A new year brings new hunting gear. Check out what you can get in 2024 below and keep an eye out for more gear later in the week.
1. Mathews LIFT
Available in 29.5- or 33-inch axle-to-axle lengths, the new the LIFT represents Mathews’ next generation of hunting bows. At sub-4 pounds, both utilize the all-new SwitchWeight X cam and offer delivery speeds up to 348 FPS while remaining apocalyptically quiet. Each LIFT also has reimagined RPD limbs and a new top-mounted axle system for lightweight stability. Paired with Resistance Phase Damping technology, this ingenious limb design provides a stealthy and stable shooting experience. Other features include a new aluminum riser that cuts weight without sacrificing stability; optional Shot Sense technology that records your shot data and provides real-time feedback through the Shot Sense app; and proprietary Bridge-Lock technology that allows both the dovetail sight and the Mathews Bridge-Lock stabilizer to be mounted directly through the riser. Finally, Mathews teamed up with Quality Archery Designs to introduce the new UltraRest Integrate MX2, a compact, micro-adjust rest designed specifically for Mathews bows with a dovetail mounting system for quick and easy setup and a secure hold.
MSRP: $1,329.00-$1,429.00
2. HuntStand
HuntStand’s Whitetail Rut Map is giving deer hunters the edge they never imagined. Whitetail Rut Map provides never-before-seen whitetail breeding data for 4,240 counties or parishes and covers more than 98% of the whitetail’s range in the U.S. Smart hunters know the peak rut, defined as the two-week period when most does are bred, is one of the best times to bag a mature buck that has let its guard down. Data are provided by state wildlife agencies and standardized by Brian Murphy, renowned HuntStand wildlife biologist and Vice President of Corporate Relations and Strategic Partnership. Rut Map is a key feature found in HuntStand’s new Whitetail Activity Forecast, a proprietary tool for predicting periods of peak deer movement, so you know the best times to hunt in the next week. The Rut Map and Whitetail Activity Forecast are two of the six exciting new features in HuntStand’s Pro Whitetail tier, now available to all users.
MSRP: $69.99 | www.huntstand.com
3. TenPoint TRX 515
The hallmark of TenPoint’s new TRX 515 is its Twin-Riser Technology that’s 41% lighter than traditional risers and reduces riser flex by 70%. Combined with a new ZERO-trac barrel and unique reverse draw, and you have a crossbow that achieves paramount accuracy, less draw weight and unbridled speeds up to a supersonic 515 FPS. The TRX 515 also uses a newly developed Trigger Tech Trigger with patented Zero-Creep Technology for a trigger pull that breaks like glass to improve user accuracy and precision. Other tech features include an AR-style Ambidextrous Thumb Safety that’s activated/deactivated with just a thumb so users can keep both hands on the crossbow; a rail-less design with ZERO-Trac Barrel that eliminates arrow friction; GUIDElock Arrow Rest System for proper arrow capture and increased stability; and new ACUslide MAXX for effortless cocking/decocking. The crossbow package includes new CenterPunch HPX premium carbon arrows equipped with Alpha-Nock HPX, EVO-X Marksman Elite Scope 3.0, quiver, bow hook and bubble level.
MSRP: $3,399.99 (Moss Green) $3,499.99 (Vektra Camo)
4. Rhino Blinds 180 Pro FD
The New Rhino 180 Pro FD pop-up, hub-style blind has Rhino’s two-way, see-through mesh panels like others in the 180 series, but adds a host of improved features to give hunters the perfect ambush hideaway. Constructed of long-lasting 300D fabric, the 180 Pro FD includes new and improved roof-to-ground mesh to reduce exterior glare while providing 180-degree views to those hidden inside. This unique design means no dead zones and no blinds spots! The blind offers a huge, full walk-through door with easy-to-use zipper, so hunters never have to crouch to enter or exit. Available in Realtree EDGE or Mossy Oak Country DNA, the 180 Pro FD melts into almost any environment, and users can achieve even greater concealment by adding natural foliage with the included brush-in straps found at the top and bottom of the unit. Multiple silent-slide windows open and offer 270 degrees of shooting, while a floor plan of 58 by 58 inches and an inside height of 66 inches provide ample room for up to three hunters.
MSRP: $249.99 | www.feradyne.com/brands/rhino-blinds
5. ZEISS SFL 30 Binoculars
The new ZEISS SFL 30 are the newest, lightest and most compact binoculars added to the popular ZEISS SF family of optics, proving the adage that big things often come in small packages. Available in both 8×30 and 10×30 models, both binoculars offer exceptional optical clarity and high performance in a pocket-sized design, making them perfect for long stalks or sits. Thanks to the reduced lens diameter and thinner, more closely spaced lens elements, the rugged and durable SFL 30 models are up to 25% lighter than comparable binoculars, so they’ll never weigh you down on hunts. Special coatings, high-quality glass types and an improved optical design combine to ensure that the SFL 30s deliver the highest level of detail and reproduce colors with outstanding natural fidelity. Both models also feature tried-and-true SmartFocus and a perfectly positioned large focusing wheel, enabling hunters to focus quickly and precisely, even when wearing gloves. A large exit pupil and modified eyecups provide a comfortable viewing experience comparable to larger, high-performance models.
