TUO expanded its popular Clime Pant with Short, Regular, and Tall sizing options to improve fit for more hunters. The pant features 4-way stretch fabric, Polygiene StayFresh and OdorCrunch odor defense, Super DWR water treatment, and a new Storm color option alongside existing Deadfall, Brome, and Verse camouflage patterns.
DSG Outerwear, founded by Wendy Gavinski, has launched the Ridge & Vale collection featuring women's apparel with faded Realtree Original and Advantage Classic camo patterns. The collection includes vintage-inspired pieces like hoodies, overalls, sweatpants, tees, and muscle tanks designed to blend outdoor heritage with everyday style and comfort.
TUO's Solent Jacket and Pant are now shipping to dealers and available for online purchase. The three-layer polyester softshell features TUO's AeroGuard™ Windproof Membrane, quiet fabric, and innovative design elements like a removable hood and articulated construction for optimal hunting performance.
Black Gold Premium Accessories launches the innovative MODD Sight, a modular archery sight platform offering customizable pin cartridges, interchangeable housings, and PhotoChromatic Technology. Available July 30, 2026, through authorized dealers and online retailers.
Victory Archery introduces the Rival and Rival X hunting arrows, engineered for extreme durability with 1.5K carbon weave construction and an innovative R.P.S. insert system. The balanced-diameter Rival delivers speed and penetration for versatile hunting, while the small-diameter Rival X maximizes kinetic energy and FOC for heavy-boned game.
Darton Archery unveiled the Tritech 37 ST, a competition-driven target bow featuring a 37-inch platform and shoot-through riser design. The bow produces speeds up to 327 FPS and includes advanced tuning systems like the Perfect Tuning Pocket System and patent-pending Micro-Adjust Roller Guard for precision competition shooting.
Team Mathews dominated the 2026 ASA Classic in Sparta, Wisconsin, winning five of six Pro classes and claiming nine podiums overall. Team Shooters Kyle Douglas, Brady Myers, Jack Wallace, and Randy Morocco each earned 2026 ASA Shooter of the Year honors, representing the highest level of consistency across the season.
Elite Archery announces the Victra 40, a 40-inch axle-to-axle target bow debuting at the ASA Classic on July 30. The bow features the SPX2 Cam System, Elite Micro Splitters, and S.E.T. Technology for enhanced stability and tunability, with an MSRP of $1,899.99.
Archers representing Darton Archery, Black Eagle Arrows, and Conquest Archery earned 41 podium finishes and 12 class victories at the ASA Classic in Cullman, Alabama, competing across professional, amateur, and youth divisions.
Senior Conservation Officer Meghan Roos of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game received the 2026 IWC Guidefitter Game Warden of the Year Award from International Wildlife Crimestoppers and Guidefitter. Roos was recognized for leading significant wildlife crime investigations resulting in lifetime hunting revocations, over $180,000 in fines, and exposing a massive poaching operation involving 15+ suspects and 200+ illegally taken animals.
The National Bowhunter Education Foundation and Kalkomey Inc. launched the Today's Hunter and Today's Bowhunter Combo Manual, a 130-page resource for Hunter Education and Bowhunter Education classes. The color-coded manual covers wildlife identification, stand usage, shot placement, and hunting ethics, with an Instructor version available in October 2026.
Armageddon Gear selected Guidefitter as its exclusive pro program partner, providing access to over 200,000 verified outdoor professionals. Founded by Army veteran Tom Fuller, Armageddon Gear manufactures precision shooting and hunting equipment domestically in Georgia, with products like the Game Changer shooting bag widely used in competitive precision rifle shooting.
MidwayUSA is hiring two Product Specialists in Columbia, MO for Optics and Clothing, Footwear & Marketplaces categories. Positions offer $55,000-$71,500 annually with benefits including 401(k) matching, flexible PTO, and professional development opportunities.
Leupold & Stevens, Inc. announced the addition of Hornady's 4DOF® ballistic calculator and Precision Cut Archery software to its RX-5000 rangefinder. These industry-leading ballistic solvers are available for free download through the Leupold Control App via firmware update, enhancing capabilities for rifle shooters, bowhunters, and competitive archers.
Sabudawn Safaris will continue its partnership with Whitetails Unlimited as a national sponsor, announced WTU President Jeff Schinkten. The full-service safari operator specializes in coordinating African hunting trips and travel logistics for individuals and groups in Southern Africa.
The Boone and Crockett Club appointed Al Clark as chief development officer. Clark brings over two decades of nonprofit leadership and fundraising experience, including previous roles at Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
Whitetails Unlimited announces that Executive Director David Hawkey will retire at the end of the month, with Chris Konop, former Vice President of Field Operations, promoted to Executive Director effective August 1, 2026. WTU President Jeff Schinkten praised Konop's organizational knowledge and management experience to guide the conservation organization forward.
Zanders, a national distributor based in Sparta, Illinois, has expanded its elk calling lineup by adding Riven Calls, an innovative manufacturer of high-performance elk calls influenced by world champion elk caller Beau Brooks. The partnership with Higdon Outdoors provides dealers with premium bugle tubes, diaphragm calls, and accessories designed for hunters of all experience levels.
