WVCritter

I'm guessing most deer hunters get busted by a deer's sense of smell long before they come into sight. I know from experience that a deer don't trust they're eyes near as much as they're nose because I've spooked them going to my stand only to grunt them back in providing they didn't smell me first but once they're nose finds you, they're gone. I don't see any advantage to having a device that will let you know if a deer is nearby unless you're severely impaired and hunting in the dark. On the other hand, binos, range finders, hearing aids, tree stands, various scents, scent killers, grunt tubes, scoped rifles and top of the line archery equipment make us more proficient hunters providing we know how to use them.

Did I have all this equipment when I first started deer hunting? No, but then I was lucky to get 1 deer a season.

Did having all these accessories make me a lazy deer hunter? I don't think so because I still hunt all season long. I just pick and choose my shots now because I have more opportunities.

Tundra10

waste

petasux

You know when I started hunting all I had was a bow, aluminum arrows, and a board nailed into a tree for a stand.Think the bow was a old rond wheel Bear of some sort.The whole set up including lumber for the stands probably wasnt worth 150$.And I killed a lotta deer that way for a long time.

Now it seems like I need 1200$ worth of gear just to walk out the door.But the stands I use now are safer, quieter, and easier to set up, much more portable, and definately more comfortable.I can spend moe time in the field because of these reasons.

My new bow and carbon arrows, and expandable broadheads with all the accessories shoots better, faster, and quieter than anything Ive owned in the past.

Spring till fall is my busy season and Im gone for months on end, I dont have time for scouting and sometimes its a month into season before I ever get to go hunting.But when I do get home if I wanna check out an area I can go out and hang a game camera, it will still be there doing the scouting for me even if I dont get back to check it for a month and a half.

I could go on but honestly in 30 years of deer hunting i have seen all kinds of gizmos and gadgets hit the market, most of em fail and simply dissapear.The ones that last are practical, and usefull.I dont see something that only gives you a 27 yrd warning falling into that catagory but people will buy dumb crap and they will probably make some money for a year or so, then theyll either be forced to improve it or it will dissapear like so many other things have, ultimately the market will decide if its usefull.

3Dpeepsight

Hmmm...wouldn't it pick other animals up too? 27 yards doesn't seem like that much of a warning no matter how deep you are in the woods...but it's their product...I'm not going to knock another mans idea...if it works great...I'll continue to hone my shooting/hunting skills for the time being...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRYFk...e_gdata_player

Nomercy448

Personally, I don't see any advantage really. Even in dense woods, by the time they're within 80ft, either I can see them or I can't, so what good does knowing they're there going to do me?

Basically, what the OP is talking about is that this thing would let him know if a deer is within 80' of him or not, so he knows he has to sit still or not.

Frankly, if I'm in my stand, either the deer are coming close enough to see or they're not, and I'm quiet and still the entire time. It's honestly not even a necessity, as I have stood up to take a leak off the back of my stand with does 20-30yrds away while I was waiting for a buck to come along.

As others have mentioned, there are other advancements that make it much bigger impacts on my hunt than this item ever would.

But let's REALLY consider what this MIGHT mean, and what the ultimate consequence might be...

This is honestly only going to help guys that ALWAYS hunt in cover that is too thick to see deer until they're within 80ft. This is probably about 5% of guys across the nation. But honestly, if you can't see them, you can't shoot them, so the only advantage is early warning, so really, out of those 5%, it's only going to increase their odds of not spooking game by moving at the wrong time (but honestly, I'd assume you have to MOVE to check the stupid device).

So it MIGHT mean that 5% of guys get ONE deer every few years that they would not have seen (or actually would have scared away) if they didn't have the early warning.

One deer difference every few years over 5% of hunters isn't very many, definitely not enough to make a difference in populations.

But what if WAS a game changer, and it DID improve our odds of taking deer?

Deer tags are issued each year based on an allowance of deer management plans. More tags are issued than the state ever thinks will ACTUALLY be harvested, because they know that based on historical performance, a certain percentage of tags will go unfilled.

So say this thing, or any other item out there, increased the percentage likelihood of a hunter filling his tag?

SIMPLE: The state issues less tags.

scribe

I'll be serious now. I have been bowhunting since the 60's and deer hunting in general for 57-years. Much of that tie it was/is my profession. here is what I carry for a half-day hunt. Obviously I would add an iten or two for all day and when elk huntng in the mountains, I have a totally different set of equipment.

Bow or gun with either bullets or arrows
pocket knife
chapstick
rangefinder (sometimes) in pocket
Binos (sometimes) around neck
cell phone turned off in pocket and have never used it.
glasses in pocket
screw-in bow or gun holder hanging from safety harness
water bottle sometimes-in cargo pocket
small camera always- in pocket
wallet with license etc. in pocket
folded paper towel, several sheets in pocket
small notebook and pen in pocket


I wear my safety harness and obviously whatever clothes. All my stands are pre-hung or I carry one in. If I can't get it in my pockets, I don't need it. I'm serious. I never carry a pack for a half-day hunt and seldom do for a full day unless I am going to be walking some distance. In my truck or on an ATV I have a pack with all the field dressing gear, gloves knives etc. I'll go get it if I need it. I can't think of a time I really needed any thing else.

After all, my job is to see game and then kill it if I want. 80% of the stuff you listed is of no value to me in that job. I don't know where you hunt but unless it is out West in open country or the mountains, most of the stuff you carry is useless. Why would you possibly need two binos and spotting scope? I really don't know what a Kesttrel is and only have a vague idea what a pda is so I assume they are not hutning equipment. Get my drift?

Just my opinion. However, in many years of being around hunters from all over the country, I have noticed that most hunters carry far more equipment than they need or can possibly use. Much of it is actually detrimental to being successfull. I actually saw a guy with two (2) space blankets in his pack for a three-hour hunt that involved no more than getting out of the truck and climbing into a shooting house that was 8'X8' complete with an office chair.

When deciding what to take, simply ask yourself, "What do I need...NEED and will really use?".