to be back by the 13th. So if I have to hunt all the way up, I'll drive 16 hours through the night to get my buddy back for it. I don't have to be back, but he needs to be back. Yeah. My experience in Colorado, 10th, 11th, 12th, like those, those have been my consistent, like my best three days is right in that timeframe.
01:00:39
Speaker
hopeful It works out you killed one on the 19th And we've killed one, you know late season like 20 27 28 But a majority of the elk that we've killed as a group have all been in that 10th to the 12th time frame Well, hopefully that's the last three days. That'll be fun. Uh, I have to get back for the, I'm going to handle up on it in Wyoming. I leave it like the 23rd. So I'm like, I gotta try and stay married this year. Like I've got so many tags, but most of my kids have tags too. So we're going to be, I mean, we're going to be, I think in like six different states and then Mexico, um, doing that, like Coos deer is my jam. Like I love Coos deer. Like it's by far my favorite deer. So I'll be doing, I'll be in Sonora this year and then I'll go over to Archeryhut, Arizona as well.
01:01:23
Speaker
Those little boogers. But, um yeah, dude, what a fun podcast, man. We like to end with a hunting story. So don't be on the spot. It doesn't have to be like, just a hunting story. It's a campfire story, dude. I know you like to talk, so. Yeah, more and more than anything, or anyone most days. The most prevalent memory or a hunting story like really in my mind um I got to share a hunt with my brother and one of my best friends. Oh, it would've been 2017. And it's it's one of the last hunts my brother and I got to do together. And my buddy that was with me has got a camera and so like last hunt we ever did together and he was able to film it for us. And I had found a piece of public ground and
01:02:20
Speaker
went in there with my brother in a decoy and first morning we're hiking in and the the way this rolls is there's a there's a piece of private and it's on the west section there's a fence line and then we have one full square mile on the east it's just a big pasture with a bunch of draws and coolies in it and I had killed 185 inch mule there in there the year before 30 inches wide just a gorgeous heavy heavy typical And so we went in there first day and we're going into glass and there's a real, real heavy fog. And as we crest this first little knoll, we're about 200 yards in, across the section, I see a silver Dodge. And I'm like, I didn't know they were there. And our wind is kind of courting away at them.
01:03:15
Speaker
And I was like, let's just go a little bit further. And like, I want to glass these two main draws. And there's a cut cornfield on the private. And I just like, let's just glass that little area five, 10 minutes. If you don't see anything, we can back out. Because I don't want to ruin this hunt for these guys. They were probably here before us. And literally, we went 15 more yards. And my brother was flaring off to the right, which is to the east. And I was on the fence line and happened to look west on my left.
01:03:45
Speaker
And there is a 170 mule with two does in this cut cornfield and he's 300 yards out. And so I got my brother's attention as I'm kneeling down and trying to grab the decoy. And it's funny because for whatever reason, like brothers being brothers were 16 months apart and we always bicker and like, like try to call like, that's my dear, I'm going to kill that one and and just get at each other, right?
01:04:15
Speaker
And the first time we've never done that, like I couldn't get this decoy out. And he literally grabs it out and then starts moving in right ahead of me and looks back and goes, okay, let's go get him. Is this one of those wonders on your bow decoys or is this like yeah the wraps around your bow? But so instead of putting it on my bow, like he took it and he's holding it for me.
01:04:40
Speaker
And I literally, before we left the truck, just on a whim, I'd put a grunt tube in my jacket. So we're we're on the crest of this hill where we can look down into this draw and see this buck. And I literally grabbed that grunt tube and just hammered it as loud as I could. And he picks his head up and looks. And my brother has this decoy up and he's just kind of moving it. And so Austin's in front of me. I'm on his shoulder.
01:05:07
Speaker
Buck starts coming, we reposition, and the whole scenario maybe maybe took seven minutes for him to cover that 300 yards. And we knew like there's nothing we could do. like He is rubbing his shoulder on a fence post on that that line where we're public private. The buck has to cross or we can't do anything.
01:05:34
Speaker
And at 50 yards, we see him in a thicket and there is just dirt and CRP grass flying and everywhere. And he comes around the corner and comes up at us on the private side with the fence brushing the side of his body. And I'm like, he's going to come all the way up to us and never cross this fence. And we're going to be able to touch this deer.
