posted by Jim on Dec 20

Anyone who has hunted with me, can tell you that I am about as whacked out on scent control as anyone on this planet!  For me, it starts with a clean body!  I use a no scent  body wash, followed up with a spray down of  Buck Fever Synthetics Vanishing Hunter, than, a no scent under arm deodorant. Than, I wear a layer of Under Armour with Silver, different weights for different seasons.  I then dress in some normal clothes, which have been washed in Scent Lok Wash.  These clothes are just for the ride in the truck.    The clothes I wear in the field go through a process.  These ”field clothes” include; my Scent Lok Base Layers, Scent Lok Suits, Gloves, Hats and Head Covers.  Also, any clothes I may layer with for colder conditions, such as; fleece shirts, my Cabelas Wind Shear vest, or my Hunters Prostaff Skull Caps, are part of my field wear.  These “field clothes” get washed, dried, and only after I use scent free wash on my hands, will I handle them.  I know this sounds crazy, but I am going to make a point.  Why would I go through all this, and then throw these clothes in a garbage bag?  If I am not going to keep my field clothes clean and free of foreign scent, than I might as well wear my work clothes in the field and smoke a big fat stogie in my stand!  People think I am nuts, but I am a believer, and I have the footage from many of my days in the field, where I had deer directly down wind.  I believe in Scent Lok!  I believe in Vanishing Hunter!  I believe in Scent Lok Clothes Wash!  I believe in being clean!  I believe and I have the racks to prove it.  Wild….High Pressured….Nervous….Whitetails…which I fool year after year.  Why?  Because, I believe and I  use the only storage container that keeps my clothes clean and free of foreign scents, a Scent Tote.  How does it work?  Well, first and foremost, it is a sealed container.  I can stop here, but Russ and Scott Strong should get more credit than that.  They developed a technology called Carbon Web, which allows the activated carbon inside it to be totally suspended in a free air circulation format. Without bonding agents to hold it, there’s 100% of the activated-carbon surface area working to adsorb odor. The Carbon Web design also allows for continual release of activated carbon granules throughout the box for maximum scent protection for your garments.  Furthermore, the containers are durable and the carbon web is rechargeable and replaceable.  The technology works, and during the hunting season, I have three of them, in my truck, at all times.  One, for my Scent Lok clothing.  Another, for my back pack, my gear, and safety harness.  And the third, for my layering clothes.  Obviously, Scent Totes are great for keeping your gear organized.  We all know what it is like, when you dont know where your gear may be.  I have each container marked, because I have a process of getting ready in the field.  The boxes come out of the truck.  I spray my hands.  I put down my changing mat.  I remove my driving clothes and boots.  I open up my containers.  Scent Lok Base Layers over my Under Armour.  Layering clothes next.  Scent Lok suit.  Hunting boots. Safety Strap.  Hunting Gear.  Off to the stand.  Sounds easy, doesn’t it?  If you want to put success in your favor, invest in the storage container that works and will last a lifetime! Find Scent Totes in our store under Storage Containers.

posted by Jim on Nov 28

I don’t know about you, but I am one person who spends money on scents.  Doe urine, estrous urine, and dominant buck urine, are all on the menu when I enter the woods.  You name it.  I have tried it!  One year I spent $138.00 just on urine.  My wife wasn’t too happy, especially when I told her it was no different than her spending the same on expensive perfume.  Needless to say, I cannot write her response.  The bottom line is this.  If you use scents and you spend money on them, then wouldn’t you want to savor every last drop and use them in the most effective way.  I met the guys from Stink Stick a couple of years ago and I was convinced immediately that this product would do just that.

