Do you think you're special?
07-27-2007, 01:23 PM
#31
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location:
Posts: 1,438
RE: Do you think you're special?
atlasman,
In certain areas you might be confusing "average" with "competent." I'm not sure where
I hunt that "average" would reach the level of "competent," if you define average as splitting
the number of people who claim to be hunters by 2.
Maybe that's why I think most HNI hunters would be above "average." Could anyone luck into a
nice deer? Sure. Do I think that most of the names on here would have a better chance of killing a
nice deer in my area then the average local hunter? Sure.
Most of it seems to boil down to experience and dedication.
In certain areas you might be confusing "average" with "competent." I'm not sure where
I hunt that "average" would reach the level of "competent," if you define average as splitting
the number of people who claim to be hunters by 2.
Maybe that's why I think most HNI hunters would be above "average." Could anyone luck into a
nice deer? Sure. Do I think that most of the names on here would have a better chance of killing a
nice deer in my area then the average local hunter? Sure.
Most of it seems to boil down to experience and dedication.
07-27-2007, 01:28 PM
#32
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Phoenixville, PA USA
Posts: 5,541
RE: Do you think you're special?
Just a regular solid hunter..........good shot, good knowledge base, and good hunting skills. Nothing great.........and nothing terrible either. No extremes either way.
07-27-2007, 01:51 PM
#33
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: Do you think you're special?
Welcome back, Atlas.....and a great question.
In your definition....I think the "average" hunter has a good chance of pushing the deer I hunt off the property I'm allowed to hunt (they have options). But....any hunter with a lick of sense (I don't give the "average" hunter much credit, do I?
)....could come in here and take deer. I say it all the time.....this isn't rocket science. I do some things that I think help my odds.....but I'm not foolish enough to think others woudn't learn the same "methods". The only thing I know, really, is where they are.....where they're going....wher ethey eat....where they sleep. These are things that could be picked up on by anyone over a period of time.
I'm just picking a name, here....someone I follow on the board and respect the way they go about their business.......Rybo (AN example of the aforementioned). Stick him in my woods.....and he'll light 'em up (as soon as he finds them...which wouldn't take long....given the size of my woods). Put me in his woods.....and I'd likely have to work a little harder to find them.....but I would.
Ive learned about all I can about the woods I hunt (+/- 60 acres).....and the deerthat "I" hunt (not all deer). I'd be taxed with learning another man's woods.....but let's take the mystique away......their brains are about the size of a pear. They need cover, water and food. We catch them around or on their way to these things.....or when they're amorous.
I stated a while back (in your absence)........I'd like to see what you (Atlas) would do in Buckeye's woods. In all seriousness.....I don't think anyone here would be surprised at what you drug out.
Nothing special about my hunting abilities.
In your definition....I think the "average" hunter has a good chance of pushing the deer I hunt off the property I'm allowed to hunt (they have options). But....any hunter with a lick of sense (I don't give the "average" hunter much credit, do I?
)....could come in here and take deer. I say it all the time.....this isn't rocket science. I do some things that I think help my odds.....but I'm not foolish enough to think others woudn't learn the same "methods". The only thing I know, really, is where they are.....where they're going....wher ethey eat....where they sleep. These are things that could be picked up on by anyone over a period of time.I'm just picking a name, here....someone I follow on the board and respect the way they go about their business.......Rybo (AN example of the aforementioned). Stick him in my woods.....and he'll light 'em up (as soon as he finds them...which wouldn't take long....given the size of my woods). Put me in his woods.....and I'd likely have to work a little harder to find them.....but I would.
Ive learned about all I can about the woods I hunt (+/- 60 acres).....and the deerthat "I" hunt (not all deer). I'd be taxed with learning another man's woods.....but let's take the mystique away......their brains are about the size of a pear. They need cover, water and food. We catch them around or on their way to these things.....or when they're amorous.
I stated a while back (in your absence)........I'd like to see what you (Atlas) would do in Buckeye's woods. In all seriousness.....I don't think anyone here would be surprised at what you drug out.
Nothing special about my hunting abilities.
07-27-2007, 02:17 PM
#34
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,796
RE: Do you think you're special?
I pecial atwis. I wu til a deewa wi mi beawa hanns iff i tould det mywa hanns awoun hi neweck. Huh huh.
