When Is The Sport Not So Much?

MassMark

MassMark

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It's obvious I have been out of the game for a long time. I quit hunting about 20-years ago for personal reasons, but still support it. Working at Dicks Sporting Goods, I have been meeting up with quite a few hunters - many hell-bent on buying any and everything to improve their odds. From the latest and greatest carbon arrows and sophisticated broad heads, to the latest offerings in .50cal muzzle loading fare - people's wallets are on fire to spend money.

Among the areas I see a lot of sales in, Stealth Cams and various feeds/attractants seem to be king. Now the last deer I shot was 20-years ago and then, torn rag strips soaked in doe urine was about it. I think there were obviously calls available, but in Ohio, I never saw the need. I'd scout a field for a few weeks, go out on opening day and within a day or three, I'd bag a deer. If not shotgun, then bow, crossbow, handgun or muzzleloader would usually yield a result. Now I see hunters spending a fortune on everything from ScentLock clothing, to tree stands, to cameras, C'Mere Deer, Deer-Cane, shelled corn - you name it. Is there a point to which you feel that you're no longer really hunting, or has technology simply evolved the sport? Just curious - no judgement. Like I said, I'm a supporter of hunting, I just don't see a lot of traditional hunting going on with cameras and Deer-Cane everywhere...
 
Just like everything Mark, it evolves with technology. I only hunt birds now so I haven't paid much attention to the gadget game.

And I will be getting a night vision scope for yotes too. [wink]
 
While I've been scouting I've seen more cam's hung up during the the last couple seasons then I ever have. I don't know if that's just because they've become better/cheaper or people are just using them more now.

I'm not against technologically laden hunting but I keep it really simple. Although land nav has become much easier with my addition of color printed and laminated topo maps and and aerial photos from the web that go along with my other stash of maps. I probably will bite the bullet and grab a GPS at some point in the next few years.

I saw an ad for the Burris laser range finder rifle scope and thought that was a pretty big leap [grin] I just can't see mounting one of those myself but to each their own. I can't rag on other people anyway; it's not like my 'traditional' hunting methods means I've tied my own flint tips to my spear.

BTW, I had the same discussion with a buddy of mine about trout fishing. I'm a minimalist and a pretty cheap one at that, and, he won't go out without wearing half the orvis catalog. I can't stand how stupid farm raised trout are and my friend gets really frustrated now when he has to actually use all his expensive gear and 'fish.'
 
A good case in point was a customer who came in several weeks ago and bought a StealthCam Sniper, (about 200-bucks). He brought it back a few weeks ago because the images were not downloading onto the card. The images he did have were of a black bear repeatedly visiting his camera somewhere near Richmond. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out he was baiting this bear and he ultimately admitted as much. We exchanged his camera and he was off - coming back in to show us several successful images and thanking us for helping him. Well, he got his bear - shooting it a few feet from his camera. Again, I'm not judging him, but to me, that does not seem like much of a hunt....I guess now that dogs are out of the equation, things like bait and StealthCams are the great equalizer. I just think it's anti-climatic to bait a tree for a few weeks, take some pics, then shoot the bear who is obviously returning repeatedly to the exact same spot for a reason. Sure, it gets bear in the freezer, but it just seems to fade away from the lessons I learned from my grandfather all those years ago....
 
MassMark said:
A good case in point was a customer who came in several weeks ago and bought a StealthCam Sniper, (about 200-bucks). He brought it back a few weeks ago because the images were not downloading onto the card. The images he did have were of a black bear repeatedly visiting his camera somewhere near Richmond. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out he was baiting this bear and he ultimately admitted as much. We exchanged his camera and he was off - coming back in to show us several successful images and thanking us for helping him. Well, he got his bear - shooting it a few feet from his camera. Again, I'm not judging him, but to me, that does not seem like much of a hunt....I guess now that dogs are out of the equation, things like bait and StealthCams are the great equalizer. I just think it's anti-climatic to bait a tree for a few weeks, take some pics, then shoot the bear who is obviously returning repeatedly to the exact same spot for a reason. Sure, it gets bear in the freezer, but it just seems to fade away from the lessons I learned from my grandfather all those years ago....
Click to expand...

I agree it's not much of a hunt; baiting's illegal. I'd report this guy to MEP in a heartbeat. It's stand or stalk only.

As for hunting as sport, I guess the bottom line is if it puts meat in the icebox, and that's your main goal, use what you have at your disposal. I cant judge if you're trying to feed a family. But if you're gadgeted out the wazoo then you disconnect yourself from what you're actually doing.
 
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Not only are people going crazy over this kind of stuff but the companies too. Theres a product called "Deer coCaine" which I have seen on tv that just is riduculous. I mean a lot of this stuff is used for deer managment but in MA I haven't heard of many people keeping up with plots of land specifically for deer. I hunt out in western MA and only have about a weekend or so to hunt, therefore I try and make the best use of the time that I have there but to get deer feed I personally believe is a little ridiculous scents I am ok with but deer feed is a little over the top and I would definately consider that baiting.
 

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