What makes or breaks certain hunters?

[DanielT]

I think its all about luck, right place right time. I have been dedicated. Passion does not make you successful hunter. I basically had 63 acres to myself until last year, i had to start all over learning.
I gave up this year for a couple reason but i have still gone out a couple times just at a chance on property i don't know at all.
I think this will be my sixth year i haven't got a deer :-/
I have a couple stashed hearts in the freezer i will be able to enjoy

Never said passion makes you a successful Hunter
the subject is make-or-break the Hunter I believe if you have more passion than others you have a further Breaking Point that's all

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[adkhunter71]

Time, determination, and the willingness to go to where the deer are.  Too many people, myself included, fall into a rut when it comes to hunting the same stands and locations year after year.  My buddy is the best hunter that I have ever seen and he is always on the move trying to find the freshest sign available.  Once he finds it, he hunts it.  He either kills a buck at that spot within a few sits or still hunts, or is off to find a new spot.  He is always mobile.  He also has an uncanny ability to think like a big buck, but I think that that comes with time and experience.

[DanielT]

I have 40 acres...deer early in season...none midway through...I am now scouting state land every other day...not ready to give up yet....
I don't need to harvest an animal to be content....just love the woods that much...I don't really have a breaking point in sight
But in turn can totally see with other people lives and situations...there is a limit inside everyone...
Giving up for the year doesn't mean your a bad hunter...it means your an honest hunter and you know your limits...too bad everyone doesn't have that control

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[NFA-ADK]

I have several friends who get deer every year from the same location, are they successful yes but are they good hunters?  If shooting a 8pt or better makes them good hunters yes they are great.  Take these hunters off their land and all of a sudden they have no clue!  Location alone can make a person a good hunter, simply due to the fact that the area has high population and they are on the main runway or pinch point.  Try not to base success on what other hunters do or get.  We have a big buck hunter at one of my clubs that gets a monster every year, he also feeds them!  Take certain things with a grain of salt! 

[NFA-ADK]

How much time they have to spend on the sport makes a difference.   Most of my friends simply do no have time with the family and work to study and prep for hunting to be successful.  (ADK)  Location is another factor, you can hunt for 3 weeks straight if no deer are in the area or low population is an issue your chances are much lower on seeing deer let alone getting one.  Even pushing deer sometimes is futile as some hunters just can't see deer as well as others and unless the deer stumbles into the 20 yard zone of that hunter they will claim no deer are in the area!   

Luck helps but you can create more luck for yourself when you become more knowledgeable on your prey.  Think like a deer and walk the same path they do, this is where snow tracking is golden and puts you in the same mindset as a deer.

Never give up on your goal!  The best hunters are driven and determined and never give up!  Not all of them get deer every year but they are dedicated more than most are willing to do.  This is not just scouting or prepping it includes shooting well, being in shape for what they need to do and a list of other things that many do not consider important.

Like Grampy says persistence and patience! 

To be blunt I was more than addicted from 2001-2013.  I kept missing that one opportunity I would get once a year up North in the ADK.  It drove me to become a better more persistent hunter and caused me to want even more knowledge on my prey.  Granted being persistent alone does not equal success but it will help when things go wrong and you choose what path to take from that point.  While I have eased up on my addiction for the most part, I still love chasing deer and if I get another brute I am afraid my addiction my start up again!  I would not mind!  

"How do you always get into deer?" my friends ask?  Could just be a good location in a pinch point.  Knowing how to read tracks and what to follow and what to disregard, reading what deer are eating for food.  Learning terrain features that deer do not like or area they prefer.  Shooting good and being in good enough shape to climb the mountain deer might be on.  Having the will and skill to go back where others might not go.  Being stubborn to the point you will not give up like Buckmaster7600!  Getting in early and staying late.  Adapting and changing when things do not work.  Being quiet and not moving when sitting. 

 

 

I woke up at 3:30AM and basically ran out of the tent one hour later as everyone in camp was still sleeping.  I said "Here we are in the middle of the ADK in prime RUT!  I just informed you all of a monster buck up on this mountain and what are you all doing this morning, sleeping!  This shows me how dedicated you are!"  This was the day I got my 2010 buck and was 2 days after I missed another one on the first day.  This deer was taken with persistence, dedication and a decent knowledge of how deer communicate.  For me this was the day everything I had done wrong in the past and corrected to the best of my ability paid off.  This also showed me how addicted I was becoming!

I am willing to bet many of the members on this site would have been scrambling to get up and out with me if I told them about the biggest track I have ever seen in the area.  Many of my friends talk a good talk when the season is off but when it comes time to getting up early and head out when they are on vacation more often than not they will be sleeping, like I did this past season up north.  I just could not get into the zone, but I have 2 more months to hunt!  

