I have asked in the past how much people thought luck was a factor in hunting success but talking to a friend today made me rethink some things.

What do you think is the most important ingredient for hunting success??

In my opinion it is the land you get to hunt.

I know guys that have taken more deer then they can remember. Most if not all hunt land that is not hunted very much if at all. You know the private paradises that we all wish we had. The only shots fired are by you and you control the deer population and can afford to pass on animals not quite in their prime. These guys always act shocked when I tell them that I am thrilled just to see a deer.....no matter what the distance I saw it at. You see I spend 99% of my time on state lands. We do well but it is a different world out there. Lead flying all over the place at times and dealing with other hunters that don' t exactly make it an ideal situation to see deer(that aren' t running). Don' t get me wrong.......on state land this year I took 3 deer. Only one I would say wasn' t set in motion from people being in the woods. The other 2 were taken because I know where the funnel is that they head to as a getaway. I am just saying that IMO anyone could have a ton of deer on his resume' if given the chance to hunt some of these sweet spots where seeing deer is the norm and seeing a trophy is a good day.

I think skill and luck can be looked at a couple different ways. The 2 deer I took on state land were 1 skill and 1 luck IMO. Both taken from trees within 20 yards of each other. The first was a buck that was just making his way through the woods 65 yards to my right that I am sure was moving away from other hunters he heard or saw enter the opposite edge of the woods(They always do) The other deer was a doe that was running full speed from some idiot taking pot shots at her in an open field. She picked the absolute worst direction to run in and I shot her 10 yards directly behind my tree. I was the only hunter in that square of woods and just past me is 1,500 acres.......she just zigged when she should have zagged.

I think skill serves you much better to get a deer(not a trophy) on state land. I think skill helps you get a trophy on private land. Luck is luck and you just never know..........sometimes it is good and sometimes it is bad but rarely is it reliable either way. Even though we all know some dork who walks in the woods for 20 minutes before heading back for breakfast and yet somehow has some of the best racks on his wall to show for it.


A good question I will pose is Do you think that a well seasoned, crafty, veteran of the woods could have similar success on state land as he does on private land??

I think that the crafty vet could look over the land and give a good opinion on stand placement and where the big boys SHOULD be come season. However when the city hunters show up and 50 guys are walking and talking through the woods with tags hanging off their guns and coats it is impossible to predict the deers reaction to such stress and disruption of their routines.


What do you guys think??

I say LAND---SKILL---LUCK


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