It goes hand and hand. The sayings of " It is good to be lucky" and " Lucky to be Good" , apply to hunting and fishing sports. I think however if your skill, dedication and preparation are high, than your odds are much higher to be " Lucky" . To say it is all skill would be foolish, there is rarely anything in hunting that is 100% for sure. You may have him patterned to a T, but I would hazard to say many guys have had that deer not show up everyday at the same time...this where the luck and skill mix to blend a successful experience. I' ll take both, but a double dose of Luck would always be welcomed by any hunter. We can all work on our skills, with luck you either got it or don' t.