The Sound of Silence

[Doug3006]

I’m seeing more and more ads for Bluetooth speakers for the sportsman. Waterproof and rugged, they allow the sportsman to tote their favorite music along for the adventure. Like so much of modernity, this whole concept is lost on me.

Presumably, music aficionados aren’t blasting their jams while sitting in a tree stand or hunkering down in a duck blind. No, I think (hope) that they are listening to music, or sports or whatever before or after the hunt. Although I wouldn’t discount the chance of such dumb assery.

But even pre or post hunt usage seems like a sad loss of the true experience. Chatting with friends and family while you are pulling on your waders. Enjoying a fine whisky, or whiskey, around a crackling camp fire. Hearing Bush Babies. The cacophony of bugs. These sounds are as important to me as anything heard in the field. No music ever performed can compare.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Next week I will lay in a tent and listen to the surf less than a mile away and possibly the pitter-patter of rain on the tent fabric, while I drift off to sleep dreaming of caribou... The only blue tooth I expect to see will be if I am gifted a bear, and he's been hitting the berries.

 

[375Fox]

I think you are making more of it than it is. Some music in the background on the radio was a normal thing in deer camp or fishing camp. Playing from Bluetooth on your phone is just the newest version of that. It doesn’t need to be obnoxious.

 

[wesheltonj]

I have found it does not affect the deer. Before my father died he would take his radio on the blind and listen to football games. 10 feet in the air the deer don’t hear it. I take my phone and blue tooth speaker and listen to tunes while sitting there.

 

[R eight]

Times have changed. When I first started hunting you contacted the property/station/ranch by telegram over OP (out post) radio. Once out of town it was unusual to get AM radio reception except at night. If you were lucky you could hear a crackling weather report. When you were really remote SW (short wave) radio with Radio Australia provided the occasional news.
And I use to dream of one day being wealthy enough to buy a Codan radio with the RFDS frequency.

Now, we have satellite phones ( probably soon to be obsolete) , PLB, GPS with mapping and its all very affordable.

The world has shrunk.

 

[Sideshow]

Times have changed. When I first started hunting you contacted the property/station/ranch by telegram over OP (out post) radio. Once out of town it was unusual to get AM radio reception except at night. If you were lucky you could hear a crackling weather report. When you were really remote SW (short wave) radio with Radio Australia provided the occasional news.
And I use to dream of one day being wealthy enough to buy a Codan radio with the RFDS frequency.

Now, we have satellite phones ( probably soon to be obsolete) , PLB, GPS with mapping and its all very affordable.

The world has shrunk.

Yes the world has shrunk but it doesn’t mean you can’t learn the art of listening to the silence…..or the chewing of leaves…the warning of a bird call…the snap of a branch…..or the fall of a hoof…..you won’t hear that with the background noise of the world in your ear…..to me going hunting is to get away from it all not take it with you.
I may have quoted you, I’m not having a personal dig, just saying for me if it’s a month or an afternoon I’m doing it to get away from the every day grid. I don’t even take a radio fishing. If I’ve got mates with me what’s wrong with plain old conversation we have enough blah blah blah in our everyday lives…

 

[NoStepOnSnek]

Hunting food plots I like to listen to podcasts. Hunting in the woods I like to listen to the woods. Music is good for surf fishing and the skinning shed

 

[steve white]

I think that people who want to play music should ASK PERMISSION FIRST from others in camp, with veto power going to ONE person who objects.

 

[Russ16]

I think that people who want to play music should ASK PERMISSION FIRST from others in camp, with veto power going to ONE person who objects.

This!

If music was turned on in hunting camp even before or after the hunt I would be irritated.

Drives me nuts on the golf course these days. Guys play music without thinking to ask their playing partners if they mind. And don’t get me started on the guys that play it where you can hear it a hole away.

I’m just not a music guy. Hardly ever listen to it anyway. I find it the height of conceit to assume that other people want to hear your choice of music, exotically in a setting that is traditionally quiet.

 

[Doug3006]

Yes the world has shrunk but it doesn’t mean you can’t learn the art of listening to the silence…..or the chewing of leaves…the warning of a bird call…the snap of a branch…..or the fall of a hoof…..you won’t hear that with the background noise of the world in your ear…..to me going hunting is to get away from it all not take it with you.
I may have quoted you, I’m not having a personal dig, just saying for me if it’s a month or an afternoon I’m doing it to get away from the every day grid. I don’t even take a radio fishing. If I’ve got mates with me what’s wrong with plain old conversation we have enough blah blah blah in our everyday lives…

Amen!

