We're often asked when we return from visits to manufacturers what's new and exciting. Most archers who ask us this are expecting to hear about amazing new technological advancements and all sorts of whiz bang gadgets to make our life easier in the woods. Lots of the 'latest and greatest' gets tested by us, and sometimes you never see the review because the product doesn't perform as advertised, or worse it doesn't work at all. The loyal BowCountry.com visitor knows we are trying hard to tell it like it is without hurting any manufacturer. The only time we'll publish something below a 3 star rating, is if the product represents a safety concern to the hunter or archer. Some have criticized our BowCountry.com Pro Staff as only testing high tech gadgetry. Take a look at our review of the Gladder Bladder! Whoa! Nothing high tech there. Enough said. The Gladder Bladder does bring up the notion that necessity is the mother of invention. Couple this adage with 'simple is better' and you have the Sisco Sling.

If you'll never, ever be interested in using a bow sling, stop reading. Go no further. If you like the idea of a bow sling but you've been disappointed because they are uncomfortable, or they break at exactly the wrong time, or you're unfamiliar, then read on. Most bow slings we've tested in the past rely on some kind of clipping mechanism to affix the bow sling to the bow. The better made clips are rubberized, the cheaper models use plastic. Sometimes the design calls for nylon straps to be permanently affixed to the bow for quick connect/disconnect. Still other approaches tout sling designs that allow the archer to miraculously whip the bow off his back, use the sling to steady the shot and never having to disconnect the sling. Uh huh, right. Whatever the equipment and whatever the design, there are two things we're sure we can all agree with. Number 1, if you don't practice with your equipment, all of your equipment, it doesn't matter how slick the design, Murphy's law will eventually come into play at moments when you least expect it or worse, when you can ill afford mistakes. Number 2, simple is better. The more messing around you have to do to get things comfortable and feeling right the worse off you are. Case in point: A good friend of ours applauds his clunky but comfortable climbing tree stand, which he's committed to for life. It takes him a good half hour to get set up, in the tree, and comfortable. He sounds like the tin man walking into the woods, sounds like PT Barnum unpacking his gear, and by the time he's 20 feet in the air, it's no wonder he usually doesn't see anything for hours. Are bow slings in this league? Of course not, but the point is, unless your hunting style is enhanced with a product like this, or you practice using it, or it simplifies instead of complicates what good is it?

The Sisco Sling was born out of the mind of Texas native, Leroy Sisco, who also happens to be a Major General in the Guard in Texas. We've met Leroy, and can tell you he is part affable and intelligent southern gentleman, part brilliant inventor, and part super patriot with a 'don't mess with the U.S.' attitude. We thank God this man is on our side in any conflict! Leroy partnered with his good friend, S.G. Christian, of Bodoodle to bring this product to market. After 40 years of bow hunting, and having to off load his bow hundreds of times crossing fences and hedge, Leroy figured there had to be another way to solve the dilemma and free up his hands.

There are hunts where the trek to a distant tree stand is part of the experience. Toting your bow through the thick stuff, or in some cases, just muscling your equipment for few miles can take it out of you before the hunt even starts! Add to this, the fact that you may be carrying a climbing tree stand and possibly a backpack, and suddenly, having two hands free can be a tremendous advantage.

The bow slings we've tested just never seemed to hold up, nicked up our bows, clattered, or got tangled. In one severe case, the sling spontaneously broke loose causing damage to the bow. Hunt over! Imagine an extruded, thick adjustable length round rubber sling with loops on each end. The loops slip over your cam and idler wheel. The loops are made as snug or as loose as you want by a simple rubber seamless collar and poof, your bow and sling are ready to travel securely. When you do have a fixed quiver hanging off your bow the manufacturer provides instructions so that your bow actually hangs upside down on your back with the quiver facing out and arrow fletching facing the sky. For the first time, you can now carry a bow like a rifle. Let's take a minute to describe this special rubber. Extruded means the rubber is mixed under extreme heat and pressure in a bonded epoxy-like process and then the mixture is pushed through an extrusion (opening in a mold). Compare this with heating up rubber and pouring it into a mold and you can appreciate that extruded rubber not only costs more to produce but also the end result is far superior. The Sisco Sling is virtually scent free and like the rubber hunting boots doesn't absorb scent like nylon webbed slings can. The extruded rubber is so strong and impervious to stretching that you can use the sling to drag your deer (see photo). Try that with your wimpy nylon strap sling!

Securely attaching the Sisco Sling to your climbing tree stand was less than a 2-minute affair with a field jacket serving to eliminate any damage to a bow. The length of the sling and the looped ends are fully adjustable, so fitting it to our much beloved Lone Wolf Alpha climber or the API Grand Slam Superstar was a snap. You'll find this adjustability will serve you well no matter what you shoot, no matter what quiver arrangement you prefer, and no matter how burly you are. We tested this product in some of the coldest temperatures upstate New York has ever seen. Some days it was –10 with the average daily temperature over the two-week test period never rising above 8 degrees. At one point we buried the Sisco Sling in two feet of snow and came back a few days later to continue the test. This brings up two important points. First, the rubber used in the Sisco Sling, even in these brutal temperatures remained pliable and workable. No surface cracking occurred and aside from some loss of elasticity, the performance of this product remained consistent. Secondly, in order for our test team to stay warm we had a ton of insulated clothing on. Adjusting the sling and getting it on and off our person proved amazingly easy, even while wearing bulky clothing. We all agreed that the confidence in knowing there was no way for this design to break or come loose on us was well worth the suggested retail of $27.95. If your local dealer doesn't have this product in stock you can buy the Sisco Sling directly from Bodoodle (325-625-2797) but you'll be paying an extra $7.95 shipping and handling.

Once you're in the tree, the Sisco Sling can be looped through a belt loop and serve as a bow holster. Some of our Staff Shooters with beer belly's (the 40' waist variety) were able to adjust the Sisco Sling, wear it like a belt, cinch down one end of the looped end and still have a completely acceptable bow holster.

This product is versatile, durable, well designed, simple, and, without any doubt, the best bow sling you could buy! If there are any negatives to mention, they relate to all bow slings, no matter how you wear them. The potential to put the pin sight and arrow rest out of sight/out of mind could make it easier to snag on stuff as you walk. If you think about it for a minute, with or without a bow sling, snagging your bow or breaking the fiber optics in your pin sight are part of the risk involved whenever we enter the woods. Checking your equipment is common sense regardless of the products you use. Besides, with a sling, you could argue delicate equipment is safer on your back than in your hand. As the picture illustrates, dragging a deer using the Sisco Sling as a drag rope is also an effective use of this sling!

With confidence, we give this product a perfect 5 out of 5 star rating! S. G. Christian and his crew at Bodoodle know a good thing when they see it. The Sisco Sling is rock solid. In fact, we'd even go so far as to say that this unassuming product may in time actually obsolete all other designs. Simple is truly better, necessity is the mother of all invention, and the BowCountry.com test staff has learned more than just archery from our favorite super patriot, southern gentlemen, Leroy Sisco. Congratulations on bringing an awesome product to market!

Visit Bodoodle at www.Bodoodle.net