Heading into Spring

This winter has been rather odd. Warmer and dryer than usual for sure, which makes me wonder what spring will bring. If I were betting, I'd say we are in for a bumpy ride with the cold not letting go of its grip just yet. Hopefully we can get some rain regardless. 2025 was decent, but in Western Kansas, things can turn dry much quicker than they can turn wet.

2025 hunting season

My 2025 deer season was good. I was fortunate to see an uptick in deer numbers in the areas

that I hunt, although I know that wasn't the case for everyone. I did fill my tag on a doe and was able to add some meat to the freezer. It was my first deer with my new Prime Form 34. I've now taken a deer with PSE, Mathews, Bowtech, Elite, and Prime, several with centerfire rifles, and I've shot also shot deer with a Wild Horse Creek longbow, and several of my Coyote Creek bows. It's always fun to try new things and branch out into different brands from what I've used in the past. I know that many people get too hung up on what brand of bow they are shooting, but honestly, all compound bows being made today are of excellent quality. The playing field is pretty even, and it comes down to specs, feel, and what your local dealer has on hand.

3D Season is fast approaching

Now that we are closing in on the start of spring, my attention has turned to 3D archery. Sure, I've shot a few indoor spots in my short range in the store, but it's not my favorite thing to do. I do think that there is tremendous benefit to it as an archer, and if I had the availability of a 20-yard indoor range and was able to compete against other shooters, I'm sure that I'd shoot more indoor spots. However, it just doesn't exist around here so I focus more on the upcoming 3D season and shoot as much as I can. I recently picked up an Elite Exalt 35 that I have set up as a dedicated 3D bow (check out my YouTube video) and I have been shooting it really well. It is very similar in feel to my Elite Ethos that I had, and it holds really well with how I have it set up. I plan to attend more shoots this year and compete for money rather than just shooting for fun as I've done in the past. I also plan to post several updates on this bow as the season progresses so stay tuned!

New Products

WIth a new year comes new bows and new accessories. We are nearing being fully stocked and

ready for 2026. The biggest change for us in 2026 is the addition of Darton bows and Black Eagle Arrows to our lineup. We no longer carry Bowtech / Diamond, and I was needing another brand to complement what we already have. Darton has been making some big waves in the industry recently and the values of the company strongly align with ours here at Coyote Creek Archery. Faith in God is the center of my life and after watching a video interview with Darton and Black Eagle owner Randy Kitts (link) I knew that I wanted their products in my store. We now have several of the Darton bows, and the Black Eagle arrows will be in stock this summer. If you noticed in the previous paragraph how I mentioned the Elite Ethos that I "used to own". It's because I sold it so that I could purchase a new Darton TriTech 33. I will post a video on it soon, but I'm waiting on a shipment of Hamskea R7 rests to arrive so that I can get the bow set up to shoot. I now have three bows, the Prime Form 34, Elite Exalt 35, and Darton TriTech 33. They are like children, you don't pick a favorite and they are all unique from each other, but you love them all the same!

We have some new accessories in the store for 2026 as well. Most notable are the new rests from Hamskea. The Epsilon that I have used for several years and still have on two of my bows has been discontinued, and the R7 has taken its place. It still has the same durability that we've come to expect from Hamskea, but it's more functional, and features an IMS mount. The mid-priced Everest has also been upgraded to an IMS mount.

If you are looking for a new crossbow, we will start carrying Ten Point and Wicked Ridge Crossbows soon. Check the online store for availability!

As it starts to warm up, many of you will get outside to shoot your bow. We are stocked with

US made targets from Morrell and Big Shot. Also, for those warm season shoots we have a new t-shirt design that will be available in store and online soon. Of course, we have a selection of arrows and components with more from Black Eagle coming this summer. If you are considering new strings for your bow, lead times are short right now. We can get a set in less than a week, but that will change as more people get into shooting 3D and especially as we get into late summer / early fall. Now is the best time to update your strings. Lead times in September and October are typically 4 weeks or more. Also, if you only have one set of strings, I highly suggest at minimum having another set of strings on hand. A backup bow is best, but just having another set of strings in your possession could keep you hunting if something were to happen to your bow during hunting season.

Updated Store Hours

2026 is my 18th and final year of coaching high school golf. From March through May I am much busier and not as available in the store as I am throughout the other 9 months of the year. Because of this, my hours have changed to 6-9 pm on weekdays, and 9am-4pm on Saturdays by appointment only! You must schedule an appointment, as there are days that I am not available. The best way to do this is to use the links provided on the website. You will see a calendar of available dates and times. Simply select the time that works best for you, and I will either approve or deny your request.

I hope that you are able to spend some time outdoors with friends and family this spring and I hope that we can help you with all of your archery needs. Receive free shipping in the online store on orders of $99 or more with promo code BLOG.

Gold Bless!

Matt Carroll

Coyote Creek Archery - Owner