# ATV exhaust silencer



## buddylee (Sep 13, 2007)

Any one use one of these ?


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## NotaVegetarian (Sep 14, 2007)

They work but dont waste your money.


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## Eddy M. (Sep 14, 2007)

I have one and it really makes a difference in exhaust noise------- well worth what I spent IMO


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## bull0ne (Sep 24, 2007)

A search om this site and others will reveal they cause the engine to run too rich and foul the spark plugs..................never a good idea to restrict exhaust flow.


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## Ozzie (Sep 30, 2007)

I've had a Benz for 2 years now and you will be fine if you only run it during hunting season and take your silencer off after the season is over.  I really like mine and I am pretty sure it played a major role in my taking a very nice buck last season that was bedded down close to my stand.  They make your ATV virtually silent from the front as you approach your hunting area, and from the rear they give the illusion that the ATV is a 1/4 mile away.  I would not hunt without one.


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## Eddy M. (Sep 30, 2007)

Ozzie said:


> I've had a Benz for 2 years now and you will be fine if you only run it during hunting season and take your silencer off after the season is over.  I really like mine and I am pretty sure it played a major role in my taking a very nice buck last season that was bedded down close to my stand.  They make your ATV virtually silent from the front as you approach your hunting area, and from the rear they give the illusion that the ATV is a 1/4 mile away.  I would not hunt without one.


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## urbaneruralite (Oct 1, 2007)

You've already got two of 'em on the ends of your legs. They're free!


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## Stalker (Oct 3, 2007)

My brother put one on a 700 Polaris and it worked great. Didn't lose any power,but made a big diffrence in sound. 

Mike


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## Scout-N-Hunt (Oct 4, 2007)

They are required on one of the leases I hunt and they do work. But we don't run 4 wheelers on the property at all after the season starts unless it is to fill a feeder or bring out downed game.


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## polaris30144 (Oct 5, 2007)

you can't sneak up on a deer just because you have a silencer on your exhaust.....deer can hear the sound of the parts going up and down in the engine..best money ever spent?....bet you think a ronco pocket fisherman is a great setup too....lol  In all seriousness the silencer on exhaust is for people, not deer. Deer don't give a hoot about motor noise. It is when the motor stops that they get gone.


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## Eddy M. (Oct 5, 2007)

mine made the exhaust quite as all get-out so quiet the normal valve train noise was very noticable


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## Ozzie (Oct 7, 2007)

polaris30144 said:


> you can't sneak up on a deer just because you have a silencer on your exhaust.....deer can hear the sound of the parts going up and down in the engine..best money ever spent?....bet you think a ronco pocket fisherman is a great setup too....lol  In all seriousness the silencer on exhaust is for people, not deer. Deer don't give a hoot about motor noise. It is when the motor stops that they get gone.



Well everybody is entitled to their own opinion. Have you had any personal experience with one before you go comparing people who have them with Ronco Pocket Fisherman owners?   All I know is mine really works.  Just yesterday, I had a buddy borrow my ATV and come riding towards me, and I did not hear him until after I saw him at about 25 yards.  You can call it whatever you like, but I know what I saw and heard.  They flat out do work.  I own one and I know.

Your other assertion that deer don't give a hoot about motor noise is questionable.  I can't tell you how many times I have observed deer feeding in food plots run off at the sound of an approaching ATV...and you can bet ol' Mossy Horns isn't going to stick around too long when he hears one close by.


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## LureheadEd (Oct 10, 2007)

*Benz is great...*

We've been using them for over 2 years now, never had a problem with my Honda 450 es losing power or fouling plugs. I use it almost every weekend, and I pull a King Kutter disk around alot . 
 Two weekends ago , my buddy called me from his 4 wheeler at one of his stands he was checking on to tell me he was watching a doe and 2 fawns feed about 25 yds. away . Saw them as he came around a corner, slowed to a stop...We talked for a good while as he sat there watching them .
 Last year I rode to within 30 yds. of a gobbler that was walking down the road away from me before he ever noticed me.
 And the neighbors don't complain about the nightriding anymore....
 On the negative side, I can't hear my son's Lakota 350 when he's off by himself, I won't hear him coming till he's almost in camp..
 Most of our members have 'em now, it'll probably be voted in as a new club rule that all bikes have to have 'em...


