Give it some thought, and give me your input. What product or products for hunting have made a difference in the way we hunt, and helps us with more success and better enjoyment of hunting as we know it???

I will start with my product, which by the way is my next purchase. A GPS system has too be one of the coolest things I have ever seen in the field and on water for that fact. The small, hand held type, are totally awesome. A buddy of mine has 3, well ok 4, one is integrated into his 4 wheeler, and came as part of the package. I will be the first to admit, I have no sense of direction, more so when I am in the "pastures" of west TX. The same guy that has the GPS systems, has been bailed out of a few messes in the Piney Woods of East TX, and the Colorado Mountains. I have yet to buy one, and will probably just get one from Wal Mart, they have for $99.00. They can mark most any thing and postion on land and water. Everything from where your feeder is postioned to where to go catch the big fish. So what is a product(s) you feel has made a diffence in your hunting success???? It can be electronic or non, and anything you feel makes it easier on you, or gives you an advantage with hunting.

Inexpensive reliable telescopic rifle scopes with lifetime warranties.

How many factory made non custom centerfire sporting deer rifles came with iron sights in the 40's?ALL of them... in the 50's? almost ALL of them ...in the 60's? most of them even Ruger was offered as an RST when they came out and ... today? very few brands even catalog much less sell any sporting sized deer rifles with iron sights.

We take for granted the use and reliablity of a enhanced vision sighting device as part and parcel of the rifle.

I'd be willing to bet that the large majority of shooters have never fired a bolt action rifle at a game animal without a 'scope. Only the current Remmy 700 BDL bolt action comes to mind of the top of my head as having iron sights out of the factory...other than that iron sights are a lever action, Remmy auto loader or pumpgun, short range or carbine style like a Ruger 77-44 or CZ FullStock styled or Dangerous Game oddity.
A better question might, be since guns usually don't wear out but technology advances in sighting systems have increased dramatically...how many people are shooting guns with the same scope it was originally bought with? or changed scopes more than once on the same rifle?
Or how many scopes do you own vs how many GPS units or pairs of hunting boots ???? or whatever.
OBTW I'm down to 7 1" tube CF capable scopes at the moment and shopping for upgrades...for use on only 4 CF's and 2 rimfires JMHO
Ron

I'm not sure it revolutionized anything but game cams have created a huge interest in wildlife. It shows us the nocturnal animals that we really didn't suspect were out there.

No fair, you old scoundrel, but that was what I was going to say. I would say great minds think alike, but I am an amateur when it comes to you sir.

In deep east texas it would be a spot light, 22mag, county road, 3 beers left in a suitcase of pearl light, 1972 chevy pickup with 93 percent primer 7 percent original paint, a game warden and a deer decoy


God Bless You Bucky

ROFLMAO Sorry I couldn't resist.

CHC, In honor of your allegiance to Barnes Bullets...

The technological advances in bullets available today allows not only the use of solid copper hollowpoints at higher than average velocities but an entire generation of shooters who have a some new terms that us old farts never had..."cup & core" and "premium". When I first started shooting in the early 60's there were only three American brands of factory ammo...green un's and white'uns ...'cause no body shot red un's aka as "maypops" but people who shopped at Gibsons, 7/11...yes I said 7/11 'cause I allus bought ammo on the way to go huntin' there if I hadn't planned ahead , Western Auto, OTASCO, Monkey Wards, Jacque Penay's and Sears.
Nobody knew how to reload anything but paper hulled shotgun shells that had a fiber base wad that would shoot loose and plug a barrel or knew much about how to use the new fangled all in one unit plastic shot cups, or had a "press" and the guys that did spoke in weird tongues not understood by anyone 'cept ex military experts braggin 'bout their peepsights and 4 groove Springfields an shootin at a thousand yards, using dollar a pound recycled machine gun powder, tryin to avoid gettin something called maggies drawers...which sounded like something I'd seen a film strip about in boot camp that would 'cause guys to puke if they thought "wrong thoughts"
It was a different time for sure...and now we talk about making 500 yard shot on game by dialin' in the numbers on our turret equipped scopes using no holdover or range guessing, shooting so called premium bullets that will kill a critter and weigh super close to 100% of the original weight if they are ever recovered.
I read a story yesterday about a guy who took an Alpine Hunt in Oregon at treeline and above in the Cascades for Mule Deer...made a 407 yard shot with a 260 remmy for a one shot kill...with complete pass thru on a nice 4pt western count - 10 pt texas count counting brow tines too. Great pictures great story and absolutley blows my mind to think that this could be done with such a dinky cartridge. Check out www.24hourcampfire.com on the Big Game board and look for the thread titled "Alpine Hunt". I want to use some of his pics for my screensavers
I just wish I was about 25-30 years younger and had it to do all over again with todays equipment. THESE are the good old days right now for breakthroughs in new hunting equipment... enjoy the ride and make the most of it.
Ron

