Technology gone amuck...
 

So after shooting my buck on Thursday, and my nephew already having used his Ohio buck tag on a monster, we went doe hunting Friday. He drops me off on the other side of the property. He gives me directions to a stand and off I go. It was a pretty long walk but I got there and found it tucked away in an inside corner of a cut cornfield with a grown uppasture on the other side of the hedgerow.. I settle in about 20 feet up and wait for daylight. I saw a couple does out in the corn but too far. Then I saw a real nice buck chasing a real nice doe but again too far.

I had taken my brothers Garmin GPS Rhino and mine so my nephew and I could talk. Well, we talk and tell each other what's going on. A while later I hear a crash, bang, and silence off towards my nephews location. I didn't know exactly where he was but the general area. I call him, no answer. I call again.... still no answer. I said into the radio, if you don't answer I'm on the way to your location. HE didn't answer. Now I'm paniced and climb down and storm off through the Thorns of Ohio. For those that don't know, the Rhino GPS/Radio will update your location to anyone on your frequency whenever you key the radio mic. So I have the location and pop out of a snarl, look up and there's my nephew fine and dandy sitting in his tree. Some where in the mist of all this one of our radios ceased to function properly. Either he's not tranmitting or I'm not recieving.HE could hear everything I said, but I couldn't hear his reply. I'll dig out an old radio tomorrow and find out which it is. But anyway, $600 worth of toys ended a hunt prematurely. That really suck. However, it's good to know you can get somewhere you've never been with no trouble.

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

Good to hear it wasnt what you expected to find.

I am currently looking into GPS/walkie talkies for our Alaska trip this August. Now you have me worrying. Will likely save the money and just pack in both walkie talkies and GPS....staying in touch is crucial, especially out in the wilderness.

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

TeEmbry, what are you doing in Alaska? I'm going there the last week in July for a week of fishing.

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

A friend and I are putting together a DIY Kodiak Sitka Blacktail Bowhunt in August. Fly in and dropped off with everything for the 8 day hunt in your pack. I cant wait, we live for adventure and this is the epitome of it. Figured we might as well pull it off while we are still in college, and have the money for it without any major expenses in life yet. We are hoping to squeeze in a day or two of fishing, and will for sure if we tag out early, but with 6 buck tags between us, we will have some work cut out for us in order to do so.:D

I have poured ALOT of hours into research for the trip and nearly have the gear list pegged down. So long as the winter isn't extremely harsh with sustained deep snows, we are heading up. Its about 95% sure at this point. Haven't brought it up much because I want to finalize the plans and get things set in stone this spring first. Ill know 100% on whether we are going or not early this spring.


Where are you going fishing at? I mainly want to go just to experience AK, from everyone who has went, my parents included, it is a place that cant be described without having been there. My friend despises the outdoors, but travels ALOT all around the country, mainly to cities for sporting events...AK was his favorite place ever, hands down.

If your hitting the streams, watch out for the bears. Apparently they are thicker than fisherman trying to cash in on the salmon run.[&:]:D

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

I've had my Garmin Rhino 110 for years now. Most of my hunting buddies have them now too. The ones that don't (with the exception of one) want one or are looking into trading for one. Not sure what caused the problem the poster had but its really nice having one peice of technology that takes the place of two. The only bit of advice I'd give you is don't buy the camo one. One of my buddies bought one left it in the woods. We still haven't found it even though we know the general area he lost it in. The yellow one is easy to find.

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

Be carefull on that trip the bears there are huge and I just heard a story of a hunter getting mauled and his deer stolen. chewed him up real bad but he lived. Take rifles and don't hunt alone. If you've never been to AK its a real experience. And the Brown Bear are SCARY!!!

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

Tembry... we're going to be fishing out of, well we bush fly out of King Salmon.The outfitter we're going with is the same guy that owns the cabins we fish out of here in NY. He moves his operation to Alaska for the summer.4 of the guys we'll be going with have been with him before. It'll be me, my brother, two of his Marine buddies and two of their kids.(one 30ish and the other 13) They carry 12 guages for protection.

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

They arent a real issue in the high alpine where deer are found in early August, they are down around the coast feasting on the salmon run...very rarely are they spotted up high. Meat will be wrapped in bags and sunk in the lake the plane drops us off at, keeps it cool and away from bears noses. Ill pick up some bear spray once in Kodiak, but with that and bows I feel fine.

