WOW, Great question and thread.
I have now ,so far, to date taken 68 deer with a bow, I am 35 years old, I hunt very little private land and have taken 90% of my deer on public land. I do beleive that it has alot to do with "preraration meeting oppertunity" and throw in a little luck and some skill. The skill comes from homework, homework in shooting to acheive accuracy and in the way of getting to know your prey. Become one with your prey and it will make you a better hunter. I do not shoot in tournaments so I am not that good of a bow shooter, but I shoot to be skillful at harvesting deer. I put alot of time in the woods patterning deer, learning where they go and how they get there,learning the areas of land and how deer use it. I smoke so I know I am not invisible to them, I hunt high for this reason, I watch all deer and their reaction to calls and their surroundings so I will know what to do if they are out of range as to try to lure them into range. I don't focus my time and energy on how fast my bow is, only that it is accurate and then my time goes into the woods and their enviroment. I have a "you can't win if you don't play" attitude. You can sit at home or only hunt on the week-ends and still get deer, not as many as if you hunt everyday after work, or any and every free couple hours you have. I am not a great hunter, but I am confident that I am a good hunter and fair. I have had a few years where only one deer was taken ,that messes with you, but then come back the next season and take 6. I recover almost all my deer, I have lost only 4 in 12 years of hunting, but I dont give up looking either, and get as much help as is available at the time looking for a "hit" deer. Numbers look good but too many factors play into it. I have never taken a 150 class buck, I have a few wallhangers but no 150+ , and I would not trade my many memories of the first spike ,4, 6 and 8 points and does I have taken with a bow for a 150 clas deer ever. Yet I see guys and know guys that take a P&Y every year and concider them really good hunters. Go Figure.... I reconize that they must have the oppertunities to take alot more. I respect them for that and their abilities. Not by how many they take but the quality of their take.

Hunting ; an act of love for nature guided by the strongest spiritual forces.
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