Drawing the Line on Hunting Technology – Bowhunter
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Technology has been changing bowhunting for generations. But just because a technology exists doesn’t mean you have to use it.
If you are a regular reader of this magazine, you will see my name on this column and realize right away I am non-native. I am the Asian carp that snuck into your pond! Hopefully, you won’t spear me or cast a gill net. Ideally, you will find my writings at least interesting — maybe even truly useful.
I sold my first hunting article way back in 1990 to a young magazine called Petersen’s Bowhunting. Thus began a 33-year association with the Bowhunting brand. What fun we had over the years! I will miss that magazine. In many ways, I felt it was my baby as much as the editor’s.
Change is inevitable, and I am looking forward to this new opportunity. I thought it might be a fun time to key in on one of the things that always differentiated Bowhunting from Bowhunter — the gear focus. We tended to be more gear heavy at Bowhunting, while Bowhunter tended to be more focused on in-the-field adventures. That was a really nice balance, and I felt it gave both magazines unique personalities.
So, for my first column in Bowhunter, I want to throw out my thoughts on technology as it relates to bowhunting. The real question I will be taking on is whether technology is ruining bowhunting. This is just my opinion, and you won’t necessarily get all of it here; just enough to get you thinking.
Where you stand on the spectrum of bowhunting technology is a personal choice. There are a lot of options out there, and I think each of us should strive to employ technology only to the point that it doesn’t interfere with your joy for bowhunting or the satisfaction you derive from your hunts. The technology and satisfaction spectrums are definitely intertwined.
I produce videos for my YouTube channel, and I get a lot of comments from viewers. I read them all and reply to as many as I can. So, with that much feedback, I have a good idea what bowhunters are thinking. I have been surprised how aggressively some people oppose certain forms of technology. Trail cameras are one lightning rod. The anti-camera group goes so far as to liken trail-camera users to poachers. Of course, this is a fringe view, but it does point out the degree to which technology has polarized bowhunters.
I have spent a lot of time in hunting camps, especially early in my writing career. Nothing got the blood boiling back in those days like the debate over mechanical broadheads. One guide once gave me a really hard time because I was using mechanical broadheads — until I pointed out that his personal quiver was full of arrows equipped with the pod; basically poison-tipped arrows. They were legal back then in Mississippi. He somehow didn’t see the hypocrisy. Again, broadheads are just another of many products bowhunters are willing to fight over.
So, this brings me back to the question of whether technology has ruined bowhunting. I can say without question that technology has changed it; but ruined it? That is a much bigger question. Let’s zero in on trail cameras to see how they have changed and whether they have potentially ruined the sport.
Without a doubt, trail cameras have made it easier to hunt a specific buck. I am not sure cameras have made it any easier to shoot any legal deer, because traditional sign is often enough to show you where to hang a stand if all you want to do is fill tags. But if you are trying to shoot the biggest buck in the area, it sure pays to know where he is living. From that standpoint, trail cameras have made bowhunting easier and made our time more productive. But does that mean they have ruined the sport?
I love learning what deer do, where they live and when and how they move. This is especially true as it relates to individual bucks. Being able to narrow the field down and hunt just one or two bucks (even if they aren’t monsters) makes the season more personal and rewarding for me.
The specific behavior of those deer and how their unique personalities differ is fascinating. One buck is a homebody that shows daylight activity while another is a wide roamer who travels mostly at night.
Here’s the kicker: I wouldn’t learn those things without my trail cameras. Do the cameras make it easier for me to kill bucks? Sure they do! The better I know those deer, the more likely I am to be in the right place at the right time. But I don’t use cell cameras, and I normally cut off all camera use prior to the start of hunting season to maintain an element of mystery in the hunt. That is my personal concession to lower the impact of technology on my hunting.