Guns aren't needed for this trip....now if I was a fisherman, id be armed for WWIII.


Awesome deal on fishing Davidmil, should be awesome...sounds like you have some experienced people to learn off of.

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

Be careful using radio's for hunting in Ohio; it's illegal...

Here is the excerpt from the regulations which can be read at this link. http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/dow/regulations/hunting_general.aspx

"It shall be unlawful to use any device capable of transmitting or receiving a person’s voice to aid in the hunting or taking of deer".

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

If your in Alaska any where you need a gun. A big gun.

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

I'm glad everything was ok In the end being that's main thing but are you nuts spending 600.00 dollars on this stuff???

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

Well I didn't know that.The radio is built into the GPS. Never would have considered that something to be used to aid in the taking of a deer when bowhunting from a tree. Heck, is there anyone these days that doesn't carry a cell phone with them when they go hunting? That would be the same deal. Who would have thought a state that allows XBow hunting would be against a radio to communicate... or a cell phone to call for help? A state that allows you to carry a handgun while bowhunting won't let you call home or call for help? You can't shoot a deer with the firearm, but you can carry it. That seems dumb. I see the thing as a safety item. The GPS updates your partners location if he keys the set. They're against the law but they allow them to be sold in the state. Check out the choices at Bass Pro Shop in Cinncinatti. I'm wondering if you're NOT using it to aid in taking a deer counts?[&:]

When You get to be 65 and over you start to think about things like, "if I have a heart attack or if I break something...how do I get help"?

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

David,
What don't you understand about "...to aid in the hunting or taking of deer." If you're carrying it to use for safety, to call your wife about dinner plans or to inform your hunting partner that you'll meet them back at the truck for lunch it's fine and legal. If you're calling your partner to tell him that there's a deer headed his way and to get ready, that's illegal. Pretty straightforward and simple, same as here in AK, yet we seem to see guys getting pinched for it every year.

As far as bear protection here in Kodiak or anywhere else in AK, on the streams while fishing or in the alpine, that's a whole other topic in itself but boy do you guys need some factual info supported by real world experience and not a bunch of bearanoid, ramped up hogwash. Shotguns are for birds and deer, pepper is for seasoning, neither is adequate to stop p.o.'d bears in Alaskan weather. If you feel the need to pack protection pack something that is adequately going to do the job and that is a rifle, or more appropriately, a good case of common sense! Call the local sporting goods guncounter (907-486-4276) guys at ADF&G (486-1880) or USF&W (487-2600) or any bear (not fish) guide in the state and don't ask for what they recommend for Joe Shmoe touron, ask what they carry themselves. If my guide was packing a shotgun for bear defense, I'd look for another guide! He may know fish but he obviously doesn't know bears, nor ballistics.

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

I had a similar experience with my nephew about 5 years ago when he was 18 or 19. We carry our cells and always touch base when we are on the ground usually through a text message.

On this particular event, his battery was goind dead and he was trying to call me and whisper he had deer around him and he would wait until the deer left (he was hunting a transition area from bedding to an alfala field) before coming down. But after about three attempts his phone went completely dead.

I thought the worse, envisioning him having fallen climbing down, and drove like a madman to where he was. Needless to say I was relieved to find out it was only a dead battery.

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

Am I wrong for thinking that carrying a gun at all in the alpine in August isnt a neccesity for protection?

Maybe I just don't fully comprehend how they are, but they don't seem to be one of these man hunting predators out for hunters blood like most people paint them....I guess I'm not "bearanoid", either that or just idiotic.

I don't need people telling me how dangerous a bear CAN be if it attacks you, I realize a 10 ft coke machine sized beastwith 4" claws that can outrun me can be dangerous....

Rob, do I need to wake up and pack a megasized pistol or possibly rifle, or is it a safe bet that I wont even SEE a bear up in the alpine, much less have an encounter.If I do carry it certainly wont be a shotgun, People can survive these blasts from close range, and after thinking about what you said, pepper is a silly idea as well. I would pack a bigger caliber pistol if I felt the neccesity for one, what says you?

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

Exactly... you're at the mercy of the warden. It doesn't say you can call your friend to touch base. It says you can't use it without explanation. Just like a lighted sight pin here in NY. It says you can't have a light that projects toward the animal, yet the warden I ask said he'd write a ticket if you had a light to brighten your pins. Not shining a light toward the animal but that's the deal.

RE: Technology gone amuck...
 

PM sent.