‘Tis the season of joy and peace, and we can’t think of a better way to spread some holiday joy to the hardcore hunters and shooters on your “nice list” than with the world class glass of VANGUARD’s flagship sporting optics, now featuring the peace of mind of our new, No-Fault Premium Lifetime Warranty!
That’s right, the most competitively priced and feature-stuffed, top-shelf optics on the market are now guaranteed to perform — no matter what!
If you own any of our flagship sporting optics and are not 100% satisfied with them for any reason, just send them back to us. Our certified staff will evaluate and repair or replace your optics free of charge (we only ask $10 for shipping) no questions asked.
Click below to learn more about our Premium Lifetime Warranty and the products it covers.
Thomas Delhey is National Sales Manager for VANGUARD USA and an avid bow and gun hunter. This fall, he’s working to help make his son Kyle’s dream of harvesting his first deer come true. Here’s the story of their first hunt.
Questions filled my youngest son, Kyle’s, mind and left his mouth faster than I could respond, as we prepared for the morning hunt on the eve of the opening day of whitetail archery season in Michigan.
I can remember my first hunt and how excited I was, and Kyle was no different. Morning could not come fast enough; he was ready to hunt deer!
I set the alarm for 5:30 a.m. and went to bed. I woke to light taps on my arm.
“Dad, is it time to go?”
With one eye barely open, I looked at the clock. It was 4:30 a.m. Kyle was wide awake. I had him lay down with me to try to get one more hour of rest, but it was no good. He was too excited. The thought of his first deer, possibly a big buck, was overpowering. I had no choice but to get up and get going.
The questions from the night before picked up the minute we were in the car, except I think they were coming even faster now. Thank goodness our drive was only eight minutes!
We met my hunting buddies at the property and proceeded to walk to a ground blind in the back field. The flashlight illuminated the path as we walked quietly to the blind.
Once inside, I gave Kyle the center chair and sat down in the corner. The crossbow rested on the Quest T62 shooting tripod and Kyle’s lap. It was very dark in the field, and I asked Kyle several times how far he could see.
“Not too far, Dad.”
Shadows played tricks on our eyes, as we strained to see through the dark. I finally pulled out my Endeavor ED binoculars to get a better look at one of those shadows. What I saw was shocking: a 6-point buck standing broadside at 35 yards and looking right at us!
I asked Kyle if he could see it, hoping his young eyes would fare better than mine, but he couldn’t. We took turns using the binoculars to watch the buck walk off across the field in the dark.
“Will he come back?” Kyle asked.
“I hope so Kyle,” I said. “I really do.”
Finally, at about 9 a.m., a buck emerged from the swamp into the field. He was out of range, so all we could do was watch.
The buck kept walking back and forth across the field. It was like he didn’t know which way he wanted to go. To our luck, he turned toward our blind. He had worked about 30 yards away and was feeding.
But there was a problem: he was on the wrong side for Kyle to get a shot at him. We tried to move slowly, but the buck must have caught some movement or heard a sound, because he disappeared back into the thicket.
Kyle said it was my fault the buck got away, and I played along.
The rest of the morning was calm. Kyle curled up and fell asleep in his chair, and I thought about where to sit for the evening hunt.
GunsAmerica, one of the top firearms, shooting and hunting websites in the world, recently reviewed our Endeavor ED 10.5 x 45 binoculars and were blown away by the tremendous value they found in them.
Citing Endeavor ED’s top-of-the-line optical technology, thoughtful comfort features, element-ready construction, and shockingly small price tag ($399) GunsAmerica went so far as to say buyers could expect to pay up to 500% more for a similar pair from our competition (no surprise here, of course).
Here are some other highlights:
“Endeavor ED 1045 binoculars are eminently useful for hunting, bird watching and general field use, and the image they deliver is even good enough for wide field astronomical applications … ”
“The rubber coating has thumb rests molded into the cladding and they are easy to hold in the palms of your hands, fingers wrapped around the tubes, with your index finger at the quick-adjust focus knob.”
“All-in-all, they are good looking, easy to use, deliver an exceptional image, and … are compact and easy to carry”
They say the third time’s a charm, and for VANGUARD Pro Staffer Stephanie Stoner, that recently proved true. After two years of coming up short, the determined Pennsylvania archer returned to Ellicottville, N.Y., this month and walked away with an IBO World Championship in her Female Hunter Class.
She shot her way to the podium at the circuit’s top contest with a total score of 506, including 14 bulls eyes.
“I’m so thrilled,” Stephanie said. “I’ve worked so hard for this. I shot with a lot of great women shooters, made some new friends and had a blast. I’m still pinching myself. Am I dreaming?”
A born outdoorswoman from a family with a strong hunting tradition, Stephanie successfully gun hunted small game and whitetail deer in her home state before taking up archery in 2003. She quickly fell in love with the sport, taking part in local 3-D shoots and logging long hours of practice time.
Soon an accomplished archer at indoor and outdoor competitions, Stephanie started shooting on the IBO circuit in 2009 and soon joined Team FoxPro Archery.