I want to be excited when I see the buck I am after, not disappointed when I don’t. There is a difference. That is my way of using cameras; no cell cams for now — I don’t want real-time feedback. But I will probably change that position soon, as there are many things I can’t learn about general behavior without running cameras deep in bedding areas. I am not going to do that using conventional cameras I have to check manually. Still, that doesn’t mean I need to check those cell-cam photos every minute, or even every day!
Does the use of cameras cheapen my success and thereby ruin the sport for me? I don’t think so. I love bowhunting as much now as I ever did. I gain a lot of satisfaction from knowing something about the bucks I hunt and generally where they live. Like I said, it makes the quest more personal.
OK, so let’s go one step deeper into the technology pool. What if I am using cellular cameras and look at the photos every hour? I could know at any given time where to find the buck I am hunting. The degree of my real-time knowledge is only limited by my budget — my ability to buy more cell cameras. For me, that style of hunting crosses a line. So, even though it is legal, going that extra step would cheapen the hunt and thereby make it less satisfying.
Does that mean cell cameras are “ruining” our sport? I can’t answer that question for you, but it might for someone like me. But let’s say another bowhunter hasn’t shot many deer and is a lot closer to the bottom of the learning curve. They haven’t had decades of time spent in trees and blinds to guide their judgment. Just learning what bucks do is a big step forward for these hunters. At that point, their greatest satisfaction might come from having as many real-time photos as possible from as many cameras as possible, just to learn as much as they can about deer in general. They could use all that information to jumpstart their own learning curve, figuring out what deer do. That would be super helpful.
So again, does the cell camera ruin bowhunting? I don’t think it does for that guy. He gains satisfaction by learning about deer and eventually filling tags. We don’t need frustrated people dropping out of the sport.
Bowhunting satisfaction can come in many forms. It may be in the form of filled tags, by any legal means. It may come from shooting a certain buck. It may come from shooting any legal deer by a specific method, like ground hunting. It may mean shooting the biggest buck on the farm or some combination of all these factors. It may even mean mentoring new bowhunters or just spending time in the tree listening to God.
In the end, what we seek is the joy and satisfaction of bowhunting. We seek peace. It comes in many forms. How can I decide what form is “right” and which one is “wrong?” If they are legal, they are all acceptable. Certain methods of hunting may not bring maximum satisfaction to me, but it is not my job to tell a fellow bowhunter he is wrong. Ours is a very personal sport. We do it for our own reasons.
If you really don’t like certain hunting tools and feel they make it easy to exploit the resource, work to change the regulations but don’t beat up the person who is hunting legally using those tools. Who are you to judge someone who is hunting legally?
As bowhunters, we have a lot of leeway in how much technology we choose to use. If you don’t agree with it, don’t use it. Who cares if others are more successful because they use tools you don’t? If impressing people or fitting into a clique is why you hunt, you will never find true joy in the sport anyway. Success is in the quest, not the outcome. How you choose to embrace or forego the bowhunting tools and methods at your disposal will make the quest more or less challenging and satisfying. What you take from the quest will eventually determine how much joy and satisfaction you get from bowhunting.
C.J. Winand
Chuck Adams
Jace Bauserman
Jessyca Sortillon
Lynn Burkhead
C.J. Winand
Brian K. Strickland
Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Gene Wensel
Curt Wells
Jim McGinn, VP of Marketing at Realtree, shows off the latest camouflage pattern from this industry giant. The new APX pattern is an all-purpose pattern that will help you blend into your surroundings whether you're in a treestand hunting whitetails, or bellycrawling your way into range of a mule deer out West. It took years to develop APX, a pattern that met the strict standards of Realtree Founder, Bill Jordan, and it will meet your standards as well.
Ryan Busbice from Buck Commander introduces a brand-new technology they call Buk Ops. This is an optical viewing device that does not use infra-red or thermal technology. It maximizes available light to give the user an enhanced view of their surroundings. It's not a targeting device either, but a tool for scanning fields in low light, or even walking into your stand or blind without a flashlight. This is one-of-a-kind technology that holds many uses for all types of hunters.
