KISS applied to the Modern Hunting World
02-14-2004, 04:38 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 590
KISS applied to the Modern Hunting World
I feel the need to express myself, so here goes. I already know I'm going to get blasted, but I'd like to stir the pot and see what people say.
I think the hunting mags build up the sport like its some sort of rocket science that can only be cracked by spending thousands of bucks on the latest gadgets. It seems to be about spendy shortcuts to get around spending time in the woods learning your animal.
Put it this way, hunting mags are to hunters what fashion mags are to women. Fashion mags prey on women's insecurities to sell clothes, perfume, and makeup. In the same way, hunting mags prey on hunter's insecurities to sell ... well ... clothes, perfume, and makeup! The fashion mags sell garbage like "horizontal stripes make you fat" or "OHMIGOD Cameron Diaz is wearing Skunkee' perfume and you just gotta try it!" Hunting mags do just the same thing.
When, may I ask, is the last time a guy looked at a girl and thought, "Wow, I like her, BUT, she's wearing horizontal stripes and that's just so not in style, so I'm not going to approach HER"? When was the last time a girl's brand of perfume, or mascara, or whatever, was the deciding factor in a guy falling for her. Get real!
By the same token, I suspect we do the same in hunting, obsess over silly details and pour money by the gallon into doubtful remedies because the hunting mags have tapped into our insecurities.
Anyway, I'll close with a list of things I think are overdone:
1) Dozens of variations on deer calls (grunts and tending grunts and estrous doe belches and 24-hours-until-I-go-into-estrous-then-we'll-have-hot-times bleats and on and on). I'm sure they invented four more deer vocalizations while I've been typing this.
2) See #1 and apply it to elk (big bull bugles and little bull bugles and big-bulls-that-still-have-a-little-bull-compex-even-though-they're-really-big bugles). You get the picture.
3) Cover scents. I think a few years ago a deer ran up to his pals and said something like this, "Gee fellas, I just smelled this hunter who had fox urine smeared on his boots." Nobody believed him at first but they soon learned 'twas true. How about this, the guy sitting in a ponderosa pine forest, with his treestand in an 80-foot high ponderosas, and he's hawking a pine scent wafer you pin on your shirt. I actually saw that on a video.
4) Attractant scents. They recently proved that you could pour motor oil in a deer scrape, or pee in it yourself and get an effect equal to any other type of scent.
I'll stop with that, and I know 9 kajillion of you who have sunk bigtime cash into these things are going to blast me, but is there anyone out there who sees my point? Or, am I just this deranged guy on the fringe who just doesn't get it, like the girl wearing horizontal stripes on her blouse?
I think the hunting mags build up the sport like its some sort of rocket science that can only be cracked by spending thousands of bucks on the latest gadgets. It seems to be about spendy shortcuts to get around spending time in the woods learning your animal.
Put it this way, hunting mags are to hunters what fashion mags are to women. Fashion mags prey on women's insecurities to sell clothes, perfume, and makeup. In the same way, hunting mags prey on hunter's insecurities to sell ... well ... clothes, perfume, and makeup! The fashion mags sell garbage like "horizontal stripes make you fat" or "OHMIGOD Cameron Diaz is wearing Skunkee' perfume and you just gotta try it!" Hunting mags do just the same thing.
When, may I ask, is the last time a guy looked at a girl and thought, "Wow, I like her, BUT, she's wearing horizontal stripes and that's just so not in style, so I'm not going to approach HER"? When was the last time a girl's brand of perfume, or mascara, or whatever, was the deciding factor in a guy falling for her. Get real!
By the same token, I suspect we do the same in hunting, obsess over silly details and pour money by the gallon into doubtful remedies because the hunting mags have tapped into our insecurities.
Anyway, I'll close with a list of things I think are overdone:
1) Dozens of variations on deer calls (grunts and tending grunts and estrous doe belches and 24-hours-until-I-go-into-estrous-then-we'll-have-hot-times bleats and on and on). I'm sure they invented four more deer vocalizations while I've been typing this.
2) See #1 and apply it to elk (big bull bugles and little bull bugles and big-bulls-that-still-have-a-little-bull-compex-even-though-they're-really-big bugles). You get the picture.
3) Cover scents. I think a few years ago a deer ran up to his pals and said something like this, "Gee fellas, I just smelled this hunter who had fox urine smeared on his boots." Nobody believed him at first but they soon learned 'twas true. How about this, the guy sitting in a ponderosa pine forest, with his treestand in an 80-foot high ponderosas, and he's hawking a pine scent wafer you pin on your shirt. I actually saw that on a video.
