. . . often times it takes a little humility to improve your skills, no matter what the endeavor . . .

easy pigkiller... to everyone their own. i'm 20 and i prefer to do it the old way. yes, we use a four wheeler and tracktor to haul the deer back to the barn, but i don't use a gps, trail cam, or anything. but, my family and i have been hunting the same piece of ground for our entire lives. we know where the deer are, where they go, and how they react.

I'm gonna have to go with buckshot on this one. I know many hunters using the lastest and greatest technology but I think it takes the fun out of the hunt. I hunt the old way by using my daddy's 20 gauge with open sights and I don't miss. But my brother uses scopes and other high tech junk and I still kill bigger deer than him. We hunt the same land and know where the deer run. So I think it just depends on what you call fun while hunting.

The technocrap they can show off is more important to some guys than getting the biggest and mostest - which shouldn't be important at all anyway. I have popped a couple of big bull moose in their sleep. One at twenty yards and another at eighty. Didn't do that sitting on a snow machine or an ATV. I didn't need a 3x9 scope, scentlock jockey shorts, crapper-equipped treestand, or stainless steel camo-stocked bazooka to accomplish those feats. It took genuine, hard-earned woods expertise. I have been caught in a terrible blizzard in the bush miles from my rig and lived to tell about it (though I didn't get home till four in the morning). All the superman underwear, lighted reticles, fancy partition bullets, color screen GPSs, designer camo sunglasses, and LED lit ammo boxes in the world would not have got me out of that pinch. It was what was in my noggin that made the difference between life and death. And what was inside my head got there from years of hard experience on my own two feet face to face with true wilderness. As a result, it's the wilderness experiences I have learned to crave, not shooting the biggest rack (I have enough of those) or buying the fanciest technocrap to make that "accomplishment" easier. I'm hitting the bullseye. You other techno-hunters are off the paper. And you don't even know it.

to be honest, a little bit of both and a good dash of luck always helps. As much as I love stalking, I have to say that on the praries a range finder is king, as are good binocs (whether 50 years old or 5 minutes. other than that, who needs anything more than skill, a gun you trust and a beautiful piece of land???

I share the opinion of many of those who have posted. I like to do things the hard way when it comes to hunting. It gives me such a better feeling of accomplishment, and it makes the thrill of the hunt that much more intense. However, I tend to find the same people who complain about the "techno-hunters" do indeed use "advanced" technology themselves, and I'm no exception.

I'm guilty of bringing a GPS unit, cell phone, 2-way radio into the woods, but I only carry those as a safety precaution. I feel that GPS units decrease your sense of awareness, and your natural ability to navigate the landscape, so the GPS unit remains off unless I have absolutely no idea where I am (which hasn't happened yet). The cell phone and 2-way radio remain off as well.

I have a scope on my gun, but that's more for an ethics reason than a "need to have it" reason. I believe we owe it to the animal to make a clean and ethical shot and a sighted-in scope does the job quite nicely.

At home, I research my hunting area using a variety of digital topo maps, and aerial photos.

I use a climbing tree stand, which is basically new technology, and I wear camo clothing.

Growing up, I used to use an ATV to get around the landscape, but now I prefer to walk.

"To each their own," is another 4 word phrase that seems to be very common among sportsmen, young and old. Regardless of how we hunt, or what we take into the woods, we all contribute to a bigger cause by buying a hunting license and other sporting goods, and we all share a passion for the outdoors, which is something everyone can appreciate.

