atlasman

Just noticed that there seems like A LOT more game cameras are out there this season and they seem to have changed the area of scouting for good............or bad??


I just started wondering how much is enough and when will technology eliminate the challenges of deer hunting all together?

It seems like today you can buy all the stuff that you had to work hard for years ago...........not sure if that is good or bad.........it just is.

We have bows shooting 300+fps carbon arrows tipped with razors that are tough enough to blast through a wall. We have tree stands that can climb any tree in the woods and are so comfy you can sit all day and maybe even catch a nap. Our clothing keeps us warm and dry and hidden from sight.........even keeps bugs out and scent in (supposedly ) We have cameras that we can put out on any tree we want and let them scout for us while we are at home or at work..........showing us deer we may never had the time to find otherwise. We have rangefinders to tell us EXACTLY how far that animal is from our stand........and 20 different calls and attractants to bring him even closer. They have game finder flashlights, gametracker strings, and sprays to help see blood at night for after a shot...........and if that fails there is always the deer search dogs.

Where does it end??


If you could invent a product that could somehow track a deer so you knew where it was at any given moment you wouldn't be able to make them fast enough.


That is just bowhunting too...........after that the deer can look forward to being picked off at ranges up to 400 yards during gun season []


Does a line exist where it would/should be considered enough??..........when does fair chase become unfair??

Is that line approaching??.............or have we already crossed it?

daystalker

i think the line is approaching pretty rapidly.. but alot of the products you mentioned actually help people with disabilitys. i mean teh sport SHOULD be for everyone. now im not saying that they should make anything that tracks the dear everywhere it goes... thats just WAY too EASY! but i agree we are making it MUCH easier than we had it say 5 years ago, or even 10 years ago. but i think it will be the right wing people that start making it illegal to use stuff.. i mean its not like we have enough laws already.[] good question.. i am interested in seeing what everyone else thinks.

H80Hunter

Well, I think it depends on the person...

I drive 3 hours after school/work on fridays to go hunt, so to capitalize on that time, I like to give myself as many advantages as i can...

It really depends on the hunter, I would never tell someone that there tactics are unfair (within reason)

I have hunted over a corn pile, and it doesnt guarantee anything, where I hunt there is so much food, that all it does is SOMETIMES, lure a deer who would otherwise skirt past you, to the corn....

Rack-attack

The only thing IMO that has made bowhunting easier in 15 yrs is center shot risers, mechanical releases, and good climbers.

All the other "stuff" doesn't add up to a hill of beans IMO - game cameras hurt more than they help IMO.

With the decrease in hunting land and increase in hunters it has not gotten easier.

There are still no shortcuts - hunt hard and drag long

livbucks

I got a camera this year. I don't think it is doing my legwork for me because I already know about a couple bigguns there. I just think if I see one of 'em on film it will send me thru the roof. I'll have that extra motivation and be gung ho when season arrives. With all the eyes in the trees , so to speak, I just wonder if we'll get a photo of one of those supposed mountain lions any time soon.

T_in_PA2

I have run cameras for going on 5 years now and all they have done for me it show me the bucks that I never see during the season. Since running the cameras I have yet to shoot a big buck that I have a picture of. I actually don't like running them in my prime areas because I am afraid of spooking them too much or if I do run them it is daylight only with no flash.

HAZCON7

The public land I hunt has a decent sized herd on <800acres in central Illinois and is open to bowhunting only. The average for the last 5 years on this land is only 7 deer checked in per year. I'd say the deer still have the odds in their favor.

As long as we aren't hunting at night with bright lights and crossbows - I think we're a good bit away from that 'line'.

atlasman

In the hands of a disabled hunter the products would help level the playing field due to the limitations of the hunter by his/her disabilty level.

These are all things being used by able bodied hunters every season though.


Do you agree that if you could make a tracking device/locator it would sell like hotcakes?

Dave Solgat

As far as cameras go I agree that they show you deer you just normally wouldn't see, maybe only night travelers.
All the scents on the market today aren't worth the water used to make them when not used properly and most are not.
When it comes down to the equipment on the bow it is still up to the hunter to do his part and more gadgets means more stuff to fowl up a perfectly good hunt.
I am guilty of using a release, peep sight, fiber optic pin, and mech heads at times, but none of it ever made me a better hunter, only a better archer.
In case you cant tell my opinion on the topic of the post, that's because I'm not realy sure myself

atlasman

I agree that nothing is a guarentee.............but there sure are a lot of things out there to help tip the scales in our favor


If there was such a thing as a guarentee you can bet the shelves would be empty!! After all..........most products market themselves as "Take us in the woods with you and watch the deer roll in" LOL