Bowhunter TV Host, Curt Wells, talks to Easton Marketing Director, Gary Cornum, about the Sonic 6.0, a highly versatile arrow shaft that gives the bowhunter multiple options. Wells explains how he's able to convert his Sonic 6.0 arrows to different weights based on the species of big game he's hunting.
Gary Cornum, Marketing Director at Easton, explains to Bowhunter TV Host, Curt Wells, the virtues of Easton's newly released Match Grade Pro Series Arrows. From front to back, Easton has built their latest technologies into these arrows, which are only available from Easton dealers. Everything from high-end inserts and vanes combine with a five-point straightness standard to make the Pro Series arrows the best a bowhunter can buy. It's no longer necessary to build-your-own to achieve the highest quality arrow you demand.
On the surface, it would seem almost impossible to keep improving the Double Bull ground blinds manufactured by Primos. But as Raised Hunting founder and television show host David Holder explained to OSG's Lynn Burkhead, this year's new Raised Hunting Double Bull blind raises the standard of ground blind excellence even higher, whether you're chasing elk, mule deer or pronghorn antelope out west in Montana or big record book whitetails living in the Midwestern whitetail paradise of Iowa.
For big game hunters on the move out West, or a whitetail hunter looking to spot and stalk into range with a rifle or crossbow, keeping the scope's crosshairs steady can be a challenge. But not anymore according to Primos Hunting's Jason Harris, who recently showed OSG's Lynn Burkhead all of the versatility of the new Primos Edge Tripod, a carbon-fiber, magnetic head support system that provides a quick, rock solid shooting platform when a pressure packed hunt's moment of truth arrives.
Kevin Fry, Vice President at Quality Archery Design, lays out the improvements made to the newest Ultrarest Integrate MX arrow rest. The new MX2 is stronger, lighter, more compact, and includes a refined capture bar. The machined launcher is now fitted with a damper system to reduce noise and it can be color matched to your other accessories. The MX2 still features the “precision click micro adjust” to help you fine tune your setup.
No matter your budget or standard, QAD has an arrow rest for you. Kevin Fry, VP at QAD, goes through their line of arrow rests that range from the high-end $300 MX2 to their economy model that retails for just $75. Every model of arrow rest is made entirely in the U.S.A. and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Primos Game Calls is one of America's most iconic call makers, and according to Eric Hughes, that's the whole idea behind a brand new call lineup. In an ongoing introduction through a variety of game call styles, including deer calls, elk calls, predator calls, and of course, turkey calls. With that call-making DNA, Hughes spent some time telling OSG's Lynn Burkhead about the new Icon call line-up being unveiled by Will Primos and his Mississippi call making company and how it will take call making to the next level.
Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-around shoes, they have it all, and the focus is on ultralight construction. The hunting line of knee-high boots have neoprene that is treated to be extra waterproof, and the outsole material is noticeably lighter than most boots of this type, making them good for hiking and packing when weight is a concern.
T.R.U. Ball/Axcel has taken some of its most popular release aids and bow sights and created the new-for-2024 Tactical Bowhunting Series, a collection of products optimized for the field where stealth and performance under pressure are keys to success.
Trophyline is following up on the success of its Venatic tree saddle with a new-for-2024 model featuring First Lite Specter camouflage, available this summer.
Digital Now Included!
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PREVIEW THIS MONTH’S ISSUE
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All Bowhunter subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.
To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.
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This article was autogenerated from a news feed from CDO TIMES selected high quality news and research sources. There was no editorial review conducted beyond that by CDO TIMES staff. Need help with any of the topics in our articles? Schedule your free CDO TIMES Tech Navigator call today to stay ahead of the curve and gain insider advantages to propel your business!
Digital Now Included!
Technology has been changing bowhunting for generations. But just because a technology exists doesn’t mean you have to use it.
