Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
Posts: 5630

Just thinking about all of the modern equipment we have today vs the things we had in the "good old days". I won't turn a dog loose now without a Garmin collar on them, used to hunt without any way to track dog [ didn't like those days ] and spent a lot of time looking for dogs. Had a excellent little English dog in the late 60's that would tree them coons, but run a deer for hours. Shocking collars then were almost useless and extremely unreliable, never broke that dog. Wish that I had him today with the equipment we got. In short, we have never had it so good as we do today with all this modern equipment. Thanks to all the many many many companies and suppliers that make this possible. Dave

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Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 7056

Has it made us better hunters or has it made us lazy?

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Registered: Feb 2013
Location: Indiana
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We are definitely Lazier.....!!!
Tim

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Clarksville, AR
Posts: 1074

I thought about this very topic as I was posting on the thread about hunting catalogs. If I had to train/adjust on a dog without some of the equipment available today I'm not sure I'd even be able to, and I sure know I wouldn't much want to. I remember standing on top of my dog box with an old beep beep system years ago, discussing with my buddy how much time we wasted driving around looking for dogs in the years before we had one.
Then I remember the first 220 either of us saw, and the same guy telling me " If this thing will hold up, it'll change everything..."
Later as I got to messing with squirrel dogs and fine tuning their handle with the Garmin, I realized I was regularly forgetting my leash at home, and not really even missing it.

Can't wait to see what's next...

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
Posts: 5630

No doubt it's made me lazier, or smarter [ fine line between the 2 ], I use the Garmin to get closer to the trees dogs, so don't have to walk as much as before. NO more running a dog down to correct, just push a button. No more getting up to correct barking dogs in kennels, just put a bark collar on the offender/s. Lazier or smarter, maybe both, just know how much better things are. No more nights holding a compass in my hand navigating back to truck, not knowing what was between me and truck [ map on Garmin shows everything ]. Yelp, guess I have gotten lazier [ smarter ]. Dave

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Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
Posts: 5630

Not just our dogs equipment is better, but our clothing, boots, are better. Goretex coats, pants, and boots keep us cozy and dry. I member the old days, leaky boots, wet pants and wet coats, that made hunting in the rain and snow miserable. Rubber boots froze you to death then, now they have modern insulation that keeps you toasty warm. Yes, things sure are better with this modern equipment. Shucks even guns, I have a couple 22 rifles that weigh just over 2 pounds, don't even know you are carrying them. Remington nylon 66 was the lightest gun back in the day and weighed more than both these rifles. Dave

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Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Clarksville, AR
Posts: 1074

I can remember standing in the White River bottoms as a big kid watching my buddy try to use one of those pin-on compasses, trying to get us back to the truck. He'd look at it, shake his head in disagreement, then shake the compass until it agreed with him and take off walking. It's a small wonder we aren't still down there walking in circles...

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Registered: Jul 2003
Location: East central Illinois.
Posts: 1700

I never built a fire and sat around it while coonhunting, but one of my old hunting buddies use to talk about doing that all the time years ago.
One night I ask him why they built fires all the time. He said they only had 1 pair of shoes, just a leather pair of shoes. Their feet were always cold and wet. They didn't really have hunting clothes either. They drank wine or whiskey sometimes too. Helped them forget about the bad conditions they were dealing with.
We sure have it way better.
Oh yea, the trunk of the car was the dog box.

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
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Compasses are great tools, but require a fair amount of skill to use properly. My drawback to them are they can't show you what's between where you need to go, Garmin maps tell you everything. You can use Garmin maps and hunt like you were raised there maybe better. Lol. Dave

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Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Clarksville, AR
Posts: 1074

Yessir. I've hunted the bottoms south of my house so much I can usually tell you what kind of tree we're walking into before we ever get close. And I know every beaver dam, and every shallow crossing to be found. But the Garmin is the great equalizer. And being able to glance at it during a hunt can be a real advantage.
To the best of my knowledge, I was at the first hunt in which UKC allowed a Garmin to be used, and I was the only one in my cast that night that had one. It was Battle of the Breeds out in Ada, Ok. That night, I was hunting a dog that was a little dry footed and would locate around alot on water. Long story short, the Garmin saved me some minus when my hound was trailing along a lake I could see on on the Garmin, but the guide never mentioned. I knew then that the Garmin would make a huge difference in how we hunt, handle, and evaluate our dogs.

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Registered: Jun 2004
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Posts: 684

I love the safety of having a Garmin on my hound like everyone else but I see so many people who stare at the screen like so many people stare at their phone. I honestly wonder if they even know what their did is doing by actually listening to it.