MSRP: $1,499.99 for both models
6. BIGshot IRON MAN 650
Many of today’s crossbow targets leave shooters wanting. They often can’t safely stop a bolt zipping through the air at speeds faster than 500 FPS, and getting the bolt out of the target intact can be like wrestling a bear with a sore tail! BIGshot Archery and TenPoint Crossbow Technologies have partnered to solve these problems, creating the new IRON MAN Kinetic 650. The target provides extreme stopping power for today’s high-kinetic, high-speed TenPoint crossbows, making practice time not only more efficient and easier, but a lot more fun. It utilizes BIGshot’s signature Iron Man stuffing coupled with a five-stage, multilayered aramid core to stop heavy-hitting bolts in their tracks. As its name implies, the IRON MAN Kinetic 650 is rated to quickly and effectively stop bolts traveling up to a whopping 650 FPS, making it the ideal target when practicing with virtually any crossbow brand. Not only will it stop supersonic bolts, but its unique design makes pulling the bolt out a breeze.
MSRP: $199.99 | www.bigshottargets.com
7. Quality Archery Designs MX2
The QAD Ultrarest Integrate MX2 is like the popular MX on steroids, designed with a rugged, stealthy capture bar that’s 20% stronger than the MX and a robust 7075 aluminum launcher to withstand the most grueling hunts. The machined launcher is bulletproof, yet hushed thanks to built-in, color-customizable dampers, eliminating the need for prong felt, resulting in quicker setup time. The MX2 provides precision-click micro-adjustments, along with all of the innovations archers expect from QAD, including a host of proprietary drop-away, slow let-down, total containment and lock-down technologies. A seamless connection to the Integrate Mounting System® that utilizes Auto Level Technology automatically levels the rest with the riser and provides a rock-solid mount, and a trimmed-down design that’s up to 60% lighter than Berger-mount rests. It’s also compatible with the mounting system found on many popular brands of bows. The MX2 is made in the U.S.A. and comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
MSRP: $279.99-$299.99 | qadinc.com
8. Code Blue PST! Spray
Don’t use one of those scents that’s made from the combined urine and hormone secretions of who knows how many deer! Give yourself a competitive edge over hunters using inferior scents with the new PST! Pure-S-Trous aerosol spray from Code Blue. Like all Code Blue scents, PST! Pure-S-Trous is collected using their unique From One Deer to One Bottle process, guaranteeing each bottle contains urine from only one whitetail. A no-mess application means it doesn’t accidentally get on your hands, which your significant other will appreciate! Apply the doe estrous aerosol spray in short bursts to branches, leaves and other foliage on the way to your hunting location, around your hunting spot and in shooting lanes to draw romance-ready bucks into bow range. Its potent formula is irresistible to rutting bucks, helping you use their super-sniffers and libidos against them. Use the 3.2-ounce bottle of PST! during mid- to late-breeding season to mimic the scent of a hot, receptive doe, then be ready when bucks come a-callin’.
MSRP: $14.99 | www.codebluescents.com
9. Summit’s Dual Threat PRO SD
The Dual Threat PRO SD climbing stand is sure to become the ultimate companion for mobile hunters throughout deer season. Its unique and versatile adjustable Dual Threat front bar allows you to tailor the climber to you based on your preferred hunting method. For example, the sit/stand climbing mode allows you to swing the bar straight down, ensuring seamless maneuverability to navigate up/down the tree, and the bowhunting mode lets you flip the bar down and under the seat for optimal hunting positioning. A new Dual Position seat makes sitting height fully adjustable, while the FasTrack accessory system keeps all hunting essentials organized and at hand when you need them. Other industry-leading features include the Quick Draw cable retention system, Dead Metal Sound-Deadening technology and SummitLokt structural enhancement. The Dual Threat PRO SD is camouflaged in Mossy Oak Bottomland and comes with two coated steel climbing cables, proprietary RapidClimb stirrups with heel bungee, a utility strap, adjustable backpack straps and an umbilical cord.
MSRP: $449.99 | www.summitstands.com
10. Scent Thief Trophy Pack
Get ready to dominate hunting season with the unmatched potency of the Scent Thief Trophy Pack, an all-inclusive collection of products that guarantees concealment of odors. The Trophy Pack includes a 24-ounce bottle of field spray, a 16-ounce bottle of body wash and shampoo, 32 ounces of laundry detergent and a Scent Thief Wafer, all preventing you from getting winded by wary whitetails. All products contain patented No Smell Technology that relaxes a deer’s olfactory epithelium – the area of the nose responsible for scent detection – temporarily disabling its olfactory system. The field spray can be safely applied to clothing, boots, equipment and even skin, while the body wash/shampoo is designed for general use to further disrupt the smelling capabilities of game. The phosphate-free detergent can be used in both regular and HE washers, and is safe on carbon apparel and technical fibers, while the popular wafer creates a no-smell area around the hunter. Use the Trophy Pack to hunt your best spots regardless of wind direction, helping you get closer to game than ever before.
MSRP: $53.96 | scentthief.com
