Jimmy I don't think you are in the minority, just on the lower half of the hunters. You sound a lot like me. When I first started hunting your clothes consisted of jeans, flannel shirt, long johns if needed and a fatigue jacket if it was real cold. No one used scopes, calls and scents or scent blockers were unheard of! We killed tons of deer! Last year was the first year I ever used a call(I hate to say it, but I should have used one before)and the first year I ever used a lure scent(jury is still out on this).

I got my first camo this past turkey season(my first)and will probably use it during bow season this year. BTW I do shoot a compound bow that is over 20 years old, nothing fancy, pin sights and quiver. I will be trying mechanical broadheads for the first time this year. My main gun is a model 94 with iron sights, I will be going black powder this year for the first time and my smokepole does have a scope, but the only reason it does is because it had one when I bought it, I do not like scopes and if I have a problem with it I will pitch it. I am from the old school and have killed my share of deer, some of the new stuff is good, most of it is marketing!!!!

Treestands is one road I have not taken yet, I do build wood stands in long term hot spots though, otherwise I hunt from the ground. I am thinking about building a portable ladder stand for this season though. I am from the old school and still have a hard time trusting my life up a tree to a chunk of metal someone else built, I have used a few that were set up on a freinds property he told me I could use, I was nervous the whole time I was in them.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club