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"Game Changer" Products

bigmike23

bigmike23

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2020
Messages
1,671
Location
NE PA
I saw a company use those words recently and it got me thinking. We all know those words get thrown around far too loosely anymore. Vary rarely is something we buy actually game changing, but what have you tried over the years that actually is for you. I have a few.
TSS ammo for turkey hunting. The performance of this ammo is nothing short of extraordinary. I shot a turkey last year quarting to me directly is the body. First time in a long time my nerves got to me and hit him poorly. He was 35 yards away. He went down immediately but was disgusted by the thought of how many pellets of #9s I was gunna find in his breast. When I filletd him I couldn't find a single pellet in either breast. They blew through his right wing bone, through the right breast, through the breast bone, out of the left breast, and only a couple lodged into the left wing bone. I'll never use lead again.
And two probably switching to climbing sticks. I like the ease of climbers but there's simply no telephone trees to hunt where I'm at.
And finally nice clothing. If you don't wanna spend huge money on Sitka I get it, but I dreadfully remember the days of seeing freezing weather coming up and not wanting to go out because of freezing to death. Not caring what the weather forecast is and going out to capitalize on the weather is as game changing as it gets for me.
 
- Marrying a great wife that gets my weird compulsions
- Having a flexible job
- Moving somewhere with access to lots of public land opportunity
-Somewhat taking care if myself. Finding in my mid 30's this is growing in importance more than it used to.

Those are the only gamechangers I can think of.

I have lots of nice gear but it's all just incremental comfort improvements. I killed lots of nice bucks from a summit climber in cotton coveralls before I became enlightened. I was a little more miserable but they're not any less dead.
 
I have not use them or camera at all on public land, but I'm considering using cellular cameras next season. I think cell cam really change the way a lot of people hunt.

For me personally its arrow wraps. I love making arrows but hate removing and cleaning feathers/vanes. Its the small things.

Some people are very anti regulations, but I think the creation of hunting season really saved hunting in general. Some of us wish we can hunt year round, but whitetail were down to a few hundred thousands in the US at one point without proper conservation. Are the laws perfect? No, but we are at least trying and it is ever changing. My father in law has a picture of his dad standing next to a pile of deer harvested, caption was 'a good summer day', those days are long gone.
 
Lighted nocks, compound bows, crossbows(particularly vertical ones), saddles were all game changers at some point, but well before I got in the game and started using any of them. Realistically the only game changer in my anecdotal experience has been... Experience. That and divorce, I'm going to have a lot more time to hunt next year. Lol not wanting to turn this into a pity party just being honest. Finding a supportive spouse is probably better.
 
For me it’s been late season food plots, cellular cams, better outer wear, and kids (huge step backward in my hunting game). Vertical crossbow, and bolt climbing, still too soon to confirm.

Honorable mentions to saddles / JX3, one stick rappel, and Tethrd One sticks + aiders.
 
neonomad said:
For me it’s been late season food plots, cellular cams, better outer wear, and kids (huge step backward in my hunting game). Vertical crossbow, and bolt climbing, still too soon to confirm.

Honorable mentions to saddles / JX3, one stick rappel, and Tethrd One sticks + aiders.
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There's nothing game changing about the tethrd one sticks. They are the same thing, just lighter, and released too early so multiple-recalled. Maybe the original tethrd platform could qualify, but the one stick is just a lighter stick.

(Yep still sipping on my hateraide, it tastes like truth. )
 
thedutchtouch said:
There's nothing game changing about the tethrd one sticks. They are the same thing, just lighter, and released too early so multiple-recalled. Maybe the original tethrd platform could qualify, but the one stick is just a lighter stick.

(Yep still sipping on my hateraide, it tastes like truth. )
Click to expand...
Let’s say we’re all carrying 4 quan 2.5 lb sticks… at what point is lower weight a bit of a game changer? Let’s say we’re all hunting from 13 lb + tree stands, at what point is weight a game changer? The same functionality at significantly lower weight is dang near most of the equation for this type of gear. And I’d guess the vast majority of the hateraide drinkers around these parts haven’t successfully productionalized anything ever.
 
Changing what game you’re playing is dumb. That’s what most gear does.

Changing the outcome of the game you’re playing is what matters.

If I’m playing the game of killing deer: my opposable thumbs, prefrontal cortex, walking until I find deer in the flesh that I can use said prefrontal cortex to plan a kill, time spent in the woods(and thus the only piece of gear - the JX3 hybrid). Honorable mention - ignoring almost everything anyone tells me about how to kill deer - too much noise, not enough signal.

If I’m playing the game of spending time outdoors in the southeast doing anything when the weather is above 40*: thermacel. I don’t know how I survived, much less enjoyed myself outside without it.

If I’m playing the game of shooting deer with archery equipment: any bow that will shoot 250fps with a 500gr arrow and holds tune for a season. I think the hickory creek mini will end up being the standalone here for me.
 
neonomad said:
Let’s say we’re all carrying 4 quan 2.5 lb sticks… at what point is lower weight a bit of a game changer? Let’s say we’re all hunting from 13 lb + tree stands, at what point is weight a game changer? The same functionality at significantly lower weight is dang near most of the equation for this type of gear. And I’d guess the vast majority of the hateraide drinkers around these parts haven’t successfully productionalized anything ever.
Click to expand...

I find the ONE stick's lightweightness impressive.

But we're well past 2.5lb sticks as a baseline. LW sticks were 2.5lbs...but at 32" offered nearly twice the height of the ONE sticks and even at very recent pricing of $139 or less for a pack of 3, were significantly more economical.

1.5lb sticks is the short stick standard now. That's 2lbs difference over 4 sticks compared to Tethrd ONE's. (And there are sticks below that mark not made by Tethrd as well).

Anyway, you won't notice that difference with a good frame pack, especially with climbing sticks that pack smartly.

For folks who walk any distance and need to tote outerwear at 6+ extra pounds, to me a good frame pack seems more advantageous than 2lb less in sticks.

For the fella who straps sticks to a saddle or battle belt, I see the ONE stick advantage. But I raise you a 2TC, lol.
 
Plebe said:
I find the ONE stick's lightweightness impressive.

But we're well past 2.5lb sticks as a baseline. LW sticks were 2.5lbs...but at 32" offered nearly twice the height of the ONE sticks and even at very recent pricing of $139 or less for a pack of 3, were significantly more economical.

1.5lb sticks is the short stick standard now. That's 2lbs difference over 4 sticks compared to Tethrd ONE's. (And there are sticks below that mark not made by Tethrd as well).

Anyway, you won't notice that difference with a good frame pack, especially with climbing sticks that pack smartly.

For folks who walk any distance and need to tote outerwear at 6+ extra pounds, to me a good frame pack seems more advantageous than 2lb less in sticks.

For the fella who straps sticks to a saddle or battle belt, I see the ONE stick advantage. But I raise you a 2TC, lol.
Click to expand...
I'm not arguing that lighter isn't better, but when talking "game changer" dropping a few lbs off the sticks doesn't do it, you're still doing the same things/climbing the same way, just maybe walking a bit further or sweating less. I'd argue most people that have them don't walk any further than whatever they used before. I know I don't with lighter gear, I just sweat less getting there.
 
2tc.allows my set up to be light enough for elk hunts without being limited to climbing branches.wich i love to do but there are nice tall timber patches too.this more than doubles my climbing opertunities in the blacktail woods.nothing els has.3 .1/2 lbs with a ring of stepsScreenshot_20211025-182919_Gallery.jpg
 
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