Kinetic Energy and Momentum: How Pro-Tracker Affects your Arrow

One of the most common questions we are asked is “How will the Pro-Tracker affect my arrows speed/penetration?” More often than not, out of respect for your time, we generally give a quick reply and leave it at that. However, after speaking with a few of you, we decided that you deserved a more in depth explanation of how it will affect your shot overall. The easiest way to do this is to actually look at kinetics and momentum and how each affects your shot. When we sat down at our company meeting and explained that we wanted to go over this, our resident aficionado of all things both geeky and filled with science stood up, started pointing at herself and proudly stated, “Ooh, Ooh, the force is strong with this one!” which the rest of us assumed meant she really wanted to write this piece; so we let her.

As anyone that loves physics knows there are tons of variables that can affect your shot. Your shot can be hindered by friction, outside elements, the tension in your string, and every single one of these may be small but can mean the difference between a perfect shot and a near miss. Each one of these factors could have an entire article written on its importance, but for this specific piece we’re focusing only on arrow weight and its effect on both the arrow’s speed and its penetration. In general, most people assume that when it comes to an arrow that faster is unequivocally better; and in some cases they may be right, but not necessarily in all cases. In order to reinforce this, we decided it would be best to look into not only personal knowledge, but outside resources to help us explain properly.

Of all the articles we found, this one by Carbon Arrow University had the most complete explanation and even included field test results. Basically, they explain that the speed at which an arrow travels has an inverse relationship with the mass of the arrow; therefore, a heavier arrow will in turn be slower than a lighter arrow. This is because the lighter weight allows for faster acceleration, which also causes the arrow to hold its trajectory better and lets off a faster shot. Since lighter arrows hold their trajectory better, this also allows for a bit more forgiveness when it comes to your yardage estimations during a shot. These factors are often what often cause hunters to automatically state that a faster arrow is the way to go, but a heavier arrow has quite a few perks as well.

One thing many people do not realize is that bows actually transfer energy more efficiently to heavier arrows as opposed to lighter ones. This energy transfer results in more momentum, therefore giving the arrow itself more knockdown power than its lighter counterparts. Not only do heavier arrows have more knockdown power, but the add momentum they receive means that it takes longer for the arrow itself to slow; resulting in deeper penetration. Another added benefit of a heavier arrow is noise level; a heavier arrow is much quieter than a lighter one because the added speed of a light arrow disturbs a larger amount of the surrounding air one the arrow is released.

Now, knowing that heavier arrows penetrate more, we can go ahead and look back at the initial question of whether speed or penetration is more important and the answer we came up with is…..they are equally important! The reason we decided this is because you can make a determination on what is more necessary based on what you are hunting. If you’re hunting a turkey, it may be preferable to shoot a lighter, faster arrow in order to help avoid a miss due to the animal jumping your shot. However, if you’re hunting an animal that is larger or may have a thicker hide, a heavier arrow with more power behind it would be preferable to a quick shot. We actually prefer a mid-weight arrow so that we can have the benefits of both speed and a bit more penetrating power.

When you add in our Pro-Tracker transmitter you come up with about 100 grains of additional weight. Luckily we found that if you shorten your arrow shaft by 3 ¼ inches that when the Pro-tracker extension is added the arrow length remains the same and also compensates for the weight of the transmitter ensuring your spline is not affected. Overall, you’re arrow’s weight is minimally affected, but the transmitter will still give you a bit more oomph in your shots giving added penetrating power. This extra penetrating power, coupled with the barb on our transmitter, ensure that the not only will the arrow itself have deeper overall penetration, but that the transmitter will embed firmly in the animals hide, resulting in the system’s ability to help you track and find your animal. So all that we have left to say is hooray for science and we hope this helped some of you understand a little bit better how a Pro-tracker would affect your shot.