feeders

Yep, absolutely the corn feeder.

It would HAVE TO BE the little noise maker that sounds like a corn feeder going off!!! I have that thing tied to my belt everytime I go out. J/K!!

I would have to agree with the scopes and feeders...also maybe not revolutionize but has sold a LOT of would be 4wheelers and ATVs...mules, etc.

In addition...how about pelleted protein feeds?

In order I would say the game cams, feeders, GPS. But that is depending on where you hunt. If your in a national forest i would think GPS. On a lease I would go with my order.

Jigfish

I don't know if they have revolutionized the industry but spinning wing decoys have definitely had an impact, so much so that one state has banned the use.

I think that the thing that revolutionized the hunting industry the most is that it has become an "industry" .

Hunting used to be a sport,a passtime, a way of life,a source of sustenance,a spiritual event, a time to feel close to your family and ancestors..... take your pick.

Now it's an industry with people spending more time filling feeders than scouting game.
Riding ATVs instead of walking.
using a GPS instead of a map and compass.
soaking themselves in scent blocker instead of woodsmoke and good hunting technique.
Depending on huge scopes and overkill calibers instead of learning iron sights and ballistic tables,then only using the scoped rifle when distances are long and game scarce .
owning a closet full of guns instead of one you know like a brother.
Decoys with batteries and flapping wings instead of a well worn bag of dekes that know just where they need to be placed under any conditions.

The list is endless.
The hunting "industry" is losing it's soul to technology.
Pity

Covey16

Well stated Covey16

I agree whole heartedly with everything you posted.

I heard new gadgets were being mentioned here, but I don't see any, I have all of those.

DG
thats what we're talkin' bout son...the diff's between my WWII war baby generation born in the 40's or Boomers born just after the War and what ya'll post Viet Nam chilruns take for granted...like Goretex, 1000 denier nylon snake proof nylon, boots that are warm and don't leak but don't weigh 4 pounds each, pants to hunt in by sides cotton blue jeans, scent blocker clothes, popup blinds, eyeballing G2's and G3's at 500 yards, hog traps, digital solar powered feeders, trail cams yadda yadda and the list goes on and on. Nuthin' today is like what it was when I learned to hunt in the early 60's...but I'm not so sure we need all this stuff most of the time either....sittin ina box blind staring at a feeder...hopin the land owner won't jack up his prices too bad next year or lease the place out from under us with out saying something first.

I told the other half that the next and hopefully final house needed a toy room. She envisoined a work room for home projects like painting the shutters or refinishing the antique rocking chair again... until I began to outline what all would need to go into it just for storage...an she gets this glazed eyed look that sez Yeah Right and pops off about me needing a second two story three car garage with the upper floor just for MY huntin' fishin' toys, and a place for both boats and a 1 ton crew 4x4 downstairs. She finally got it!
Ron

i love how ya worded this, i was raised this way by a guy raised in the mountians of tennessee.
but i say to each there own butfor my i hunt for food to put in the freezer with out paying 3000 for a deer, i could just go to the store and put meat in the freezer cheaper that way. thats why i am not horribly picky about what i go after.