 

[Hogpatrol]

Last RSA trip, in my room and out of earshot of anyone else, I had a this unit, a combo battery/speaker and played MP3 tunes.

Amazon.com

In the field, it's whatever nature provides. My deer hunting is now suburban. Sounds are power equipment, kids, high school bands, traffic, sirens, road noise and aircraft.

OT, There were times when music was most welcome. Back before satellite radio and piped in music. droning along at 8000 ft. listening to a southern AM country channel on the ADF was highly enjoyable.

 

[MS 9x56]

The only sound I want to hear while hunting is made by the game I am perusing. Oh yes and that made famous by Simon and Garfunkel “the sounds of silence”.

 

[BJH65]

When in the woods hunting or just recreating I don’t want to listen to music, I want to hear my surroundings. Same while fishing, whether in a boat or not. Hunting on a stand, I may read a little bit sometimes but I enjoy the solitude. I’ve shared a few hunting camps where some friends may listen to some country music in camp after the hunt, it didn’t bother me but 95% of the time I’m hunting alone or camping alone, I prefer the music of the woods plus it’s hardwired in me to be aware of my surroundings which includes listening and music is a distraction to me. Driving from point A to point B, sure, I’ll listen to music on low volume.

 

[Betterinthebush]

There’s a phenomenon, it’s never been given a name, near as I reckon. I call it; Auditory Deprivation Syndrome.

As a society we are so accustomed to constant auditory input. When guys go out deep in the bush, where the silence is deafening, it works on their psyche. The brain (my observed opinion only) doesn’t know how to cope with the silence. So.. the brain, trying to salve the conscious mind, “creates” something familiar. A noise. To calm the conscious mind. It’s different from person to person, but some of the more popular sounds I’ve had clients SWEAR they hear are: music (a stereo), generators seem to be real popular, and most annoying of all, “metal” sounds.

I had a client get fighting mad when I tried to explain to him that his mind was playing tricks on him.

I say, go for it. Mount your ear buds. Listen to your stuff. I quit guiding because nobody was seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling what I tried hard to point out.

We will never live today again. Not as long as we live. I choose to have those moments uninterrupted.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Yep, that is gold medal technocrap dumb assery.

 

[PCC600]

It has never occurred to me to take a music device or TV or lap top hunting ever . And I certainly don’t want to be contactable . I go out for 3 or 4 days on my own and come back . I love the utter solitude whether I’m shooting buff, pigs , deer or fishing . My only group shooting activity is driven pheasant .

 

[Tundra Tiger]

 

[R eight]

Yes the world has shrunk but it doesn’t mean you can’t learn the art of listening to the silence…..or the chewing of leaves…the warning of a bird call…the snap of a branch…..or the fall of a hoof…..you won’t hear that with the background noise of the world in your ear…..to me going hunting is to get away from it all not take it with you.
I may have quoted you, I’m not having a personal dig, just saying for me if it’s a month or an afternoon I’m doing it to get away from the every day grid. I don’t even take a radio fishing. If I’ve got mates with me what’s wrong with plain old conversation we have enough blah blah blah in our everyday lives…

My thoughts are very similar to yours. I never have a radio on except for weather updates. And I love having a GPS and a PLB in my pocket.

But, having those things available, even if I don’t use them, still makes the back country less remote.

 

[BryceM]

My son and I spent a week in a boat this July by ourselves in coastal Alaska. We brought some tunes, and it was enjoyable, but we probably only listened for a few hours during the entire week. It was just the two of us and we certainly never played it loud enough that anyone else on the water could hear it. We could have lived without it. I'll probably take it again next time. Once in a while it was nice.

On long highway drives in Africa, the PH and I will sometimes share our favorite music back and forth for an hour or two. It's nice to listen to the "other side". I'm glad it's generally pretty quiet in camp though. Africa is so incredibly rich in new and fun sounds that it would be a shame to miss it.

I'm looking at a few days in a tree stand this November. Being an "out-West" hunter, this is 100% terra incognita for me. I'm simultaneously looking forward to it, and at the same time wondering if I can sit still for more than 5 minutes. One part of my brain cognitively understands that sitting there for a few hours is obviously the best chance to shoot a nice buck. The other part of my brain will certainly want to get down and blow out everything on the mountain. Guess we'll see. Might welcome some music after a few days. I dunno. Planning on taking a few books, but fumbling with stupid reading glasses is just one more distraction.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

"The other part of my brain will certainly want to get down and blow out everything on the mountain."



Preach it brother!