Sources:
1. Archery Report. “Kinetic Energy, Momentum and Arrows: A Simplified Approach.” and “Arrow Kinetic Energy and Momentum: What they mean to the Archer.”Archery Report.com. 2009-2015. Website: http://archeryreport.com/2009/11/arrow-kinetic-energy-momentum-archer/
2. Carbon Arrow University. “Chapter 5: Speed and Kinetic Energy.” Hunter’s Friend LLC. Website: http://www.huntersfriend.com/carbon_arrows/hunting_arrows_selection_guide_chapter_5.htm
3. Spinks, J.L. “Understanding Arrow Penetration.” AlaskaBowhunting.com
4. Website: http://www.alaskabowhunting.com/PR/UnderstandingArrowPenetration.pdf
5. Timney, Dr. Mark. “Penetration Much Ado About Nothing?” Bowsite.com 1996-2013. Website: http://bowsite.com/bowsite/features/practical_bowhunter/penetration/AA2187_01Carrier and Transmitter

Tell Us: What are Your Thoughts on Lighted Nocks?

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A lighted nock is precisely what it sounds like. They are nocks you attach to your arrow that, once released, cause the nock to light up allowing you to visibly follow the path of your arrow and monitor where your shot hit the animal; they also make finding pass-through or missed arrows much easier. Lighted nocks are most useful in more low-light hunting conditions; such as early morning or late evenings where tracking your arrow’s flight can be a bit more difficult. For a long time, lighted nocks were an area of archery that was rife with debate and tension. Many hunters wanted them, while many states regulations said no (however, for 2016 Oregon is no longer in the “no” category and all we can say is woo-hoo). In recent years more and more states have begun to allow the use of lighted nocks, causing the amount of debates to decrease, yet some states still have them listed in the illegal equipment sections of their hunting regulations.

Now, many of you hunters already know this, which begs the question of why we are writing this article. Is it to show our support for lighted nocks? Is it to draw attention to the fact that some states still have then banned? Is it because lighted nocks can come in some pretty awesome colors and watching them fly makes you feel like an bow hunting Jedi? The answer to that is no…except for maybe the last one because on occasion when practicing we do make a few light saber noises. What prompted this article is the knowledge that one of our staff is new to hunting and while cruising through Google one afternoon, came across a few comparison articles for various brands of lighted nocks, and proceeded to point at the screen and demand, “Explain the thing.” We decided not only to explain for her benefit, but also for the benefit of any other individuals who are either new to hunting or curious about lighted nocks in general.

As we mentioned before lighted nocks are just arrow nocks that light up upon the arrows release. We found them to be beneficial, particularly for newer hunters, as it makes it very obvious if you not only hit your mark but also where the shot connected which lets you know not only A. If the shot you made was a solid shot, and B. If you hit the targeted area, or if you connected in a less than desirable location. The knowledge of the area of penetration can help you determine the best methods with which to track the animal. The concept of a lighted nock is very cut and dry, the confusion seems to erupt when one is faced with not only the large variety or brands, but also they variety in connection types and their effectiveness.

The connection type that seems to be preferred by most hunters we have spoken are the ones where a completed circuit causes the nock to illuminate. This is seen in Lumenock and Carbon Express brand nocks where the force of the arrows release from the bow causes the nock to push into the arrow’s shaft resulting a completed circuit and wonderful glowing nock. Both Firenock and G-5 G-force nocks rely on force to activate the light, though Firenock’s relies on the arrows forward momentum and the G5 relies on centrifugal force. Finally, you have nocks that are activated via magnet, like Easton Tracer Arrows. With these the nock passes through a magnet, which triggers the nock’s light. From our experience, the type of connection seen with the Lumenock and Carbon Express arrows is the most reliable; however, we also respect that each hunter has his own preferences as well. She is currently still researching which type she would like to try, though she did mention she was leaning towards either the Lumenock or Firenock. When we asked her why, she replied that they had the longest battery life, were also the most recommended on various forums, and that the Firenock “comes in pretty colors.” Though she did request that we see what feedback she can get from all of you to ensure she makes an educated decision.
So, that bears the question: Which brand do you prefer and why?

