ORIGINAL: NY Bowhunter
I was just wondering. Does a hunter HAVE to become better at the end of each season based purely on time in the woods? Does each and every hunter learn more each year they are in the woods? Just being in the woods, deer encounters, the surroundings, seeing sign, etc.... does one automatically become a better hunter on the last day than they were on the first even if they don't know it? Or is it up to the individual to apply what they see and make themselves learn from it? Is it a passive learning approach or aggressive? Just curious on your thoughts.
I know it's been said.. but it would depend on the individual mostly.. than the herd they hunted secondly.
I know a few hunters who are brilliant and only into their first decade in the woods.. and I know more hunters who are long past their 2nd decade and still don't understand what they're doing.
The later.. seems.. most common.
It's like anything.. there is a HUGE difference between knowing and understanding.
A dude/dudette who has been hunting all year on a new piece of land might know where the deer have been traveling (based on his/her experience).. but that doesn't mean they understand.
So to answer your Q.. It's not impossible to hunt an entire year and learn nothing. But the hunter will likely "know" something different.
It's the understanding that seperates the men from the boys. So to speak.