01:05:58
Speaker
And my buddy's filming all this and and where he's at, he can't see anything. He's panning the the other ridge. He's trying to get down to the cornfield, trying to see this buck. And literally at 35 yards, that buck turns, sniffs a fence post and jumps the fence at 35 yards right in front of us and stops six feet on the public side as I come to full draw.
01:06:24
Speaker
Buddy zooms in, gets it all on film, break a good shot. Buck runs about 80 yards and just tips over. So we go up, we're high fiving, you know, doing the excited thing because same piece of public ground, two years in a row, 300 yards apart, both hunts before nine o'clock in the morning on the first day I was in there. And two gorgeous Pope and Young Bucks down.
01:06:53
Speaker
We go over, you know start taking pictures, and the two guys from the Dodge, we see him start walking up the hill. And we're like, oh we just we just ruined these guys' as hunts. And you know like you said, it's the hunting industry, the tax, everything is about networking. It's about meeting people. Did you put your Matthew's hat on? Oh, yeah. Well, no just it's funny because they were both carrying Matthews.
01:07:21
Speaker
and got to meet Jeff and Travis, and they had been hunting that deer, specifically that deer, for five days. And the night before, he had run in front of the truck on the road, and they had watched him go in there, like, okay, we know where to be in the morning, and he had relocated over a half mile on him, and we just happened to be in the right spot.
01:07:46
Speaker
But they were in hunting camp with one of my really good buddies from the industry. And so when they got back to the house that night and they had pictures and they were showing them pictures of the buck and they had filmed it on their end through a phone scope. And this watching their dreams get killed and and and they're like, this isn't this is not happening. Like what is going on? And so we got to share that experience with them.
01:08:10
Speaker
But they got back to the house and they're they're showing everything to my buddy and he's like, wait a minute, is is that Evan? And they're like, how do you know him? He goes, you know, he works for Hoyt, right? Like he's one of the main marketing guys now at Hoyt. And they're like, he didn't say anything. And so we were pulling another buck out that night that my buddy's wife shot and my phone goes off. And just it was funny because I remember answering and and he's like, did you shoot a deer this morning? i Yeah. He goes, did he jump the fence from private onto public? And I was like,
01:08:58
Speaker
yeah Yeah, I was like, only two other people outside of our group noticed he was, yeah, I'm sitting here right next to to Jeff and Travis, the guys that watched it. So just guys, it's a small world. Like it's just everything from that hunt, being able to be there with my brother and one one of my best friends and capture that on film and have that memory. um Yeah, that's that's my my favorite hunt of all time.
01:09:28
Speaker
That's awesome, dude. What a good pod. Obviously, it's so hard to find Hoyt. Your Hoyt, you had different Hoyts online though on Instagram. It was like a Hoyt hunting? What's the... Yeah, so the website is hoyt.com, but the Instagram is hoytbowhunting. And then if you guys, if you're on the target side, you can direct from Hoyt to you know the target, the bow hunting side. But on Instagram, we have two different account, well, three different accounts. So we have Hoyt bow hunting, which is just the hunting side. We have Hoyt target, which focuses solely on recurve and compound target. And then if you guys have a successful hunt, and I don't care if it's a doe, if it's a spike, like if it's your kid, if you guys have a successful hunt, share it with us.
01:10:19
Speaker
go to the Hoyt tagged out Instagram, send us that picture. you know Give us some detail, name of the hunter, where you at, little little story to go along with it. We'd love to share our consumer successes. So share, share chat us up, you know come say hi on social media. If you're at an event, I'm probably going to be there. Come over, say hi. Love to meet you guys. And as you can tell, I love to talk.
01:10:48
Speaker
Awesome, dude. Let's do it again. I'm going to come up and hang out with you sometime. Just do one in studio with you. It'll be fun. and Looking forward to it, Drew. Thank you for listening to the Tricer Podcast. Do us a favor and like and subscribe on whatever platform you're listening on. Give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook at TricerUSA and go and check out all of our innovative gear at www.tricerusa.com. Until next time, shoot straight, have fun, and always put God first.