no new names on the list and the order hasn't changed..

If I'm not #1 I need to know what else I need to do!

Move to Mineola for starters

There will always be more technical advances, but no matter what I'm using, if observing and pursuing wildlife in their environment ever stops exciting me, then I'll just quit hunting and fishing and find something that does.

Here's a little pull off another thread. deer is <40, which is bow range on a legal public land deer in the most difficult location in the state to hunt. Thanks to there being no HF, I have better pics of the deer.....

Not trying to lose my soul to just bump up a spot.

How do you catch a unique deer? Unique up on it! How do you catch a tame deer? Tame way – unique up on it!

crap...there I go again not taking things seriously.

Every year the hunters seem to bring more and more with them to the stand. It used to be just a fanny pack or something small like that. Then it was a backpack. Now I have people coming out to the stand with extra clothes, two bags, their bow or rifle, laptop computer(in the backpack), food for an entire day, tripod and video camera, and who knows what is in that darn backpack.

All for a four hour sit in which they usually can't even sit that long and after three hours are texting me that they got to in to use the bathroom because they forgot to bring toilet paper with them.

Then this past weekend I get the hunter that comes out with just his bow, a seperate quiver(not attached to bow), and a bottle of water. He sits for three hours and shoots his blackbuck doe that he was after at 62 yards with his one pin sight on his bow. Turns out the guy also guides WT hunts. I had the same topic of conversation and a great laugh about this topic after the hunt.

I hear ya. how much junk does it take to go huntin. I carry a pack, but is always light as possible. I've got some spine issues and I like to walk, so it will be light. Just the basics like a flash light, a snack, a bottle of water, handful of TP, lighter, small knife and stone. some bare essentials. My pack might way 5 pounds. I don't even know its there while walking. Hey a good walk does a body good. My body actually craves the exercise. And breaking free of the stressful life we live in and getting back to the basics is a peaceful thing. Its also cheap.

Like most, I enjoy and benefit from most of the new technology-rangefinders, trail cams, better optics, etc. Any technology used to remove the "hunt" from hunting is a concern to me though. Drones for real-time photo reconnaissance, guided-bullets (or whatever that thing is that practically guarantees hits), internet remote "hunting", etc. Stuff like that.

It's not a new problem-planes and helicopters could always be used to find game, drop down, and kill it. Most agree that's not cool either.

Outside of that kind of thing, I have been on board with most of the new technology as it has emerged through the years. Not that I use it all the time. My hunting covers the gamut from bowhunting to blind sitting and all in between.

To me, it's a lot more enjoyable to hunt with good gear than to bare bones it and potentially miss out on an opportunity due to being under equipped

I've tried the trail cam thing. I bought one of the first trail cam set ups that came out. It was the one that had a trigger mechanism that you put the camera in with a remote cord that went to a trail timer that would only show 5 times on it. It would get a lot of good pictures of bushes. I have tried a few more and seems like I get a lot of good pics of bushes. I know they make trail cams that are a lot better nowadays but I just don't even care to mess with them anymore. I had a nice range finder for a short time and it came up missing. I don't know if I lost it in the woods or someone liked it more than I did. I don't have good luck with tech. It seems like it just slows me down, and it also seems like somebody is trying to tell me that I don't need this stuff. I did just fine before it came out, and Im doing just fine now. I also would probably lose more sleep than I already do knowing what that nocturnal buck looks like. I'd rather just see 'em when I see 'em. It might be a little more exciting. There's something about looking at a big rub or an old slough footed track that keeps you guessing.

^ That's me.

Agreed I like good gear and having the best I can get. But some get carried away with too much crap. You can have a good weapon fully geared, binos and range finder, bottle water, cell phone and some toilet paper and be good to go for a few hours in the woods. Don't need two or three bags for just that. Im not saying we should bare bones it, just that some get way overboard. I think if your going to go out to geat away from it all, don't try to take it all with you. I get three guys in my truck to take out and the bed will be full of their gear and bows/guns in hand. It can be a bit of overkill at times. I feel like I'm dropping them off at the airport.

Yeah me too.

I take the old ways I have learned from my dad and he learned from his dad and add things I learn along the way. There is certain technologies I think are ridiculous that people use, and certain technologies I use that I would never go without. I like trail cams because I enjoy looking at all the cool wildlife that are at my stands when I cannot be there, I like my bow mounted hog light because I can bowhunt hogs at night which I could not do without that technology, there are a few other pieces of tech I use to extend hunts and objects like a drop away rest that have greatly improved my bow shooting skills. I do believe there are a lot of gimmicks out there, but I guess it's to each his own. That being said I just picked up my first recurve bow a few weeks back to get back to the basics, but I'm still going to use trail cams! Most of the hunters I know that lug out a ton of gear never see as many anyways...