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## polaris30144 (Oct 11, 2007)

Like I said, they are  for people. If deer bolt at the sound of a motor, why do so many get hit by MOTOR VEHICLES? 
 No I would not use one unless it was to minimize the noise around people. 
 My son is a forester, has been in the woods probably as much as anyone on this forum. The sound of log skidders, chainsaws  and four wheelers don't spook deer unless they have been shot at or harassed by them. Actually, the sounds of motors usually invoke curiosity from deer, ask anyone that actually works in the woods. A few isolated observations where people saw a deer run away one time or a turkey in the road would not be considered a scientific study.   All the opinions stated are based on what people hear. I have never seen a study by a biologist as to motor noise spooking deer out of an area.  If motor noise was that effective, a deer would never go near a highway.  A deer can hear the mechanical parts of your ATV if it is running even if you can't. Deer will spook from movement that startles them quicker than hearing a motor. From what I understand their eye sight is quite good for movement. Would it be possible that all things considered, a person flying down a trail on a "quiet" ATV might spook deer unseen as often or more as a noisy ATV?
 If someone is talking on the phone or radio while watching deer that are real close, the deer already know you are there.
 Companies make money by designing new "gimmicks" and marketing them to people as the best thing since sliced bread. How did anyone ever kill a deer before these products came to be? In the grand scheme of things have they made an impact on the number of deer harvested? 
 IMO people get caught up in the buying of new gimmicks for hunting and fishing on how it appeals to them, not on true effectiveness. If you think it helps you, then by all means use it. 
 If someone else says show me the evidence, then they may not be caught up in all the hype by the advertisers.  I personally don't think buying an ATV silencer will change how many deer you see or keep them in a heavily hunted area. The deer will know you are there either way.


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## Davexx1 (Oct 11, 2007)

I have, use, and ride a 4 wheeler.  The 4 wheeler is good transportation in the woods, is a great help, and is very useful.  It does have exhaust noise though and I would like to silence it as best I can for my own peace of mind and that of game and my hunt camp neighbors.  I wish they would do the same.

The noise level has a lot to do with the manner in which the operator rides.  If you just putt around at slow steady speeds, slow acceleration, etc. the noise is not bad at all.  The younger generation seem to think faster is better and many have one speed everywhere they go.  This creates an issue and irritating conflict with older folks or anyone who prefers a peaceful, serene, and quiet experience around the hunt camp or in the woods.

I think a super quiet muffler requirement and a very slow speed limit would be good for any hunt club that allows 4 wheelers.

Just my opinion though.

Dave


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## Vernon Holt (Oct 11, 2007)

*ATV Silencer*



polaris30144 said:


> Like I said, they are for people. If deer bolt at the sound of a motor, why do so many get hit by MOTOR VEHICLES?
> No I would not use one unless it was to minimize the noise around people.
> My son is a forester, has been in the woods probably as much as anyone on this forum. The sound of log skidders, chainsaws and four wheelers don't spook deer unless they have been shot at or harassed by them. Actually, the sounds of motors usually invoke curiosity from deer, ask anyone that actually works in the woods. A few isolated observations where people saw a deer run away one time or a turkey in the road would not be considered a scientific study. All the opinions stated are based on what people hear. I have never seen a study by a biologist as to motor noise spooking deer out of an area. If motor noise was that effective, a deer would never go near a highway. A deer can hear the mechanical parts of your ATV if it is running even if you can't. Deer will spook from movement that startles them quicker than hearing a motor. From what I understand their eye sight is quite good for movement. Would it be possible that all things considered, a person flying down a trail on a "quiet" ATV might spook deer unseen as often or more as a noisy ATV?
> If someone is talking on the phone or radio while watching deer that are real close, the deer already know you are there.
> ...


 
Polaris: Your comparison between highways that buz constantly with traffic noise to an isolated forested condition is not valid.

Deer become acclimated to conditions that prevail in their home range. Any change or disruption in these conditions will trigger alarm on their part.

When deer attempt to cross a highway, they expect noise. When an ATV comes roaring into their normally quiet habitat, they react with caution and perhaps even alarm in some instances.

It is true that deer are not unduly alarmed by logging operations. This is true because deer quickly adapt to hearing the sounds of such an operation.

Most hunters, of which I am one, would much rather hunt in an area that does not have the peace and quiet disrupted by any sound other than natural ones.  I had just as soon deer not know that I am coming.

To each his own. I like quiet. My hunting wheels are total electric.

It is a mystery to me as to why ATV manufacturers have not concentrated more on silencing their engines. It would be a big hit with most hunters. Any of you ever heard an Onan engine mounted on a generator run?? They are amazingly quiet. They prove that it can be done without excessive back pressure on the valves.


