No Luck Of The Draw?

Steer Eager Hunters To Varmint/Predator Sales

Written By Tim Barker

2020

As hunters focus on big-game tags, make sure to remind them about varmint/predator hunting’s
four-season appeal and carry products in trending calibers. Options like the Ruger Hawkeye FTW
Hunter have a number of features that will appeal to these hunters — ergonomic stock with buttpad
spacers to accommodate different shooters or varying levels of outwear, the Ruger Muzzle Brake
System reduces felt recoil and it includes studs for mounting sling swivels. (Image: Sturm, Ruger & Co.)

There’s a running joke in Arizona that pops up every year revolving around the annual awarding of game licenses through random draws.

Once they’ve been doled out, hunters start asking what everyone else will be stalking this year. Pronghorn? Elk? Whitetailed deer? Bighorn sheep?

The answer for those who come up empty? Varmint.

It’s a joke illustrating one of the advantages (for retailers) offered by a hunting niche that generally carries little in the way of restrictions. Those who want to hunt coyotes, prairie dogs, feral hogs and the like can do it pretty much whenever they want.

At Sprague’s Sports in Yuma, Ariz., coyotes have long been a top draw for varmint hunters. It’s a market always looking for innovation to counter increasingly wary prey, said Ron Gissendaner, senior VP.

“We keep educating the dogs more and more, so you have to keep changing your strategy,” he said. “Our customers are looking for anything that might be new on the market.”

Rifles

It wasn’t too long ago prairie dog hunting was the top option for varmint hunters in Rapid City, S.D.

“It used to be, 10 years ago, people would call and order 1,000 rounds of .223 for prairie dogs, but that doesn’t happen anymore,” said Mike Bote, co-owner of First Stop Guns.

The problem is prairie dog populations have plummeted — either by plague or population control via poison. “The market is probably 10% of what it used to be,” he estimated.

As a result, his varmint-hunting customer is just as likely to be hunting coyotes, and the choice of prey often has an indirect impact on the types of rifles being purchased.

BOG DeathGrip Tripod

Christensen Arms Mesa Titanium

“The price of ammo drives which rifles are sold,” Bote said. It’s particularly true for the hunters stalking things like prairie dogs, where a full day of shooting can get expensive if you’re using pricier ammo. The guys doing bulk shooting are more interested in .223 and .17 HMR, while hunters shooting fewer rounds might opt for .22-250.

“You go shoot coyotes, you’ll shoot a handful of rounds, if any. If you shoot five rounds and it costs $20 a box, it’s nothing,” he reasoned.

Bolt-action rifles tend to be the preference of prairie dog hunters, while coyote hunters tend to prefer the AR platform — allowing for rapid follow-up shots. Among the more popular bolt-action models are the Ruger American and CZ 527 Varmint rifles.

At Sprague’s in Arizona, hunters are particularly interested in new calibers coming onto the market so it’s not surprising 6.5 Creedmoor has soared in popularity. But the trusty 5.56 remains a top choice for the store’s customer base.

The choice of prey often has an indirect impact on the types of rifles being purchased.

“It’s economical and a lot of guys use the AR platform,” Gissendaner noted.

Other popular calibers include 6.5 PRC, .17 Remington and .22-250.

Popular entry-level bolt-action rifles include the Ruger American and various packages by Savage. For ARs, it’s the Ruger AR-556 and the Smith & Wesson M&P15.

At the upper end of the AR sector, Daniel Defense is a strong seller. For bolt-action rifles, the emphasis is on lighter guns with heavy barrels from makers like Bergara and Christensen Arms.

Feature-Packed Optics

Increasingly, Gissendaner encounters customers who’ve come to appreciate the value of upper-end optics. Many are veteran hunters who’ve decided to upgrade scopes they purchased 10–15 years ago. Now, they’re looking for more features than what you find on less-expensive optics, with decisions often sparked by popular hunting shows.

“They know what ‘Predator Pursuit’ (on the Sportsman Channel) is using,” he said. “Because of what they see on TV, they want the ability to dial in the range.”

This puts customers more in the $700–$1,000 range for their optics. Most of the people considering spending that kind of money on an optic will have a pretty good idea of what they’re looking for before they even set foot in the store.

