Aspirin Bustin’ with Hoyt Bows for 21 years!
by frank addington, jr.

July 1, 2011 marks 21 years of me having a Hoyt bow in my hand and on stage. As I enter my 21st year on their prostaff I am thankful for a career that’s been so good to me. I have been on stage a total of 26 years and 21 of those have now been with a Hoyt in my hand. 21 years is a long time. Alot has changed in that time. The materials that make up the bows, arrows and accessories has changed, my show has evolved, and I now do my entire show shooting behind the back. About the only thing that’s the same is my green Bjorn net, which has been with me the entire time. I have some newer nets, but the Bjorn is the one I use most. It’s been coast to coast many times! My 2011 Hoyt Formula RX bows are state of the art, as is the new Buffalo hunting recurve. I am impressed with the way these bows perform. If you haven’t tried one of these new Hoyt recurves, you should.

I actually had Hoyt bows before being on their “official” staff. Earl and Ann Hoyt still ran the company. One year my father ordered a Hoyt recurve for me for my birthday and Ann Hoyt put a copy of a snapshot of she and I in the box with the bow. Getting photos, notes and such was the norm when Ann and Earl ran the company. In those days Ann took care of packing and shipping the bows. Earl signed some of my early bows. I also have signed arrows from both Earl and Ann that are now priceless. Earl was the deign man, seems he was always tinkering. I have some cool photos of Fred and Earl sitting and chatting, just some candid snapshots of two legends sharing bow talk.

Ann Clark had wanted me to go down the JOAD trail and get into target and FITA archery. It wasn’t to be. I found myself bored to death with field shooting and the sights got in my way when trying to shoot instinctive. I guess once you are an instinctive shooter you really never outgrow it. Anyway, I have many memories of those early days when I’d visit with Earl and Ann at shows and events. Earl and my father would usually go booth to booth and critique that year’s new bows. Once the Hoyts sold the company to Easton, a vibrant and energetic Joe Johnston assumed the presidency. Joe was a real hoot, his grin and laugh were contagious. He had a knack for PR/Marketing and really put Hoyt on the map in the archery industry. Earl and Ann still attended many of the shows so we kept up with them and shared some good meals with them over the years.

The Joe Johnston era is when I first came on board with Hoyt. Joe was a natural at the job and loved what he did. I remember he traveled with me and Hoyt sales rep Jim Wynne in the mid 1980’s. We did a series of shows in Virginia schools, some in store promotions, and also made an appearance at the Dixie Deer Classic. Here I am a young exhibition shooter sharing the stage with the President of the company! Joe stood beside the stage and watched many of my shows. He liked it except one comment. He didn’t like me taking time between shots to retrieve my arrows from the foam targets. So he insisted that he’d sent me enough arrows so that I never had to pull one during the show, “Just keep shooting” Joe would say.

We shared a great meal at the Angus Barn in Raleigh during that Dixie Deer appearance. It was what I dubbed “the President’s dinner”. We had Jim Wynne, my assistant Rob Parog, and Joe Johnston, President of Hoyt, Jim and Sherry Crumley, President of Treebark, Ben Southard, President of Loc On Treestands, Bill Robinson, President of Robinson Labs/Scent Shield, and I believe Bill Bynum was there too. All in all a great and fun crew. At that time the Angus Barn was very proper and high class. The wait staff dressed up and wore white gloves and brought you a chilled fork, etc. during the meal. My assistant Rob could do wide variety of animal noises and so Joe Johnston has him do his cricket imitation in the middle of the restaurant. It got louder and louder and seemed like a whole bunch of crickets were among us and other tables began looking around for the crickets. All at once Joe took his cowboy boot and loudly stomped the floor and yelled, “Got him”! You could have heard a pin drop and then Joe roared laughing. He was genuinely funny and a good time was had by all when ole’ Joe was around.

Addington and his assistant Rob Parog with the late Joe Johnston, circa 1980's.

Jim Wynne, the Hoyt sales rep, was also important in my time at Hoyt in the early days. Jim worked hard to promote archery, Hoyt and he often would have me do exhibitions at events to get some attention for the name/sport. Wynne was like Joe, a born promoter and he had a knack for making the PR produce sales for his dealer base. I can’t say enough good about Wynne, we remain close friends and still eat meals whenever our schedules have us in the same town. He’s moved on to a VP role with another bow company, but our friendship dates back to 1978. Wynne is one of archery’s good guys.

