Arrow Tracking Made Easy: The Bluetooth Nock
Bowhunting is a complicated endeavor. There are a ton of variables stacked against you from the start. It can be tough to get a shot on deer and other game animals, and when you do, a lot has to go right. There are wind conditions, tough shooting angles, and tight shooting windows, to name a few. Additionally, there are countless different varieties of equipment, like releases, sites, broadheads, arrows, and quivers.
When it’s game time, it can be difficult for everything to work in concert with one another. Unfortunately, missed shots are part of the deal. We’ve all experienced wayward arrows finding tall grass and brush. This can happen with hits and misses alike. Arrows are expensive and often require the same tracking job as the animals pursued. Luckily, Breadcrumb Technology has created two innovative products to help avoid these common issues in the field: the Bluetooth Nock and Location Marker. Both represent the first of their kind and provide unprecedented utility in the bowhunting woods.
Breadcrumb Technology
Losing arrows is disastrous for most bowhunters’ budgets. With the Trackable Bluetooth Nock, you’ll avoid painful hours trudging through heavy cover in hopes of recovering an arrow.
The Bluetooth Nock will communicate with your smartphone at a distance out to 100-yards. Breadcrumb Technology marries this feature with quality nocks featuring both a brilliant light and sound. Not only is it waterproof, but each replaceable battery provides 35 hours of operation. In most cases, this will accommodate several hunting seasons. A tiny PCB processor effectively makes it operate, controlling the light, sound, and tracking functionality.
To arm the nock, you simply press the on/off button until the nock flashes one time. There are no switches to set or ends to pull out. The nock will remain armed for 6 hours. If the arrow isn’t fired within that time, it will automatically disarm itself and turn off.
Upon firing an armed arrow, the nock will detect the rapid acceleration and will immediately activate a static LED light to provide a bright chaser light just like other lighted nock brands. However, after 30 seconds, the nock will begin to flash send out a Bluetooth signal to assist you in recovery. The signal and flashing light will remain active until an arrow is retrieved. As the search persists, the Breadcrumb Nock will extend intervals between flashes to conserve battery life.
Location Marker
Losing hunting equipment is common in the outdoors. Everything from trail cameras to the very stands from which we hunt can disappear without a trace. Breadcrumb’s new Trackable Location Markers bring this frustrating occurrence to an end.
Both small and sturdy, the molded case is easy to attach to most equipment. It sports a formidable internal microprocessor that allows you to track locations through a mobile app on your smartphone. This app system gives you the option to activate both light and sound beacons when you simply cannot visually locate your equipment. The Bluetooth technology is designed to track locations out to 150 yards.
Two AAA batteries power the ultra-durable location markers.
Key Features: Breadcrumb Trackable Nock
- LIGHT COLOR: Bright Blue
- DIMENSIONS: 2.94” L x 0.313” W
- WEIGHT: 41 Grains
- TRACKABLE RANGE: 50+ Yards
- BATTERY: 3V Lithium
- AVAILABLE SIZES: H = .233” S/GT = .244”-.246”
- MSRP: $119.99
Based in Texas, Jerald Kopp is President of 1st Light Hunting Journal. His articles cover a variety of topics about hunting and the outdoor lifestyle. Jerald is an avid outdoorsman with deer hunting and whitetails being by far his greatest passion. He was introduced to hunting and fishing at an early age and has been enjoying it for 40+ years. In 2005, he established the Empowerment Outfitter Network (EON) – a faith-based non-profit organization that provides hunting opportunities for disabled and terminally-ill children and youth. When not hunting, he spends his time traveling and enjoying life with Amy, his wife of over 30 years. Jerald and Amy have two adult daughters and a son-in-law.