Hunting, Technology, and a little Reflection

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buckchaser

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https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podca...point-nmo-part-2/id1059853765?i=1000739895481

The latest Beyond the Kill podcast is an excellent conversation around the complexities of technology and hunting. This is something I've been increasingly thinking about in recent years. The last decade has brought a virtual tsunami of new/enhanced technologies - cellular/live streaming trail cams, drones, integrated ballistics programming, long range laser rangefinders, powerful GPS mapping tools, near instant backcountry communication devices, stabilized optics, "smart" scopes, etc.

Obviously technology has been in continual evolution since the beginning of our species. We started throwing rocks and we now shoot high powered rifles. But it seems to me the flood of recent technologies seems to have reached a bit of a "tipping point" in my mind at least.

By its very nature, hunting has a visceral connectivity between the hunter, wild places, and wild animals. As our experiences are increasingly filtered through and curated by technology, something is lost.

There's also no denying that these technologies do represent an "Easy Button" of sorts. You can now be less skilled and more successful. It makes for more efficient killers. Whether or not that also translates into better "hunters" is food for thought.

I'm not looking to be an evangelist on the topic. But I do strongly feel that all hunters would benefit from from some deep reflection around the growing influence of technology in hunting and some of the unintended consequences stemming from. Having a listen to this podcast is a good start.
 
I can see where you're coming from and I agree, at least partially.

I'll agree, things like drones, radios, maybe even cell trail cams are certainly giving the hunter an unfair advantage.

That said, things like ballistic computers, if they help you place the bullet with more certainty, resulting in an quicker, more ethical kill I think would be seen as a positive. At the point that you're using a calculator you already have a line on the animal.

I would think that apps that can manage access (like CLAS - sign in/out, manage hunting permission, show you wmu boundaries, land ownership, contact info, etc) should be seen as a positive and a benefit to land owners and hunters. I think where I would draw the line is when you can start communicating the location of game with more or less pinpoint accuracy.
 
I used to listen to a bunch of podcasts while at work

Beyond the Kill - Adam ?
Hunting Collective - Ben ?
Western Bowhunter (South Cox-Trad Archery)
Whatever the Aaron Snider one was Kifaru Cast?

Mostly, because at the time (3-4+ yrs ago) they were not as “Tech or Sponsor Driven” just focusing on their experiences in the field and adding some golden nuggets on gear occasionally.

Adam of BTK, Ben at HC or South just knew how to draw an audience in without all the gear hype. Now most podcasts out there are just a marketing tool for manufactures being driven by those who have a following of X amount..

Once they became sponsor oriented/dependant I was out. I didn’t need to hear a Manufactures name brought up in every sentence or blurb ad nauseam. Probably the main reason why I stayed away from Rinellas Meat Eater podcast. Once he sucked in Ben from Hunting Collective and April Volkey for her Flyfishing Podcast it was clear it/he just became another conglomerate of pushing product.

I get it.. humans by nature are driven by the quest for knowledge now through technology. Sadly… it has made some hunters lazy, relying on too much on tech advancements rather than old fashion know-how and a little bit of luck to fill a tag.

As the OP states, where does it end and when do we get back to the basics of why we hunt in the first place?
 
I use a lot of trail cams to monitor the deer heard in the area I hunt and to make sure I'm only harvesting mature bucks. I'll use google earth and OnX when hunting new areas, gps and phone to monitor my location and mark spots of interest etc. I also try to do a lot of my hunting old school, just a rifle in hand, some mouth calls, a pack with essentials and off I go. I love the adventure of the unknown and never knowing what's over the next hill or what I'll run into. Technology definitely takes away some of that adventure for me.
 
Duane Diefenbach has said on southern outdoor podcast even in his high fence deer sanctuary with cameras everywhere, protein feeders, corn feeders, and stands with people darting and collaring deer Monday to Friday, they regularly have bucks go unseen a full year or longer.

The collars can be remotely dropped before the battery dies, but the person needs to be within 200 yards. Even with coordinates and a transmitter it’s not unusual for it to take a week or more to get within 200yards to be able to drop that collar, often without ever actually seeing, or hearing that deer.
 
double click.

