April 21, 2021
By Mark Demko
Ah, Father’s Day! That magical time of the year where you want to purchase something special for one of the most important people in your life, yet you have no idea what to get.
Fortunately, if your father, grandfather or other father figure loves archery and bowhunting, the ideas are almost endless, with new products, innovations and gear hitting the market every year. With this in mind, here are a dozen suggestions — many of them highly affordable — that will make awesome gifts for your bowhunting dad!
Stanley Classic Easy-Pour Growler Dad will be able to transport his favorite beverage in fully functional and iconic style with this 64-ounce growler. The extra-large size keeps liquids extra cold for up to 24 hours. Take control with a rugged handle for easier carrying and one-handed pouring. The wide mouth allows for quick filling, sharing, and cleaning. And that satisfying ‘pop’ you hear when you open the steel-lined lid is a sure sign your carbonated beverage is still fresh and bubbly. Offered in three colors: Matte Black, Nightfall and Hammertone Green. MSRP: $55 | stanley1913.com
Bushnell CelluCORE Cell Cameras Bushnell CelluCORE 30 No Glow Cellular Trail Camera Ask any father and he’ll tell you…the next best thing to tagging a bruiser is getting photos of that big buck or bull on camera. If you want to get a cellular cam that offers quality at an almost unbelievable price, then Bushnell’s CelluCORE Cameras are the way to go. These no-glow trail cams come in both AT&T and Verizon models and deliver crystal-clear day and night images to your device via a user-friendly app. The A20 and V20 models offer a .5-second trigger speed, 80-foot night range and extended battery life, while the A30 and V30 have 30 MP capacity, .2-second trigger speed and high-output IR LEDs that extend to 100 feet. MSRP: $129-$249 | bushnell.com
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Delta McKenzie Speedbag 20 Delta McKenzie Speedbag 20 Affordable, long-lasting and awesome! That’s the best way to describe the new Speedbag 20. At less than $40, this bag target is not only a great value, it’s also the gift that keeps on giving, providing several seasons of enjoyment to your favorite bowhunter as he practices for the upcoming hunting seasons. The Speedbag 20’s high-density fill is designed to stop today’s ultra-fast arrows and bolts while making shot extraction a breeze. The bag is 20x20x10 inches, with high-contrast graphics and a 2-inch calibration grid for easy sighting in. It’s designed for fieldpoint use only. MSRP: $39.99 | dmtargets.com
Mathews Engage Limb Legs Mathews Engage Legs If you’ve ever hunted on the ground or in a ground blind, you’ve probably realized having a bow stand might come in handy. Mathews’ Engage Limb Legs, designed for its Halon, Halon 32, Triax, TX-5, Traverse, Vertix, VXR and V3 models, balances your bow without the stabilizer or cam touching the ground. As a bonus, the bow can also be fired safely with the Lim Legs still attached. MSRP: $79.99 | mathewsinc.com
G5 Montec M3 Broadhead G5 Montec M3 Having a high-quality, deadly broadhead is crucial when you’re looking to seal the deal while bowhunting. The new Montec M3 fits the bill, extending G5’s impressive line of fixed-blade broadheads by combining a solid stainless-steel design with a razor-sharp cutting edge. The broadhead, which comes in 100 grains, features a closed-vent design for super-quiet flight, with a 1 1/16-inch cutting diameter for ultimate impact and short tracking jobs. It’s available in both standard and crossbow versions. MSRP: $46.95 per 3 | g5outdoors.com
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Easton 6.5MM Acu-Carbon Arrows Easton 6.5MM Acu-Carbon Arrows If your dad is one of those skillful and lucky hunters who goes through arrows thanks to high success – and we’re sure he is – another half-dozen big-game slayers will always come in handy. One sure bet for a great gift this Father’s Day is Easton’s 6.5MM Acu-Carbon Arrows. Thanks to a proprietary design process, these arrows feature extremely reliable spines and tolerances. They come with inserts that feature a larger shoulder, boosting FOC and strengthening the broadhead/arrow connection, as well as alignment-improving Microlite Nocks. The Acu-Carbon arrows come in spine sizes of 300, 340, 400 and 500, with a straightness tolerance of ±.001-inch to ±.006-inch depending on the grade. MSRP: Starting at $44.99 per 6 | eastonarchery.com