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## THREEJAYS (Oct 11, 2007)

Glad for the input I've been wondering about them myself.


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## polaris30144 (Oct 11, 2007)

Mr. Holt, I agree with you about nothing but nature sounds where I hunt. Maybe they are acclimated to noise by the highway, but why would ATV's be harder for them to acclimate to in the woods if they hear them frequently?
 I don't think deer have the capacity to expect or reason anything. I believe they are creatures of habit, instinct, a genetically programed brain. If deer experience something good, instinctively they will return. On the flip side if something bad happens, they will react in a basic fight or flight instinct.
 I believe the makers of ATV silencers designed them with lessening the impact on peoples senses in mind and found a new market of hunters believing they would benefit by being able to sneak up on deer. 
 I see no reason unless your handicapped to be using an ATV to hunt from in the first place. I use mine only to retrieve deer after they are down. If I can't walk to my stand, then I should consider some other sport. Like watching the grass grow(Golf). It amazes me how deer were almost hunted to extinction without all these gadgets. Now with every year, new and better gadgets come on the market and the deer herd is either growing or stable, depends on who you talk to. If you think they help, then by all means use them. Having confidence in your equipment is half the battle in being a good hunter. I just don't believe they make a bit of difference to the deer.


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## polaris30144 (Oct 12, 2007)

*


Ozzie said:



			Well everybody is entitled to their own opinion. Have you had any personal experience with one before you go comparing people who have them with Ronco Pocket Fisherman owners?   All I know is mine really works.  Just yesterday, I had a buddy borrow my ATV and come riding towards me, and I did not hear him until after I saw him at about 25 yards.  You can call it whatever you like, but I know what I saw and heard.  They flat out do work.  I own one and I know.
		
Click to expand...

*


Ozzie said:


> It worked so you couldn't hear it. I never said it doesn't quiet the noise.
> 
> Your other assertion that deer don't give a hoot about motor noise is questionable.  I can't tell you how many times I have observed deer feeding in food plots run off at the sound of an approaching ATV...and you can bet ol' Mossy Horns isn't going to stick around too long when he hears one close by.



You actually confirm what I said.  I never said they don't quiet the sound, I just stated they don't improve your chances of seeing deer. If you go to an area where motors= getting shot at, then yes the deer will bolt.  
  If  a deer hears a noise and gets shot at, he will bolt from instinct every time he hears that noise, whether it be a truck, tractor, someone coughing or an ATV . The noise of a motor itself does not spook deer. I have hunted for over forty years so my observations are not limited to a couple of times. The deer will still know your are there long before you see them. Their hearing is good enough to hear the mechanical parts moving and noise made by the tires. Can't get much quieter than on foot and it is pretty hard to sneak up on a deer, if it was easy  everyone would be stalking deer instead of sitting in a stand. 
  Have you ever seen a deer all of a sudden look in a direction and you wait to see if anything came out? Did you hear what they heard? Probably not unless whatever got their attention was walking on dry leaves. Here is an easy experiment, someday when you see deer in a food plot call one of your buddies to sneak up on a super silenced ATV. Watch the deer to see if they react by looking before you hear anything. I would be willing to bet they look in the direction of the ATV before you can hear it. They may or may not bolt, depending on whether or not they perceive it as a threat.


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## Ozzie (Oct 12, 2007)

I don't think anyone (myself included) is foolish enough to think you can sneak up on any deer while on an ATV, silenced or not.  What a silenced ATV allows you to do is to get closer before dismounting.  Instead of dismounting 200 yards from your stand, you can get to maybe 50 yards with the same noise level.  In a club situation, it also allows you to manuever around other guys hunting positions without distrubing them or messing up their hunts.  A silenced ATV also fools the deer into thinkng you are farther away then you really are.  

As far as using an ATV for hunting in the first place, I prefer to be not all hot and sweaty when I get to my stand.  Walking generates body heat, body heat generates odor and human scent.  I think it's better to risk a little noise for a few minutes so I can remain as scent free as I can in my stand.  This is especially true during bow season when you can't walk 25 yards without breaking out in a sweat with all the high humidity. What good is it to walk silently a half mile to your stand if you are going to smell like a goat when you get there?


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## BIGGUS (Oct 12, 2007)

I've shot deer while sitting on my Grizzly, while it was running. I also ordered one of the Benz Silent-Riders for it on Ebay yesterday too. Go figure.