Another thing about Joe, he was always a phone call away. If he missed the call, at first opportunity he’d call you back. I’d have a suggestion and next thing I know it would be taken care of–whether it was something needed for my stage show, a bow for a celebrity or event, etc. Joe would listen, make his decision and take action. I always admired that about him.

During my early years at Hoyt/Easton I answered to a variety of people. I remember answering to Jack Lyons, the late Bill Krenz, Bob Ridenour, and Erik Dally. I went from Advisory Staff to Gold Staff and finally when I didn’t really fit the bowhunting pro staff or the target pro staff, Erik Dally told me I was on the “Promotional Pro Staff”. When I asked him who was on the staff, he said, “you”. He made up a title for me. We both laughed. I didn’t mind, I enjoyed being a part of such a great company. I remember Bill Krenz was really strict about reports, he wanted to see quarterly reports and year end reports. It started a habit I have to this day, I always do a year end report so that the company has feedback from my year on the road listening to consumers, and hearing feedback both good and bad. Over the years I also saw the name go from Hoyt/Easton to “Hoyt USA.” Next I answered to a young guy named Mike Luper. Of all the people I’d met at Hoyt, which were all good people, Mike seemed to have the Joe Johnston knack for publicity and promotion. He was brilliant and impressed me. I always told him he’d work his way up and run the show someday. I knew he shared Randy, Erik and Joe’s vision for keeping Hoyt the best of the best. The name has evolved into simply “Hoyt” now.

Frank and Mike Luper in New York City after Addington's performance for CNN at the 2003 FITA World Championships.

Hoyt had some good presidents after Joe too. Erik Watts and Randy Walk have both ran the show. Erik seemed to have more of a accounting view, and he put key people in place to help achieve his vision of Hoyt. When Erik left the President’s office at Hoyt, Randy Walk took over the show. Randy was young and came up through the ranks, bringing that experience with him to the President’s office. Randy’s tenure has seemed to emphasize engineering and quality products. All three men have had their own unique management style. They all have strived to keep the bows and name at the top of the archery industry. It has worked. Today Randy’s vision for Hoyt honors the Hoyt heritage and history, and brings a modern line up of bows to please today’s consumers and perform well on the shooting line at major competitions or in the woods on the hunt of a lifetime. There’s a lot of history behind that Hoyt decal. Walk has strived the push the brand past the mark to exceed customer expectations. He’s also not been one to rest on his past achievements.

I should also mention that there’s alot of unsung hereos at Hoyt. The people that answer the phones and email, the engineers and product designers, those that assemble the bows and parts, and those that run customer service. Then you have a staff in the marketing department and in the accounting department. Every single person at Hoyt seems to have one goal in mind, build the best bows and accessories they can build, take care of daily business, and pay special attention to take care of the dealers and consumer base.

I was away from Hoyt from 2003-2009 but during that time shot a SKY bow which was an Earl Hoyt design. Mathews bought the company when Earl passed away and I was with Sky/Mathews for that time frame. So with the exception of one Fred bear Kodiak, I have shot an Earl Hoyt designed bow 90% of my career.
In July 2009 I made a decision and I returned “home” to Hoyt and went back to work promoting the Hoyt brand of bows and answering to Mike Luper. It was as if I’d never been away and Crystal and the folks at Hoyt take such good care of me. When I get a consumer email or question, comment or concern I can’t answer, I send it to Hoyt and they never fail to respond and help the consumer the best they can. Like when Joe Johnston was there, if a need or concern arrises, one email or phone call and it’s usually taken care of.

