Well, one of the “perks” of the outdoor media business is the chance to ogle the new gear that will debut in the coming year.The Archery Trade Association and Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade shows run in back-to-back weeks. It’s basically 14 days of walking, talking and fighting your way through crowds. Yeah, it’s fun. Sort of.

There is no shortage of cool stuff I’ll have to find a way to get for next season. So while I dig through anything I can find to throw up on eBay to pay for the new stuff, you can take a few minutes to check out five of the coolest things I spotted at the ATA and SHOT shows.

1. Hoyt Carbon Matrix.

I am a Hoyt guy. Not because I am required to be but because I choose to be. There are a lot of very, very good bows on the market right now. But there aren’t any that look like the new Carbon Matrix — or claim to be able to do what this bow does.

The Carbon Matrix has been almost a decade in the making. It features a carbon tube riser that seems to be indestructible. I watched the Hoyt guys drive a truck over it, cut it with a bandsaw, dryfire it and then load up an arrow and hit 10 rings. It’s stupid quiet, light and very, very pretty. It’s also pricey: about $1,200.

2. Nikon Monarch

Yeah, I hear you. The Nikon Monarch is not new. Well, it is.

Yes, the Monarch line has been a staple for Nikon and one of the best selling binoculars ever. But it’s new for 2010. The new glasses have a dielectric coating on the prism, which means they are brighter than ever before. And they still cost about $250. The best value in optics you’ll find.

3. Thompson-Center Impact

Thompson-Center muzzleloaders are like the Cadillacs of blackpowder; cheap they are not. That’s kind of the deal — if you want a great gun, you have to pay a great price.

Well, not so much.

T-C has a new gun, the Impact, that should sell like sunscreen in Florida. It’s a great gun and it should retail for less than $250. It features a synthetic stock with a spacer, a great feature for smaller shooters. It has all the features you’d expect. It’s drilled and tapped for a scope, has a slick break-open hood design, fiber-optic sights and a T-C barrel.

4. Nikon Archer’s Choice Max Rangefinder

Yes, another Nikon product. Sorry, but they’re making great stuff and this rangefinder fixes many of the problems of the past.

For starters, I’ve had trouble reading the display in low light conditions. The MAX fixes that with a display that automatically brightens and changes to red in low light. It’s also easier to see what you’re ranging thanks to a larger ocular that lets in more light and also happens to fit my eye a whole lot better.

5. Hunter’s Specialties Squealing Hen Call

I’m going to try not to blush when describing this new product. I had a chance to have turkey hunting legend — and genuinely good dude — Eddie Salter show me the call and here’s how he described it:

“You know how sometimes you have an old girl that’s just really loud . . .”

You get the picture. This call is said to duplicate the sounds a hen makes while being bred by a gobbler. No, I’m not kidding.

The video evidence seemed pretty convincing. Gobblers indeed came running. Now, I may be a marketer’s dream but I have to have one of these in my vest when spring comes.