Global Sports: Today's Modern Bowhunting Gear

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Today's Modern Bowhunting Gear

By Frank Burns


The old days are no more; no longer do we hurl pieces of sharpened rock on the ends of tree branches at animals using wood bows with strings made of hair. Technology has invaded bowhunting. Now we have fast shooting compound bows, arrows made of carbon fiber, automatically opening broad heads, and a plethora of other high tech gizmos, all of which are common for the bowhunters of today. Not surprisingly, the way we hunt has improved over the years as well. Instead of riding headlong into a herd and shooting when beside the animal, we have adapted a better way.

Now we perch high in the treetops, concealing our scents, our motions, and our very bodies. We make sounds to draw in our prey instead of going to it. When we do well, we are the epitome of death from above; we slowly come down from our elevated platform feeling the identical elation that our ancient fathers did so long ago.

One of the technological advancements of the modern hunting era is the trail camera. This hi tech gadget allows hunters to observe the field from afar by capturing pictures of the animal movements in the area. Many hunters utilize trail cameras to isolate the movements of a certain deer. This technology has improved to the point where film is no longer required. The hunting trade has adopted digital photograph tech into the trail camera. Some of these cameras actually serve dual purposes in their ability to capture images at night. Hunters can gather their photos on a laptop instead of walking to each camera to gather the photos, allowing the area to remain undisturbed by human activity.

Camouflage clothing has entered the high tech arena as well. Now, digitally rendered photos of plants and trees are stamped with such definition, saturation, and accuracy that hunters become indiscernible from the surroundings. The latest advancements in HD photography have enabled some camouflage to appear 3D.

Even ground blinds have gotten in on the camouflage train when it comes to patterns and designs. Gone are the days of the tiger strip versus woodland camo patterns. Today's bowhunters can be decked out in the latest 3D high def digitally rendered patterns that have been trademarked by certain companies.
In the past, hunters had to brave the elements as well as the insect population. Today, hunters have access to gear that helps repel the biting insects, like mosquitoes, without the chemical smells that would spook their prey. Scent control has permeated the world of today's bowhunting gear. So indelible has it made its mark, that hunters easily spend thousands of dollars trying to get the latest and greatest cover scent and scent absorbing clothing, repellants, and blinds in order to give them a better chance of harvesting that monster buck they have dreamed about for years.

There is an old saying that goes something like this, "The hard work only starts after you kill the deer." Well, technological advancement has even changed this a bit. It is still hard work, but now you can buy a gadget that will help you find blood in the dark. It used to be that you had to wait until the next day if you lost light while tracking your deer. Today, you simply get out your blood tracking light and keep on going. Blood tracking lights cause body fluids, like blood, to appear to glow, thus helping to successfully find your prey.




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