Douglas Denton and the engineers at Hoyt really outdid themselves in 2010 when the Formula RX line launched! I did a video interview with Douglas at the ATA Show in 2010 so that he could explain the new concept/riser and limb design they’d come up with. It left a 30 year old design to break the mold for what a recurve could be. Next came the Hoyt Buffalo which is one of the best shooting hunting recurves you’ll ever try. Here is a LINK to that 2010 Video interview with Douglas: http://www.bowtube.com/media/778/AspirinBuster_At_Hoyt/

Now that I am heading toward my third decade with a Hoyt bow in my hand, I am excited about the future. Having had a 26 year career as a professional athelete has been a dream come true for me. I always tell people I have always admired the career of country singer George Strait. He’s been consistantly doing what he does for more than thirty years. And he seems to get better with age. By the way, in 1999 I gave George a Hoyt bow my father set up for him. You’ll find I usually try and get a bow in any high profile person’s hands that will take it, a lesson learned from Fred Bear. My shows stay booked and I typically perform between 20-30 major events per year.

I am anxiously awaiting the 2012 line up of bows, getting the new catalog is always like getting a Christmas wish book. The folks at Hoyt seem to always be building new bows and taking archery to the next level, just the way Earl and Ann and my pal Joe Johnston would have wanted them to. As I begin a new year shooting for Hoyt, looking into the future, a Ronald Reagan quote comes to mind… “You aint seen nothin’ yet.” That goes for Hoyt and for my shows.

Addington and his Hoyt bow in front of 15,000 people at the 2010 Deerassic Classic event.

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For more info visit www.hoyt.com

That’s the latest. Until next time, Adios & God Bless.

Shoot Straight,
Frank Addington, Jr.

The Aspirin Buster
www.frankaddingtonjr.com

3d shoot at old#4 rod and gun club. charlestown new hampshire. july 16 and 17 2011  non trophie

Coming soon in July Live & Online Archery Collection Auction by Hammer & Block Auctioneers, for more details please visit our website www.hammerandblock.com. The auction will be held online thru Proxibid. More information will be posted in the next couple weeks, details and catalog.

Rainbow bowmen will host a traditional 3d weekend on july 9th and 10th for more info call 814 677 6931 or e-mail me at [email protected]

By Rex Holmes, Jr.,  Scent Authority and Inventor of The Vapor Maker

In 2009 a couple of hunting buddies, Joey and Ross and I decided we would go on a 10-day deer hunt to Wyoming.  In addition to the experience of the hunt, our purpose for going was to get video footage using The Vapor Maker®, a scent dispersal product I had just debuted at the 2009 Buckmasters Expo.

To get video footage of a hunt you need a video camera and an operator.  Joey and Ross had never been filmed hunting and I had never operated a video camera, but that didn’t deter us one bit.  After all I had used a Canon digital camera with success; I just needed to get a Canon video camera to take on the hunt.  I searched Ebay and purchased a used camera I felt would be just what I needed.  The purchase came in less than 24 hours before we were to leave for Wyoming, so I had no time to even test out the camera.  I had purchased the tapes and downloaded the manual, how difficult could this be?

We had planned to leave in mid-September, barring no work or personal problems arising.  The day came; actually the night finally came because we left at 9 pm and drove the 1800 miles -26 hours – straight through to the house we had rented in Wyoming.  We unloaded and got everything ready to go hunting.  We unpacked the video camera and started to load the tapes, realizing none of us had ever seen a professional video camera before, much less turn one on or load a tape in it. Does this sound like three country boys on a deer hunt?

We got the camera on and loaded the tape in…no luck.  Just an error message that said “no tape.”  So we tried again and again….still the “no tape” message.  What’s a country boy to do, but call the customer service line?  We did and they led us through every step imaginable, still “no tape.”   I even called the pawn shop owner in Chicago, IL that I had purchased the camera from.  He could only offer to let me send it back.  Talk about frustrating, here we had come 1,800 miles to video our deer hunt and the camera wouldn’t work.  Trying to do too much too fast, I thought.   I was feeling pretty bad about the whole experience when it occurred to me there was writing inside the camera where we had been trying to load the tape.  Sure enough, it said, “push close this first.”  Presto, it worked, the tape was loaded and we were ready to film and hunt.  I didn’t think much of that customer service representative, and I could only imagine that she was relating to her co-workers the story of the three hunters who travelled across country to film a hunt and didn’t know how to turn the camera on or load the tape.

