Stefan Manz Jr
Product researcher and reviewer
Stefan is our product reviewer and researcher. He is an avid hunter, particularly with the bow. Hunts all over New York. He is a schooled physical therapists, specializing in sports. He trains and conditions young athletes, especially high school and college soccer players.
Look for his product reviews here.
Primos Bullet Proof 2 Camera
by Stefan Manz Jr
Year after year it amazes me when I speak to my fellow hunters and ask about how they came upon their stand or blind placement for the upcoming season. Three quarters of the time it seems like they selected a spot based on their overall visibly of their surroundings or based on a few rubs or scrapes they found in an area. The smaller portion of hunters do a little more homework and break out their trail cameras to find out how productive that spot can really be. I can give you one guess as to which group probably have a couple trophy bucks under the belt and which never see anything larger than 6 pointer every year.
I understand why hunters are sometimes hesitant when it comes to using trail cameras. A large group of people find them very confusing and complicated. Companies have added so many bells and whistles to these cameras that even the setup seems impossible. That is why the Primo's Bulletproof 2 is probably one of the best trail cameras on the market. There are a total of 3 user friendly switches. They will allow you to select the photo or video mode you desire, how many pictures every time the camera is set off and the duration of time between the senor can be set off again. Besides that, all you need to do is insert an SD card and set the date and time using the arrows on the inside of camera. Depending on which mega pixel camera you purchase your sensor range will vary. The 8 MP camera has a 45 ft range while the 12 MP camera will activate at around 80 ft. I'd prefer spending the extra couple of bucks to increase the sensors range and capture more pictures. One feature that I am really fond of is that this camera will display the remaining battery life percentage. I feel like I throw away so many batteries with plenty of life left just because I don't want them to die after I hung my cameras for a few weeks. Overall there is not too much more to talk about when it comes to this camera, but that is the beauty of it. It will probably take just as long to set up this camera, as it will takr you to insert the 8 AA batteries and get it hung.
Summit Viper classic climber
by Stefan Manz Jr
If every year you find yourself spending a couple of days hunting on different pieces of land, being able to stay mobil is vital. I know there is a large following of hunters that don't mind and even prefer hunting from the ground. However, I haven't heard many stories of this practice being lucrative. Today's hunters spend so much time and money on all types of cover scents and the newest natural camo patterns that hunting from the ground almost seems comical to me. I don't care what you are wearing or what you sprayed on you before you walked into the woods. I find it hard to believe, that during bow season, someone possesses the ninja like capabilities to set themselves, draw back, and let an arrow go, all before alarming the cagey whitetail. Any seasoned deer hunter with a couple of trophy bucks under his belt will tell you, the best way to ellud the whitetail's nose is to get your scent off the ground. It is this reason why, even when I am hunting on my family's property, you will find my Summit Viper Classic Climbing Tree Stand in the bed of my pickup when traveling to a hunt.
Today, there are so many different brands, styles and accessories for climbing treestands. For me, the two most important functions I take into consideration when buying a climber are safety and ease of use. Some may be conserned about the weight when carrying their climber and say at 29 lbs, the Summit Viper Classic is one of the heavier stands on the market. In my opinion, if someone believes they are athletic enough to climb up 20 feet in a tree, carrying an extra 5 lbs on your back shouldn't be too much of a burden. Not to mention in many cases the difference in weight is due to the closed front safety bar that most Summit Viper climbers are equipped with. When climbing, you are able to sit or secure your arms around the bar and bring the bottom of the platform up with ease. I am also a big advocate for this bar if you are hunter that will do an all day hunt. Those hunters, like myself, usually pack like we are going away on vacation. Calls, scents, sandwiches, a theromse, water, cell phone with battery pack, a Knife, the list goes on and on. I like to keep my pack readily assessable and the closed front allows that. I drop down my burlap, attach my backpack around the bar and I will have everything right in front of me. Finally, this bar just makes me feel safe and comfortable when I am up in a tree. I always have my safety harness on, but I am more comfortable knowing I can put my hand out in front of me and touch something.
Summit Climbers are also extremely user friendly. If you prepare all of your safety lines and equipment the day before, you will have no problem ascending a tree in the dark morning hours. Research shows that most injuries occur while a hunter is ascending or descending from their stand. Summit's rapid climb stirrups allow you to lock your boots in and maintain contact with the platform at all times.
