Hunting and fishing have changed. There was a time when we were limited to how we hunted and fished by the gear and technology we had.
When I was a kid, the Maryland Trout Unlimited sponsored a fishing derby. The location was an old stone pond in Druid Hill Park, in Baltimore City. Ironically, these ponds were once part of a state trout hatchery that was spring fed. For this derby, the club stocked Channel Catfish.
For tackle, we used cane poles, bobbers, and worms. The school of cats stayed in the pond’s center, but if you could swing out the bobber into the school, the bite was on. That was the way we fished when we were kids. We needed to get close, use camo, and limit movement. We had to learn how to fish!
One club member could not master a cane pole. Instead, he grabbed a new spinning rod from his trunk and began to show off. Sure, the show off could catch more fish, faster, but was he an ethical sportsman? The club president made him put the technology back into his car. The derby kids did not need more advanced gear. We were doing fine with our cane poles.
Technology has evolved and overwhelmed our sport. Iron sights on a gun have been taken over by high powered scopes. Ammunition can exceed the ranges that we can see. Optics can see critters from a mile away. We no longer have to “Hunt”. Stalking, still hunting, and using learned skills have been eliminated. Why stalk a bull elk when I can shoot him at 1,000 yards?
Anglers now use depth/fish finders that see underwater. An arsenal of lures, spinners, plugs, hooks, jigs, and so much more keeps our sporting good stores in business. There are so many fly patterns that you need to become an entomologist to make a simple choice.
Hunting and Fishing have become easier and perhaps no longer Fair Chase. Many sports agree and find ways to challenge themselves. Great hunters and anglers evolve.
Once hunters and anglers have begun to have success, they start to create Self Imposed Limits on their equipment or methods. Here are some examples.
HUNTERS
Rifle hunters learn to shoot primitive weapons. They learn to shoot a bow and arrow. Muzzle loading weapons or single shot rifles take place of the multi clips modern rifles.
ANGLERS
Vintage gear makes the sport more challenging. Returning to fly fishing, cane poles, Spey Rods, or sight fishing means new learned skills are needed.
Learn a new style or technique. Fly Fishing is challenging and rewarding. It requires a casting rod that throws a line not a lure. The entire method is opposite from spin fishing.
So how does limiting yourself make Hunting and Fishing Better?
There is not just one right way to do things. There is not just one thing that will make you become a better Hunter or Angler. The one thing is that there is not just one thing. The best part of our sports is the process and learning. We are hunters and gatherers by nature. Being an ethical and skilled hunter and Gatherer is what is the most fun.
It’s not just getting a limit, it’s how you got it!
Montana Grant
