Sportsman's Blog

I’ve got a secret that might surprise many of my friends who know me best.   Yes, I will admit…when it comes to the latest, greatest, new technology toy for the outdoors it certainly intrigues the hell out of me.   Some of my friends even mistakingly call me “gadget boy,” but I think that is a terrible misnomer.   Sure I like GPS and range finders and pretty much anything else that takes batteries like most people…but lately I have found myself asking…is it really all that necessary?

Perhaps on the heels of the 30th Annual SHOT Show I find myself doing lots of introspection on just what am I getting from the outdoors experience these days.   When I traipse out into the woods is it more fun deer hunting or figuring out how to properly operate all the toys found in my pockets?   It’s a fair question.   When the hunting is slow I easily find myself preoccupied with gadgets I’ve only fooled myself into believing is important to use to score on a deer.   After all, when you’ve shelled out hundred of dollars for equipment it’s only natural to find ways to justify the purchase so that you feel good about things.

I think back to the days when my dad went deer hunting.   With him he carried a beat up old 12–gauge using slugs, a trusty pocket knife, a sandwich in his pocket, and perhaps a thermos of coffee.   That’s it.   He didn’t need scent blocker clothing, electronic deer calls, decoys, range finders, expensive binoculars, an ATV with trailer attached to drag the deer out of the woods…or any of the multitude of other so-called “necessary” deer hunting tools used today.

Same goes for fishing.   The few times I remember going with my dad (he died when I was 10–years old) it was just in a 14–foot boat with a 9.9hp Johnson motor, no flasher, no fancy tackle box equipped with every lure possible, nothing of the such.   Heck, we were lucky if there was some sort of paper lake map…yet we always seemed to catch fish.   Just like my dad always seemed to score on a deer.

Really makes me wonder if we are getting our priorities mixed up today.   Have we fallen into the marketing trap thinking that unless our garages are filled with sportsman-related goodies we really are not outdoorsmen?   Makes you sort of wonder.   We look for gadgets to sight-in our guns for us…to make us comfortable and nearly invisible in the woods…to take the back-breaking strain out of carrying the wild game home…and all the other facets of what makes for the real outdoor experience.

When I was a kid and started fishing for trout in a local stream I used nothing but a small Panther Martin fly spinner with a casting rod.   I remember typically catching 1/2 dozen or more fish each day on that combo.   Yet, as I graduated to be more of a fly fishing purist I learned that there are some snobbish folks along the streams who snub their collective noses at such a elementary piscatorial technique.   Eventually, the day came where it felt almost shameful not to be using a 3 weight fly rod casting some artificial lure depicting the latest insect hatch.   Coincidentally, my attire went from wearing jeans and a t-shirt to expensive waders and a vest equipped to handle any possible situation I could find myself involved in.

Do I catch more fish today…I’ll be honest and admit no way.   Do I have more fun today trout fishing “the right way,” as some folks would have you believe?   Heck no.   So why does it take all those expensive gadgets in my pockets to make my day more successful?   Hmmm….

I know that it probably seems a bit strange that in my last post I was touting some of the latest and greatest new toys found at the SHOT Show…and now I am proclaiming most gear is not that essential.   Truth is…if the gear does not add to your personal safety as a hunter or fisherman why not just leave it at home next time.   In so many ways I feel that many of us are becoming more disconnected with the true spirit of the hunt by bogging ourselves down with unnecessary equipment.   Same holds true with fishing.

Not to mention what kind of an example are we setting for the next generation of hunters and fishermen?   If they mistakingly view all our gadgets as being necessary tools of the outdoors trade the mere cost alone might sway them towards some other recreational activity.   After all, do we want the heritage we cherish in the outdoors to be off-limits to non-participants because we are woefully creating the perception that having and using all this gear is really required?

The whole point of this blog post is to encourage all of us to do some deeper introspection as to what truly makes the outdoor experience for each of us.   I’ll be the first to admit I’ve fallen into the trap of believing I can’t have any fun outdoors without a pocket full of fun little toys.   What a shame.   Really.   Some will surely argue with me but it’s not the equipment that make you a better hunter or angler.   More often than not the equipment becomes a crutch for the lazy sportsman or, at best, a distraction to the user.

Yea, I know we are over a month into the new year but I am declaring another New Year’s resolution, albeit almost six weeks late.   For the duration of this year I am striving to do a better job minimizing how much gear I take with hunting and fishing.   Instead, I plan to focus more on the subtle nuances of each activity and thus hopefully better reconnect with the genuine reason the outdoors is such a fabulous place to be (even when gadget free ).

2008 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Filed under: Fishing, Gear, Hunting, Outdoor Techniques