Now we were ready to head out.  With the afternoon approaching we were feeling confident that we could find a good vantage point to sit and film deer.  This afternoon would be all about getting footage of how many big bucks were out there and how they were moving.  We were excited and felt blessed because we saw 7 bucks that afternoon, one of which was about 170 inches.  We felt fortunate that we got to film him sparring with a small 6-point.  About 40 yards from us we saw a doe come across the creek and pick up a 17 inch 10-pt and take him back across the creek.  It was a great sight which I did capture on video, but Joey was so amazed he forgot to even pick up his bow.  It just so happened the wind was blowing from us to the deer, but whenever the deer would get fidgety I would use the Vapor Maker® to spray scent and they would calm down almost immediately.

It turned out to be a great afternoon and I was confident I had all kinds of footage.  We couldn’t wait to get back to camp to view the footage.   Turns out Murphy’s Law had come with us to Wyoming.  The TV at our camp was so old the antenna wires were screwed to the TV, and of course, it had no cable connection to view the video.  God smiled on us again that day because the local hardware store had a box converter to hook the camera up to the TV.   That problem solved, we were now more than ready to view the footage we had taken.

We plugged everything in and sat back to relive a great afternoon.  You can’t imagine our shock and disappointment when all we saw was the camera jumping all over the place.  I was zooming in and out and moving left to right at lightning speed.   We decided day one was a learning experience and went to bed looking forward to the next day.

We slept in that morning to give the deer time to bed down so we could slip in and hang stands.  That afternoon the wind was blowing in every direction, but we managed to slip back in to our stands.   We saw several bucks and does, but only one buck came close enough for a good bow shot.  It was a small mule deer buck which walked right under the stand without picking up our scent.  The Vapor Maker® was doing a great job of attracting deer and covering our scent.

The next morning we returned to our stands even though we felt they weren’t in the best place to hunt and film.  The deer were just starting to move when the bottom dropped out and it came a flooding rain. We had no choice but to go back to the truck and wait out the flood to protect the camera.  Even though I had brought along a heavy duty garbage bag to cover the camera, I didn’t want to take any chances of ruining it before I even figured out how to use it.  After the rain, the sun came out to a scorching 94 degrees.  We took our climbers and headed down to the river bottom.  He heat was intense and we were soaked with sweat.

We were sure this afternoon would be great for hunting and filming.  I was going to be the cameraman and Joey the hunter.  We found a tree and Joey climbed first – another learning experience.  Never let the hunter be the first up the tree when you are filming.  But we were settled in and I had used the Vapor Maker® to spray us and our stands down with 33 Point Buck lure and attractant.  I also sprayed the ground around the tree.

We didn’t have to wait long before we spotted three does and an 8-point about 14 inches coming down the trail.  Because our scent was blocked so effectively, one of the does began feeding about a foot from the tree.  The wind was swirling, but none of the deer had picked up our scent.  Soon we saw him – a 135 inch Whitetail following the 8-point right to us.  They were about 20 yards in front of us.  This was perfect; I had the camera right on them just waiting for Joey to take the shot that never came.  The big buck was moving in and out around to our left.  I thought he was going to go around us when he turned and angled back toward us.  But by then I had turned around so far in the tree I was about to fall out.   I kept filming (I hoped) and Joey finally released the shot at about 23 yards.

We found a little blood but weren’t sure about the shot.  We didn’t know how to replay the footage (or see if I had actually gotten footage) to check the shot.   Joey said there were about 7 deer within 20 yards when he got the shot off.  He said at 20 yards the buck was broadside but there were too many eyes too close to get drawn back.  We decided not to search for the deer that evening, but to head back and see if we had captured the shot on tape.

Returning to search the next morning, I literally had to crawl around on my hands and knees just to spot the tiniest specs of blood or see a footprint. When we discovered the buck, Joey had hit it a little too far back. Because of Wyoming gaming laws we had to carry the kill to a taxidermist to remove the brain stem and some other organs because of CWD, Chronic Wasting Disease.

I learned many valuable lessons during those 10 days.  One, videoing a hunt requires a lot of work and planning.  Using a video camera requires practice, more practice and patience, although in the end I was pleasantly surprised at how much of the footage I was actually able to use.  You can check it out at my website: www.vaportrailscents.com and see for yourself the beauty of Wyoming and the great deer we saw there.  Secondly, I was extremely pleased with the effectiveness of The Vapor Maker® and scents we had developed.  This was really the purpose of the trip and I felt good about what I had filmed and discovered.