Cooking with Deer Fat: Yes or No?

deer fat

As hunters there is nothing we love more than wild game. The satisfaction that you have used blood, sweat, and occasional tears to fill your families table gives you a sense of pride that is nigh unmatched. Every time you bag a buck, you give yourself a rousing pat on the back, clean it, and load it up to be taken home anticipating all of the delicious meals it will make along the way. For any type of game, there are given rules for prepping these delicacies that have been passed from parent to child for generations: double check to make sure you got all of the feathers, don’t overcook your game etc. Yet it seems sometimes those rules are made to be broken. For as long as we can recall, we were informed that you should always trim deer fat. We were under the assumption that deer fat had a bad flavor and went rancid quickly, therefore fat should be either left for wild animals to claim or used in some other manner. However, after stumbling across an article by David Draper on the Field & Stream blog, we began to wonder: Does deer fat make the meat taste gamey?

In order to help us answer this question, we sought out the blog post by Hank Shaw that inspired Draper’s post. In Shaw’s article he explains that, as with all game animals, there will always be a variation of flavor based on both the region and that specific animal’s dietary preferences. That being said, Shaw goes on to explain that since deer are ruminants they have a much narrower diet than many game animals; causing their flavor range to be narrower as well. While the flavor range will be narrower, however, a deer that eats more acorns or lives in an area with a larger variety of grains will taste better than one in an environment with a sparser food supply (Shaw, 2014).

In Shaw’s post, he explains that while he will use the caul (the fat surrounding the intestines) in certain recipes, he does not use the suet (the fat surrounding the kidneys). He explains that the fat in areas where there are little working muscles is much harder than the fat over top the working muscle groups. Luckily for us, birds love suet and it also makes amazing candles and soaps. Shaw does use the fat in muscular areas (like the hind quarters) to cook with. He explains that deer fats are very high in Omega 3’s, thanks to their diet, and are also thought to have the highest level of stearic acid in any food animal. Deer fat has a higher amount of saturated fat than you would find in deer, pork, or lamb, which initially may worry people. Yet, there are different types of saturated fats, and the saturated fat found in deer is the healthy type. Plus, the stearic acid decreases bad cholesterol levels and might even increase good cholesterol levels; though the latter has yet to be proven (Shaw, 2014).

Shaw does go into detail about how the deer must be treated in order for the fat to taste good and to prevent it from going rancid (essentially, it has to be below freezing; otherwise the Omega 3s cause the fat to oxidize, which makes it go rancid quickly). He also has a check list to follow to ensure your deer fat is tasty. The one drawback Shaw mentioned was the fact that the stearic acid causes the fat to coat your mouth; which can be off-putting (Shaw, 2014).

Using Shaw’s guidelines, we decided to test out whether or not leaving deer fat on worked for us. In order to try this, we enlisted the help of one of our staff members who loves to cook. She opted to make a venison roast as “it’s chilly out and that’s some darned good comfort food,” and here is what she decided.

  1. We did trim the deer fat to a point, so that we wouldn’t have an overly fatty roast. When it was cooking it smelled amazing.
  2. The deer fat did give a really nice flavor to the roast, it definitely classified as one of the best roasts I’ve made yet. My husband thought it was absolutely fantastic and went back for seconds.
  3. The stearic acid definitely left a flavor coating in your mouth. Shaw mentioned in his article he sometimes uses red wine to help with that, and luckily we had a nice Malbec on hand. It did help somewhat.

So in conclusion, we have decided cooking with deer fat does have a huge impact on the flavor. Overall the flavor is fantastic if the deer comes from an area where there are good, flavorful things for it to eat. However, our staff member did say that while her husband had no issue with the feel the fat left in his mouth, she really was not a fan and would likely trim the fat for that reason. What are your thoughts on this? Are you guys pro deer fat or con deer fat?

