Where do you draw the line?

[creepingdeth]

Being at this game for a couple of years now, where do you draw the line when it comes to hunting/gaining intel? It seems that things are always popping up to help us gain "the" advantage. A good ex. is phone apps. The list is ever growing. I find myself screwing around with something extra that can possibly help, but how many have you looked up after messing w/your phone to see a deer standing nearby? The guys I really listen to seem to be more old school....map, compass, gps, etc...carry in only what you need.
What do you think?

[Boogieman1]

I draw the line when u remove the human element out of it. As far as cell cams, drones, night vision, feeders and such its a tricky situation. U got some guys who use cell cams in a research way to better understand our prey, while others take advantage slap one on every tree in the woods and take the hunt out of hunting.

Equipment is hard to draw a line, if it's legal a hunter following the law is doing nothing wrong. But one can't argue the push is for a easier way. I personally don't think we need an easier way. Our target is a grazing animal who survives off instincts not thought process. Yet we try to remove the element of having to move and draw, determine yardage and make a clean release. For myself it's all those things coming together that gives me the feeling I accomplished something.

Long answer short if your killing a deer took a thought process and skill that leaves u feeling u accomplished something and feel good about yourself. Then that my friend is my opinion of hunting. If u don't have that feeling of satisfaction and matching skills with your prey you are more than likely just shooting.

[tgreeno]

I personally could care less what other do! I focus on myself & my hunting!

Phone always goes in the pocket while hunting. I like using a watch for time, because less movement. I got a GPS after the season, so I never really used one for navigating. My woodsmanship & a compass has worked for me. I use a couple cheap trail cameras to try to gain intel. I've never really had much success with those.

I use a computer for cyber scouting & marking stand locations. This was the first year of marking locations. My memory isn't what it used to be

[mainebowhunter]

Being at this game for a couple of years now, where do you draw the line when it comes to hunting/gaining intel? It seems that things are always popping up to help us gain "the" advantage. A good ex. is phone apps. The list is ever growing. I find myself screwing around with something extra that can possibly help, but how many have you looked up after messing w/your phone to see a deer standing nearby? The guys I really listen to seem to be more old school....map, compass, gps, etc...carry in only what you need.
What do you think?

Its all so subjective. And most times, causes more division amongst than anything else.

[OldMtnMan]

I enjoy being as primitive as I can. I use nothing modern at all. I hunt like a mountain man would hunt around 1840. I grab my old Hawken and the hunting bag which has all I need to shoot the gun, a couple of knives, a snack, and go hunting. No maps, compass etc.

I learn an area to hunt by repetition. I cut small notches on branches to mark my trail. My hunting method is tracking and still hunting. I try to slowly sneak up on game. Like a cat would hunt. It's also like my Lakota friend hunts. So, I guess I hunt like an Indian.

I feel a good hunter is also a good woodsman. Gadgets are never needed. I'm surprised i'm on a computer typing this. I must be getting old. I'm only 75. Lot's of life left. Lot's of bear, elk, and deer left to kill. Never give up boys. Just keep moving forward.

[Swampbuck]

I don't draw the line, really don't worry about it and do what I feel like doing based on the circumstances around me.

If u live in a big buck mecca deer rich environment you prolly don't need cell cams or other technologies. If you live in a really poor area, using all the cutting edge stuff still probably doesn't even things out.

Do what makes you happy

[Swampbuck]

I enjoy being as primitive as I can. I use nothing modern at all. I hunt like a mountain man would hunt around 1840. I grab my old Hawken and the hunting bag which has all I need to shoot the gun, a couple of knives, a snack, and go hunting. No maps, compass etc.

I learn an area to hunt by repetition. I cut small notches on branches to mark my trail. My hunting method is tracking and still hunting. I try to slowly sneak up on game. Like a cat would hunt. It's also like my Lakota friend hunts. So, I guess I hunt like an Indian.

I feel a good hunter is also a good woodsman. Gadgets are never needed. I'm surprised i'm on a computer typing this. I must be getting old. I'm only 75. Lot's of life left. Lot's of bear, elk, and deer left to kill. Never give up boys. Just keep moving forward.

Using gadgets doesn't automatically make someone a bad woodsman. I would argue the opposite, staying up on current tools keep you young. Being good at both technology anf traditional skills makes for a great combo... You could have written what u just wrote in a letter 80 times and mailed it to all of us, how long would that take??? Being efficient is smart

[OldMtnMan]

I enjoy being as primitive as I can. I use nothing modern at all. I hunt like a mountain man would hunt around 1840. I grab my old Hawken and the hunting bag which has all I need to shoot the gun, a couple of knives, a snack, and go hunting. No maps, compass etc.