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This time of year I will go out and spot/stalk pigs. During season it's required you sit in stand. Having your own land to hunt helps with getting out and still hunting. But it's also a negative in some circumstances. There is so much competition for hunting space anymore if you bump an animal off of your farm, even one you would choose not to shoot, another hunter on the next property probably will. As far as just going and sitting in the woods by a tree and shooting what comes by, well I've killed a lot of deer and other game that way. But I don't think it makes those kills anymore legit then when I was sitting in a elevate box and shot my Missouri buck last fall when it was 16 degrees and had the lil buddy heater running. I don't carry a lot to stand unless I am sitting all day and that's not often. Weapon of choice, range finder, binoculars. A couple of paper towels should I need to fertilize a tree. Personally three hours is a good sit. Four is getting too long unless the action is there. But then again, I hardly ever sit through a whole hockey or football game either. I usually have a camera up at the feeder but we have an age restriction rule on our bucks and it's good to get to know your deer so you can make good decisions come time to sling an arrow. I do text sometimes in stand. Sharing my hunt with friends is nice. I don't own a lap top. If I did I would probably break it or drop it from the ladder or tripod.

Probably the best little piece of technology for me is the body and hand warmers. The older I get the less capable of handling really cold weather and I usually like to keep the bulk down to make bowhunting easier so those little things are the shiz for me.

That's some good stuff. I glad to see that yall are passionate about hunting and using the tools that will aid in a better hunt. Ive used a lot various hunting tools in the woods and have noticed some of them are suited better for other people. I think my main thing is I that just hate change and like to keep it simple. There is a lot of good stuff out there that I do look at it on the store shelves, but I look at it and I say naa. That will be some more weight ive got to tote around. As for bows I think anything that will help accuracy is great. You need all the help you can get. I will loose anything cool I take to the woods anyways. When I start loosing guns and bows Im going to turn in my hat. Ive learned if I carry a cheap knife I wont loose it. Ive hunted Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Louisiana. Hand warmers might be required.

And HOW!!

I am as guilty as anyone of using technology. Custom rifle, nice scope, hand loaded ammo, laser range finder. I can hit coyotes and hogs pretty darn far out there with that combination. However, there are times in the year that I carry a bottle of water and a Marlin 336 .30-30 with irons, and walk the creek bottoms. I also start practicing with a bow in the summer, for the few times I will sit in a tree stand in October. But, the bow is a 2010 Mathews Z-7, with a 5 pin sight. Not exactly bare bones, and I didn't carve one out of one of my bois d' arc trees. Just depends on the situation as to what technology I am going to use.

Of late the one trail cam I have on my land is really just showing me that I need to trap more coons.




When it comes to hogs I will use anything and everything availble to make the highest body count possible, that is all.

I like a good rifle with a good scope and if the barrel ain't floated and the trigger isn't light, I don't want it. A lever gun is an exception. I guess this is going against what I say on technical stuff, but accuracy is one thing I don't want to go without. When it comes to killing hogs, there's no mercy!

This an old discussion. Going from a rock to a fire tempered spear was an advancement in technology. Going from a spear to a long bow was an advancement in technology. Bows to smooth bore muskets, muskets to rifles, black powder to smokeless. So where in history do we draw the line? Everyone has their own line. Mine is the "Tracking Point" I don't buy into it. Maybe in 30 years I'll be the guy refusing to change with the times.

I'm not mad or trying to cause an argument, just pointing out this is not a new conversation, but still interesting to see perspectives.

First deer rifle was .45Kentucky, then bought the modern rifles, with scope, then archery, more peaceful. Poor deer dosnt have the benifets of high-tech. Hog hunten started with pistal, turned off flashlight, back in caveman days. Just ta put some food on table . Tis guilty of using high-tech for hunting just like any one else. Single shot AR wiith scope over laser under, lights at feeder & food plot for taking hog for en & chillen. Each hunter chooses. Going ta check a cam, went back & gradded the AR whin heard the dogs barking by the creek, figured they might chase hog out. Sure enough fresh hog track crossing creek. Went back ta check other cams, two dogs, one with collar, tried ta call dog ta find owner, they ran off.