Halo CCL300 Rangefinder Halo CCL 300 Rangefinder There’s no doubt that estimating shooting distances in the woods and field can be tough, which is why a rangefinder is an essential piece of bowhunting equipment. For less than $80, Halo’s CCL300 offers plenty of features at price that won’t break the bank. This rangefinder accurately detects distances within one yard to game and objects up to 300 yards away (500 yards for reflective objects), with 5X magnification and the ability to lock in multiple targets at different distances. The CCL300 features a heavy-duty housing that’s water resistant and it comes with a one-year warranty; it operates on 2AAA batteries. MSRP: $79.99 | halooptics.com
Ol’Man Assassin Hang-On Stand Ol’Man Assassin Hang-On Treestand If dad hunts multiple properties, then he’s likely in need of at least a few good perches. Hence, having additional stands like the Ol’Man Assassin is always appreciated. Weighing 19 pounds including backstraps, chains and footrest, the Assassin is designed for hunters who like to move around and switch-up stand locations. The stand features a comfortable, fold-up seat; 34x26½-inch platform and a powder coated steel finish to help protect it from the elements. You can also pair the Assassin with the Speed Rail Hang On Ladder, which allows you to climb to heights of 16 feet. MSRP: $94.99 for the stand; $69.99 for the speed rail | millenniumstands.com
Muddy Remote Beacon Illuminator Muddy Remote Beacon Illuminator Even if you’re intimately familiar with your hunting locale, finding your tree stand or blind in the dark can occasionally be a tricky endeavor. That’s where the new Remote Beacon Illuminator by Muddy comes in. The green LED light, which can be activated from up to 300 yards away with a simple push of the button, helps you locate your stand or blind quickly and easily, thereby reducing the likelihood you’ll spook game. The illuminator, which runs on 4AA batteries, also doubles as a light, helping to illuminate your ladder steps or climbing sticks. MSRP: $39.99 | gomuddy.com
BLOCK Infinity BLOCK Infinity Target Capable of stopping arrows up to 500 fps, the Infinity offers six different shooting faces with five unique designs. Employing BLOCK’s PolyFusion Technology, this target features a high-density foam core encased in exterior foam walls and uses friction to halt arrows as they slide between the layers. The result is super stopping power and easy retrieval of shots. The target comes in 20x20-inch and 22x22-inch options and is safe for practicing with fieldpoints, fixed blades and expandable broadheads. MSRP: $179.99-$199.99 | feradyne.com/block
Covert Scouting Cameras MP9 Covert MP9 If dad hunts multiple properties, then chances are good he also runs several trail cams at those spots, which means the cost of purchasing those cameras can add up quickly. That’s why presenting him with a highly affordable model like Covert Scouting Cameras’ MP9 makes a great option. The MP9 features a 1-second trigger speed, 9MP capacity, .9-inch settings screen and 17 IR Low Glow LEDs, with a flash range that extends to 100 feet. The camera can be set to 1- or 3-shot modes, as well as video mode. It requires an 8-32GB SD card, 4AA batteries and comes with two-year warranty. MSRP: $69.99 | feradyne.com
HuntStand PRO HuntStand PRO For less than the cost of a tank of gas, you can give your dad 365 days of enjoyment with a one-year subscription to a mapping service/app like HuntStand. HuntStand PRO is perfect for bowhunters seeking new hunting locales both in-state and across the country. Features include a nationwide database of publicly accessible federal and state hunting lands; detailed 3-D base map allowing you to see topography features of hunting areas, and a comprehensive property database that lists boundaries, owner names and acreage of properties from coast to coast. The app’s stand management system is perfect for hunt clubs and leases, allowing everyone in the group to see and reserve stand locations, as well as see how many times a stand or location has been hunted during the season. Tagging and sorting trail cam images is also easy thanks to the app’s image recognition capabilities. MSRP: $29.99 | huntstand.com
Bow Spider Bow Spider Bow Holder Many hunters often find themselves carrying their bow by hand while hiking long distances, or on occasion don’t even have enough hands to carry all their gear if they’re setting up turkey decoys or a blind as part of the hunt. The lightweight Bow Spider bow holder aims to fix the challenge of toting your bow by allowing you to secure it safely and easily to a backpack, blind, tree and other locations. The secret to this nifty, little device is its innovative arm-and-receiver system. You simply attach the aluminum arm to the bow’s riser and then slide the arm into the receiver, which can be secured to a variety of locations via either the included strap or long bolts. A gravity-locking system holds the bow securely in place, yet you can retrieve it in an instant if you need to get ready for a shot. The Bow Spider comes in three colors: green, tan or black. MSRP: $84.95 | bowspider.com