ORIGINAL: buckeyebuckhntr
ORIGINAL: GMMAT
So Scott.....
Let's say the guy does all these things....
Most "prolific big buck hunters" aren't the kind of people who just decide to "go hunting today". They plot, plan and scout year around. If their hunting grounds don't have the quality ofdeer they are happy with they find new ground to hunt which does. They hunt smart, they hunt hard and they don't give up.
He's scouted, plotted, planned all year round.....but he lives in homestead, Florida. You still say 25%? Heck....you admitted he would have to change his location to be considered (in the public eye) "successful" or "prolific".
I'd say location was 100%.
When I said they find new ground I wasn't talking about packing up the family and heading to the midwest. There are big bucks in every state that holds deer, you just have to find them.
That is very true, but finding them and being able to hunt them are two different things. I have found a lot of properties that hold P&Y deer, but I have never been able to gain access to these properties for one of two reasons. They are either locked up exclusively by another hunter or group of hunters, or there is no hunting allowed on or near where these deer live.
Believe me Scott, I have done all of the things you have mentioned as have a lot of hunters around me, but we can't hunt those deer. What is really frustrating is that many times, the guys that do have permission on these properties are clowns that have very little hunting skill, but regularly score on big bucks because of the property they have.