At a recent meeting with a group of New England outdoor writers, a discussion began on “High Tech in Today's Hunting and Fishing World,” and I found myself thoroughly intrigued. This stems from the myriad technological advancements in hunting and fishing equipment that have become increasingly important in recent years, coupled with a lot of debate surrounding what are perceived as the negative aspects of the issue. As this discussion continued, I reflected on my own life as a hunter, about to embark on my 53rd deer hunting season. I must admit that I am one who has taken advantage of some of these technological advancements, especially when it comes to bow hunting.
I graduated long ago, somewhat reluctantly, from my old Fred Bear Grizzly recurve bow (which I still own) to the technology era of compound bows. I gave up wooden arrows with glued-on broadheads and switched to aluminum (later carbon) arrows with broadheads screwed onto the tips and secured in place. My first compound bow was a Browning Nomad XL series with a wooden limb, and I loved that whole setup and used it for many years. Today, I own better compound bows, each with better optics. I also mount scopes on my rifles, use rangefinders and trail cameras, all driven by technology that has helped me in various ways over the years. But a few days after the outdoor writers meetup, and after some further reflection, I came to the conclusion that for me, it all boils down to three simple points: personal choice, the legal obligations we all have as sportsmen, and the ethical implications of this advanced use of hunting technology. As a hunter and sportsman, where do I draw the line in using this cutting edge technology, and to what extent am I willing to utilize it as a hunter? To answer these questions honestly, I had to go back to the drawing board.
At a young age, my hunting skills were passed down to me by my father. He took me on long trips and adventures deep into the woods of New York’s Southern Tier. He taught me the signs he hoped I would one day utilize as a deer hunter, and the simple skills I still practice over and over again almost every season: How to determine the age of deer tracks, and which direction they were going; Identifying commonly used routes, feeding and bedding areas, settlements, and areas that restrict deer movement; Scrapes, what they mean, how to tell if they are new, as a tool to tell the direction deer are traveling; Scratches, community scrapes, scrape marks…how to tell if they are new, and the meaning of “licking branches”; Determining droppings, how new they are, and the meaning of their location. All of these lessons have served me well for decades.
That being said, hunting has changed dramatically from the days when today's technology wasn't even on our screens. Back then, we learned by practicing, making mistakes, and continuing to improve. Today, optics, high-tech rangefinders, ballistic calculators, trail cameras, drones, night vision devices, hunting apps, fish finders, ATVs, GPS, and more have all evolved to help us get to the end result faster. And while many of these advancements are truly amazing, at some point, we have to ask ourselves: if enough is enough, when?
Hunting purists will argue that the best way to experience the natural sensation of hunting or fishing is to forget about equipment. Those with a different mindset will point to improvements in hunter safety and comfort, while also embracing any technological advancement that may increase the chances of success. Both of these assessments raise questions, but for me it simply boils down to this: Has the use of masses of high technology taken us too far away from the one principle we all uphold as hunters and anglers: a fair chase? Or do we feel that we deserve to experience a successful hunt every time we step into the outdoors, with every new piece of high-tech equipment that comes along next? Again, each person must answer these questions individually, within themselves. Or will there come a time when someone will say, “Where do we set our stopping point, when is enough?”
Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association and was inducted into the Northeast Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame in 2019. Joe is also on the Pro Staff for Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro Shops/Cabella's. He can be reached at [email protected].
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