Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters what is the most important development for Hunters in the last 50 years.

Hell no.

For me, it doesn't matter if I am hunting deer or turkey on my home place in Indiana, chasing mulies or elk here in the Breaks, or traveling to any mountain range in Montana. Google Earth, Bing Maps or any other computer program pm that allows me to see the lay of the ground from the air is by far the biggest advantage to having a successful trip. Printed maps can not even come close to showing you what you will be needing to know about an area. I have friends come from all over the country to hunt and before they come out we can save days and hours of valuable time by "scouting" via
Google Earth. Nothing developed in the last 50 years in the way of range finders,optics,cell phones etc can even come close to that aerial scouting trip, that
Google provides.

yes. Backcountry Navigator and Trimble GPS Hunton my tablet let me switch back and forth between aircraft/sat images and different kinds of maps for the area I'm interested in. Priceless.

For us Westerners one (but probably not the greatest) are the much superior tires for all vehicles now. When I was a kid in NE Wa. St. all we had was HARD lugged bias tires and chains. Now we only use chains when it gets really BAD, but winters aren't what they were in the early 60's. Maybe cause I'm older and drive more carefully it is easier to get out and around but the tire traction is sooo much better. That said I had to have my son drag me out of the field today as the top 1" is slime and a 2WD and highway tires don't cut it, live and learn. Mom didn't call me Muddy for nuthin!

Forgot about that completely Downstream. I think you are right, I use google earth for all my "scouting" of possible trout streams to fish...

Since I primarily hunt in places that tend to be cold and wet, I'd say warm, dry clothes and boots. Or perhaps more accurately, my ability to afford such things was the critical development?

Never owned a good pair of water proof insulated huntng boots until into my 30s. Or any good rain gear until later than that.

Not much call for electronics where and how I hunt most of the time, although I've had a compact 800 yard laser range finder for years.

Acquired topo maps for the areas I generally hunt deer in, many years ago.

As I pointed out in an earlier post, laser rangefinders have affected far more than the ability to determine range. They've resulted in just about all of today's scopes having far more repeatable and accurate adjustments, even if you never turn a turret in the field to change range. Plus, many of today's reticles are far more practical just for shooting at "ordinary" ranges, whether on varmints or big game, even if you don't use a rangefinder.

For ME the most important development in the last 50yrs was being born... I was still 14yrs premature 50yrs ago. Some of you guys are OLD!

OLD is better than DEAD!!!!

I would go along with this. One interesting thing I've noted with all the responses is, a lot depends on what and how you hunt. Lots of guys have named a piece of gear that I don't even use much less find indispensable.

But I'd go with the LRF just because as MD said, it's had a huge ripple effect on a lot of other stuff, especially scopes. But also other stuff like LR bullets. Who even knew what BC was 50 years ago? Who would've thought you could punch some numbers into your phone and get elevation and windage corrections for your specific elevation and atmospheric conditions?



No, it was the WOD!!! Followed closely by spandex......

This is from the Original Post. Also what I'm saying (answering) is subjective.

***I*** can not do without a SCOPE.

AS has been pointed out LRFs have had a tremendous affect on more than 'distance'. In the 70s only high end scopes were dependable (IMO). Overall scope quality has gone thru the roof. Today there are low to moderately priced scopes that aren't too shabby.

I know I'm not alone in THIS. I have an almost 'built in' compass. Only ONCE in my life have I have been lost. This was @ 1971. We didn't have cell phones, gps, or LRFs.

I don't NEED or use a GPS but if I were to go some/many places I WOULD get one and learn how to use it. I know how valuable they are where they're needed.

Before 1994 I could use 'iron' sights. Since then the rear sight is only a blurrrr. So a SCOPE is the most important GEAR to me.

OP, I would say Birth Control.

And I would probably have a B&C whitetail. I had the 270 wby mag but couldnt tell if he was 450 or 550.

Eileen's cook books weren't available 50 years ago, and a great boon to the hunter they are. What use is a rangefinder if you're just going to fry it and pour ketchup on it after you kill it?

If we are talking big game and deer hungting my list would be: Knife first, binoculars second, compass third.

Too many things to list including vehicles, bows, arrows, fabrics, powder, bullets, optics, electronics, range finders, packs, internet, etc. BUT I think it has got to be GPS. Satellite communication has also started to make a large impact. YMMV

My nominee is bullet technology. In 1965 it was cup and core and the Nosler Partition.

Now we have reliable controlled expansion bullets from everybody.

A dedicated season for primitive weapons could be argued a significant development for hunters.

Smooth toilet paper!!