Wiley
You make a good point about generational differences.
I'm 57 and make it a point to hunt with firearms that are older than I am.
I'm not adverse to new technology in its place and in proper proportion.
I own rifles with scopes that don't fog up or change zero weekly,good raingear and outboard motors that always start.
I even rode on a three wheeler once.

I just feel that deploying the technology shouldn't be the reason you are in the field.

Quite a few younger hunters are more in tune with the latest technology and consider it to be just part of the hunt.

As long as your heart and values are in the right place,either group has a place in the hunting fields.

Personally,I see a Cabelas Catalog as 90% comic book and 10% wishbook.

Just one old Fa#ts opinion.

Covey16

Covey that was exactly the point I was trying to make...it's fun to look at buy and try new stuff...some of it actually works as advertised.

But the basics of hunting are as old as guys using a spear chucker stick to enhance his reach trying to put dinner over the fire...and no amount of fancy azzed hitech this or that will change that innate inner drive to hunt. People either have it or they don't.

I see a quote every now and then from an Indian Chief who had been "relocated" to Oklahoma on one of the "other" sites I read that goes something like ..." we are hunters, we will hunt buffalo or we will hunt mice but we are hunters...and we will survive".

I like to think that I share that Indian's life philosophy as I am not enamored of monster horns or bragging about this or that...but have always been involved with, thinking about, or actively engaged in the act of hunting anything I can find to hunt whether it flys, swims or has four feet my entire life wandering a nearby creek with a stick with nails for a gig at the age of 6 to now days getting further past 60 faster than I ever imagined.

One of the few outdoor activities I've never gotten under my skin is cow pasture pool...and have no interest at this late date starting since I compete with myself every day anyway trying to make a living as a straight commission sales rep "hunting for customers" ...course thats prolly why I look at all the latest whizzbang gotta have stuff with a weather eye since I'm usually the one doing my best PT Barnum imitation.
Ron

I see a quote every now and then from an Indian Chief who had been "relocated" to Oklahoma on one of the "other" sites I read that goes something like ..." we are hunters, we will hunt buffalo or we will hunt mice but we are hunters...and we will survive".

Excellent quote

You aren't the propriator of WECSOG (Wiley Coyote School of Gunsmithing) by any chance?

Covey16

I forgot to add...on bowhunting I would say that high % let off boys and pop up blinds have changed bowhunting quite a bit...

The first thing that comes to mind is the game call. Wheter it be a wing bone turkey call Indians made, or good ole wooden duck call carved out of your favorite wood. Now as for all the new digtal game calls I'm sure they have their place with some hunters of today, but I'll take a mouth call anyday. Maybe even one day I'll be good enough to make all of the calls I want through my own mouth.

Let me jump in here between you and WC and, Welcome you to The Forum. You have already met one of the more knowledgable members in WC, and there are a lot of other good folks on here.

The stuff you and Wiley are talking about, is the way hunting should be looked at, but the biggest problem facing most of the younger hunters, is a lack of time in this fast paced world. A lot of folks are gone from the house by 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning, fighting rush hour traffic to be at work by 8:00 or 9:00. They turn around and repeat that process for 5 days, then on Fri. nite they get home throw all their gear into the truck and head for the lease that is anywhere from 90 minutes to 4 hours away, hunt all day Sat. and half a day Sun. and then drive the return trip so they can be at work the next day.

That lack of time to actually learn some of the basic hunting or outdoor skills is what is helping the industry sell the gadgets.

It is nice to see other old farts that remember what hunting was like, and how people felt about it.

Welcome, hope you stick around.

I guess I am in the "Old Farts Club" since I have been hunting since the 50s. It just amazes me at the new "toys" that keep showing up at our place, for me the latest toy is a feeder that is about 7 years old, my rifle is 25 years old. And I get as good a deer as anyone of the 'gadget" collectors, and I also don't work as hard at it as the younger ones do. But then I am watching the trails and feeder while they are plugged into their radios or whatevers. I like the peace and quite, while the younger crowd seems to need something going on at all times.