If you are a regular reader of this magazine, you will see my name on this column and realize right away I am non-native. I am the Asian carp that snuck into your pond! Hopefully, you won’t spear me or cast a gill net. Ideally, you will find my writings at least interesting — maybe even truly useful.
I sold my first hunting article way back in 1990 to a young magazine called Petersen’s Bowhunting. Thus began a 33-year association with the Bowhunting brand. What fun we had over the years! I will miss that magazine. In many ways, I felt it was my baby as much as the editor’s.
Change is inevitable, and I am looking forward to this new opportunity. I thought it might be a fun time to key in on one of the things that always differentiated Bowhunting from Bowhunter — the gear focus. We tended to be more gear heavy at Bowhunting, while Bowhunter tended to be more focused on in-the-field adventures. That was a really nice balance, and I felt it gave both magazines unique personalities.
So, for my first column in Bowhunter, I want to throw out my thoughts on technology as it relates to bowhunting. The real question I will be taking on is whether technology is ruining bowhunting. This is just my opinion, and you won’t necessarily get all of it here; just enough to get you thinking.
Where you stand on the spectrum of bowhunting technology is a personal choice. There are a lot of options out there, and I think each of us should strive to employ technology only to the point that it doesn’t interfere with your joy for bowhunting or the satisfaction you derive from your hunts. The technology and satisfaction spectrums are definitely intertwined.
I produce videos for my YouTube channel, and I get a lot of comments from viewers. I read them all and reply to as many as I can. So, with that much feedback, I have a good idea what bowhunters are thinking. I have been surprised how aggressively some people oppose certain forms of technology. Trail cameras are one lightning rod. The anti-camera group goes so far as to liken trail-camera users to poachers. Of course, this is a fringe view, but it does point out the degree to which technology has polarized bowhunters.
I have spent a lot of time in hunting camps, especially early in my writing career. Nothing got the blood boiling back in those days like the debate over mechanical broadheads. One guide once gave me a really hard time because I was using mechanical broadheads — until I pointed out that his personal quiver was full of arrows equipped with the pod; basically poison-tipped arrows. They were legal back then in Mississippi. He somehow didn’t see the hypocrisy. Again, broadheads are just another of many products bowhunters are willing to fight over.
So, this brings me back to the question of whether technology has ruined bowhunting. I can say without question that technology has changed it; but ruined it? That is a much bigger question. Let’s zero in on trail cameras to see how they have changed and whether they have potentially ruined the sport.
Without a doubt, trail cameras have made it easier to hunt a specific buck. I am not sure cameras have made it any easier to shoot any legal deer, because traditional sign is often enough to show you where to hang a stand if all you want to do is fill tags. But if you are trying to shoot the biggest buck in the area, it sure pays to know where he is living. From that standpoint, trail cameras have made bowhunting easier and made our time more productive. But does that mean they have ruined the sport?
I love learning what deer do, where they live and when and how they move. This is especially true as it relates to individual bucks. Being able to narrow the field down and hunt just one or two bucks (even if they aren’t monsters) makes the season more personal and rewarding for me.
The specific behavior of those deer and how their unique personalities differ is fascinating. One buck is a homebody that shows daylight activity while another is a wide roamer who travels mostly at night.
Here’s the kicker: I wouldn’t learn those things without my trail cameras. Do the cameras make it easier for me to kill bucks? Sure they do! The better I know those deer, the more likely I am to be in the right place at the right time. But I don’t use cell cameras, and I normally cut off all camera use prior to the start of hunting season to maintain an element of mystery in the hunt. That is my personal concession to lower the impact of technology on my hunting.
I want to be excited when I see the buck I am after, not disappointed when I don’t. There is a difference. That is my way of using cameras; no cell cams for now — I don’t want real-time feedback. But I will probably change that position soon, as there are many things I can’t learn about general behavior without running cameras deep in bedding areas. I am not going to do that using conventional cameras I have to check manually. Still, that doesn’t mean I need to check those cell-cam photos every minute, or even every day!