Well, of course, I'm not hunting the wilderness with a spear and skins. In the mountains of the West I never had need for a map or GPS (even if they'd been developed back then). Out here in Ontario it's a different matter. The country is flat and fairly unremarkable. For years I avoided buying a GPS. That almost cost me my life a couple of times(see the above related incident). Still I resisted. My brother finally gave me a good one for Christmas about five years ago and now it's always in my pack or in the car. I also bought and loaded the Canadian topo series. Last year I finally got a cell phone when I was working in California - my family here had an ongoing medical emergency and I needed to be in better contact with them. It is useless where I go big game hunting but good for the fields where I goose hunt (although I really don't count hunting in semi-suburbia a wilderness experience). When not hunting, I keep the GPS in my Jimmy for emergency reasons. If I encounter a bad accident on the road, I can relay the coordinates so the authorities can get a helicopter in air ASAP. My old 760 pump 30-06 (1952) has its original Weaver 4x on a Bushenell detachable mount. It's a great combination for the kind of hunting I do. And yes, I wouldn't be without a scope mostly because it can aid in shot placement and reducing pain and suffering for game. I have a very nice 4-in-1 camo parka (pretty near worn out now). I picked it out for my birthday because it's loaded with shell loops. Can't really buy a good hunting parka these days that isn't name-brand camo. No 2-way radio because I hunt alone. I have two great hunting dogs but didn't pay a lot of money for them. They are fairly well-trained but not robots by any means. We have fun and I'm not too particular if the retrieves aren't straight line or if they drop the bird on the way back. Don't lose any birds and that's what's important. No fancy dog whistles or half dozen calls hanging around my neck! I have an ancient goose flute I bought from an old Pennsylvania hunter's heir. I wear it or my late dad's 1930s Olt duck call. That's it for neck hanging stuff. I use the dozen floater mallard decoys we got Dad for Christmas forty-five years ago or the four goose field shells I bought him in 1970 plus the dozen he bought me a few years later when I was in the Army. No fancy lay-down blind (I don't like shooting from the posterior position anyway). I'm sure I'd get a lot more birds if I had one of those and fancier decoys but why is that important? Which "more" is more important - spending more time in the field or taking more birds home? That's a no-brainer. I fly fish with a nice pair of Orvis breathable waders that I got off the net cheap. I wear them mostly because they're safer than rubber or neoprene. I use a fairly cheap but good quality rod and reel also bought off the internet. I have worn out half a dozen fly rods in my time, beginning with bamboo and fiberglass. Now I use graphite because there's really nothing else you can buy. But I'm not going to spend $600 each on a rod and reel that can get busted over one slippery rock. And I can outcast and outfish most guys I know who are loaded up with top of the line equipment. I don't have an inflatable fishing vest but I sure as hell should have one given all the close calls I have survived. Maybe Santa will read this. Same brother gave me a fancy float platform a couple of years ago but I haven't used it yet. I haven't bought a gun since I was in the Army. No need to. Mine look as rugged and weathered as I do. Gee, I wonder why? Every scratch has a story. I did switch to black plastic stock on my 870 goose gun a few years back after replacing two wooden ones that wore out. Added an extra slip on pad to get the length I needed. That gun doesn't look pretty but I rarely bat less than .500 with it. I will spend the bucks for fancy footwear and gloves. The best is absolutely critical for these very important but vulnerable areas of my body. It is not uncommon for me to be out tracking moose in -30 C weather (usually no competition on those days).

I don't condemn the techno-hunter. But I am concerned about the direction that hunting is going. It's all about buying stuff to showboat - from underwear to the game animals themselves. It should be about the wilderness experience. And it should be about sharing and perpetuating that experience. Not about purchasing it and hogging it to show off. If we can't keep the wildness in hunting wild game then we stand to lose something that is critical to the survival of the earth as God intended it to be.

I have found that some people who use as little technology as possible have the most success.

Why is it important to "hunt" 1100 acres in a day???!!! What rule says you have to hunt it all at once? Afraid you might miss something? If you cover that much territory in a day, you're missing a lot of somethings along the way. Why not take your time? Sounds like you have that chunk of land sewed up anyway. I'm glad you're hunting, piggkiller, in spite of your "handicap" of not having a dad to point you in any direction. Be careful about letting the technocrap advertisers push you in theirs. Keep it simple, slow down, and, above all, take the time and effort to hunt by yourself once in a while. Without the excess baggage. It's tough getting used to the solitude at first, but eventually you'll find it addicting. I guarantee it.

While some are asking "how does one live without certain tech or gear?", there is a guy with nothing but a recurve bow killing bigger animals than the tech needers.

reading these have me laughing. I myself prefer a little of both and I am 24. I like my trail cams because I just love seeing wildlife. I will even go out with my high tech digital camera and take some snapshots myself. I love my PSE X-Force but would also love to kill a deer with a recurve. I have much respect for guys that use recurves and flint locks successfully. But most of all I love the hunt no matter how its done its just something about being outside listening to the birds, watching the sunrise and the set. I love it and live for it.

by the way I'm glad to see you learned another technology...how to turn the caps lock key off.

Gee, OminousCaucasianBison, we should get together some time. Sounds like were on the same wavelength. I still have my saddles, wall tent, stove, and boxes. They're getting pretty dusty though. Sadly, no hayburners since about 1990. This country isn't good for them. But we should do it soon before our feet get any lower on "gasoline".