What is a Stink Stick?  It is a product which is simple in nature, but it was designed with a lot of thought and thorough planning to get it where it is today.  Made of durable plastic, the Stink Stick® can withstand the harshest elements hunters endure. Replaceable fiberglass wick ensures extended usage season after season. Tarred hanging line withstands dry rot and mold. Tapered threads on top and bottom keeps scent fresh and inside where it belongs. I throw them in a refrigerator when using fresh Estrous scents, such as, Border Crossings Scents.  One bottle of expensive scent goes a long way when using the Stink sticks.  The best part about it is that when used properly, your clothes and hands wont smell like doe urine because it seals the scent in, very effectively, when stored in the closed position.   One bottle of estrous scent has lasted me 17 days, because you only need to add a drop or two to the stick every time you hunt.   They are available in 3 colors: Shed Brown, Hunter Green, and Blaze orange (great for yardage markers). The Fiberglass wick will not deteriorate nor stiffen up like cotton or felt wicks, making fiberglass wicks the best wicking material on the market.  Another great feature of the stink sticks is the fact that you can replace the wicks at the end of the year and you will be ready for the following season.  Use them for Deer hunting, Bear Hunting and Predator hunting to attract game or mask human scent. 

Try them out and you will be hooked, just like me and the rest of the Hunters Prostaff Team.  They are available in our store, so check them out and stop wasting your scent on the ground and on your clothes!

posted by Jim on Nov 25

With Michigan’s smoke pole season right on top of us its time to break out the coon skin hats and pray for snow. Without a doubt my most favorite time of the year to hunt. The woods seem to take on a somber peacefulness as winter sets in. And some of the biggest smartest bucks are still left out there. Even as times and equipment progress cries of anger and disgust can be heard as ramrods are broken and sheets of plywood are missed by the finicky muzzleloaders. Barrels are over heated, no cleaning between shots, and incorrect sabot size are just a few of the problems hundreds will soon face. Let me give you an instant shortcut with superior products. I first spoke with Dean Parker of Parker Productions Inc. a couple of years back. He is a great guy to B.S with about hunting and other important subjects. After asking what he would shoot out of my setup he assured me he had what I needed. I received a supply of the Ballistic Extreme in both 250 and 275 grains with sabots and ran to the range. His father, in 1989 started out with a new idea for bullets and it grew from there. They offer a bullet for all your muzzle loader needs but I would be testing the race horse with a polymer tip for rapid expansion yet jacketed for maximum weight retention. I just like the way that sounds! Plus they look real cool. I was instantly pleased as I started stacking bullets one on top of another at 100 yards. Nothing is better than an accurate weapon. No more buying 10 different combinations to see what works. Just shove these down and prepare to smile. I have a dozen or more close friends now shooting them mostly in the 250 grain over 100 grains of pellets and they are all shooting the best groups ever. But that’s just the paper testing. What I call a test is shoulder blades and these bullets are the Rage broad heads of bullets. The interior damage is very impressive to say the least and if you get one near the boiler room you will not lose your deer. I shoot high shoulders these days and they lay where I shoot them, and in Michigan they better because the first fence they jump means you can put your gutting knife away. There are a lot of good bullets out there from big name companies for sure but I would like you to try a great bullet from a small family company that genuinely appreciates your business. Give Dean a call at 1-888-892-0706 with any questions as he’s the man and please email me here at the website with your stories and Pics because you are gonna thank me. Now get out there and Parkerize one. Best of luck….Jed the Hunter

posted by admin on Oct 13

Brilliant! Yes, I am referring to the idea. Yes, I am referring to the color. Yes, I am referring to the brightness. Yes, I am writing about the Burt Coyote Lumenok (lighted arrow nocks). Brilliant, because you will appreciate them as much as we do, if you do any archery hunting or shooting. This product has given us a new lease on filming our archery hunts. We went from trying to find the brightest chartreuse fletching, to all white fletching, to dipping our arrows in white dip with white/chartreuse fletching. We did all this, and although these attempts helped to get the arrow flight on film, nothing compares to this technology. The first time we tested these products, we were literally giddy. We were so excited when we saw the first arrow’s flight that we almost forgot to come in when it got dark. We were flinging arrows under the moonlight because it was so cool to see them fly. It is literally like you are shooting a flaming arrow. Besides the fun factor, these nocks bring some real benefits to archery shooters.