Does the use of cameras cheapen my success and thereby ruin the sport for me? I don’t think so. I love bowhunting as much now as I ever did. I gain a lot of satisfaction from knowing something about the bucks I hunt and generally where they live. Like I said, it makes the quest more personal.
OK, so let’s go one step deeper into the technology pool. What if I am using cellular cameras and look at the photos every hour? I could know at any given time where to find the buck I am hunting. The degree of my real-time knowledge is only limited by my budget — my ability to buy more cell cameras. For me, that style of hunting crosses a line. So, even though it is legal, going that extra step would cheapen the hunt and thereby make it less satisfying.
Does that mean cell cameras are “ruining” our sport? I can’t answer that question for you, but it might for someone like me. But let’s say another bowhunter hasn’t shot many deer and is a lot closer to the bottom of the learning curve. They haven’t had decades of time spent in trees and blinds to guide their judgment. Just learning what bucks do is a big step forward for these hunters. At that point, their greatest satisfaction might come from having as many real-time photos as possible from as many cameras as possible, just to learn as much as they can about deer in general. They could use all that information to jumpstart their own learning curve, figuring out what deer do. That would be super helpful.
So again, does the cell camera ruin bowhunting? I don’t think it does for that guy. He gains satisfaction by learning about deer and eventually filling tags. We don’t need frustrated people dropping out of the sport.
Bowhunting satisfaction can come in many forms. It may be in the form of filled tags, by any legal means. It may come from shooting a certain buck. It may come from shooting any legal deer by a specific method, like ground hunting. It may mean shooting the biggest buck on the farm or some combination of all these factors. It may even mean mentoring new bowhunters or just spending time in the tree listening to God.
In the end, what we seek is the joy and satisfaction of bowhunting. We seek peace. It comes in many forms. How can I decide what form is “right” and which one is “wrong?” If they are legal, they are all acceptable. Certain methods of hunting may not bring maximum satisfaction to me, but it is not my job to tell a fellow bowhunter he is wrong. Ours is a very personal sport. We do it for our own reasons.
If you really don’t like certain hunting tools and feel they make it easy to exploit the resource, work to change the regulations but don’t beat up the person who is hunting legally using those tools. Who are you to judge someone who is hunting legally?
As bowhunters, we have a lot of leeway in how much technology we choose to use. If you don’t agree with it, don’t use it. Who cares if others are more successful because they use tools you don’t? If impressing people or fitting into a clique is why you hunt, you will never find true joy in the sport anyway. Success is in the quest, not the outcome. How you choose to embrace or forego the bowhunting tools and methods at your disposal will make the quest more or less challenging and satisfying. What you take from the quest will eventually determine how much joy and satisfaction you get from bowhunting.
C.J. Winand
Chuck Adams
Jace Bauserman
Jessyca Sortillon
Lynn Burkhead
C.J. Winand
Brian K. Strickland
Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Gene Wensel
Curt Wells
Jim McGinn, VP of Marketing at Realtree, shows off the latest camouflage pattern from this industry giant. The new APX pattern is an all-purpose pattern that will help you blend into your surroundings whether you're in a treestand hunting whitetails, or bellycrawling your way into range of a mule deer out West. It took years to develop APX, a pattern that met the strict standards of Realtree Founder, Bill Jordan, and it will meet your standards as well.
Ryan Busbice from Buck Commander introduces a brand-new technology they call Buk Ops. This is an optical viewing device that does not use infra-red or thermal technology. It maximizes available light to give the user an enhanced view of their surroundings. It's not a targeting device either, but a tool for scanning fields in low light, or even walking into your stand or blind without a flashlight. This is one-of-a-kind technology that holds many uses for all types of hunters.