Muddy® Outdoors announced the launch of its Cloak OZ3 and OZ5 ozone generator units, now shipping and available online and through select outdoor retailers. Both models feature multiple output modes and use Muddy's rechargeable battery system, with the OZ5 offering a remote control and Max Boost mode for peak performance.
Millennium Outdoors introduces the RG2 Run 'N Gun Hang-On Combo, a 19-pound integrated system combining the M8 Hang-On Stand, M255 Vulcan Stick Ladder, and MQV8 M8 Stick Quiver designed for mobile hunters adapting to changing deer patterns and locations.
Registration is now open for the 2027 ATA Trade Show and Archery & Bowhunting Supershow returning to Indianapolis January 7-10, 2027. ATA Show Week features the members-only trade show, public supershow, and competitions including the S3DA Indoor Open, World Archery Indoor World Series 500, and NFAA Rushmore Rumble.
Hercules Safaris, a South Africa-based premier big game hunting outfitter celebrating 20 years, will continue its partnership with Whitetails Unlimited as a national sponsor, announced WTU President Jeff Schinkten. The company offers night hunting, plains game, dangerous game, trophy hunting, and family safaris with bow or rifle options.
Whitetail Institute's Next Level Consulting released a brand spot highlighting its science-driven approach to habitat improvement and land management. The spot reinforces the team's research-backed strategy delivered by wildlife biologists, agronomists, and habitat specialists working directly with landowners.
Pursuit Channel announced new seasons of flagship programs including Dean Partridge's Canadian Whitetail, Red Arrow with Kip Campbell, Game On with Blaine Anthony, The High Road with Keith Warren, and Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild. Episodes will air on Pursuit Channel and stream via Pursuit UP across multiple platforms.
Sportsman Channel launches "Full Draw Friday" programming block featuring bowhunting shows including Tim Wells' Relentless Pursuit, Stompin' Groundz TV, Haymaker Hunting with King Pedford, HARDCORE Pursuit with Mike Pelletier, Ranch America, Jay Gregory's The Wild Outdoors, and Steven Rinella's MeatEater, airing Fridays 8:00-11:30 p.m. ET.
Pursuit Channel launched "Sundays On The Chase," a new early prime programming block dedicated to whitetail hunting content starting at 6:00 p.m. ET every Sunday, presented by Whitetails Unlimited. The block features popular series including Innerloc's Out There, Red Arrow, Whitetail Frenzy, and Take Aim Adventures.
Ralph, Vicki, RJ, and Aubrey Cianciarulo's 26th season of The Choice premieres Monday, August 3rd at 11:30PM EST on Pursuit Channel. The family heads south to the Kempfer's with Traditions Nitro Bolts for a competition between the OG's and young-in's.
Field & Stream TV announced its third quarter broadcast lineup featuring new episodes of On The Water Angling Adventures, Their Life, My Lens hosted by Chasten Whitfield, Goliath Fishing with Captain James Marko, Scott Linden's Wing Shooting USA, and The Scott Martin Challenge, now in its twenty-first season.
Field & Stream TV's Q2 results confirm its dominance in outdoor media, reaching 90 million TV households weekly with an average single-airing episode reach of 151,450 households. Top performers included Linder's Angling Edge with 2,776,748 total households and Spanish Fly with 2,316,879 total households, demonstrating the network's unmatched scale for national outdoor advertising campaigns.
The archery (shooting) industry is saturated with products claiming to deliver greater accuracy, tighter groups, or increased range. Yet, few challenge one of the sport’s oldest assumptions: that crafting an accurate sight tape is a matter of trial and error.
Tristan Litke is the founder of Precision Cut Archery, a bowhunter, and a software engineer. Photo credit - Precision Cut Archery
Precision Cut Archery was born from a conviction that there had to be a better approach.
Founder and CEO Tristan Litke fused his expertise as a software engineer with a lifelong passion for bowhunting, developing software that recognizes each arrow and bow as a unique ballistic system. Instead of relying on broad estimates, Precision Cut Archery models every individual setup, producing sight tapes so precise they’re trusted by first-time bowhunters and world champions alike.
But as Litke explains, the heart of the company isn’t software; it’s confidence.
The Hunting Wire recently sat down with Litke to explore the philosophy behind Precision Cut Archery, the science fueling its technology, and why he believes transparent research, not marketing, will ultimately move the sport forward.
Precision Cut Archery isn’t really in the “sight tape business”; it’s in the confidence business. How did that philosophy become the foundation of the company?
Tristan: “When you come to full draw on an animal, and you see the pin settle where it should, there’s a feeling in that moment when you know it’s a done deal.
Because you know that arrow is going to hit behind the pin. That feeling is what I’ve been chasing since the beginning. First for me, and now for my customers.”
Most archers accept that building a sight tape requires a little trial and error. You rejected that assumption from the beginning. What convinced you there had to be a better way?
