Just getting out = big grin. Sitting enjoying God's wonderful creation = smiling large. Actually be close to game and knowing my plan and ideas really might work = ear to ear. Connecting with my intended quarry = a school boy with his first encounter x10....big toothy, ear to ear, grinning mug. Driving home with my harvest and the smell of the job....priceless.

If I can get out in the woods, enjoy the day, and get back home safely to my family that to me is a great day period. The harvest, if it comes, is a benefit. Now that I have said that, I am hoping for 3 benefits this year to fill my freezer. Good luck to all and BE SAFE.

Being able to get out is successful. Since I hunt bow-only, I enjoy being within distance and not getting detected. Whether I get a shot or not, just being in close is fun for me.

Successful is simply being in the woods, very successful is seeing deer and EXtremely successful is a harvest.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

[Deleted by Admins]

For me, a successful hunt, is getting in the woods, and then going up and down the tree I'm in, without getting hurt. If those three things happen, I've had a great time.

StraightArrow Your KILLIN" me! LOL. I'm Laughing so hard I tipped my lamp over!

I have to say I like being in the woods, but I get antsy when I don't see anything. "Anything is just that"...I'll watch squirrels and chipmunks for hours. But I've been out a few times and seen NOTHING! I don't really mind, but then I get bored and fall asleep and fall out of my treestand and as Straightarrow hinted around to...That aint' no fun.LOL

It's kinda funny how non-hunters think though. I sneak in and out of work to catch the peak times and whenever I get back everyone asks " did you get one?" I've said no every time this year. One day last week a girl asked " Why do you keep hunting and spending all that time if you haven't gotten one yet?" I told her without hesitation that the kill was really secondary. It's enjoyable regardless. And when you do "get one" it makes it all worthwhile.

Trushot }}------>

Oh... COME ON PEOPLE!!!! All the above are fun times, good trips, nature walks and FAILED hunts.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> A successful hunt ends with blood on the arrow and a drag to the truck. Someone had to say it. We hunt to kill. Everything else is failure.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> I fail at it a lot and have a ball doing so.... but it still isn't why we went to the woods. You can have a successful hunt or a successfult nature walk.... they're not the same.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

I classify a successful hunt as bringin home a deer. doe or buck.
2 years ago, I was down in a NWR, and had a huge river bottom 8 pointer thrashin bushes, and snort wheezin, and gruntin, and was even lucky enough to get a shot at him at 10yds. didn't touch him, now
that was not a succsesful hunt, but it was one of the most enjoyable hunts I've ever been on.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

daytona 500 winner- Ward Burton
go Cat-22

Just seeing deer from a stand that I picked is enough for me.....If I learn something new that will help me be a better deer hunter that's a &quot;BONUS&quot;....let's face it...the majority of the time we do not get our deer so we better enjoy what were doing!!!!!!!!!!