Bowhunter TV Host, Curt Wells, talks to Easton Marketing Director, Gary Cornum, about the Sonic 6.0, a highly versatile arrow shaft that gives the bowhunter multiple options. Wells explains how he's able to convert his Sonic 6.0 arrows to different weights based on the species of big game he's hunting.
Gary Cornum, Marketing Director at Easton, explains to Bowhunter TV Host, Curt Wells, the virtues of Easton's newly released Match Grade Pro Series Arrows. From front to back, Easton has built their latest technologies into these arrows, which are only available from Easton dealers. Everything from high-end inserts and vanes combine with a five-point straightness standard to make the Pro Series arrows the best a bowhunter can buy. It's no longer necessary to build-your-own to achieve the highest quality arrow you demand.
On the surface, it would seem almost impossible to keep improving the Double Bull ground blinds manufactured by Primos. But as Raised Hunting founder and television show host David Holder explained to OSG's Lynn Burkhead, this year's new Raised Hunting Double Bull blind raises the standard of ground blind excellence even higher, whether you're chasing elk, mule deer or pronghorn antelope out west in Montana or big record book whitetails living in the Midwestern whitetail paradise of Iowa.
For big game hunters on the move out West, or a whitetail hunter looking to spot and stalk into range with a rifle or crossbow, keeping the scope's crosshairs steady can be a challenge. But not anymore according to Primos Hunting's Jason Harris, who recently showed OSG's Lynn Burkhead all of the versatility of the new Primos Edge Tripod, a carbon-fiber, magnetic head support system that provides a quick, rock solid shooting platform when a pressure packed hunt's moment of truth arrives.
Kevin Fry, Vice President at Quality Archery Design, lays out the improvements made to the newest Ultrarest Integrate MX arrow rest. The new MX2 is stronger, lighter, more compact, and includes a refined capture bar. The machined launcher is now fitted with a damper system to reduce noise and it can be color matched to your other accessories. The MX2 still features the “precision click micro adjust” to help you fine tune your setup.
No matter your budget or standard, QAD has an arrow rest for you. Kevin Fry, VP at QAD, goes through their line of arrow rests that range from the high-end $300 MX2 to their economy model that retails for just $75. Every model of arrow rest is made entirely in the U.S.A. and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Primos Game Calls is one of America's most iconic call makers, and according to Eric Hughes, that's the whole idea behind a brand new call lineup. In an ongoing introduction through a variety of game call styles, including deer calls, elk calls, predator calls, and of course, turkey calls. With that call-making DNA, Hughes spent some time telling OSG's Lynn Burkhead about the new Icon call line-up being unveiled by Will Primos and his Mississippi call making company and how it will take call making to the next level.
Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-around shoes, they have it all, and the focus is on ultralight construction. The hunting line of knee-high boots have neoprene that is treated to be extra waterproof, and the outsole material is noticeably lighter than most boots of this type, making them good for hiking and packing when weight is a concern.
T.R.U. Ball/Axcel has taken some of its most popular release aids and bow sights and created the new-for-2024 Tactical Bowhunting Series, a collection of products optimized for the field where stealth and performance under pressure are keys to success.
Trophyline is following up on the success of its Venatic tree saddle with a new-for-2024 model featuring First Lite Specter camouflage, available this summer.
Digital Now Included!
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Give a Gift | Subscriber Services
PREVIEW THIS MONTH’S ISSUE
See All Special Interest Magazines
Get the top Bowhunter stories delivered right to your inbox.
All Bowhunter subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.
To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.
Get Digital Access
Enjoying What You’re Reading?
Offer only for new subscribers.
Subscribe Now
This article was autogenerated from a news feed from CDO TIMES selected high quality news and research sources. There was no editorial review conducted beyond that by CDO TIMES staff. Need help with any of the topics in our articles? Schedule your free CDO TIMES Tech Navigator call today to stay ahead of the curve and gain insider advantages to propel your business!
