If you are impressed by the achievements of past archers, you may consider simplifying your hunting gear like they did.

[caption id="attachment_6633" align="aligncenter" width="250"] If your goal is to simplify your hunting gear you may start in these 3 areas.[/caption] Archery sure has come a long ways over the past few decades. One thing I enjoy in my spare time is looking back into the exploits of archers in our history. Guys like Fred Bear, Saxon Pope, Will Thompson, in addition to Native Americans did some pretty amazing things with a bow and arrow. When you read their story you can't help but be impressed by their accomplishments. Beyond the archery gear these folks toted around just their way in the woods is admirable. None of the above mentioned archers had access to lots of the fancy gear we have today. They got by on much less and still accomplished some great hunting feats, at a time when game was much more scarce than it is today. For an example of what I'm talking about, check out this video of Art Young on a moose hunt. He uses a birch bark moose call, is dressed in buckskins, and floats out of the wilderness in a boat made from the hide of the moose he arrowed. https://youtu.be/3ScriCsKK-o I'd call that simple! If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the hunting gear out there today, and would like to simplify your hunting gear, here are 3 items you can start using today.

Traditional Bows

The fastest way to simplify your hunting gear is to switch to a traditional bow. By eliminating the cams from a bow you immediately make your shooting rig more plain. Whether you choose to shoot a traditional crossbow, or a traditional longbow or recurve, you'll find the bows are less hassle, maintenance, and have less moving parts. Some folks are simply absorbed by the simplicity of a traditional bow. They really do provide an entirely different shooting experience. If you do choose to shoot a traditional bow you had better be prepared to practice. Shooting traditionally requires much more practice for proficiency to shoot much shorter ranges. Most guys can only stretch their distance out to about 20 to 25 yards with traditional equipment. When compared with shooters of compound bows that is a substantially shorter. If you are hunting you'll stand a much smaller chance of actually coming home with something when hunting traditionally.

Blinds

Another way to simplify your hunting gear quickly is to switch to camo netting rather than a ground blind or treestand. This netting is inexpensive and can do a nice job offering concealment in a hunting situation. I personally do a lot of hunting from the ground for a variety of reasons. Hunting in this way greatly reduces your odds of success, but can give you a good deal of adaptability and provides some serious adrenaline. Until you get on eye level with your quarry you don't know what you're missing. Once again, if you choose to go simple, by hunting on the ground you'll be making it more difficult on yourself.

Knifework

One final way to quickly simplify your hunting gear is to always carry a good knife and know how you can use it. When you watched the video of Art Young you could see he wasn't overloaded with lots of specialty gear. Today people use all sorts of speciality equipment when in the field like bone saws, gutting knives, skinning knives, game sleds, and the like. That is fine and dandy, but if you are looking for simplicity that speciality gear is working against you. The simple hunter needs to make the most of what they have, and a good knife is a tool you simply can't go without. With one good knife you can perform every chore that requires a cutting tool. From gutting and skinning to splitting firewood, if you know how to use a simple knife you can really avoid bringing a lot of gear. At times all of the high-tech speciality gear makes our lives easier. Whether it is by increasing our odds at coming home with some game, making our hunt more comfortable, or allowing us to more easily handle our quarry, the right tool can be a big help. On the other hand, you might feel like all of that gear is getting too over-the-top for your personal preference. If you want to simplify your hunting gear the 3 aforementioned topics may be a good place to start. NEXT: 3 WAYS YOU CAN START USING CAMO NETTING IN THE OUTDOORS