After meeting Stephanie at the 2010 IBO Worlds (her second) we knew she was someone special, and we were honored when she accepted our invite to join our then brand-new Pro Staff team. Today, we’re thrilled to have played a part in her success.
“Seeing is half of the game,” Stephanie said.
“I had no problem at all in the three days of shooting finding my spot on the target with my Endeavor ED binoculars. Thanks again to VANGUARD!”
Thank you, Stephanie, and from everyone here at VANGUARD, a big congratulations on a job well done!
Don Bartley, of British Columbia, with the VANGUARD made case that saved his leg
While hunting deep in the Canadian wilderness a good 12-hours’-drive north from his British Columbia home a few years ago, former search and rescue worker Don Bartley found himself rescued by an unexpected hero. Climbing a creek bank on a four-wheeler, he drove over something loose and flipped backward. The quad was coming down with its full weight set to shatter Don’s leg. Luckily, its fall was first buffered by a small hard case containing a recently acquired spotting scope strapped to his ATV.
The hard case, made special for this spotting scope unit sold under a different label, was manufactured by Guardforce Group, parent company to VANGUARD. “If that thing hadn’t been there and taken the brunt of the impact, his leg would have been broken,” said Don’s wife, Sherri, who called to share this story with us. “Thank God for your scope cases.”
Don’s hunting buddy had to lever the quad off of him, and it took the two men working together to flip it back upright. After making the 12 hour trek back to civilization to see a doctor, Don’s leg was bruised from ankle to knee, but fortunately, not broken, because of the placement and toughness of the case.
Sherri said it took weeks for the bruising to come out. “The crush injury was deep,” Sherri said. “Dark purple, fading to greens and yellows. But it only took Don 24 hours to get back to hunting! And while that trip wasn’t a success, he did bring down a moose later that season.
Although the case took a “nice V-shape” dent from the impact, its contents went unharmed. “I just thought it was amazing that the case took that much force,” Sherri said. “The scope wasn’t damaged at all.”
“Thank you, Vanguard, for keeping my husband from what sure to have been a long road to recovery if it hadn’t been on his quad!”
We’re excited to announce our new sponsorship of BowHunterPlanet.com, one of the fastest-growing resources for bowhunting info, videos and networking on the web!
Launched by hunting fanatic Dave Thomas in 2009, BHP has since grown to include an 11 member team of Pro and Field staffers, including NHL star Dave Booth.
Based in the Midwest, BowhunterPlanet offers extensive coverage of all aspects of bowhunting, from the action in the field to evaluations of the latest gear, including Thomas and Co.’s incredibly well received coverage of the annual ATA convention.
With their popular, professionally produced video segments and grassroots marketing efforts, BHP has built a strong and growing online community and won sponsorships from several major manufacturers in the outdoor industry. This month, they added VANGUARD Sporting Optics to that list.
“We are happy to have Vanguard onboard this season with BowHunterPlanet,” Thomas says. “We look forward to using and promoting Vanguard’s awesome optics, which have proven themselves reliable, tough as nails and just plain cool!”
We’re looking forward to watching Dave and the gang put VANGUARD sporting optics to good use this hunting season!
Thanks to VANGUARD Ambassador and National Wild Turkey Federation spokeswoman Brenda Valentine for sharing this great story and photo from a recent Florida turkey hunt, her first turkey hunt of the 2011 season! As usual, Brenda’s off to a great start. Be sure to check back throughout the season for more stories and photos from the field.
“My first turkey hunt of the season was nothing short of phenomenal! Last August, an opportunity to hunt with me for Osceola turkeys was auctioned off at an National Wild Turkey Federation Banquet. Mr. Richard Boliek bought this hunt for his grandchildren, Kassidy and Zach.
This hunt was to be filmed by the NWTF cameras for a future episode of “Turkey Call,” neither of the kids had ever taken a turkey, plus we wanted Grandpa Richard to be right there with us and share the hunt. Do ya think we had our work cut out for us?
I love a challenge, and this seemed like a small order after successfully accomplishing a similar assignment with nine people in my turkey hunting group a while back. As you can see, this brother-sister team put the smack-down on a really fine pair of old Osceola gobblers. Each sported 11-plus inch beards and really long-sharp spurs.
I relied on my Sweet Talk pot call, a Spin-n-Strut decoy, and VANGUARD bino’s to seal the deal on this once-in-a-lifetime turkey hunt.”
DropDown shooting stick enables effortless height control and set up in a record-breaking flash so you’ll never miss a shot. Simply press the safety button to automatically and precisely adjust the height to your needs. No leg locks to fuss with ever again during that moment of truth. DropDown also allows you to adjust height while the firearm is rested on the yoke, keeping you on target no matter what. DropDown features a Picatinny Rail quick shoe for ultra fast and convenient attachment to tactical rifles. It also boasts a button safety lock, strong tube legs, deluxe V-shaped yoke that turns 360 degrees for a variety of firearms and a shotgun barrel yoke.
In the spirit of the “season of giving,” for this edition of Trail Guide we’re spotlighting the selfless work of Rick Davis and the good folks at Dream Pursuit.