I learn an area to hunt by repetition. I cut small notches on branches to mark my trail. My hunting method is tracking and still hunting. I try to slowly sneak up on game. Like a cat would hunt. It's also like my Lakota friend hunts. So, I guess I hunt like an Indian.

I feel a good hunter is also a good woodsman. Gadgets are never needed. I'm surprised i'm on a computer typing this. I must be getting old. I'm only 75. Lot's of life left. Lot's of bear, elk, and deer left to kill. Never give up boys. Just keep moving forward.

Using gadgets doesn't automatically make someone a bad woodsman. I would argue the opposite, staying up on current tools keep you young. Being good at both technology anf traditional skills makes for a great combo... You could have written what u just wrote in a letter 80 times and mailed it to all of us, how long would that take??? Being efficient is smart

Isn't this your quote?

"Do what makes you happy"

You should listen to yourself.

[Swampbuck]

I enjoy being as primitive as I can. I use nothing modern at all. I hunt like a mountain man would hunt around 1840. I grab my old Hawken and the hunting bag which has all I need to shoot the gun, a couple of knives, a snack, and go hunting. No maps, compass etc.

I learn an area to hunt by repetition. I cut small notches on branches to mark my trail. My hunting method is tracking and still hunting. I try to slowly sneak up on game. Like a cat would hunt. It's also like my Lakota friend hunts. So, I guess I hunt like an Indian.

I feel a good hunter is also a good woodsman. Gadgets are never needed. I'm surprised i'm on a computer typing this. I must be getting old. I'm only 75. Lot's of life left. Lot's of bear, elk, and deer left to kill. Never give up boys. Just keep moving forward.

Using gadgets doesn't automatically make someone a bad woodsman. I would argue the opposite, staying up on current tools keep you young. Being good at both technology anf traditional skills makes for a great combo... You could have written what u just wrote in a letter 80 times and mailed it to all of us, how long would that take??? Being efficient is smart

Isn't this your quote?

"Do what makes you happy"

You should listen to yourself.

Oh I absolutely do, I'm not saying u should change what u do, you should definitely do it how u like, where in that statement dud u get that i was being critical of u???

But you made it sound that using gadgets made someone a poor woodsman. All my statement said was
one can be good at both. Didnt sound like you thought that to be true from your statement about gadgets and woodsmenship... not sure where the do what makes you happy part factors in here

Edit- after re reading our posts I could see you thinking I was being critical of you... that wasnt my intent... to me it seemed you were being critical of people using today's technology were poor woodsman and i kno better so was responding to that.

[mainebowhunter]

I enjoy being as primitive as I can. I use nothing modern at all. I hunt like a mountain man would hunt around 1840. I grab my old Hawken and the hunting bag which has all I need to shoot the gun, a couple of knives, a snack, and go hunting. No maps, compass etc.

I learn an area to hunt by repetition. I cut small notches on branches to mark my trail. My hunting method is tracking and still hunting. I try to slowly sneak up on game. Like a cat would hunt. It's also like my Lakota friend hunts. So, I guess I hunt like an Indian.

I feel a good hunter is also a good woodsman. Gadgets are never needed. I'm surprised i'm on a computer typing this. I must be getting old. I'm only 75. Lot's of life left. Lot's of bear, elk, and deer left to kill. Never give up boys. Just keep moving forward.

Using gadgets doesn't automatically make someone a bad woodsman. I would argue the opposite, staying up on current tools keep you young. Being good at both technology anf traditional skills makes for a great combo... You could have written what u just wrote in a letter 80 times and mailed it to all of us, how long would that take??? Being efficient is smart

Isn't this your quote?

"Do what makes you happy"

You should listen to yourself.

Oh I absolutely do, I'm not saying u should change what u do, you should definitely do it how u like, where in that statement dud u get that i was being critical of u???

But you made it sound that using gadgets made someone a poor woodsman. All my statement said was
one can be good at both. Didnt sound like you thought that to be true from your statement about gadgets and woodsmenship... not sure where the do what makes you happy part factors in here

Go back and read what I wrote in post #4.

[Swampbuck]

I enjoy being as primitive as I can. I use nothing modern at all. I hunt like a mountain man would hunt around 1840. I grab my old Hawken and the hunting bag which has all I need to shoot the gun, a couple of knives, a snack, and go hunting. No maps, compass etc.

