Can you see the hunter?

There’s no shortage of infomercial gimmicks for hunting apparel and products nowadays. With their clever names and hilarious advertisements, they suck you in for only $19.95 plus shipping and handling. You use it once and either break it, throw it away, or sell it at a garage sale for 75 cents (marked down from $3).

Though it’s easy to make a blanket statement about all of these “gimmicky” products, some have sold like crazy and worked surprisingly well (think of Steady Ready or Butt Out). Well, believe it or not, a family-owned company from Chippewa Falls has created a product that falls in that very category.

     Maybe you’ve heard about The ShadowShield, a blind-like device that camouflages hunters by reflecting their surroundings, no matter the terrain or vegetation, using a series of lightweight portable mirrors. The Chippewa business is Pine Harbor Holding Company, and The ShadowShield is its primary product, sold in several varieties and for several interest groups.
It all started with Steve Prock, an avid goose hunter who was frustrated with his results in the field. With several members of his family also hunters, Steve had them try out his strange new invention with great success. So they figured why not sell it to other hunters?

Now, five years later, the ShadowShield has taken off as a hunting accessory and even moved into the realms of law enforcement and military.

“It’s not just a new type of camouflage,” said Gail Prock, Steve’s wife and company CEO. “We’re an entirely new concept for hunting. It doesn’t matter what terrain you’re on or where you are. You can actually stalk animals, which is unique. There are a lot of blinds where you sit in one spot and hope to get lucky, but this allows you to get in close range for a higher likelihood of success.”

The Procks have primarily gotten the word out about ShadowShield through print and internet advertising, plus a plug on a hunting show, but the product got its biggest push last fall from renowned big game hunter Jim Shockey, who tried it all over the world.

For hunters, ShadowShield comes in two varieties. The small portable model is about 10 pounds and breaks into three pieces, making it easy to carry in a bag or backpack. The larger shield is about 16 pounds, making it more difficult to stalk at great distances, but providing full coverage. They range from $160 to more than $300.

“I’m always careful to tell people to use caution, because other hunters aren’t going to see you. You’re truly going to be concealed,” Gail said, adding that they haven’t had any accidents with their product, and don’t anticipate any. “But it’s really effective, and not what people are used to seeing,” she said.

Like some other products out there, the concept of lugging around a big mirror with a viewing portal is a bit silly and looks funny. (If you don’t believe me, just check out the website.) But that doesn’t change the fact that it works, unlike loads of the infomercial gimmicks out there.

     For more info, visit www.TheShadowShield.com or call 726-8714. You can order it online or find it at Scheels and other retailers throughout the nation.