I enjoy hunting, mainly smaller game like rabbits, tree rats, groundhog and turkey. I did deer once or twice, but I really don't like deer meat. Maybe I've just had bad recipes.
When I hunt, I do basic stalk or sit-and-wait-in-the-wee-hours-of-the-morning maneuvers until my prey comes along.
So when I sift through a Cabela's or similar catalog, it bothers me to see some rather unusual gadgets to get the game, like:
- feed bags to put up for deer, so they are attracted to that spot and you know where to find them
- deer scent (For attracting deer or not smelling humand and scaring them away, I'm not sure which)
- those new sonar gadgets that detect fish underwater so you go to that spot
- Decoys. Decoys are borderline with me.
- Animals calls are borderline, too.
and so on.
To me, these gadgets seem to knock the sportsmanship out of hunting. It's not the high-tech uber-rifle with the state-of-the-art scope that can pop a bunny's tail off at a thousand yards - even with the uber-rifle, you still have to find prey that is quick with good eyesight. It's the fact that these gadgets manipulate the prey to such an extent that it takes the "hunting" and "sportsmanship" out of hunting an animal that really isn't that smart.
Where's the "hunting" if you put out a feed bag and wala! There's a deer, right up in the perfect spot with the perfect backstop that you planned. In fact, you had your video camera on a tripod right there so you could capture the moment.
What do you think?
When I hunt, I do basic stalk or sit-and-wait-in-the-wee-hours-of-the-morning maneuvers until my prey comes along.
So when I sift through a Cabela's or similar catalog, it bothers me to see some rather unusual gadgets to get the game, like:
- feed bags to put up for deer, so they are attracted to that spot and you know where to find them
- deer scent (For attracting deer or not smelling humand and scaring them away, I'm not sure which)
- those new sonar gadgets that detect fish underwater so you go to that spot
- Decoys. Decoys are borderline with me.
- Animals calls are borderline, too.
and so on.
To me, these gadgets seem to knock the sportsmanship out of hunting. It's not the high-tech uber-rifle with the state-of-the-art scope that can pop a bunny's tail off at a thousand yards - even with the uber-rifle, you still have to find prey that is quick with good eyesight. It's the fact that these gadgets manipulate the prey to such an extent that it takes the "hunting" and "sportsmanship" out of hunting an animal that really isn't that smart.
Where's the "hunting" if you put out a feed bag and wala! There's a deer, right up in the perfect spot with the perfect backstop that you planned. In fact, you had your video camera on a tripod right there so you could capture the moment.
What do you think?