Smart phone = bad hunting?

[wombat13]

Moderation might be the key.

+1 as with everything else, moderation. For me having the smartphone allows me to divide a 10 hour day hunting into 8 hours of hunting and two hours of dealing with work. Without it my day would be all work, no hunting. Sure it is possible that I might miss an opportunity when I'm dealing with the phone, but I would have no opportunities on that day without it.

As far as texting goes, I just don't get it, but that's a whole 'nother thread.

 

[BikerRN]

I take a cell phone with me when I'm hunting but it's turned off.
It's only for dire emergencies where I have to call 911.

BikerRN

 

[cottswald]

Most of my hunting areas are out of range for cell phones. --Just as well.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Same here...There's no cell service in my hunting spots.

 

[countertop]

Smart Phones = Fantastic for hunting, if by hunting you mean actually in the field and not in the office. I routinely do staff conference calls from my duck blind Monday mornings, did a presentation to our board of directors from it once (muting and unmuting as needed and getting a round of cheers when I failed to unmute and killed some geese); I did a call with Government officials while pheasant hunting hunting last year; and will be reviewing litigation documents on an iPad all weekend from my deer stand.

Without that technology, my opportunities to hunt would be cut 90+%.

So yes, I say smartphones are incredible hunting aids.

 

[Supertac45]

I've never had a cell phone and don't want one.

 

[Art Eatman]

1. Don't have a cell phone.

2. Don't particularly want a cell phone.

3. What other folks do is none of my business.

 

[Rob96]

I find the smartphone very usefule when out hunting. Most useful app I have found to use is the weather app with the doppler radar. Also find it useful when otu hunting with a friend, instead of usinf portable radios we just text. Phone is always set to silent before getting out of the truck.

 

[der Teufel]

What I'd like to see ...

I wonder if the feeder manufacturers have thought about putting a bluetooth or 802.11 feature in a deer feeder? With an appropriate iPhone or Android app you could then easily program the feeder. Range might be a problem, but while actually hunting one could even use a smart phone as a remote to trigger an extra feed release to draw game in. Perhaps one could even have the ability to trigger lights on or off, or who knows what?

Better minds than mine could probably come up with additional useful features.

Or has this already been done and I'm just behind the times?

 

[TxPhantom]

Most of the time when I'm in a blind my cell phone is out of range of any towers. It's just as well, I go out to get away from all the modern crap that boggs us down all the time in the city. I love the sounds and sights of nature. Mellows me out, gives me time to reflect, and at the same time sharpens my senses.
I know too many people that just can't resist talking or pecking on their cell phones no matter where they are or who they are with. We spend way too much time yapping on phones or watching silly TV shows, IMHO.
I do take my Midland walky talkys just to communicate with other hunting partners only when needed.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I'm not much of a smart phone guy myself, but I do have things to pass the time in the stand. I've been known to check the scores on my phone, and my brother and nephews and I are always texting, on silent of course. Just last week I read about half of John Grisham's "The Rainmaker" while in a stand. I'm in a wooded area with lots of leaves on the ground. I can hear em coming in time to get ready.

 

[BigN]

I have both an Iphone and a handheld Garmin gps in the stand. It does help pass the time and the camera in the phone keeps me from having to carry a camera. I wear a set of electronic earmuffs so I really don't have to watch all that much because I can hear anything that is nearby. I also use an electronic call so, yes, I do love electronics and they make everything just a bit more easy and convenient and do not detract from the "wildlife experience" as someone mentioned.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

During daylight hours, I surf with my smart phone while in the stand. I tried the whole stalking thing, but it got in the way of surfing.

Personally, there is only so long that I can sit and what trees and animals that are not my intended prey before the process gets overly boring. Something that cuts the boredom is a good thing. Nature is not always exciting and I would miss a lot more being asleep than reading a book or reading THR on the internet.

One very big benefit of being able to surf in the stand is keeping an eye on storms moving into my area via weather radar and know if a storm that pops up is just a small, isolated cell that will pass by in short order or the front of a new line of major storms that has form. I also can determine if storms headed in my direction look like they will pass me by or not.

 

[lizziedog1]

No GPS?

The phone stuff I can take or leave. But for me, a GPS is a God-send.

I have a lousy sense of direction. I keep my lawn mowed so I can find my way back to the house, and I live on city-sized lot.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

The phone stuff I can take or leave. But for me, a GPS is a God-send.