Let’s start with target shooting. When shooting in the yard there are some real lessons to be learned on arrow flight. These nocks are a clear indicator of how well your bow is tuned. The difference between my bow, which was tuned by my friend Jim Morrow at MJC Archery and my neighbors’ equipment, was like night and day. The Lumenok nocks showed my arrow flight to be, well, “straight as an arrow”! My neighbor, who tuned his own bow, had issues that were very evident after we installed the lighted nocks. While standing directly behind him I was able to see that his arrows had a real kick. I guess he didn’t know about paper tuning his broad heads. The other obvious benefit is the ease on your eyes when your arrow is stuck in the target. You know where you hit so; there is no need to pull out the binoculars. Lastly, I don’t know about you, but I tend to get a bit cocky when I target shoot. I find myself moving further away from the target, until I skip an arrow off my targets back. Usually, it is a lost arrow. The Lumenok allows you to recover your arrows with ease.

Hunting and filming are where this product shines, literally. Most of our opportunities come in the first hour or last hour of light, when deer, bear and turkey movement is most active. Seeing the footage is extremely exciting, because you have no doubt where you hit the animal. On a pass through, it is nice to see that shining light sticking out of the ground. The footage we get is awesome and we like to put it in slow motion, because it really adds to the visual effects. As a matter of fact, you can see this product shining in some of the clips on the Hunters Prostaff DVD’s. When we are bow hunting, we won’t go into the woods without Lumenok lighted arrow nocks. They are brilliant! Lumenok products can be found on their website at www.burtcoyote.com

posted by admin on Oct 13

Every once in a while a product comes along that has a perfect name and this is one of them! Ultimate Firearms has been in the custom weapon building business for over 30 years and it shows. When you meet owner, Ken Johnston, you get the immediate impression that if his weapons are as solid as his handshake, you’re in luck. Getting right to the good stuff on the BP Express, we have to start with its looks. You may choose a thumbhole style or regular styled stock with gorgeous laminated durable wood finishes. Stainless, thick barrels, with bolt actions finish off this one of a kind weapon.

If looks aren’t enough to set this one apart from everything else out there, then its performance will be. Every time I pull mine out of the case, most of the guys in camp gather around. And, after I squeeze off the first round, the rest will make their way over. The first time I dropped 5 pellets down its gaping maw, a murmur fell over what was left of the crowd as others scurried for large trees. Peeking around like Red Squirrels, they barked high pitched warnings at me, while my grin just widened. Throwing open the bolt and dropping in a primed .45 Win Mag casing only brought forth more squeals and leaf rustling. The 2lb. trigger on the Howa action broke clean and yet another hole appeared in the center of the paper plate at 300 yards.

When at the range, you may only get two shots off in a row before you have to hand it over and explain all the details to the crowd. They will look at you like your trying to sell them snake oil out of a covered wagon. You explain to them, that the breech pressure is tested at 125,000 P.S.I., which would destroy most smoke poles on the market today, so don’t worry when I squeeze the trigger. The patented breech plug design allows for a described two-minute cleanup, which can easily be trimmed down to more like one minute, when you get set up and are familiar with your equipment. The ignition system does not ignite the powder, like all the others. The BP Express ignition detonates the powder fast, very fast. I shoot a 275 grain Ballistic Extreme from Parker Productions. Dean Parker knows his bullets and he was not surprised at how tight his bullets shot out of this quality firearm. At 2500 fps, I have witnessed incredible knock down power. I have flipped two 400lb. plus Black Bears end over end with head on chest shots, and when the smoke cleared (which takes a second), it is game over. My BP Express has notched 14 Whitetails, including a 180 inch “Booner” at 269 yards that would have never made my wall otherwise. The longest shot to date has been 345 yards on a late season doe (on camera). That was incredible! Shooting paper at long range is one thing but actual hunting conditions separate hunters and weapons.

