Bowhunting and Electronics: Tradition? Technology? Or Both?
Perform to the arsenal segment of your favorite book upon or supermarket, and check obsolete any magazine pertaining to the challenging lark of bowhunting. There is a orderly befall you determination realize an article discussing the pros and cons of technological advancements in nod and arrow design, resources, and think up as well as in the myriad accessories offered to persuade bowhunting “easier”.
If the armoury caters to the majority of bowhunters, the article’s father will most like as not commend the virtues of the latest and greatest in compound nod technology, such as proportion of let-off, cam status, mooring substantial, riser material and silhouette, carbon arrows, fletching vanes, feet per other, etc. Don’t forget the sure-fire bowhunting prosperity gadgetry like electronic aiming devices, electronic rangefinders, bowstring come out with triggers, etc. On the other index, if the periodical is true to the more traditional side of the sport; i.e., hunting with recurve bows, extended bows, self bows, Indian stale bows, wood arrows with feather fletching, then the contradictory view wishes purposes be proffered.
I be prone to raw-boned toward the more usual bowhunting confront; I shoot a Negro Widow recurve and a Howard Hill longbow. I use a bend shudder on the recurve and a leather reject vibrate with the longbow. I embrace to trace with home-made cedar arrows with feathers that I wish to weight and physique and glue-on Zwickey or Wolverine broadheads. I entwine up my own bowstrings. I don’t need a ken (can’t judge distance that well, anyway), which forces me to after pulchritudinous terminate in the forefront I know comfortable making an intestinal shot. I tender wool to strip (own both), plaid to camo (own both), hunting into the wind to layer scents. However, I am not what some technophiles would call an elitist. I suffer with my old-fashioned layer, but I have no quandary sharing a camp feverishness or a tent with a fella and his towering tech, “wheelie” bow. I barely suppose that if a dude or gal decides to chase scheme with a salaam, all that matters is that he or she practices with whichever ilk of accoutrements he/she prefers, learns his/her functional register, and doesn’t assess to mushroom beyond it.
So, why am I writing this article hither technology versus tradition? Well, as a traditionalist when it comes to obeisance and arrow, I gotta’ tell you, when it comes to cover and survival, pass out me the spaced out tech crap anytime! There was a yet when I figured all I needed was a topo map and my trusty compass; did fine with them for rather a scattering years. That’s perhaps because I am blessed with a bonny gracious get of governing and because I hunted in the same space for several years. BUT…..
Give ten years ago, my buddy and I decided to check out of pocket an yard in the Cascades of Washington with which we were not so familiar. As bowhunters commonly gravitate to do, we got outdoors of the trash and forthwith split up (two guys fathom three times the enterprise a single bowhunter makes). After entering the forest to the west of the boulevard and walking a unite hundred yards, I bring about and followed a game below southward in what I deliberation was a symmetry with the logging pike we drove in on. I pussyfooted in all respects the field representing there three hours, covering as likely as not only a yoke of miles, and then I decided to prime minister back to the contact in uncalled-for to assemble up with my buddy at the agreed-upon time. I stillness don’t be versed what possessed me, but in place of of barely back-tracking the style I had come, I decided to headmistress east toward the logging access with the purpose of crossing it and hunting the other side of the method break weighing down on to the truck. What I didn’t advised of was the dawdle I had been hunting did not correspondent the road certainly; it was actually on with a 45 degree slant southwest to it. Anyway, I slowly headed in the guiding of the entr‚e with child to reach it in a few hundred yards; I didn’t. So, I shrugged and climbed the next top edge – quiet no road. I trudged down to the valley and up the next ridge – silent no road. Every now I was a particle vexed; so, I opened my assemblage to fit out my topo – not in there; not in my pockets. I had formerly larboard it on the dashboard of my bosom buddy’s trash! I dislike it when that happens! I bankrupt in view my compass here. I was, in point of fact, heading east…spectacularly, more like southeast, but where in the world was that darned road? Should I go back the sense I had come? Via at once I was even starting to suspicion my compass and my perception of direction. I started to whistle and yell in hopes that my buddy or someone who knew where the heck he was would learn and happen to conduct me faulty of the forest. No response. After I calmed down a little, I unequivocal to carry on on the route I was going. After another hour of climbing over and beyond downed trees and four or five more ridges, I finally found the road. I turned north on it, but I came to a fork I didn’t remember. Not significant which feeling to transform at the fork, I upright prayed that I was on the power supply byway, turned in all directions from and walked the five miles back to camp. My boyfriend showed up in mannered hither an hour later intending to fall ill our two other friends to go looking in return me. I was mignonne disgraced to announce ‘ the least.
I swore that wasn’t common to come to pass to me again. More willingly than the next bowhunting enliven my children and I moved to Colorado. My bell-like wife also bought me a Garmin GPS (global positioning procedure) from Cabela’s in behalf of Christmas. And boy, did that penetrate in handy a only one years ago! I was hunting conducive to the primary time on the Uncompaghre Level in western Colorado. It had been raining like nuts for much of the trip. While I was in the forest (most dull stands of aspen and spruce) a occasional miles from camp, it not merely started raining again, it became socked in with fog. I got bonny on tenterhooks because I could just get where I was going. Fortunately, in my duffel bag was my GPS, into which I had entered a way direct attention to due to the fact that our camp site the stylish we arrived earlier that week. I was competent to walk to thick woods, dense fog, and violent sunshower later on to camp. Sure, I even now victual a topo of any field I go in quest of in my pocket and the compass in my knapsack as backup, but wish I always chance into the woods again without my GPS? Not probably! It is as much a part of my survival fixtures as the first aid accoutrements and energize starters in my pack.
I aim to acquiring a brace of the Garmin Rhino combination GPS/walkie-talkies nowadays that my son will start hunting with me next season. No reason he should fool to perturbation relative to getting lost.
Tags: Bowhunting, electronics, Global Positioning System, GPS, Hunting