Rogue

I am not trying to start a fight here I am very curious at what everyone here thinks.

How much technology do archery hunters allow into the sport before we have an unfair advantage on the game we seek?

With bow manufactures producing faster and more accurate bows the effective range of some bowhunters has greatly increased. Is this a good thing or do we lack the skills of getting closer to the animals we now hunt?

Quads are a very touchy subject, but they have opened areas to hunters that at one point had no desire to trek miles from their vehicles. Is this a good or bad thing?

GPS units are a fantastic tool but i ran into an out of state hunter in the wilderness area here last year that had no idea where he was at or going but trusted his gps to get him out. Have gps units created people without woods skills that are willing to trek to parts unknown without first scouting an area?

Scent eliminating clothing is another great example. As hunters should we truly forget the wind and just hunt? Or is the wind just another part of the hunting experience that should always be taken into account?

Game cameras, Do they take away from the time afield where scouting was a necessity and now make that an option?

There are string trackers, heat sensors, spray to illuminate blood and a host of other products that allow us to recover game. do these products elliminate the need for tracking skills after the shot?

Again I am not trying to start a fight i am looking for your opinion.

Do we at some point gain an unfair advantage over the game? And do we as hunters police our selves or let someone do it for us?

Ranger690

Answers.

1. As much as we can afford.
2. Good thing
3. Good thing
4. yes
5. no
6. yes
7. maybe
8. no
9. no
10. my wife (wallet) will police me

Dayton

DaveH

Even with all this new " stuff," there' s plenty of hunters who eat tag soup each year. Other than buying a new bow this past year, I don' t use any of the examples you cite in this thread, yet I have been quite successful for the past 20 years. What you list certainly makes things easier, but doesn' t guarantee anything.

c903

There is no such thing as a bowhunter having an unfair advantage on any large game animal, especially deer, elk, bear, etc. Any bowhunter that believes that all the techno gear hides the shooter from the world and puts the shot on autopilot is in for a rude awakening.

In fact; due to much of today' s rad gear that is ultra sensitive, too much for some shooters to handle, too complex, and overly prone to malfunction, the odds that have always been in the animal' s favor is once again on the rise.....in the animal' s favor.

I tend to believe that when lower numbers of deer kills to licenses sold are reported, it is not always because of a lower deer population. In the last several years, there seems to be a " fad" on " Gucci" bow gear rather than bowhunting skills. There is no doubt in my mind that some people buy all the " zoomy" gear they can, just to play " Rambo," and they know little or none about what they should know about bowhunting.

JeramyK

I don' t think we' ll ever see technology change bowhunting enough for an unfair advantage in our lifetime.

Even with todays bows most hunters still want a close ethical shot. We spend big money on camo, tree stands, scents, etc. for that 25 yard or less shot.

Back in the day they used horses. Today they use horsepower in another form.

I don' t think so. If the batteries go dead then what? The outdoors isn' t for everyone.

There is no such thing as scent eliminating clothing per say. Even when using the clothing ... wind and personal hygene are still the biggest factors.

Tracking skills are still needed. There is no fool-proof gizmo that makes it easy.

Maybe someday in the future there will be some sort of unfair advantage. Honestly though the technology may change but the state laws and regulations may not. I think that is what will police technology.