Another point may be location dependent. I could see it being a bit different in prairies, especially with a drone.
 
For me, I use trail camera's and they're fun and interesting to see what comes up obviously, I like to use them really just to see if say for deer, they are really using that path and how often, but when the cell service ones came in, that's where I drew the line... now that it's taking me out of the bush.
 
jbmauser said:
I use a lot of trail cams to monitor the deer heard in the area I hunt and to make sure I'm only harvesting mature bucks. I'll use google earth and OnX when hunting new areas, gps and phone to monitor my location and mark spots of interest etc. I also try to do a lot of my hunting old school, just a rifle in hand, some mouth calls, a pack with essentials and off I go. I love the adventure of the unknown and never knowing what's over the next hill or what I'll run into. Technology definitely takes away some of that adventure for me.
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We're pretty similar in approach. I set a lot of SD card trail cams in the remote area I hunt to monitor mature buck populations and just see cool things in general. I don't like cell cams (minimal service there anyway) from an ethical perspective (just my opinion) and thus don't use. I'm a digital mapping geek myself as well. But also admit that both of these things do remove a bit of the "adventure".
Dogleg said:
Its all things you have to decide for yourself. If something bothers you, or it isn’t fun you’ll be a lot happier if you don’t do it. Pretty simple reallly.
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Largely agree. Some technology could arguably have negative impacts overall in terms of suppressing game populations through higher harvest rates - which obviously impacts everyone. But your larger point about being happy with your own choices is an important one.
 
buckchaser said:
https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podca...point-nmo-part-2/id1059853765?i=1000739895481

The latest Beyond the Kill podcast is an excellent conversation around the complexities of technology and hunting. This is something I've been increasingly thinking about in recent years. The last decade has brought a virtual tsunami of new/enhanced technologies - cellular/live streaming trail cams, drones, integrated ballistics programming, long range laser rangefinders, powerful GPS mapping tools, near instant backcountry communication devices, stabilized optics, "smart" scopes, etc.

Obviously technology has been in continual evolution since the beginning of our species. We started throwing rocks and we now shoot high powered rifles. But it seems to me the flood of recent technologies seems to have reached a bit of a "tipping point" in my mind at least.

By its very nature, hunting has a visceral connectivity between the hunter, wild places, and wild animals. As our experiences are increasingly filtered through and curated by technology, something is lost.

There's also no denying that these technologies do represent an "Easy Button" of sorts. You can now be less skilled and more successful. It makes for more efficient killers. Whether or not that also translates into better "hunters" is food for thought.

I'm not looking to be an evangelist on the topic. But I do strongly feel that all hunters would benefit from from some deep reflection around the growing influence of technology in hunting and some of the unintended consequences stemming from. Having a listen to this podcast is a good start.
Click to expand...
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Interesting views on the subject of tech and hunting. I hunted old whitetail school, and some years got skunked. I've skipped a couple of years now,but might suit up one last time, more for nostalgia than actually looking for a deer. I carry my phone everywhere and get lots of use out of it, so I guess I'm a tech hound, but not in hunting.
 
I started crossbow hunting for the first time this season and as I was using my rangefinder I was pondering what hunting must have been like for a bow hunter before these things were invented.
A lot of modern tech is pretty cool but really things like game cameras just take the place of actually spending time searching an area for sign which for those with tight work/family schedules who love hunting but can't be out there constantly scouting, I think the game cameras are kinda cool. I don't personally own any and still manage to do okay with finding areas with animals present most of the time. Some guys are after very specific animals and in those cases, the game cameras really become an innvaluable tool for patterning big bucks. I really have no issue with folks using them. Drones I can see why there are regulations that don't permit thier use for hunting and for the most part agree with them though i'll admit to wishing i had one on more than one elk or moose hunt :ROFLMAO:
I am really liking the GPS navigation technology in units like the Garmin Montana series and others that are similar. Topography features on a digital device and the ability to hit an SOS button in an emergency..... every backcountry user should have a similar device.
Haven't really checked out the evolution of optics and am fine with a decent crosshair or an illumited reticle..... beyond that, I don't think the average hunter "ups thier game" by buying into all the "enhanced" optics that are popping up in the market.
 
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