4) Attractant scents. They recently proved that you could pour motor oil in a deer scrape, or pee in it yourself and get an effect equal to any other type of scent.
I'll stop with that, and I know 9 kajillion of you who have sunk bigtime cash into these things are going to blast me, but is there anyone out there who sees my point? Or, am I just this deranged guy on the fringe who just doesn't get it, like the girl wearing horizontal stripes on her blouse?
02-14-2004, 04:51 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Ocean Springs, MS
Posts: 4,103
RE: KISS applied to the Modern Hunting World
I agree. I could go out and put $1000 down for a new bow and shoot it just as well as my PSE. People will get the brand new stuff and pay tons for it, but if they got the cheaper stuff, it would work just as well.
02-14-2004, 04:55 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 5,062
RE: KISS applied to the Modern Hunting World
I think I would have to agree with you on this. we just need to get out in the woods and enjoy, and not think so much about all of that fancy stuff. But thats not saying that I dont go into the woods with most of the things that you talked about, and do all of those fancy thigs to make me more attractive to the deer. LOL [8D]
02-14-2004, 05:00 PM
#4
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: uniontown,pa
Posts: 881
RE: KISS applied to the Modern Hunting World
i tend to agree with you when it comes to hunting shows and some of the mags they are way too commercial ,the bottom line is the almighty dollar ,but you know the old saying if you put a price on it somebody will buy it ,so as long as somebody paying for it somebody will sell it ,heck i remember a few year back while strolling thru a big name sporting good store ,in the aisle right in with the lures and scent was a litle bag of deer poop , i just shook my head and kept on walking ,and i said to myself well anyone who buys that must not know you can get all you want for free out in the woods! i wonder who the fool was that brought that ? or if anyone did !
02-14-2004, 06:34 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Memphis TN USA
Posts: 3,445
RE: KISS applied to the Modern Hunting World
I pretty much agree with you. I have tried this and that but anymore I carry a grunt call and a can call (and I know they work
) as well as my bow and stand. I don't use scents and I don't use scentlok. I do use Scent away spray when it's warm and wash my clothes in scent away and store them in a container with earth scent all year. I am not sure if those things fit into your definition or not. I don't get the magazines because I am too cheap to buy them. But from what I have seen you have pretty much hit the nail on the head. I even fell for the scent lok thing for a while under the same pretence that you have mentioned. I finally realized the kiss method works best for me and my success certainly hasn't been hurt by giving up the scent lok and scents etc. I don't care if my camo matches (in fact I prefer it not to) so long as it's comfortable. If everyone spent more time hunting and scouting and finding new places to hunt and less time worry with gimmicks we would all be more successful. However your post is right on and we are all susceptible to the "hype". Thankfully in my case, I am much less susceptible these days. I have stumbled back into the KISS method (or my version) and I don't foresee it changing in the future.
) as well as my bow and stand. I don't use scents and I don't use scentlok. I do use Scent away spray when it's warm and wash my clothes in scent away and store them in a container with earth scent all year. I am not sure if those things fit into your definition or not. I don't get the magazines because I am too cheap to buy them. But from what I have seen you have pretty much hit the nail on the head. I even fell for the scent lok thing for a while under the same pretence that you have mentioned. I finally realized the kiss method works best for me and my success certainly hasn't been hurt by giving up the scent lok and scents etc. I don't care if my camo matches (in fact I prefer it not to) so long as it's comfortable. If everyone spent more time hunting and scouting and finding new places to hunt and less time worry with gimmicks we would all be more successful. However your post is right on and we are all susceptible to the "hype". Thankfully in my case, I am much less susceptible these days. I have stumbled back into the KISS method (or my version) and I don't foresee it changing in the future.
02-14-2004, 06:43 PM
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Sooner Born, Sooner Bred!!!!!
Posts: 2,297
RE: KISS applied to the Modern Hunting World
I totally disagree! This is the stupidest thing ive ever read on the board!
Just kidden. I totally agree. Thing is, im one of those gadget people. lol. I dont spend kajillions of dollars on EVERYTHING, cause some things are just rediculous. I do like new toys though. Who doesnt? As for having to have something because without it im not going to get a deer this season? Dont think so. Allthough, is a good excuse to go and buy something and justify it.
Just kidden. I totally agree. Thing is, im one of those gadget people. lol. I dont spend kajillions of dollars on EVERYTHING, cause some things are just rediculous. I do like new toys though. Who doesnt? As for having to have something because without it im not going to get a deer this season? Dont think so. Allthough, is a good excuse to go and buy something and justify it.