Selling all things hunting: maximize the industry's money-making season with accessories hunters must have!

Shooting Industry, August, 2004 by Russ Thurman

In general hunting accessories, Green Top offers Briley Choke Tubes, Brunton compasses, HiViz Sights, Hallmark Dog products and Maglite flashlights.

Selling The Basics

If you are just beginning to offer hunting accessories, your sales may be modest. But, it is a start. Begin with slings from Beretta, Browning, Hunter's View, Remington and Uncle Mike's.

A good carrying case is a must have for hunters. Uncle Mike's new Floating Gun Case in Advantage MAX 4HD is designed to keep afloat a long gun weighing up to 10 pounds.

Buck Stop, Hunter's Specialties, Quaker Boy, Tink's and Wildlife Research Center offer an enormous variety of calls, lures and scents, plus other hunting aids.

For versatile hunting bipods, look to Stoney Point. Their Hike 'N Hunt Combo is a favorite with hunters.

While you may not have the space to sell tree stands, consider offering the vital safety equipment needed for those hunting from elevated platforms. Buck Wing's Saveyur Life Tree Belt attaches to a tree at the hunter's shoulder height and its rubber-coated D-ring accommodates the hunter's safety harness rope.

Inventorying a line of camping gear may not be possible, but consider offering Meyerco 45-piece cookware and cutlery set for campers and hunters, and Outdoor Edge's big-game hunting set, the Outpak.

Bagmaster, Bianchi, Fieldline and Mad Dog offer hunting packs. Fieldline's new Dwight Schuh Tree Stand Fancy pack has a tri-fold organizer pouch, mesh pockets and elastic keeper straps.

Beyond the basics are high-tech products, including personal communication radios, GPS units, trail cameras, digital game callers and game finders.

Selling Invisibility

Once your customer has the rifle/shotgun, scope and basic accessories he needs, it is time to sell him invisibility. One of the largest segments of the hunting market is camouflage. It is on every conceivable product, and customers can't seem to get enough of the newest patterns.

Mossy Oak, Advantage and Realtree are the major camo players. Your customers can be outfitted from head to toe, including firearm and accessories, in a matching camo pattern. Some of your customers wouldn't think of mixing one camo pattern with another, say a Mossberg 935 Magnum in Mossy Oak New Break-Up with a hunting jacket in Mossy Oak Obsession. Ring up another sale of a jacket with Obsession pattern.

Woolrich has introduced an interesting camo pattern in the company's hunting line. Cam-Woolfage is offered in a hunt coat, parka, vest and shirt and pants.

Beyond the pattern, some camo companies have taken camouflage to the next level. Scent-Lock offers camouflage hunting clothes featuring its Odor Eliminating Technology. Scent-Lok also offers the BaseSlayers, an ultra-light polyester knit shirt worn next to the skin. It kills odorcausing bacteria and absorbs all types of human order generated by the body.

There are also odor-eliminating sprays and washes from Robinson Outdoors. Add a camouflage blind from Hunter's View to your customer's purchase and you have made him totally invisible.