Greetings, hunters and friends!!!  First of all, my apologies for the infrequency of these newsletters over the past year.  Lots going on to say the least.  Trade Shows, product enhancements, hunting seasons!  Oh, and my family and I purchased an acreage this spring and it took forever to get internet hooked up.  Well I'm back online now with lots of good stuff to pass on, so let's get after it...

Alaris Concepts Welcomes New Dealers

The Huntfest circuit was a good one again this year, raising product awareness not only with hunters but also hunting stores.  Save the shipping - stop by and grab yer 'Kaddy at one of these fine stores which now carry the Bowkaddy line of products:

Open Season Outfitters Inc
9604 - 100 St
Westlock, AB  T7P 2L2
780-350-8064
www.openseasonoutfitters.info

Wolverine Guns & Tackle
411-37400, Hwy 2
Red Deer, AB  T4E 1B9
403-347-0220
www.wolverinegt.ca

Tao's Archery Services
118 Frederica Street East
Thunder Bay, ON  P7E 3V5
807-623-6710
www.taosarchery.com

Check out the complete listing of Bowkaddy authorized dealers here.

2010 Black Bear Hunt

This past May turned out to be very successful as we made the annual voyage up north in pursuit of black bear.  My cousin Mark killed his very first big game animal in fine fashion, anchoring a big, grey-faced ghost of the forest with a perfect double lung shot.  Two nights later, on the final sit of the season, I get it done with a self-videoed story that took 8 hours to unfold.  The ending was sweet, with a long-awaited rug-worthy cinammon finally at my feet.  Click on the pictures below to take you to the respective video on the Bowkaddy Kronicles.

"My Mathews Z7 Won't Fit" - The Solution

The Problem:  Alaris Concepts has always pledged that Bowkaddy fits all limb designs… conventional compound, traditional, recurve, parallel limb and even the hybrid recurve/pulley design of the Oneida series bows.  Each year, this pledge is tested by the multitude of bow manufacturers striving to create the ultimate archery weapon.  Among the leaders in this industry is Mathews.  From their famous Switchback XT to their hyper-quick Monster bow, Mathews relentlessly pushes the envelope with each new bow they create.  In 2010, they introduced the Z7, a long-riser bow with extremely parallel limbs.  Of all the hundreds of bows with which I’ve tested the versatility of Bowkaddy, the Z7 is the first one I’ve found which exceeds the geometric limits of Bowkaddy.  I've since heard that the Hoyt Alphamax 35 has the same issue, and there may be others.

The Solution:  Unwilling to revoke its pledge, Alaris Concepts has developed an extender brace for use with bows such as the Mathews Z7.  This simple metal brace serves to extend the reach of the swing arms by approximately 2.5 inches, thereby allowing both swing arms to effectively grip the limbs.  The long term solution which I'm planning for next year is to redesign the swing arms with a steeper limb angle.  In the meantime, the following solution has been working out well.

Making it Work:  The extender brace attaches to the main support arm with two 5/16” carriage bolts.  In order for these to fit in the slot of the main support arm, you’ll need to widen the slot in two places by drilling a 5/16” hole in the two locations shown below.  It works best if you insert the drill bit first and then slowly start the drill.  You’ll find it only takes a couple seconds to make the hole.  Ensure the drill is adequately braced; a drill press works best.  When complete, fasten the extender brace to the main support arm using the 5/16” carriage bolts, flat washers, lock washers and nuts provided.  A socket wrench works best. 

Once the brace is fastened to the main support arm, simply attached the swing arm(s) in the normal fashion to each end and insert your bow.

The Extender Brace is available for purchase from Alaris Concepts for a nominal fee of $4.99 to cover the cost of fabrication.  Consult the Store Page or contact Alaris Concepts via phone or email for more information or to place an order.  A printable version of these instructions is available on the FAQ page.

New Offering - Extra Bases

In response to feedback from many hunters, Alaris Concepts is now offering extra bases for sale.  These come in handy when you want to move your Bowkaddy from one location to another without disconnecting and moving the actual base.  Instead of messing with 4 bolts, nuts and washers, you need only pull the quick pin and remove the single bolt from the base.  Much easier!

There is also one small enhancement to the new bases.  The single quick-pin hole has been replaced with two offset holes, allowing for 5 unique angular positions of the main support arm.  Previously, only 3 were possible with the single hole.  The main benefit of this extra adjustment is that the main support arm can be pivoted and secured such that the bow (when mounted on an ATV) will be close to vertical, substantially reducing "trail bounce".

The Spare Bases are now listed on the Store Page if they sound like something that may benefit you.  

"The Latest Installment" - Kymco UTV

Thanks to Jake White at X Power and Performance outside of Bonnyville, AB for sending these pics.  According to Jake, the installation of the UTV Bracket was super simple as the existing holes in the plate lined up perfectly with the rear roll bars on the machine.  If you need a good way to get to your stand, get a Kymco!  If you need a good way to get your bow there, get a Bowkaddy!

If you have any questions pertaining to an install such as this one, feel free to contact Alaris Concepts.

Return to Bowkaddy Bulletin Main Page