After spending time with Randy Johnston of Ultimate Firearms, you will realize that he is one of the most knowledgeable guys and crack shots, you will ever meet. He will make you aware of this weapons potential. Randy will take the time to talk with you and he genuinely cares that you are the best shot you can be with one of his guns. “You get what you pay for!”

To be able to replace my shotgun here in Michigan for a serious long range weapon, which is capable of delivering over 1000 foot pounds at 500 yards, is priceless. If you are ready to step up to possibly the last high quality custom weapon, you will ever need, then, this is the one! When I think back to my Booner walking across that weed field at 269 very long yards, only one thing comes to mind, “Thank goodness I had the Ultimate”. And, boy does he look good on the wall! Please contact our friends at www.ultimatefirearms.com and www.parkerproductionsinc.com and tell them Jed sent ya.

posted by admin on Oct 13

What can you say about confidence when entering into the world of hunting? I think confidence plays a very important role when it comes to success in the pursuit of all game species. All hunters learn that the hunt is over as soon as the game we are pursuing catches our human scent. What can we do to give us the edge? My personal ritual always starts with Vanishing Hunter. If I don’t have it, my confidence goes out the window. It’s like going out on the town without your favorite splash of Old Spice. You know you’re not going to get the chicks without it.

When I refer to my “ritual”, I am referring to the process of human scent elimination prior to my time in the field. This process is involved and it is necessary if you’re going to try to hunt in thick areas where deer may be all around your stand site. My ritual begins with a shower with scent free soap, a rinse and an immediate spray down of Vanishing Hunter. This step is crucial in my opinion because you are able to spray this product directly on your skin. Most of the products on the market advise you not to come in contact with your skin or eyes and definitely don’t’ spray it in your mouth. Well, guess what? I can spray Vanishing Hunter in my mouth, swish it around like I am going on a date, dispose it, and I am ready and confident.

Why am I so confident in this product? Well, I have been using it exclusively for over 5 years, and I believe it is the one product which I can say for sure has made a difference in my success. My success is not equated only to the bagging of the game; however, my success comes from being able to beat any animal in their own backyards. Knowing a buck is downwind of me and he is alert but not alarmed, just tells me that the ritual was worth the looks I get from my wife and kids as I get ready to head out to my second home in the field.

Being this scent conscious, you are probably thinking that I also wear scent containment clothing, and you are right. But, if I could hunt naked, (that isn’t a good visual) I would be very secure with a good spray down of Vanishing Hunter. As a matter of fact, while hunting in the mountains of Colorado, I have stripped down, washed off with river water and wiped down with Vanishing Hunter Wipes. One hour later, I called a bull Elk within 5 yards of me and after a 3 minute standoff, I was able to bury an arrow deep into the big 5X5 Bulls Chest. I attribute that day’s success to my Vanishing Hunter bath.

Buck Fever Synthetics is a Michigan Based company, which specializes in synthetic scents for use in mock scrapes. Vanishing Hunter is a big part of their hunting product lineup. Vanishing Hunter and Vanishing Hunter Wipes are always in my backpack so I may freshen up after my long walk to my stand. I am confident and secure in recommending this product. Try it and you too may make it part of your ritual. You will take one more important step towards success in the field!

posted by admin on Oct 13

Age is a beautiful thing. Isn’t it? Maybe for a Whitetail buck, however my age is really taking a toll on my over worked eyes, especially when it comes to hunting season. As a result, I now have glass on every weapon I own, because it’s not a choice. I had one last hold out in the back of the gun safe, until I spoke with Rich at Mueller Optics. Rich is an Encyclopedia of information on scopes. Rich wanted to know how I tap my bead over on my turkey gun if it patterns off the target. Well, everyone knows “ya just hold off a little and throw in some Kentucky windage.” We both agreed that most folks do just that, if they even spend any time at all patterning their shotguns. Not so long ago, a man would have been thrown out of the woods for bolting some new-fangled scope on his bird gun, but this is no longer the case.