Probably better off passing deer as I often do.  Not sure if I can handle getting more addicted to deer hunting than I was a few years ago.  Happy I eased off as I was taking it a bit to far.  

 

[Deerstalker]

7 hours ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Easy answer :dumb luck !  Being at the right place and right time.

I'm no great hunter myself. I think I have some knowledge of deer hunting but that has never gotten me a wall hanger. And the deer are always a little smarter than I.

I scout, I'll play the wind, sit all day. Being out there is great regardless if I shoot a slob buck or not. Some day it'll happen by "dumb luck".

I can  think of two people both  cousins of mine  one shot 2 deer  first day they ever went hunting and the other shot a really nice 6 point the first day they ever went hunting  one never shot another deer since that and the other went like 8 years or more with out getting anything .

The 6 point happend to be the biggest buck ever taken from this  property that a friend owned and had for over 15 years and hunted there all the time .

Alot of hunting is just luck .

And alot is how much time you put in the more you hunt the better your odds get that you will get something big .

But sometimes it just does not work no matter what you do . No matter how many books you read . 

You just have go out there and injoy the moment and accept whatever God decides to send your way.

[shawnhu]

Success is probably measured differently to different folks.

Success may mean simply seeing deer in their natural environment for some, or it could mean taking a trophy to mount on the wall for others to envy.

My definition of a successful hunter is one who takes, but also gives back. Someone who establishes a network of hunters, as I don't believe hunting to be a solitude sport. Someone who shares their harvest, as you may not take deer every year, but you'll most certainly have meat on a steady basis.


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[stoneam2006]

Another thing I think makes a difference is how well you know the specific property. Makes it easier to pinpo9nt where the deer should be

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[Tughill Tamer]

For me it has been being persistent and patient. I never killed my first deer till age 30 after 15 years of hunting. Back then there were no doe permits at all up in this area and I would be lucky to see a cpl bucks a year and was picky about the shot I would take but I stayed with it learned more and more and since 1998 when I harvested my first I have averaged 2 deer a year.

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[wolc123]

Makes: 1) Killer Instinct

             2) Adaptability

             3) Recourcefullness

             4) Wisdom

             5) Determination

             6) Physical strength and endurance

 

Breaks: 1) Aversion to taking a life

             2) Rigidity

             3) Wastefullness

             4) Lack of knowledge

             5) Lack of focus

             6) Physical weakness

 

         

 

[DirtTime]

10 hours ago, growalot said:

Nothing makes or breaks a hunter. That is a projected perception imposed by others. Mr B is a good hunter and hasn't shot a deer in I  think 15 yrs...He could have every single year,just doesn't,he goes out and puts in full days at times...watches them walk. This is his reality of hunting. When he finally crosses paths with "That" deer he will shoot it. In the mean time he's taken coyotes and enjoying the time all hunters do on stand.

This differing from me...I'm a crazed preparer,sign checker,analyzer. I shoot deer. That really doesn't make me a better hunter,just different than some.

No offense to the OP, but growie said it perfectly. There are no make-or-breaks. You can bust your butt hunting, and never get a clean shot in range. Not everyone wants to chance shooting through bushes with a gun, or take a chance on shooting too far out of range with a bow.

So, what exactly is "make-or-break-a-hunter"? 

 

 

 

Edited December 1, 2016 by ....rob

[turkeyfeathers]

32 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

Makes: 1) Killer Instinct

             2) Adaptability

             3) Recourcefullness

             4) Wisdom

             5) Determination

             6) Physical strength and endurance

 

Breaks: 1) Aversion to taking a life

             2) Rigidity

             3) Wastefullness

             4) Lack of knowledge

             5) Lack of focus

             6) Physical weakness

 

         

 

Forgot #7 under makes 

golden bullets directed by Jesus 

[tuckersdaddy]

sometimes people simply dont see the deer... Me included. I have sat on stand a few hours watch the same patch of ground and all of a sudden a deer will pop up and take off. He saw me I never saw him. But its expirences like that that keep me comming back. Its thier house, thier rules so its all of what you make of it.

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[fasteddie]

Not sure myself . I think I'd like to change some words to a song and call it "Achy Breaky Parts" . When I got done today walking across a bumpy plowed field and into the woods and back plus up and down a couple hills , my legs felt like lead . I'm feeling my age and wondering how much longer I can keep it up but I don't want to quit . I think it's called stubbornness ...... I don't quit because I can't shoot a deer from my computer . 

[genesee_mohican]

Some good points here and I agree that making the most out of the opportunities is a big part of it. Having a good place to hunt is the first step but playing your cards right with that property are key, along with closing the deal when the opportunity to kill a deer presents itself. The ones that have success year after year have a good game plan, put in the time and close the deal at the moment of truth.

