I live and hunt in one of those big deer states up here. Big deer meaning size of body mass and not the size of deer numbers... Success is mostly based on hours spent hunting for that big one..Although in this area seeing much of any deer is doing something most of the time. Big woods and low deer numbers success has a lot of different factors to weigh in. The size of the racks on most big deer up here wouldn't make a Pope and Young while body mass makes up for alot of it... I did see one yesterday while heading out on a dirt road fishing, I will be looking for this fall. That is one of the rare ones that carried a hugh rack complete with a lot of body mass. So i will be putting in my hours looking for him...Also a factor that should be concidered is if you hunt from a stand or do you stalk your game? I enjoy stalking and believe me it is a very hard thing to do up this way. But, that is my stile of hunting...

You brought up a good point that escaped me earlier.

Its hunters who go after one paticular deer. They may have pics of him from a trail camera, seen him during the summer or at some point during the season. They let deer after deer walk just in hopes of getting a shot at this buck.

It makes it so much sweeter when you finally get (if you ever do) the deer you've hunted all season, two, or even three seasons.

All depends on what you consider a "successfull or prolific hunter".

What if I specifically picked out a certain 4.5 year old doe that I wanted to kill. I scouted this one particular doe for 2 years and planned my attack for the upcoming season in October. Then I grabbed my loin cloth and spear and headed to the woods. I rolled myself in mud and cow manure for scent control and climbed a tree. I stood on top of a big limb and predicted the time the doe would come under me to the minute. When she arrived I jumped down with my spear tarzan style stabbed her. She drags me around for 500 yards through the woods and thickets untill she finally expires. Successful hunter?

or
(not that this is that easy, but to make my point)
A hunter in Illinois has several mature bucks running around his/her private non pressured property. After hundreds of pictures from his trail cam he has determined the exact time he needs to be in his summit viper treestand to kill one of 12 140" bucks he has caught on film. He slips into his enigma camo and grabs his pack with all the modern gear. Up he goes with his bowtech guardian. Just as planned a mature buck comes down the trail and he rips an arrow at 300fpsthrough the heart. The buck drops on sight. It scores 142"'s!!!

Who's the more successfull hunter?

Both hunters acomplished the goal they set out for. So there for both are successful.

It takes a great hunter to kill a shadow.[8D]

Nice Deer!!

I would have let him go at least one more year.

So Scott.....

Let's say the guy does all these things....

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%.

If size is the criteria for being successful than location is everything.

Here in Florida a 110inch, 125# deer is a dandy.

In Ohio I saw many two year olds that blew that mark away.

So if size matters, a Florida hunter who has taken 25 bucks all under 120" is not considered successful?

I would have to dis-agree.

If memory serves me right Florida is the only state in the lower 48 that doesn't have a BC buck in the book.

To me a successful bow hunter can be from anywhere in the country and if you plop him down in any patch of woods with deer in itin 2-3 days he will be dragging one out.

Success/prolific==Skill/ability
Success/prolific trophy hunter== skill/ability/location

IMHO

Cptcle1, very well said.