I learn an area to hunt by repetition. I cut small notches on branches to mark my trail. My hunting method is tracking and still hunting. I try to slowly sneak up on game. Like a cat would hunt. It's also like my Lakota friend hunts. So, I guess I hunt like an Indian.

I feel a good hunter is also a good woodsman. Gadgets are never needed. I'm surprised i'm on a computer typing this. I must be getting old. I'm only 75. Lot's of life left. Lot's of bear, elk, and deer left to kill. Never give up boys. Just keep moving forward.

Using gadgets doesn't automatically make someone a bad woodsman. I would argue the opposite, staying up on current tools keep you young. Being good at both technology anf traditional skills makes for a great combo... You could have written what u just wrote in a letter 80 times and mailed it to all of us, how long would that take??? Being efficient is smart

Isn't this your quote?

"Do what makes you happy"

You should listen to yourself.

Oh I absolutely do, I'm not saying u should change what u do, you should definitely do it how u like, where in that statement dud u get that i was being critical of u???

But you made it sound that using gadgets made someone a poor woodsman. All my statement said was
one can be good at both. Didnt sound like you thought that to be true from your statement about gadgets and woodsmenship... not sure where the do what makes you happy part factors in here

Go back and read what I wrote in post #4.

Nailed it

[Boogieman1]

Maine is 100% correct this kinda subject is no diff then scent control! But also a lot of folks don't put there true feelings out there in fear of losing brownie points of some kind.

I respect any person from eithier side who stands behind what they believe. I lean towards what I think oldmtnman is saying technology fills in the gaps of lost woodsmanship skills. It's a art form that's being lost and the ones who believe in it hate to see it go.

No diff than die hard baseball fans having to sit through aluminum bats and instant replay.

[Buckinator]

Cell phone is nice to get exactly in a spot I picked out cyber scouting when going in blind.
I used a cell cam last year. Help me to cross off some
Areas. Didn't locate any great bucks but learned general movement times mid October and on showed great increase in activity with movement at all hours. No great bucks regular. I'll keep using my Cams because I won't be upset if it helps me Get on a buck someday.
Nothing works better than spending time in the woods and observing and learning. Cameras only focus on a single tiny area. Maybe 50 feet away there is a shooter coming through every day and your not there to see it and move in On it. Sometimes I wonder it my cameras take pictures of all the deer or miss some.

[Dewey]

I learned hunting the hard way using nothing but the bare bone basics. I feel fortunate to grow up in a time when none of the electronics and other stuff we have today was available. Still remember how groundbreaking I thought it was when I got my first electronic string timer. I knew what time ONE deer came down the trail. How cool is that?

These days I own trail cameras but didn't put a single one out this past season. I also own a cellular camera and think it's really cool technology. There is an ethics line that can be broken with them and unfortunately some will use them that way. I would never go in the same day and try to kill a buck I just got a live picture of. Just wouldn't seem right to me. I bought the cam more for convenience while using out of state to save on driving back and forth checking the cam. Worked great for me in Iowa last year. Pretty cool to take inventory and have pics texted right to my phone seconds after they were taken instead of having to drive 200 miles then walk in to check all the time.

I bought one of the first GPS's when they first came out. That old Magellan didn't work for crap but thought it was cool technology. Been updating to newer models since then and amazing how far they have come. A GPS is a real handy tool but I can still get around just fine with a compass and paper map. I'm amazed how many guys have no clue how to navigate without a GPS.

As far as smartphones go I have gotten busted on mine but can't say it's ever cost me a deer I wanted to kill. No doubt it gives me the ability to spend much more time on stand. I know some guys scoff at the idea of using a phone on stand but I look at it differently. If it keeps you on stand longer and your relatively still with no constant figiting it's not hurting you as much as many believe. I have put mine in my pocket and killed a buck seconds later numerous times. Some guys read a book on stand, some sleep, some just space out and daydream while others can stay fully alert for hours on end. Bottom line is you need to be out there to kill a deer. Whatever works for you is all that matters.

I miss the days when everything was simple but the beauty of it is I can go back to those days anytime I want. I haven't become so dependent on this stuff that I couldn't hunt without it. Pretty sure I would do just fine without all that stuff.

[Emrah]

Trail cams are iffy for me as far as fair chase goes. Cell cams definitely violate that. Others for me include ozonics, bow mounted auto-ranging range finders, drones and crossbows in the archery season.

Yes, I get the irony of my statement considering I use google maps and drive a motorized vehicle (car) to get to my hunting spot.

Emrah