Tristan: “I wouldn’t say I knew there was a better way right away, but I thought it sure seemed like there should be. It didn’t become obvious what that better way was until quite a ways into the experimentation process. There were about six months of working and testing myself before I ever claimed to have built something better. At this point, I have utmost confidence that, with good data, our solutions will be spot on at any distance right away.”
Your background as a software engineer and your passion as a bowhunter seem to intersect perfectly in Precision Cut Archery. How has each discipline made the other better?
Tristan: “Man, in a lot of ways they don’t make each other better. There are the hard work, dedication, and mental fortitude aspects for sure; those can be applied to almost anything, but I’d almost describe it, historically, as a fundamental tension between two of the primary focuses of my life.
As a lot of us do, I worked all year to fund the adventures in the fall.
Now I find myself with the opportunity to do work that feels like play in Precision Cut Archery. I’m incredibly grateful for that.
If there’s a real intersection, it’s that bowhunting handed me the problem and software engineering handed me the tools.”
Your software treats every arrow as its own ballistic system rather than relying on generalized estimates. For hunters and competitive shooters who aren’t engineers, why is that such a game changer?
Tristan:
“Almost everything in ballistics comes down to aerodynamic drag.
In the rifle world, this manifests itself as BC libraries, custom drag curves, and 4DOF simulations.
However, unlike bullets of the same make/model/lot, each archer’s arrow is different. And the same arrow out of a different bow can be different as well.
Our approach to arrow drag modeling and empirical determination on a per-setup basis is the difference between a tape that is sort of okay and one that is truly dead on at every single range.”
Precision Cut Archery talks about applying mathematical techniques used in rifle ballistics, aircraft, and missile simulations to arrows. That’s a bold claim. Can you explain how that approach changes what an archer sees in the field?
Tristan: “We’re numerically integrating the equations of motion, the same class of method used in flight and missile trajectory work.
What the archer sees is unglamorous: the tape is dead-on at 20, and it’s still dead-on at 120. No discovering that your tape stopped being accurate somewhere past 60.”
One thing that stood out is your emphasis on eliminating human error. How much of long-range archery success is equipment, how much is execution, and how much is simply trusting the data?
Tristan: “All of them for sure, with a heavy, heavy emphasis on the shooter.
Historically, your ability to create an accurate sight tape was bound by your shooting ability.
It’s pretty cool now that a brand new archer can have a sight tape on their bow for their arrow that’s just as precise as the one someone won a pro tournament with the weekend before.
This lets the archer work on themselves and equipment instead of their tape.”
The company has worked with world champions while also designing software that’s approachable for everyday bowhunters. How do you balance elite-level precision with a user experience that doesn’t intimidate new users?
Tristan: “So much of our industry is focused on making things for the ‘average bowhunter’. That has never been my philosophy.
I build tools for top competitors, die-hard bowhunters, and anyone looking to become the best archer they can be.
However, with that, my design philosophy is to keep the software clean, simple, and intuitive. You definitely do not need to be an expert in anything to use our software. Said differently, the precision lives in the engine, not the interface.
I’m continually amazed at how many new archers end up using it. It turns out, pretty much everyone can benefit from an accurate sight tape.”
Your recent Arrow Ballistics Study reflects a commitment to research rather than simply marketing products. Why is investing in original data so important to the future of archery?
Tristan: “Because right now, most of what an archer ‘knows’ about arrow performance comes primarily from someone trying to sell them something.
That’s not a shot at manufacturers. They build good products, and they’re mostly honest about them. But there is no standard for arrow ballistics testing, so all we have are spec sheets that aren’t comparable, influencer hype, and a lot of confidently repeated shop-counter wisdom.
The part that matters more than any single finding is that we publish the methods, the raw data, and the analysis, all open and all free. Anyone can download our files and tell us we’re wrong. Marketing claims can’t be checked. Data can. The sport only moves forward on the second kind, and this sort of open research compounds over time as we and others build on it.”
When someone harvests an animal cleanly or wins a tournament using a Precision Cut Archery sight tape, what does that moment mean to you personally as the founder?
Tristan: “A lot of these guys I looked up to for years before I ever built anything, so having it become a critical piece of their kit is beyond awesome.
Not to mention the emails I get. Someone’s first elk. A guy who finally trusted his setup enough to win his first tournament.
That’s the same feeling I described earlier: the pin settles, and you know. Getting to hand that to someone is incredibly rewarding.”
Five years from now, when people look back at Precision Cut Archery, do you hope they remember it as a software company, a technology company, or as the company that fundamentally changed how archers think about ballistics?
Tristan: “Honestly, I hope nobody remembers us as a software company. Software is just how the answer gets to you. I hope we’re remembered for pushing the sport of archery forward.”
Today’s bowhunters have access to better equipment than ever before. Yet, as Tristan sees it, technology is only a means to an end. The real goal can only be achieved through the most basic all of technologies - sweat equity invested in practice.
Precision Cut Archery thinks it can make your practice a little more perfect.