“The younger generations research everything. Our customers are well educated, particularly when they are looking at higher-end stuff,” Gissendaner asserted.

Black Hills Gold .22-250 (Hornady V-Max 50-gr.)

FOXPRO X-Wave

CCI VNT 22 WMR

Leupold VX 3i 4.5 14x50mm

Still, it doesn’t mean those shoppers don’t place value on advice from experts. This is where there can be a substantial benefit to having hunters on staff — to give customers access to people who actually use the products you’re trying to sell.

Choice of prey will also have a significant impact on the types of optics chosen, though both stores do strong business with offerings from Vortex and Leupold. Prairie dog hunters may be looking to do most of their shooting in the 12x–20x range.

“You could be shooting out to 300 or 400 yards,” suggested Bote in South Dakota.

But coyote hunters could easily find themselves needing to take a shot at less than 100 yards. “You want to be able to turn the power way down,” he added.

When “Interest” & “Profit” Intersect

When it comes to picking accessories for this hunting segment, you need to figure out what your customers will be interested in — and what you can make money on.

First Stop draws upon some local connections to do this. The store’s top-selling ammo brand, for example, is Black Hills Ammunition, also based in Rapid City.

“You can find something cheaper, but it won’t shoot as well. Black Hills shoots very well for the money,” Bote declared.

They’ve also turned to a pair of local brands — Dakota Yote and Tally Ho — for varmint/predator calls.

“We mainly sell mouth calls. I don’t think I have an electronic call at all,” Bote acknowledged, pointing out one of the keys to inventory management.

They don’t even try to compete against the various big-box stores when it comes to electronic calls: “You just have to find your niche and what you can make money on.”

“The younger generations research everything. Our customers are well educated, particularly when they are looking at higher-end stuff.”

Ron Gissendaner, Senior VP Sprague’s Sports, Yuma, Ariz.

It’s a different story in Arizona, where electronic calls are, by far, the most popular for customers, with FoxPro the top seller. They carry a small supply of hand calls, generally used as emergency backup options. The electronic versions offer a couple key advantages, including the ability — with the higher-end models — to be placed 40–50 yards from the hunter’s location. The hunter can also use the call without taking his hands off the rifle.

This is a drawback of the manual calls. When the predator hears the call, it’s going to be looking directly at the camouflaged hunter: “The minute you reach for your rifle, the coyote is on the run,” Gissendaner shared.

The shop also carries a range of camo clothing, from pants and jackets to full ghillie suits. They’ve also seen an increase in sales of top-quality cleaning gear. He believes this is a direct result of the rising popularity of long-range shooting and those television programs featuring shooting pros.

“They are looking more at the stuff used by competition shooters instead of someone who hunts once a year,” he said. “They’re protecting the investment they’ve made in their firearms.”

Based in Rapid City, S.D., First Stop is uniquely placed to draw upon local connections to secure business —
carrying products with a strong sell-through rate from Black Hills Ammunition, Dakota Yote and Tally Ho calls.
“You just have to find your niche and what you can make money on,” says Mike Bote, co-owner (left).

They’ve also seen strong interest in a couple different support options, including Magpul’s line of lightweight pods and the Bog DeathGrip Tripod (made in aluminum or carbon fiber).

“It gives you benchrest-type accuracy,” said Gissendaner, noting it carries the advantage of letting the hunter take his or her hands off the rifle to work game calls. “I’ve yet to find a rifle I can’t mount on it.”

Charging For In-Store Events

While the varmint/predator sector may not be the most lucrative of hunting segments, Sprague’s has made attempts to help it grow. In the pre-COVID days, they had the occasional seminar, drawing as many as 40 participants.

“It’s something we look at doing when there’s an opportunity to bring in a manufacturer’s field rep,” relayed Gissendaner, who sees it as an opportunity both to drive future sales and to educate the public.

They try to keep the costs low, often charging a nominal fee. More than anything, it’s designed to get people to commit to the class.

“We found when it’s free, a lot of people won’t show up, but if they pay something, they’re more likely to be there,” he concluded.

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