After seeing the impact a young friends’ final hunt had on the lives of those around him, Rick Davis knew he wanted to do something to make a difference in the lives of young people living with life-threatening illnesses.
He was so inspired, he decided to start Dream Pursuit, a non-profit organization dedicated to taking children and young adults with life threatening illnesses on their dream hunting or fishing trip.
“For those who frequent the outdoors, you know just how healing and rejuvenating it can be,” Davis says. “This is the reason why we offer hunting and fishing adventures to those families that are dealing with life-threatening illnesses. It gives them time away from the hospitals, doctors, shots and sickness, if even for just a few days.”
Davis and his wife, Lori, oversee the operation with the help of volunteers and their board of directors. Dream Pursuit became a non-profit organization in August 2009, and Davis, who currently makes his living in construction, hopes to someday run it as his full-time job.
For now, he and the rest of the Dream Pursuit team are working to raise funds and spread the word. This past summer, the organization successfully completed its first two Dream Adventures.
“There is no way that I can accurately project in words the look of excitement and joy for the participants and their families when they are able to successfully land a fish or harvest an animal,” Davis says. “To bring joy to these families and have the outdoors be the tool to deliver this excitement makes what we do worth every effort!”
Participants go through an application process, where they choose a hunting or fishing adventure. If approved and cleared by a doctor, Dream Pursuit goes to work scheduling the trip; lining up a guide, outfitter or charter captain as needed; and making travel arrangements.
Davis reached out to VANGUARD earlier this year, and we were happy to support the cause by contributing some Spirit Series binoculars.
“The binos are great!” Davis says. “They are very clear and have excellent light gathering capabilities for low light situations. [I was] very surprised and very pleased, and they are used with every participant during hunting adventures.”
So far, Davis said he has been blessed with generous donors, making it possible to offer participants their Dream Adventure at no cost to their families.
“We are a publicly funded organization, and without help we are not able to provide adventures for these young men and women,” Davis says. “They have dreamed of a fishing or hunting adventure like what we can provide but, in many cases, their families are not able to provide such a trip due to the financial obligations they have in trying to make their children well again. Please help us pass the word along to others who would be willing to help, so that we might continue our work.”
For more on DreamPursuit, visit the organization’s website, Facebook and CamoSpace page.
This edition of Trail Guide comes courtesy of Dusty Birge, a member of the VANGUARD and BowTech Pro Staffs.
“Growing up in Southwest Nebraska, I have the privilege of going home often to hunt the river bottoms and miles of canyons looking for trophy whitetail and mule deer. Waiting for a weekend when the wind is blowing in Nebraska isn’t hard, and the second week of October turned out to be just the weekend to head home.
Saturday morning started out with the wind strong out of the Southwest. My search for a buck ended at 11:30 a.m., when I had spotted 43 mule deer without seeing a buck. The terrain I was hunting consisted of CRP, which Benkelman has tons of, and countless dry canyons. With the dry weather, the deer blended in remarkably well, leaving me spotting the majority of the deer seen that morning with my VANGUARD Endeavor ED binoculars.
Re-gathering my energy after lunch, I headed out to the cornfields, where I had hunted previous years. Harvest started earlier this year than last, so deer seemed to be moving slightly more to stay in cover. By mid afternoon, I had seen more than 70 deer that day, when I spotted a tall mule deer by himself switching cornfield bedding areas. It looked like he may be a shooter; the stalk was on!
Using the wind to my advantage, I crawled through the downwind field and posted up two rows into the rattling corn. After catching my breath, I glassed him at about 120 yards, where he was on a steady walk and grazing straight toward me. As my nerves took over all stealth I had brought in, I was fortunate to have the wind in my face, as it covered up my shaking knees rubbing against the corn stalks. As he approached, I managed to nock an arrow and range him at 68 yards. At this time, I knew he was in my effective range, while I waited about 12 more yards until he finally grazed broadside. I stopped shaking, and my daily practice kicked in when I arrowed him, leaving a recovery of less than 15 yards.
Until this day, I had never taken a deer that would be scored non-typical. It wasn’t until I was in the corn glassing him at over 100 yards that I was able to notice the stickers on his rack. Because of these stickers, I chose to take the opportunity to take a shot. Had I not been able to see the stickers, I would have passed up on the shot in search for a larger deer. Thanks to my Endeavor ED binoculars and my BowTech Destroyer 340, I was vastly confident in what I would shoot at and what I would be shooting it with.
The Endeavor ED binoculars are the clearest and sharpest pair of binoculars I have ever owned. In southwest Nebraska, mule deer blend in very well to the terrain and bed down in canyon creases, often before the sun is completely up. I noticed on the first day of my hunt I was grabbing my Endeavor ED binoculars to scan the countryside rather than my spotting scope. I did not even take my spotting scope the remainder of my hunting trips. The advertised clarity and high resolution is remarkable and has set a personal standard from now on. I found many deer that blended in so well to the terrain, I could not see them with the naked eye. My Endeavor ED binoculars became my second weapon.”