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## Vernon Holt (Oct 12, 2007)

*ATV Exhaust Silencer*



polaris30144 said:


> "Mr. Holt, I agree with you about nothing but nature sounds where I hunt. Maybe they are acclimated to noise by the highway, *but why would ATV's be harder for them to acclimate to in the woods if they hear them frequently*"?
> 
> Deer obviously would adapt to ATV's if they were a common occurrance as are vehicles traveling public roads.  On your club they (ATV's) may very well be that common.  On areas where I have hunted, ATV's are rarely encountered, except of course when hunting starts.  Even then it is mostly on weekends.
> 
> ...


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## Eddy M. (Oct 12, 2007)

to quote an above response(I see no reason unless your handicapped to be using an ATV to hunt from in the first place. I use mine only to retrieve deer after they are down. If I can't walk to my stand, then I should consider some other sport. Like watching the grass grow(Golf). )
 I guess we older folks do not deserve to deer hunt unless we can walk a mile in and out of the woods like the younger guys


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## polaris30144 (Oct 13, 2007)

Eddy M. said:


> to quote an above response(I see no reason unless your handicapped to be using an ATV to hunt from in the first place. I use mine only to retrieve deer after they are down. If I can't walk to my stand, then I should consider some other sport. Like watching the grass grow(Golf). )
> I guess we older folks do not deserve to deer hunt unless we can walk a mile in and out of the woods like the younger guys




I am the same age as you. I also have the health limitations of middle age. I have changed my hunting tactics over the years to allow for these limitations, not hunting ridge tops miles from a road, etc. If you "need" to use an ATV for access, by all means use it.


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## jimbo4116 (Oct 13, 2007)

Let me throw this in on the noise and deer.  I hunt less than 800 yards from an OSB plant, all the equipment noise plus bells, whisltes and PA system.  When the mill shuts down for maintanence and the noise quits, we don't see any deer.  Go Figure. Deer are adaptable to their surroundings, any change will disrupt their habits.

If the silencer makes you feel better what else matters.
I don't think the deer care either way.


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## Allen Waters (Oct 25, 2007)

polaris30144 said:


> Mr. Holt, I agree with you about nothing but nature sounds where I hunt. Maybe they are acclimated to noise by the highway, but why would ATV's be harder for them to acclimate to in the woods if they hear them frequently?
> I don't think deer have the capacity to expect or reason anything. I believe they are creatures of habit, instinct, a genetically programed brain. If deer experience something good, instinctively they will return. On the flip side if something bad happens, they will react in a basic fight or flight instinct.
> I believe the makers of ATV silencers designed them with lessening the impact on peoples senses in mind and found a new market of hunters believing they would benefit by being able to sneak up on deer.
> I see no reason unless your handicapped to be using an ATV to hunt from in the first place. I use mine only to retrieve deer after they are down. If I can't walk to my stand, then I should consider some other sport. Like watching the grass grow(Golf). It amazes me how deer were almost hunted to extinction without all these gadgets. Now with every year, new and better gadgets come on the market and the deer herd is either growing or stable, depends on who you talk to. If you think they help, then by all means use them. Having confidence in your equipment is half the battle in being a good hunter. I just don't believe they make a bit of difference to the deer.



ok, are you saying we should ride our atv's regularly through our hunting properties to acclimate the deer to their precense.   . i have an area that i hunt that is only accessable by atv or about a mile walk, i perferr the atv ride to a mile walk because i don't feel like pouring with sweat from walking a mile carrying a stand and pack in for a day hunt then stinking the rest of the day. there is no doubt that deer react to atv noise on a area that normally has none. and the less impact you put on deer knowing your in the area the better, wether its from concealing scent by not sweating your, you know what off going into the stand or by silencing your atv.  i agree there are places where atv's are not needed, but there are places where atv's are needed and a silencer would benifit the hunter. do you walk quietly to your stand or just not worry about the noise. i know that is a whole other debate. but aren't the deer use to things walking in the woods?


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## Davexx1 (Oct 25, 2007)

I don't know anyone that actually expects to sneak up a deer with his ATV and none of the hunters I know that use them for transportation actually ride them near their stand.  I and they park far away and walk the last 1/4 mile or so to the stand.

I frequently see deer on the side of the roads or right at the woodline beside the roads there in my hunt lease and they let me ride on by without any sign of fear or panic.