I have a lousy sense of direction. I keep my lawn mowed so I can find my way back to the house, and I live on city-sized lot.

I would wager that most hunters in my area really don't have much need for GPS. Most people around here have been hunting the same woods for 20+ years and know it as well as their own backyard. Also, at least on my lease, you're never that far from a road or trail.

I can see the need if you're hunting an unfamiliar area or an area that's very sparsly populated where there is a lot of wilderness though.

 

[BBQLS1]

Proof that it is!

Saturday I got caught with my pants down. I put my bow down and decided to read. I didn't think they would come from down wind, but she did. I couldn't grab my bow without spooking her, so I flashed her with my camera phone. It got her attention as the flash went off 4 times, but she didn't run.



This one was from behind my thermacell. Spooky Doe is spooky! :Ohnoes:






I really just enjoy getting out there and being away from everything. I tend to use my phone to read books. I was reading a bio on Daniel Boone at the time she showed up.

BTW, I both hunt stands and stalk.... I just do what it is I feel like doing that day.

 

[VT Deer Hunter]

We have no electronics when we hunt except, a 2 way radio, camera, gps possibly and thats it for that stuff.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

If that is what you consider to be no electronics, I would hate to see what you consider to be a lot of electronics, LOL.

 

[Jeffhole]

I wonder if the feeder manufacturers have thought about putting a bluetooth or 802.11 feature in a deer feeder? With an appropriate iPhone or Android app you could then easily program the feeder. Range might be a problem, but while actually hunting one could even use a smart phone as a remote to trigger an extra feed release to draw game in. Perhaps one could even have the ability to trigger lights on or off, or who knows what?

Better minds than mine could probably come up with additional useful features.

Or has this already been done and I'm just behind the times?

That could turn into a fun do-it-yourself project. Rather than bluetooth (like you said, range would be an issue), it would be more effective to slap a CDMA modem and prepid SIM card together withan Arduino board and then you could just text your feeder to activate it. And it wouldn't be too big a step after that to be able to text it and have it play your attraction calls of choice through speakers. You could build tons of functionality into it at a surprisingly minimal cost.

 

[Art Eatman]

You put in some ten or twelve miles on a hunt in this country, and even an extra Kleenex gets heavy. Forget a bunch of electronic toys.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=11432&d=1078669635

This is from "Top of the World", looking down Red Rock Valley toward my hunt camp, four miles away. Chisos Mountains on the horizon.

 

[ritepath]

I update facebook with uploads of pics around the stand....mess around with google earth and the surrounding terrain to scope out areas nearby to move to.

I scouted a new area with my neighbor yesterday...we walked 5.3 miles and I found a 3 or 4 new stands, I marked them all on my phone.

I can text my hunting partner and ask if there's anything moving in his area, and decide if it's time to start kicking deer up instead of sitting and finishing off the last 4 levels of angry birds.


My phone weighs a lot less than my 45 so I don't mind packing another 6oz.

 

[dragon813gt]

I'm able to hunt close to home for the first time. So Saturday was the first time I had reception while hunting. I spent most of the time in the stand playing with my phone. I set up some trail cams today so hopefully my time in the stand will be minimized over the next few weeks. I really didn't like having the phone with me. But it's a necessity when being close to home.


Brought to you by TapaTalk.

 

[SavageManAntonio]

I will not ever use it again until after a hunt is over. I made a mistake once and will never do it again. I moved while in a ground blind to put it back in my pocket and looked up to see a deer staring at me. If I hadn't been distracted by it I might have seen her sooner and not moved at the wrong time. Besides, hunting is a time to get away from all that crap, relax and enjoy the outdoors.

 

[SavageManAntonio]

Not to mention, GPS? Really? I have to imagine that with a simple compass (Army standard one is only maybe $40.00) anyone should be able to find their way. I carry one to use to help me get out of the woods in the dark - if I am hunting in a dense spot. I will never use a GPS unless I was in a very unfamiliar place. Usually this is not the case for most hunters that hunt in the same place every year or scout before the season.

 

[countertop]

Another great reason to have a smart phone with you (in addition to the fact that I am working and don't have to take the day off from work ) is that I can check the pics on my game cameras while out in the field.



And then, based on those pictures I can place my stands and I can also take, and make diagrams of my hunting area from the stand. Like this one, which shows historic patterns at a new stand I just put up this last weekend and then I can share this with folks in our club to have in the field.