All in all it was a great trip with great friends, even with Murphy.

An arrow to a bow is like peanut butter to jelly; you can’t have one without the other!  So when Harvest Time Archery gave us the word that we would be shooting their arrows this upcoming season, it was like an early birthday present.  I can’t tell you how excited we are for this sponsorship.  Not only do we hope to build a strong relationship with HTA, but the quality of product is outstanding.  HTA went up against strong competition and definitely proved itself worthy.

With four different arrows to choose from with multiple spines, HTA has an arrow for you!  Go ahead, do your research; what you will find is HTA is the latest buzz surrounding the outdoor industry.  Check them out for yourself from our Affiliates page.  Will will be uploading a video soon to show how well these arrows shoot!

At the bottom of the post there are youtube videos to watch HTA arrows in action.  Watch the videos and see for yourself!

IF YOU MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH REOUTDOORS.COM, YOU WILL RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL 15% OF YOUR TOTAL ORDER!!!

USE COUPON CODE – harvesttimearchery (Click the HTA Logo to the Right)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH2UmDxF3N4 – Wood Penetration Test

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wC1C69DmRY – HT-1 vs Easton Axis WOW!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVxWm5qHtdw – Metal Penetration Test

LAKESIDE 3D ARCHERY CLUB
2011 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, MARCH 26

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

SATURDAY, MAY 21

SATURDAY, JUNE 18

SATURDAY, JULY16

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

SHOOT TIMES ARE 8:00 AM TO 4:00 PM.
RAINOUTS WILL BE THE NEXT DAY (SUNDAY) IF POSSIBLE.

* We will be having our Shooter of the Year competition again for qualifying shooters.

The winner of the Shooter of the Year shoot off will be awarded a
Five Day Bowhunt with Full Draw Outfiters (Pike & Adams counties in Illinois).

* We will also be having our three man team shoot on July 30.
$ Cash Prize will be awarded to the winner. $

* Novelty Shoots

* Food and Drinks

• There will be other chances to win guided hunts for Deer, Hog, and Ducks.
• 3 Day Bow Hunt with CCW Outfitters in KY

Check out our website for more News and Information at
WWW.LAKESIDE3DARCHERY.COM

Prices
Adults $15.00
Children $5.00

Contacts
Tracy Taylor 307-9856
Allen Byrom 703-7270
Martin Dixon 224-8438

???Team Tagle’s Turkey Hunt: no blind, MO Public Land

Team Tagle (father-son) hit the woods early.  ?We prepared a strategy for the hunt and prepared for potential foul weather. Well, when we got to the public land, I realized I did not pack my waterproof boots nor jacket. The walk was entertaining as we had to walk a tight edge due to the rising water from all the rain we’ve had.  Yes, my feet were soaked.  After we reached, no sooner after I set my last decoy (they are named “Jose & Josefina” – smile), we saw a gobbler come off of his roost.  It was insane.., just gotten set up!!  I was not even ready with my bow and arrow set-up, nor my release. Thank goodness he was 500 yards away.  THEN, I realized I left back in the truck my binos, slate and mouth calls, masks.., I was just a hot mess. I had to count on my “natural” calling skills (if any) and began using my mouth to call that gobbler in.  Then, of course we had to be right under the 10% precipitation, it started to rain pretty good, but we hung in there.  My camera man (my son) was prepared for the inclement weather.  Boy did that gobbler repond to my calls and the decoys.  He headed toward us on a B line.., hammering away.  I was feeling my heart beat all over my body, constantly telling my partner not to make the sligthest movement.  He was putting on a show.., afterall, he was the star of this whole thing.  My son did a great job running the camera and captured some great footage.  The gobbler circled around us, but we did not count on his strutting staging area…, I had no cover as to be able to draw my bow.  15 yards away, easy shot (if I am able to pull it off), heart skippin many a beats. It was now or never, made my move, got busted and he took off toward the woods.  I was able to make a few cutting calls, and he stopped at the opposite side 20 yards away. He was still responding, curious, and began strutting again.  When he got completely behind the view of a large tree, I repositioned myself to take a shot when needed.  My son did the same thing.   I took advantage of the cover and drew my bow, holding it as long as I could.  At this point, it was all a gamble, for we did not know what side of the tree he’d come out, nor WHEN.  As the luck I’d be having, he peeked past the tree excatly when I was letting down. HUNT OVER.  This time, he was not sticking around.  To top it off, our camera fouled up on us…., again.