My hunt lease is 12,000 acres and much of it cannot be accessed by regular truck.  An ATV comes in very handy there as general transportation.  I do agree that exhaust noise should be reduced as much as is possible and operation should be restricted to slow speeds. 

I don't think the distant sound of an ATV easing along a woods road causes any alarm in the deer.

Dave


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## polaris30144 (Oct 27, 2007)

AWBOWHUNTER said:


> ok, are you saying we should ride our atv's regularly through our hunting properties to acclimate the deer to their precense.   . i have an area that i hunt that is only accessable by atv or about a mile walk, i perferr the atv ride to a mile walk because i don't feel like pouring with sweat from walking a mile carrying a stand and pack in for a day hunt then stinking the rest of the day. there is no doubt that deer react to atv noise on a area that normally has none. and the less impact you put on deer knowing your in the area the better, wether its from concealing scent by not sweating your, you know what off going into the stand or by silencing your atv.  i agree there are places where atv's are not needed, but there are places where atv's are needed and a silencer would benifit the hunter. do you walk quietly to your stand or just not worry about the noise. i know that is a whole other debate. but aren't the deer use to things walking in the woods?



You already do ride your ATV's through your property since you said there are areas that you "NEED" an ATV to get there..!  Do you think the deer haven't already heard you? I have said if you think it helps you, buy them. It is my opinion they were and are developed to reduce the noise for humans.


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## dawglover73 (Oct 31, 2007)

The fine folks of this board could argue over the shape of a BB.  Don't get me wrong, I include myself in that at times.  

My preference is this:  the quieter I can be in any regard, the better.


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## LureheadEd (Nov 1, 2007)

*pocket fisherman...*

The silencer is just another tool that modern science has provided us with. If you have an aversion to it, don't use it, but if you are considering one, I'd get the Benz...And the Popeil's Pocket Fisherman also has it's place for those inclined to use 'em... My son and I have caught trout, bass, bream, and catfish on ours from here around town to carp in Vegas on the strip....It's a blast !!! No, it's not one of my regular outfits, just another handy tool when needed....


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## 7Mag Hunter (Nov 2, 2007)

Virtually all the guys in my last club (Jones County) had them
and they really made a difference...Lots of times we would be 
sitting in camp, and someone would ride around the corner and
surprise us as being so close before we saw them...There was
2 other members who we could hear them coming 1/4 mile or
more away....
I don't have one on my Kodiak now, but will have one on it by the
time I am able to hunt and get into another club....


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## Allen Waters (Nov 2, 2007)

polaris30144 said:


> You already do ride your ATV's through your property since you said there are areas that you "NEED" an ATV to get there..!  Do you think the deer haven't already heard you? I have said if you think it helps you, buy them. It is my opinion they were and are developed to reduce the noise for humans.



they also shorten the distance at which a deer can here them too. agree?


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## miles58 (Jan 17, 2008)

The deer up here where I hunt will let you ride to within 50 yards of them on an ATV as long as you keep moving steadily.  My son and I are planning to make a cardboard cutout and using it with a recording of the engine noise to walk up on a couple to eliminate the stupid ones from the gene pool.  Might be worth video taping.


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## thunker (Jan 19, 2008)

which one do you guys have???


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## saltysenior (Jan 19, 2008)

no  body mentioned exhaust fumes...


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## Eddy M. (Jan 19, 2008)

dawglover73 said:


> The fine folks of this board could argue over the shape of a BB.  Don't get me wrong, I include myself in that at times.
> 
> My preference is this:  the quieter I can be in any regard, the better.



couldn't have said it better I try to be as quiet as possible--- my 4-wheeler is usually in my truck bed until I need it to retrieve a kill----- but even then I want it to be as quite as possible for other hunters in the area


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## LureheadEd (Jan 19, 2008)

Thunker, get a Benz...Made to fit your bike, not all those extra "trial and error" parts with some of the others...If you order direct, you'll deal with some wonderful people...


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## Eddy M. (Jan 19, 2008)

LureheadEd said:


> Thunker, get a Benz...Made to fit your bike, not all those extra "trial and error" parts with some of the others...If you order direct, you'll deal with some wonderful people...



the factory one I got at the Atl. Buckarama ( years ago) didn't fit because of a dealer installed rear rack I sent photos of the ATV with a tape measure in the photos  to show detail measurements -- they made a custom one to fit my ATV from the photos --- no extra charge-- it fit perfectly----they  had my son's photos with the finished  / mounted product in their showroom / web page for a while----great folks to deal with-- down to earth hunting guys--- no bull ################from them


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