BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 18, 2022
I can still vividly recall my first deer hunt in 1995. The gear back then was so simple. We had no cellular trail cameras to prove there were actually deer in the woods. No way to identify specific deer, assign them witty nicknames, pinpoint their routine and issue them warrants as “Target Bucks.” No laser range finders to ensure we knew how far potential shots would be. How was success ever found without a digital game call and hunting applications on a cell phone? How did we ever pacify ourselves during a cold afternoon sit? How did we not freeze to death without synthetic base layers, battery-operated socks, and undergarments? There was no digital camo to ensure we would blend in precisely with the given environment. There were no range-finding or red dot optics on rifles, and we even had to carry our binoculars around our necks or in a pack, rather than in a multi-point chest harness. Perhaps it was a closer relationship to the idea of “fair chase.” ~ Chris Sargent