Despite all the challenges we had, I’d do it all over again!  Here’s why:  my son finally learned about the “rush” (wait ’till he experiences buck fever).  He learned why it’s called hunting.  He learned about the turkey’s defense mechanism – sight.  He learned how difficult it is to walk away with a slam dunk.  I learned that throughout the whole ordeal, I could not stop thinking, “I am with my son, what an honor!!”. We have a lot to learn from each other, especially how to film our hunts.   Lastly, he learned how blessed we are after the tornado hit close to home.., the turkey encounter was just a bonus.  Our prayers to all those affected by the tornado and to all our men and women who make it possible for me to have moments like this one.  Adios!!

I have found this armguard has many uses outside of just archery.  I was able to put a tackle box in the pocket and used 2 wine bottle corks by attaching to the call strap and it worked great for fishing.

I bought it from Neet (item N-AGP-1) and it can be found in the new 2011 catalog.

http://www.neet.com/contact.html

I bought this Target through Gander Mountain’s Website. It is 32″ x 32″ x 14″. The Weight is 50 pounds. It is Made from 100% recycled materials. They state that it will stop 350 fps arrows. Square panels eliminate “pillow” look. It has a Front and rear panel Target dots. It just arrived today. I used a Dolly to move it to my little Shooting range as i do have disabilities. i didn’t want to pull my back out trying to be all manly and trying to drag or carry it. Big green makes these Targets in different sizes. I had the option of buying the smaller Big green Stopper bag which weighs 30 pounds and is 23″ x 23″ x 14″. I purposely wanted a larger File Point Bag for my Back yard range so that I would have more room and spots to shoot at. Plus I can use it for Long range “Sighting in” and being less worried about losing an arrow out into the field. I believe they make two other sizes, Check out www.biggreentargets.com for more information.

From their Website,

“Made from 100% recycled materials. Heat-bonded layered recycled closed-cell foam outer core is filled with recycled fabric and ground recycled foam to create the ultimate “green” target. Delivers super stopping power and easy arrow removal. Square front, back, bottom, and top panels provide maximum target face and will accept shots sitting on the ground unlike most pillow targets. Free standing or hanging use makes them the most flexible bag target available. Targets on front and back. Easy-to-see green targets on white bag. Field-point only”

I took some pics early on after I had set her up. My side yard angles a bit so I placed a piece of wood under the bag to hold her even. I have about 50 shots in the bag. I kept shooting after I took pics. I am using a Rytera Nemesis 28.5 DL at 59 pounds. I’m shooting around 280 FPS with Harvest Time Archery HT-2’s with 100 grain heads
total 360 grains. I took 6 shots with my arrows with NO Lube…..I was having a tough time pulling the arrows out. It’s not a 2 finger arrow pull bag. I took another 6 shots with lube. I didn’t have any of that fancy commercial arrow lube lying around so i used Pam Cooking spray. The arrows pulled much easier and with less force. I didn’t want my hand cramp up from pulling arrows so I used my Flex Pull Arrow puller. It made pulling arrows much better. The Bag comes with a letter from Big Green about target use and maintenance tip.

They state……… ” The outer core of our targets is made from heat bonded layered recycled closed cell foam. Shooting today’s high speed bows and carbon arrows can cause a natural buildup caused by heat and friction of the arrows during long shooting sessions. This is natural with any foam target include those from Block, McKenzie and other manufacturers.”
“Buildup can be substantially reduced by using an arrow lubricant. Common lubricants consist of Dish washing liquid, PAM cooking oil spray, Silicon spray, furniture polish or a commercial arrow lube.”
CAUTION- Because of the unique design, Don’t shoot Broadhead arrows into these targets. You will not be able to remove them. They Do manufacturer Broadheads Targets for BH’s?