RE: rediculas
I don't agree with you that it's ridiculous that people can't just hunt on any land they want. Private property is just that, and with the population being so much bigger than when your grandpa was younger, it's just natural that this is toughter than it was.As the years went by from your grandpa's day to now, if any land owner just encountered one Bozo, that would spoil it for everyone coming afterward. It's bound to happen as the years go by, not because people are more Bozo-like now, but eventually as the years go by, we're all likely to encounter one. Does that make sense?
On the other hand, I agree with you that people tend to go overboard with "stuff" whether it be clothes, guns, stands, what have you. I tend to think it's overboard, but I understand - people just like to spend dough on their hobbies, if they have money to spend. On the other hand, I know a lot of very good hunters nowadays who just wear regular clothes (with orange if need-be) and carry a plain jane rifle, shotgun or whatever. No big deal either way to me. I'm in the middle. I bought the essentials to get started. Every year I tend to buy some thing or another that I think will either make hunting more fun, more comfortable, more effective,or easier.
Thing is,three factors were probably in play for your grandpa: first, he probably didn't have a lot of money to spend on it so he just hunted with what he had. Second, there just weren't the products abounding even if he did have the money to spend. For example,the difference in stuff like tree stands between 15 years ago and now - back thenI wouldn't have considered them because they were so crude and hard to use. Spending money on more essential stuff, we took the time andbuilt (and still do) simple to elaborate tree stands. But as the years go by, we find excellent commercial climbing and ladder stands. We think they are more comfortable and SAFER than the tree stands we build. Also, as deer patterns change, they can be moved around, are quicker to set up than nailing a home made stand together and, imho, are much safer year-to-year than a home built tree stand that rots over the summer. In essence, as the years go by, we trade $150 for the hassle of carrying lumber into thewoods, spending time building it, being more comfortable, and not having to worry aboutclimbing upboards nailed into a tree trunk and sitting on a platform that may be rotted from last year. But again, we didn't do this stuff right away, we're kind of "building and inventory of stuff" over the years as it seems to make sense and we can afford it.
Finally,there were about half the people in the country as there are now. Techniques could be simpler because of less pressure,and land owners were more receptive to hunters because they probably knew you (locals), just didn't get that many requests, and hadnt' been burned by a Bozo yet.
Just another point of view.