Mueller Optics is a Michigan based company with quite a selection of glass to cover all of your needs. Rich had me talked into his 1X35 MX1 Red Dot Scope in no time at all. It wasn’t a hard sell with its 4 dot sizes and 11 power settings. The unlimited eye relief for my hard kicking 3 and ½ inch Benelli wouldn’t hurt my feelings either. It comes with a battery, see-through lens covers, is parallax free, shock and waterproof, and Rich even threw in a Team Mueller Hat! Wow! I almost asked him if he had a good looking daughter! I figured he must have really liked me, until I found out everybody gets all those goodies. Great warranties and an excellent price topped off the deal and I was off to the range whistling.

At the range, I began at 10 yards with trap loads to really dial in the wad hole. I was amazed at what my feather duster turned into at 50 yards once she was tuned in with the right loads. I went from covering up half the bird with the bead to aiming right at a one inch spot. And, that is the key to success. Aim small and miss small. I can’t believe it took me this long to come to my senses. There is nothing wrong with efficiency in the taking of a Big Tom Turkey. And, you ought to see how deadly my gob-gun is on Coyotes. The Mueller Scope and #4 buckshot is a slam dunk within 50 yards. Low light conditions are no longer an issue. You will have a warm and fuzzy feeling at night when you turn the two bouncing, red eyes of a Coyote into three and squeeze the trigger.

For more information on this product and many more, please contact our friends at www.muelleroptics.com and don’t forget to tell them, Jed sent ya!

posted by admin on Oct 13

I started my hard work ethic as a carpenter, paying my way through engineering school. I love doing carpentry work to this day and I would consider myself a professional. So what does this have to do with hunting? Well, a professional carpenter is nothing without the proper tools in his tool belt. Hunters also need the proper tools to get the job done. With the technology we have at our finger tips today, it is amazing what is available for our hunting arsenal. The first time I heard of a digital game call, I ran to Cabelas to pick one up. There was only one call on the market back then and it was made by Extreme Dimensions Wildlife Calls. I was a little concerned with the price until I used it for the first time. I was hunting whitetails at a farm in Michigan with a friend. Dennis was very cynical about the call, as I pulled it out of my back pack. “What is that speaker for, he asked”? I replied, “It is for my digital game call. It is an electronic call that will call me in a big buck”! Dennis replied, “Yeah right! What a waste of money.” Well, 30 minutes later, I had called in a beautiful 9 Point buck and because I didn’t know it was actually going to work, the buck took me by surprise and had snuck in right down the field edge. I heard a grunt and it sounded just like the call, but the call module wasn’t in my hand. I turned and there stood the 9 point, ten feet from the speaker. I didn’t even have my bow in my hand and the gig was up. I knew right then and there that this couldn’t be beginners luck and my money was well spent! I have been using this call for 4 years now and I have found that it is a great addition to my hunting tool box. I am not going to say I have had perfect success with the call, but I can say that it has made things happen many times. I personally like to use the call for the natural sounds like the deer rub, or deer scrape while using a manual grunt tube. By mixing up the sounds and locations, it really adds to the curiosity factor of the whitetail. I also am very fond of the predator call. I have recently upgraded to the Pro Series Cordless call and it really makes using the call very convenient. I have a great respect for Peter and Mel Brown, owners of Extreme Dimensions Wildlife Calls. Pete was the original inventor of digital game calls and now the market is flooded with others. Fortunately, Pete and Mel continue to offer new products to stay ahead of the competition. I will continue to use Pete’s products and I recently purchased the Extreme Dimensions Mini Phantom Call to add to my tool box. Same great sounds in a portable, affordable package. Please check out the great products Extreme Dimensions Wildlife Calls have to offer at www.phantomcalls.com and tell them Hunters Prostaff sent you.