I'll give Nate a thumbs up for that comment! When I was a kid in Montana, if you shot something on posted property it was akin to jacklighting or hacking the horns off a bull and leaving it to rot. You were unworthy. Nowadays it's exactly the opposite. If you hunt on public land and are not covered in the latest Mossy Oak garb and stainless steel weaponry from head to toe, you're looked on as some kind of slovenly hillbilly, unworthy to even be in the field let alone shoot anything. This was certainly brought home to me when I returned "home" in October for a bit of a family reunion/pheasant hunt. My cousin's son was hunting with us and a couple of his business clients happened to be up in the same neck of the woods and we ran into them. They had the fancy rig with Shadow Grass encased dog crates in the back. A couple of whistles the size of my fist were hanging around their necks and Browning O/U on their shoulders. They were wearing duds straight off the rack at Abercrombie and Fitch. One look at my clunker rig, ratty coat, and weathered Humpback shotgun and their noses went right into the clouds. I didn't bother asking them to join us because I didn't want to hunt with them. They weren't out there for a good time they were there to show off. That's the only kind of good time those kind of guys know. Even with the handicap of our young fella's outa-control dog, I still managed to get a limit and it wasn't even afternoon. They were empty-handed and had only fired one shot. They should have been nicer - I worked in that area for a while and got to know a lot of the lay of the land and its owners very well. I credit my bargain basement dogs for my birds. My shooting was not great. But I didn't care. It would have been a memorable trip even if I hadn't got a shot.

OntarioHonker..............

a +1 for you sir!!

Nate

Two years ago I hunted with my uncle for elk and mule deer, we used all his technology and machines. We didn't work very hard, and when the trip was over I felt cheated. I didn't get an animal and that year I felt that I didn't even deserve one. I find all the satisfaction of working hard for the animal I am after. I have nothing against hunters that buy all the new stuff, but I will never feel fulfilled at the end of the season if I am not sore after every time I go out, filled tag or not.

well i absolutley disagree. i am 16 years old and love going out to the forest to set up for deer season. i would take a good days of work any day than doing nothing in my house. also its a lot more rewarding when you take a deer from the area that you have worked so hard to prepare. i almost look at all this technology almost as cheating. i love the old fashion way and will always hunt this way

now i am only 17 but i use both i have trail cameras to help scout but i also spend hours in my stands and sitting to scout deer i use a GPS also but it is usually off when i shed hunt i use it an place points on the map to help me figure out were deer are moving i also sit long hours overlooking paths to find out whats moving i spend days walking scouting different area we have four wheelers but they stay home unless absolutely needed such as getting to our stands or other places also when it comes to hunting i still use a rifle with a scope that is all just to help me to make sure its a clean kill so in reality i use both new techs but i also do alot of old school hunting out in the woods stalking i use them both to my advantage i have no problem at all with people who only use old school or new school personally i sort of like the old school more cause i like the feeling about being out in the woods and doing things the way people before me did it and how it was done in the old days but i also use new thing to help me out as well so i say this do whatever you want because its your choice but for me at least its a mixture of everything

excuse me for being late to the party.....but i just read this, and it kind of made me sick. I'm sorry but there is no need for everyone to be bashing everyone else's methods of hunting. The important thing is that we all just accept all of the methods of hunting. Methods of hunting will always differ, from person to person, and region to region, but hunting is hunting. period. We are all after the same game, and are all in pursuit of our past time that we love. The only thing that we should be bashing are those people who do not hunt ethically, and are taking game illegally, and giving our great sport a bad name. If you get the game that you pursue cudos to you no matter what "school" of hunting you come from, or what technology you used. We all need to get our noses out of the clouds, and embrace all of those who are in the woods with us. Without coming together we will be torn apart, which is exactly what PETA and all of those tree huggers want. With technology, without technology, hunting is hunting, and I know that 9 times out of 10 hunters are morally and ethically better people and are more connected to their ancestors, and the wilderness than their non hunting counterparts regardless of what is in their gear bags. So stop wasting your time bickering over petty stuff and just go out and hunt!

This thread is ridiculous. I couldnt imagine more bull-hockey in a Fort Worth feedlot. What is the old way, exactly? Are we beginning history in the 1900's or just with the invention of the modern compound bow?

Like it or not we are all new age sportsmen. Even the Filson clad with his side by side and cardboard shells is a modern sportsman to someone.