A buck's best friend

Spoke to a friend last night who admitted that he missed a chance at the only good buck he has seen all season by being preoccupied with his iPhone. I would not be surprised if he is not alone these days, given how a lot of guys now use their smartphones to help pass the time while sitting in a deer stand.

So then, how many of you are willing to admit that you too have missed a chance at taking a deer because you were preoccupied with a smartphone, iPad, or some other electronic gadget?

I was watching the shadows before daylight one year when my cellphone went off!!! It was on silent but I thought there was a rattlebug inside the popup with me!!! I swear I thought I heard the deer laughing at me!!! LOL

I actually can't answer the question seeing how i was to busy with my phone to know whether i missed an opportunity or not..

Couple years back I was trying to take a video of some smaller bucks fighting and gramps showed up to regulate the kids. By the time I got my rifle out the window he eased back in the brush to never be seen again.

I have before, but it was trying to fix a radio that got its settings changed in my jacket pocket somehow. It's pretty hard to miss much now.

I once hit the emergency button on my truck remote while in the stand. That sure made then run. I now leave the keys on the running board.

I don't got a smart phone.

I dont got no smartphone neather. Good ol flip phone. Dont even have texting. If someone's got something to say to me, they can call me. I'm tired of it!

Or email me. (My hypocrisy only goes so far)

i have been busted trying to take pictures of them with my iphone. but none were deer I was going to shoot.

Good point. Makes you wonder how many deer have appeared and disappeared before a hunter ever looked up from his/her smartphone,

Never been busted...unless I had my head down when it happened, but have been surprised by a deer that seemed to have "showed up out if nowhere." But I have had that happen without any distractions. I don't worry as much about it with my bow because the deer have to get pretty close before I "miss" them, but I am sure that folks rifle hunting have missed seeing some deer because of the smart phones.

But the other side, I bet people spend more time in the stand and increase their chances because of the smart phones.

I've been playing with the radio dials on my truck and almost missed one..

I don't have an I phone. Just seems like more BS for my Cro-magnon brain to have to remember. I have a hand crank flip phone, it rings, I answer.

Yep

I was thinking the same thing. Until last year I would always carry a book with me so that I can stay in the stand longer without getting bored. Last year I started renting movies from iTunes on my iPad. I think I was more likely to miss out on an opportunity while reading a book than I will watching a movie because I spent more time with my head down in a book than I do watching a movie on my iPad.

I can't say i've missed an opportunity due to an iphone but I bring my ipad with me and either play games, read, or BS on Facebook.

I've looked up from the ipad an seen deer from the blind before that were not there when i looked down, but i've been able to take deer having it with me so who knows lol

The real question is how many people have missed deer because they were sleeping in the stand!

I laid down for a 10 minute snoozer in a pop up. I looked out the window and a nice shooter buck was about 5 feet away looking at me...

Not me. I snore way too loud.

I've had that happen was gonna take a pic of a nice 8 pt last year on opening morning to send to my wife before shooting him, and he walked out of range before I could loose an arrow at him. that will not happen again. From now on its LDP's only

I had that happen to me too but it was a doe!!!

I don't think I could watch a movie and keep up with what's going on outside. I have too short of attention span.

<-------Guilty

I'm too caught up in nature to mess with any distractions. Seriously.

X2 on that

Deer don't come around my blind when I'm taking my nap. They know not to wake me up from a sound sleep...

I have no service where I hunt so the Iphone dosen't even go with me to the stand.

Based on the current poll results, a buck need not worry about one in every four hunters getting off a shot at him.

I wonder how much those odds increase in his favor when you consider the shooting skills of the average hunter.

Two weeks ago I woke up in the stand snoring loud enough to wake me up, window down with a couple does staring at me... Ooops

Hey... I iphone and drive just to get practice to iPhone and hunt without spooking the deer.

FWIW - My wife said a deer would have to be workin' hard at getting shot around any blind I'm in. They'd have to walk up and knock on the door & wake me up to let me know they're ready!

I told her I was keeping in practice waiting for her when we have to go somewhere!

HnF Thought for the day:

Where your wife is concerned sometimes you're better off just keepin' your mouth shut!

I hear that!!!

I said No but I know a forum member who missed a buck of a lifetime while messing with his phone.
He was so upset he stayed up most of the night and smoked a whole pack of cigarettes and he doesn't even smoke
We'll see if he steps up!

Not a problem on our lease. There are 2 blinds where you might get a signal. I leave mine in the truck.

amen to that!!

UM.... maybe because I was asleep but never because of electronics.

I would admit if I was dumb enough for that to happen. I have admitted to a cell phone going off while watching a button buck (and I was the bloody guide!), and have forgotten to take the safety off several times. That said, I can't imagine any reason to every be fooling with a phone while hunting, and I refuse to own a smart phone. If I wanted to play on a computer, I would stay home and do it in the office.

I'm in the woods to get away from all that bullsh.

I missed a opportunity on a very nice deer second weeken of rifle season texting my son he was so curios to know if I'd seen anything and low and behold I look up and jumping the out of the pen in full stride ol muey grande