This will be my sixth year using my Summit Climber and it has been one of my best hunting purchases. Summit really knows how to produce quality products. From the comfortable hammock style seat that I promise you will struggle to stay awake in on an all day hunt, to the powder coating finish that has not shown a hint of rust. When I am eventually in the market for a new climber, I highly doubt I will be looking outside of this brand.
Leupold VX-3i
by Stefan Manz Jr
The VX-3i
So you just bought yourself a beautiful shiny new firearm for next year's deer season. Whether it was your very first purchase or yet another story to the Mrs. About how you have never seen a price this low and you couldn't pass it up, the next question always remain the same. What optics should I pair with my new purchase to create a rig that all my hunting buddies will be envious of? As you dive into the world of optics, spending countless hours reading reviews and showering the internet, this once thought of as a simple decision has now become somewhat of an impossible journey for the holy grail. Well Leupold has once again delivered an absolute gem to add to their product line of treasures with the VX-3i.
My first advice to any marksman looking to purchase a new scope is, "You get what you pay for." However that is an absolute lie when it comes to the Leupold VX-3i. The fact that you can find their 4.5-14x40mm model at a sporting goods store for around $500 still doesn’t seem right. If you are hunter going after big game in the northeast you be hard pressed to find a companion for your new firearm then the VX-3I. Before I get into any more detail about this product, I'd like to mention that it comes with a lifetime warranty. I'm not sure how many products nowadays have lifetime guarantees but it is a testament of how confident Leupold is about their products. And if you are skeptical about their customer service heaven forbid your new glass breaks let me put your mind at ease because it is second to none. I have dealt with another optic manufacturer that boasted guarantees only to have them tell me that there was nothing they could do to repair my scope. Which when I received it back from their expert and figured all was lost anyway, was able to repair myself. If Leupold is not able to repair your investment they will replace it.
Now let’s get into the real reason why I cannot say enough good things about this product. The way this scope performs in those crucial minutes as the sun rises and sets, sets the bar for optic makers around the world. This scope comes equipped with Leupold's Twilight Max Light Management System. Which don't tell them I said so, but I don't think it is anything new for this company. That's because the light gathering ability of the Leupold my father bought 20 years ago still stands up against rival companies’ top models. All they did was distance themselves from the rest of the field by improving this function. If you think I can ramble on about this Leupold's quality my father can name a laundry list of animals and show you an album of trophy bucks taken with his Leupold. And every story will start the same way. The sun had just come up or he only had a few minutes of light left. Every seasoned hunter knows those are the times with the highest success rate. Up in the dense woods of the northeast where light is scarce during the twilight hours this scope is a must on at least one of your rigs in the safe. I can guarantee when you look through that glass at 4:30pm you are going to pick up your game as if it was right before lunch time.
other products
TC1200 tactical Flashlight
A natural, better way to preserve your food.
TC1200 tactical Flashlight
I have a few of these flash lights myself. They are powerful, yet compact. Great for tossing in your pack, or your pocket.
Mr Heater Buddy
A natural, better way to preserve your food.
TC1200 tactical Flashlight
This portable little heater is tiny, but powerful. Keeps your blind heated on those cold frigid mornings.
A natural, better way to preserve your food.
A natural, better way to preserve your food.
A natural, better way to preserve your food.
Say Goodbye to plastic wrap, sandwich bags & bulky storage containers. Preserve your food and protect your family - naturally - with these reusable food wraps.
Non-toxic | Plastic Free
Sustainable | Reusable
Biodegradable | All-Natural
deer hunting secrets
Bass Pro Shops direct link
A natural, better way to preserve your food.
"You're About To Learn The
'Secrets' That Most Hunters
WILL NEVER Know About
How To Take BIG Bucks..."
Learn More Tactics, See More Deer and
Harvest Trophy Bucks Like You Never
Thought Possible Before
Bass Pro Shops direct link
Bass Pro Shops direct link
Bass Pro Shops direct link
go right to Bass Pro Shop from here!
Do you have sleep apnea?
Bass Pro Shops direct link
Bass Pro Shops direct link
All hunters need a good nights sleep. And I know plenty who suffer from various stages of sleep deprivation. This may help.