Literature Cited:
1. Draper, David. “Do You Eat Deer Fat.” October 31. 2014. The Wild Chef. Field and Stream Blog. Website: http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/the-wild-chef/do-you-eat-deer-fat
2. Shaw, Hank. “Demystifying Deer Fat.” October 13. 2014. Honest Food Blog. Website: http://honest-food.net/2014/10/13/cooking-deer-fat/

Animal Loss Rates and the Evolution of Pro-Tracker

Wounded deer found using the Pro-Tracker system.
Wounded deer found using the Pro-Tracker system.

As a bow hunter, we appreciate the skill required to take an animal. We enjoy the smell of fresh air and the morning chill that seeps into your bones as you sit quietly and wait for an animal to wander into view. We understand the importance of a steady hand and careful aim; there is no feeling better than letting that arrow fly and hitting your mark. As bow hunters, we also understand the frustration when your perfectly aimed shot seems to go awry (i.e. hitting a branch or an unexpected object). If you miss, you go find your arrow and try again. If you wound your animal you can spend hours or days tracking the blood trail, hoping the weather holds until you find your kill. The sad fact though, is that while many times you will find your quarry, there are just as many times that an animal is unrecovered.

Looking back, you will find studies related to deer loss rates in bow hunting dating back to 1989 or earlier. When the studies first began, the amount of animals wounded and lost is almost astounding, but as bow hunting equipment has improved, the number of animal losses has decreased substantially. Unfortunately, even with these decreases, the ratio of unrecovered animals is still causing concern within the bow hunting community and general public. We wanted to look deeper into deer loss rates, and focused on information obtained in two of the better known studies done by Stephen S. Ditchkoff et al and M. Andy Pedersen at al. One study found that of 104 bow hunters, there was an 18% wounding rate. Within a normal hunting season these hunters hit a total of 908 white tail deer, recovering only 746 (Pedersen et al 2008). In another study, it was determined that there was a 50% wounding rate and of that number 14% weren’t recovered. Of these deer 4% died annually from these wounds, while the rest survived (Ditchkoff et al. 1998).

In the reports, we found that while many of the deer either die (Ditchkoff) or are recovered within 24 hours (Pedersen), that some can survive 5-7 days with wounds before they perish. When looking at these numbers and percentages for any individual state, the number of animals that are not recovered seems miniscule. However once you look at the entire population of bow hunters within the United States alone, the amount becomes much more significant (Ditchkoff). This more significant number of unrecovered animals has been causing animal rights and anti-hunting activists to state that bow hunting is both cruel and inhumane. It is because of this that the Pro-Tracker was invented. Our goal is to eliminate the possibility of losing even one animal while maintaining the integrity of the hunt. Pro-Tracker has been in use since 2010 and thus far we have a 100% accuracy rate in animal recovery. The Pro-Tracker system, while not ideal for every hunter, is thus far supporting the goal of striving to ensure bow hunting is appreciated for the skill it requires and given the support it deserves, rather than seen in a negative light. With technology and advancement in the archery industry, we can help in recovering the animals wounded and work to improve the loss rate. We all have a responsibility to the natural resources we are given; no one is perfect every time. Accidents do happen, and we need to be prepared for those occasions.
Thanks,
Your Pro-Tracker Team

 

Literature Cited:
1. Ditchkoff, Stephen S., Edgar R. Welch Jr., Robert L. Lochmiller, Ronald E. Masters, William R. Starry, William C. Dinkines. 1998. Wounding of White-tailed Deer with Traditional Archery Equipment. Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast. Assoc. Fish and Wildl. Agencies 52:244-248. Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ronald_Masters/publication/237609363_Wounding_Rates_of_Whitetailed_Deer_with_Traditional_Archery_Equipment/links/54c63cdf0cf256ed5a9d4dfe.pdf
2. Pedersen, Andy M., Seth Berry, Jeffrey C. Bossart. 2008. Wounding Rates of White –tailed Deer with Modern Archery Equipment. Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast. Assoc. Fish and Wildl. Agencies 62:31–34
Website: http://www.marylandqdma.com/files/Download/Pedersen-31-34.pdf