When I was a kid, I would often grab one dollar, bike up to Bolla’s bait shop across town (was Becker big enough to bike “across”?) and buy three Daredevils. From there, it was a short ride down then Co. Rd. 4 to the “one mile” bridge where I would spend countless hours casting in the Elk River for whatever would bite. On really adventurous days, I’d bike down County Road 23 to the “two mile” and on a rare occasion, I even made it to County Road 11 to try the “three mile”.

Often, the lazy waters of the Elk would provide the chance at a Red Horse or a Northern Pike, the perfect species for a kid because they provided a mighty fight. Other times, I would bike back home without any fish but with some great tales of close encounters with snapping turtles.

Whether or not I caught any fish, I would always go home empty-handed when it came to Daredevils, because between fish stripping the lures off my line and the snagging of branches in the trees lining the river banks, the end of my fishing experience usually coincided with running out of lures.

Thinking back to those times makes me really ponder how much has changed in the world of the great outdoors. I wonder what it would be like if the Elk River was still accessible and fishable. Would the resource be able to support the increase in technology that has permeated every corner of the hunting and fishing market?

How much technology is too much technology when it comes to hunting and fishing?

I’ll admit I am a bit old school and haven’t invested in depth finders that cost thousands of dollars and seemingly mark the exact sizes and locations of fish (how long until the machine also tells us what they are hungry for?). I have also shunned buying motorized decoys for duck hunting and haven’t yet decided to purchase a newer version of my old Vexilar.

Maybe it’s an excuse for not being great at any hunting or fishing activity, but I just prefer to be in the woods, or on the lake, and am less interested in the technology side of things than I am in seeing something cool that nature has to offer.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy catching fish and harvesting a turkey or a deer, etc., but I haven’t been able to fully embrace all of the technological advances that come along.

When it comes to deer hunting, I only now use a muzzleloader. It’s way more of a challenge and I enjoy the peace and solitude of the late season hunt without seeing an army of orange coats in the field.

This year, however, I did make the leap into the 21st century and purchased a trail camera that hooks up to my cell phone. I know they have been around for several years, but I just wasn’t sure how I felt about tracking the every move of wildlife near my stand in real time. It took me a few years, but when enough of my friends were sharing their photos with me, it piqued my interest and I decided to give it a try.

So far, I’m very happy with the decision and it’s not breaking the bank. The camera itself was reasonable and I can get hundreds of pictures sent to my phone for less than $15 a month.  Besides, there’s no contract with the cell company and with the toggle of an online switch, I can turn the camera off and pay nothing.

I still don’t have an answer for how much technology is too much when it comes to fishing and hunting, but I have a feeling that once I have the ability to sit in my driveway and launch my boat drone, that might be the time I call it quits.

If it gets that bad, I’ll grab $20 bucks and head to the megastore to buy one Daredevil. With my luck, I’ll lose it on the first cast.