Burt Coyote Lumenok Lighted Arrow Nocks

I must admit, I bought the Burt Coyote Lumenok Lighted Arrow Nocks because of the slew of ads I saw for them.

The idea behind this is that the Lumenok lights up immediately from your shot inertia and will stay lit for up to 40 hours or until it is turned off.  It replaces the existing nock for your arrows adding minimal weight. 

I was excited when they arrived and immediately tested them out.  When I first shot my arrow with my new nock, I was surprised at how bright it was.  These seemed like they would be great to see impact shots on deer or whatever else you may be hunting.

The nocks require no glue, as they slide them in your arrow shaft.  They come in green and orange colors and in packages of one or three.

When I shot my first deer with these nocks, the illumination was bright so I was able to see where the arrow entered the deer.  The problem was that after the arrow entered the deer, the nock did not stay illuminated.  I believe this happened because the nock probably pulled off the arrow a little bit.

This is something that could come in useful, but I did not have a good first experience.

OVERALL YOOPER RATING:

This product can be purchased at Cabelas.

The Trophy Rock

I have tried many different types of wildlife supplements in my quest to bring the bucks into my backyard.  In my opinon, The Trophy Rock is the best whitetail deer supplement available. 

Typically, this supplement lasts me 6 to 12 months.

On the official websites, TrophyRock.com, it says the Trophy Rock contains 50 trace minerals.  I find that if you place the Trophy Rock on a stump, as the deer lick the supplements and the rock disappears, the minerals drop into the stump.  From there, you have deer licking and chewing at the stump!

The Trophy Rock is great because it blends into the surroundings well and keeps the deer interested when you are unable to keep other bait out.  It also provides variety for the deer.

Of course, I couldn't put this supplement out for the deer without tasting it myself.  All I can say is it is SALTY!

If you want a supplement for deer and bait that lasts for months and is inexpensive, try the Trophy Rock. 

YOOPERGEAR RATING:

You can purchase the Trophy Rock at Cabelas.

Ameristep Brickhouse Blind

Back in November, I purchased the Ameristep Brickhouse Blind.  I was interested in this ground blind for trying out new spots for the whitetail rifle season. 

The hub type blind is large at approximately 66" tall, and a width of 75" by 75".  It comes in a decent backpack style pack and weighs 18lbs.  It is no problem to carry short distances, but I wouldn't recommend long distance hikes with it.  The pack measures 12" wide by 46" long and has adjustable straps.

The 10 windows in the blind accommodate 360 degree viewing.  What is most impressive is that it has "shoot-through" mesh camo, but I have not yet had the opportunity to try this feature out.  It also provides velcro flaps that open and close, but they seem to be a bit louder than I would like.  I believe the 2010 model has eliminated the velcro flaps and switched to a silent loop closure.  If you can find this model, I highly recommend it over the older version.

The windows also offer gun ports on 3 sides of the blind, which is a must for turkey hunting.  For hunting with a rifle and scope, it is a rather small hole, but would work.  Making sure you find a good chair at the right height is key to seeing out these windows.  In my case, I used an old computer desk chair.

As for the camo, the blind comes in Realtree AP HD, so make sure the pattern works in your area.  It does have a slightly shiny glare when the sun hits it, but it isn't terrible.  I was also impressed to see small pockets to place branches through the top of the blind to give it more of a natural look. 

For scent elimination, the blind has a carbon enhanced scent blocking black interior, which works great for those windy days to keep the scent in the blind.  It also comes with tie-downs and stakes for high winds, but I haven't had to use them yet.  The blind seems to be pretty sturdy without being tied down.  The blind is also marketed as being weatherproof.  So far, I agree with that.

This is my first hub style blind, so setting it up for the first time was slightly challenging, however, in a matter of minutes, I figured it out.  Taking the blind down was simple.  This is going to be perfect for turkey hunting!

OVERALL YOOPER REVIEW:

I purchased my blind at Dunham's, but it can also be found at the following locations:

Cabelas - $129.99

Sportsman Guide - $143.97 (after club price)

The Moultrie Game Spy 4.0 IR

The Moultrie Game Spy 4.0 IR has been a great choice for me.  The fast trigger speed catches flying birds including small birds such as downy woodpeckers and chic-a-dees over 40 feet away.  The cam takes 6 D batteries that have been with my camera for 5 months, taking 1,000's of pictures.  Bears, coyotes, foxes, deer, hawks, eagles, and crows have been captured and are not affected by any noise.  I've tested this cam at night and only hear a slight noise up close when a picture is taken.  There is no visible flash, hence, the IR.

WATCH OUT!  Be careful when bear baiting.  My cam has several claw marks as a result of handling the cam with raspberry jam on my hands.  I have seen some bear proof boxes on Ebay that I may choose to use next time.

The camera has both low resolution and high resolution photos.  It also has video mode but I have only recorded a few videos.  I am currently using a 4GB card so the camera takes 1,000's of pics.  The most pictures I have taken in a week is 756 pics.  Using two SD cards is idea, since you can remove the full card to review pictures and place the new card in the camera.

I usually set it up waist level and use the built in laser to line up the camera angle.  For bears, I stand up on the back of the ATV and place it about 8 feet up in the tree because I was afraid a bear may rip it down.  I am also concerned about theft when I am near state land, so placing the cam 8 feet up would make it more difficult for someone to remove.
 
The camera is a great choice due to battery life, reaction time, quietness, and IR flash.

OVERALL YOOPER RATING: 

This camera can be purchased at Cabelas.