Cousin gave me my first bow, had to shoot it sideways to keep the limb tip from hitting the ground I was so little. Got my first new bow in 1963, a Bear Kodiak. I made it pretty ruff for any snake, squirrel, rabbit, or pheasant to have a normal life around our place. Killed my first deer in 1967, spine shot with a Kodiak Magnum, emptied my quiver on him and was wearing leather boots, flannel shirt, blue jeans. and a Elmer Fud hat. I've seen the introduction of grunt calls, glass/carbon arrows, compounds, Quality Camo, mechanical releases, rests, broadheads, trail timers, trail cameras and so on, no better time to be a bowhunter than now. And its not just equipment, the access of knowledge in Bowhunting in general is so much easier to acquire thanks to guys like Tod and Justin for having the foresight to start these websites. Now Field smarts is another story, still got to get that from the field.
Access to information is, in my opinion, the single biggest advantage that today's bowhunter has over the generations that have come before us. We are able to learn and share information in seconds that once took years of experience, and the right group of friends, to figure out. As a kid, I never heard my dad or his buddies talking about core bedding areas, pinch points, or which type of food plot see they should plant for maximum protein generation. Out of sheer necessity, they may have been better woodsman than many modern hunters, but the lack of information about how a whitetail's world works put them at a massive disadvantage when it comes to filling tags on big bucks. Although I would wager their experiences may have been more fulfilling.
very profound statement. there is very little to ponder these days.. plus, deer are far more plentiful today than when I began hunting.. and to take a deer was awesome. there was no passing on deer that I know of...not saying it's bad, but just stating the differences. yeh, funnels, pinch points, core areas...those were not terms thrown around back when I began hunting. some hardcore dudes knew it, but didn't name it. I can say that hanging a lock on and climbing a tree with my 70# hoyt raider, with a 3" overdraw, xx75 eastons, 125 gr thunderheads and and prayer to see a deer was in hindsight a beautiful thing
I am only 20 so I started off with a compound and the trail cameras and lock ons. But my best hunting partner is my grandfather. I have hunted with him since I can remember. He is in his 70’s so he’s slowing down now although I make sure to go out with him as much as possible while I still can. I love to listen to his stories and memories from back in his day with all the old equipment. So I sure do have a lot of respect for those from that time! I thank him all all of you for preserving hunting and showing your love for it so now I can appreciate hunting so much and have such a passion for it! Hillview Hunt Club
And this is the kind of young man that brings a smile to my face and brings me some peace...well said my friend..
