AR Bowhunter

I have been hunting whitetails for 30 years, bow huntingonly,for about 19 years. I havesaw a lotof new products come an go, only the good ones stay year after year.The evolution of the bow has came a long way since 1988.
[align=left][/align][align=left]I was loading my camperlastSeptember an was going through the equipment that I have bought over the past years. I found alot af stuff that I had bought anusedfor one season in hopes of improving my chances of harvesting the buck of a life time.I went through this season using the same basic stuff I have used for awhile now an had a good year once again.I think theterminal equipment has peaked out, deer calls, scents, deer feeds, rattling bags and etc. I feel like the clothing product lines has not peaked yet. I do not feel like the bows havepeaked yet I think they willmost likelygetfaster, less vibration with less noise only the major brands being the ones that have an will stand the test of time. [/align][align=left][/align][align=left]I just want to ask do you feel that new products that come outevery [/align][align=left]year have peaked an you just get aanother lookat the same product hanging on the shelf at the stores? I feel like the interest of trying the new product(s)consume more time than needed, time that should be spentconcentrating on the deer itself than the product(s) or do you have aanother view or opinion on this topic. This comes from observations of people at the camps I go around to each year an vist. The great think about deer hunting is you can buy all the stuff you want but when you are setting on the stand you can not buy a buck.[/align]

IL-Cornfed

I do feel that we are past "break throughs" with many products. Most of the products that many of us use every season are remaining pretty constant, we simply see slightly different versions to them every year but not much major change, from scents to calls to rangefinders. However, I like the slight refinements that we see every year and slowly but surely we seem to be working to bugs out of most products we all love. Regardless, I still look forward to getting my hands on the "latest and greatest" gear and gadjets every year but that seems to mainly be bow rigs and accessories. I'm still a sucker for new bow rig every year, I think it's a compulsive disorder!

I do believe that most of the products that I rely on seem to be remaining pretty constant. I have worked the most dependable equipment into my full time gear and most of these tried and trued items remain in my pack and duffel. From my favorite flashlight, call, rangefinder, and other assorted nick nacks I seem to have my favs that have been proven and don't waste much time in that regard playing with other stuff.

Javabird17

**This is from my ol' man..

"It's all experience and practice . Having the opportunity to enjoy new products is great but they are worthless unless you can do everything that gets the animal near you or you near the animal."

GMMAT

I don't think you can buy a buck, either. And....I think "experience" only gets you so far. For instance.....there's a guy at our archery club that kills deer......and wins MOST of our 3D shoots.....and he's been shooting a bow for 2 seasons. The guys he's competing against (in 3D) are all using the same era equipment.......so you'd HAVE to give some credence to "skill".

Nope. You can't buy a buck. You also can't deny that even though this guy's been at it a relatively short time......he's done the things it takes to make himself successful.

Do "I" think it's easier to be successful than it was several years ago (due to enhancements in equipment and technique)?

Yes.

HuntingEd

I think the tools help us become much more consistent and allow us to overcome our "lack of natural ability" But like GMMAT said, it only makes the ones w/ that natural skill better, so its just increasing the scores but we all stay the same relative to each other.

I plan on getting a stickbow this spring to start hunting w/... I just feel its time for change.

Davoh

All predators have certain attributes that make them adept at taking their respective quaries...

Cheetah's have speed, wolves hunt in packs. These predators hunt for survival.

We as predators have neither speed, exceptional vision(when compared to say pronghorn that can pick you out of the brush at hundreds of yards...) The one thing that sets us apart from all animals, is our intellegence. It is our ability to concieve ways of making up for our biological shortcomings, and overcoming the physiological edge our prey has. In a way, our ability to create tools to perform a task is our God-given ability. Equal to a cheetah's speed, and the lions stealth. It is our intellegence in these things that separates us from the animals, not the opposable thumb(although that helps, imagine a chimp trying to turn the safety off on a rifle).

I agree with both sides of the coin. Yes, the commercial products are dulling the edge that our prey has on us physiologically. Just because it's easier, doesnt mean it's entirely easy.

However, like I said above, that intellegence to create those tools is what makes us the ultimate predator in our environment.

Paul L Mohr

I can't think of too many things I have purchased that have actually helped me kill more deer, or kill them easier. Most of the things I have purchased merely make it easier on ME while I am hunting or after. Very few things have actually garuanteed filling a tag.

I could have the same success without most of them, it just wouldn't be as fun or more more accurately it would be more of a pain in the butt.

Paul

atlasman

I would have to say thata lot of stuff you can buy today does this. My dad had one of the first compounds made and that thing waslike torture to shoot......compared tothe bows now. He also has a friend with a VERY old treestand that I wouldn't climb with on a bet........releases and rangefinders alsotake a lot of humanerror awayas well.

I don't think I could honestly say I believe it isn't easier to take a deer with a bow then in the past.