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Registered: Mar 2017
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Posts: 117

Sometimes I sit in the recliner and put my Garmin in demo mode. Watch my dog work a track like he should until he trees. Bzzzzzzt!!! “Dog has treed quarry.” Smile, tellm good boy and turn it off and go back to sleep. Maybe next update will show eyes on the screen. Then we’ll have it made.

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Registered: Jun 2014
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 3369

I like to connect my Alpha to my computer the day after a hunt. I can see everywhere I went and everywhere my dogs went. Sometimes you can learn something there also.

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
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Having your hunting partners dog on your Garmin let's you drive around and pick them up, as you know exactly where they are. I like that feature, especially hunting in these mountains, it saves a lot of walking in steep ground. Dave

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Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

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Registered: Jun 2006
Location: Newton, North Carolina
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I remember when we didn’t need to charge everything before we went hunting, but the new equipment does make it a lot easier.

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
Posts: 5630

I don't mind the charging, the benefits out weigh the trouble. I just can't imagine hunting without the equipment we have now, guess age makes a difference. I want the shortest and best way to get to my dogs treed. Dave

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Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

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Registered: Nov 2016
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I guess I'm in the minority.Don't have a garmin or any tracking system and won't have one.My dogs come when called.Only advantage I can see to a tracking system is if your dog fell over dead while hunting you could find it.Went hunting with some guys one night last winter.The entire time they stared at the garmin screen. I'm like are you here to hunt or play a video game Not been hunting with them since and won't.Not my style of hunting.Never even used a compass.Never needed one.I have great sense of direction and can find my way though the woods and back to the truck with no problem.I do like my new light better then the coal oil lantern and carbide light though.

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
Posts: 5630

I hunt in the mountains and can navigate without help, but when I go on hunting trios to flat lands, I need a compass or GPS. Walk in deep to a tree walk around tree shining for coon, have no clue how to get back withoutg help. Lol. I think some people overdo the Garmin thing by paying to much attention and not listening to the dogs. Myself, I listen to the dogs, but use the Garmin when needed. Dave

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Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

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Registered: Jan 2017
Location: Rogersville Tennessee
Posts: 37

Yesteryear we had not much technology and plenty hunting ground today we have plenty technology and not nearly the places to hunt !!!!! I kinda liked yesteryear better !!!!! I guess it’s kinda like tradeing tit for tat 😂

Went to breed to ole Hayes one time so ole jimmy guess takes us hunting with some young dogs he was starting the trash breaker he used was a pair of chuck Taylor’s (tennis shoes) tied around his neck.... dogs ran something he didn’t like he would kick off the boots and on with the running shoes and head’em off at the pass ..... lol wouldn’t as easy as pushing a button like now but by goley it worked !!!!!!😜

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
Posts: 5630

Lol. I have gotten to old to run a dog down, thank GOD that I don't have to. Love this modern equipment, but as you said, the hunting places have shrunk. I still have more places to hunt than I can seem to hunt, but logging has ruined a few more places I used to hunt. I always hunt in Virginia as well as Tennessee. Dave

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Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

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Registered: Nov 2016
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Posts: 142

Dave,

I think I can understand how you would need help from a compass or GPS at times.I remember my mom used to say everyone has at least one talent.I guess being able to navigate in the woods without any of that stuff is my talent.It don't matter if its woods I've hunted in before or my first time.Maybe I'm just lucky in that way.That is how those guys I hunted with that one night was.Eyes glued to the Garmin.They would say dog name is over that way x amount of yards.I just thought I can tell the dog is over that way by hearing it bark and guess at how far and usually be close.I also don't own a shocking system and won't.I will admit I am one of those people who have no business having a shocking system.If a dog made me mad or did something wrong.I'd light it up like 10 Christmas trees and hold that button down till battery died.

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Registered: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 684

I would go back to having hunting ground instead of technology in a minute also.

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
Posts: 5630

Sadly, we just don't have the choice, we are stuck with things being the way they are. I am fortunate to have plenty of hunting land and the new technology to hunt with. I have seen large tracts of land clear cut and that makes me sad, it would take 100 years or more for the hardwood trees to get that big again. What's really sad is most of the timber us being shipped to China, where they make veneered furniture and sell back to us. Lots of furniture companies closed down in the states, could not compete with the cheap Chinese labor. Maybe Trump will turn the tide with the tariffs. Dave

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Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

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Registered: May 2008
Location: Gillett, Pa
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my polaris big boss 6x6 is one of my favorites

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Registered: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 684

You’re right Dave, it’ll probably never go back to the way it was. I’m just glad to still have places to hunt.

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