[growalot]

Eddie if I'm to invoke the name of God for anything ...it's to say God Bless you sir for living life to the fullest in the time life allows

[TreeGuy]

Well, lots of good points being made but, i can only really speak for myself. Nothing can "break" me. Nothing will make me want to change being a trophy hunter. If you think general deer season is tough, consistently hunt mature bucks. Pick one or twice if your lucky on your property to hunt. It's like taking the hard sport of hunting and multiplying it by 1000. I let ALOT of deer go by me. Some real nice bucks. Some trophy's to others. But it's my way and I can hunt that way if I want. I won't even kill a doe till I have a buck down ( or its very late in season ). With all that being said, I get why some guys might break. Too many years of small bucks or no bucks. Or just losing patience with hunting in general. All these guys are posting book bucks and your out freezing your butt off in the rain. I get it. I love my family first, but the only other passion I have is for mature bucks. It's what gets me up and out everyday. Will I score every year ? Heck no. Am I oK with that ? Heck yes. I have learned an enormous amount about the woods just from being out there. It's at times beyond discouraging hunting this way, but it forces me to adapt and overcome. Giant bucks do it, so I must too. I wish everyone the best of luck on not being broken by hunting. And be thankful for every opportunity you do and don't get !

[wolc123]

Believe me TF, it was all I could do to not mention my "secret weapon", but since you brought Him up on this thread:   I killed my first and largest buck this season with what else but a Cross-bow, on the only day I took my Bible up in the stand this season. It was also on a Sunday afternoon, when I skipped the morning hunt to take my family to Church.    Three big coincedences there I suppose, right Chef?.  Even though the range was short, it was also not a super-easy, angle (quartering to).  Somehow that bolt struck right where it needed to and put that buck down within sight. How much "dumb luck" can one guy have? 

I can't help but notice that the better I keep things with my buddy JC, the luckier I get.  One thing is for sure, after every clean kill (and they have all been clean for quite a few years now), the first thing I do is give Him thanks for the blessing.   As good as He is to me with deer, He is even better with fish.

So my bottom line here is not what makes or breaks a hunter, but what makes or breaks a man (or woman).  The answer to that question is Faith in Jesus Christ.   

      

Edited December 1, 2016 by wolc123
typo

[ATbuckhunter]

I think one of the biggest things is being out there. You can't get one on the couch...unless the couch has a good view of where they move. I remember i had to beg one of the landowners of one of the places I hunt to stay more than an hour in the stand and the very next day he killed the 9 pointed I missed the day before after staying till the very last min of legal shooting light. After that id say being able to recognize sign and be mobile. Still number one on the list is luck. You need a whole lot of luck to get a deer. 

[Lawdwaz]

1 hour ago, fasteddie said:

  I'm feeling my age and wondering how much longer I can keep it up but I don't want to quit .

Avoid plowed fields at ALL costs fasteddie..........

[fasteddie]

1 hour ago, growalot said:

Eddie if I'm to invoke the name of God for anything ...it's to say God Bless you sir for living life to the fullest in the time life allows

Growie --- I think you have to act like today could be the last day of your life so live it to the fullest and do what you enjoy doing . I think when I croak I want someone to say , hey go out to Eddie's stand and see if his Blaze Orange Walker is still there . 

[fasteddie]

7 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

Avoid plowed fields at ALL costs fasteddie..........

Sometimes they cant be avoided . 

[Jdubs]

Scouting and preparation (be it gear or skill set) is what you do to make your own luck.  Personally, I've accomplished a lot of goals with sheer mental tenacity and time.

[wooly]

Makes-

- Being able to pass up a less than perfect shot opportunity at an animal being confident you'll be able to put yourself in a better position for another.

- Setting personal goals without allowing other hunters definitions of success, or social media to influence your harvest choices.

- Having confidence in your hunting skills and species knowledge over any products guaranteed sales pitch.

- Pre-season, in season, and post season scouting to keep you one step ahead of the game at all times.

- Being familiar with the caliber of animals available on a property and having realistic goals and expectations. You can't kill a 150" deer that doesn't exist there.

- Slow down your mind and leave your baggage behind. Deer don't care about your appointments and deadlines.

- Appreciate other aspects of the hunt when your target species is not on its feet. It helps keep you alert.

- Remind yourself even when you are not seeing anything, they are still there. This is no time to get sloppy.

- Knowing what techniques work in the area and the proper time to use them.

- Last but not least.....PRAY for a broadside shot!

 

Breaks-

- reverse above

- Believing Jesus will guide your bullets and arrows.

- Getting worked up over x-bow full inclusion next year.

- Forgetting your blaze orange and being mistaken for a deer.

- You voted for Hillary.

 

[wolc123]

I prayed for Trump, and was not surprised when it got answered. 

Edited December 1, 2016 by wolc123