No seriously, GMMAT has a good point. You put a skilled hunter in a good population of deer, it won't take him long to figure out the travel, feeding and bedding patterns and begin to take deer.(Notice I did not say "mature" deer.) Those will be left to folks like GregH who have put in their time.(Speaking of maturee deer in pressured areas)Like he said, 15 yrs. to him may now be 4 to 5 years because of information handed down from people such as himself.( Easier to become educated now.) I will add this also (GMMAT touched on this also). To consistantly kill "mature" whitetails, you must be in an area that holds them. I have mature whitetails where I live but the mature buck to hunter ratio isway out there in favor of the deer. Now someone who hunts here knows that being meticulous is an understatement when pursuing our deer. Take that same person and throw him in an area with about half the hunting pressure and he will probably immediately be more successful or at least as successful as the local hunters there. Why? Because he has become tuned to not screwing up at the very least. Most people who hunt deer in areas that are not pressured a lot have become lax in their efforts because it's just easier to kill unpressured/low pressured deer.
Just my 2c.
And GMMAT:
I bet you won't be saying that after this season when you whack more does than mobow counts to get to sleep every night. Can you say mobo'd? LOL
LT
No seriously, GMMAT has a good point. You put a skilled hunter in a good population of deer, it won't take him long to figure out the travel, feeding and bedding patterns and begin to take deer.(Notice I did not say "mature" deer.) Those will be left to folks like GregH who have put in their time.(Speaking of maturee deer in pressured areas)Like he said, 15 yrs. to him may now be 4 to 5 years because of information handed down from people such as himself.( Easier to become educated now.) I will add this also (GMMAT touched on this also). To consistantly kill "mature" whitetails, you must be in an area that holds them. I have mature whitetails where I live but the mature buck to hunter ratio isway out there in favor of the deer. Now someone who hunts here knows that being meticulous is an understatement when pursuing our deer. Take that same person and throw him in an area with about half the hunting pressure and he will probably immediately be more successful or at least as successful as the local hunters there. Why? Because he has become tuned to not screwing up at the very least. Most people who hunt deer in areas that are not pressured a lot have become lax in their efforts because it's just easier to kill unpressured/low pressured deer.
Just my 2c.
And GMMAT:
Nothing special about my hunting abilities.
LT
07-27-2007, 02:44 PM
#35
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location:
Posts: 2,621
RE: Do you think you're special?
I'll try to answer this.
I'm not special but yet I am special.
Let me explain. I have a pretty good nack for filling my tags. Friends and family recognize this. The thing is, I'm not a trophy hunter and very few of my bucks are even considered nice. I just fill my tags with both bow and rifle. Most of my kills are does or fawns ( 6 month old deer)Started hunting at age 12, I'm now42 and have taken over100deer. Hunted 2 states for a while.
I do feel that I understand deer and their habits. Over the years I've learned the deer's habits on several pieces of property.I'd take all my vacations and personal days during hunting season.I was always scouting and loved being in the woods.So "time" is a BIG factor in all of this.
I've guided my 2 kids, my father and several hunting friends to tag deer. Probably about 50 total, where I was right there beside them whispering instructions. When my tags were filled, I was always taking someone else.
Here is something similar to what was stated about someone else being in your shoes and being able to do what you do. Here is the story;
There was this guy I worked with. Everyone would laugh and make jokes about him behind his back about his lack of success when hunting. He hunted for about 15 years with only one deer to his credit.
I decided to take this guy under my wing and help him out. I got him to practice heavy with his bow. Puthim in my best tree stand the first day. He got a nice spike and was tickled pink. Later he got a buck with a rifle during the rifle season. The guys at work were jealous. They even thought he was making up stories until I brought in the pictures. Some even accused me of shooting the deerfor him. The next year, he took several more deer. He was proud of himself and soon no one was making jokes about his inability to connect with a deer.
In the lastseveral years, he has taken many deer all on his own including a few with muzzleloader.
So yes, if a hunter were put in my shoes, he could be just as successful and I proved it. That is as long as he practices enough with his weapon of choice.
The same can be said for my step son. The kid has taken around 16 deer by the age of 16 and started hunting at age 12. He's taken 5 with a bow by age 15.I helped him get the first few and he caught on quickly. He also hunted with his uncle in Maryland.
Sadly he has all but quit hunting. Just isn't as interested in it.
I'm not special but yet I am special.
Let me explain. I have a pretty good nack for filling my tags. Friends and family recognize this. The thing is, I'm not a trophy hunter and very few of my bucks are even considered nice. I just fill my tags with both bow and rifle. Most of my kills are does or fawns ( 6 month old deer)Started hunting at age 12, I'm now42 and have taken over100deer. Hunted 2 states for a while.
I do feel that I understand deer and their habits. Over the years I've learned the deer's habits on several pieces of property.I'd take all my vacations and personal days during hunting season.I was always scouting and loved being in the woods.So "time" is a BIG factor in all of this.
I've guided my 2 kids, my father and several hunting friends to tag deer. Probably about 50 total, where I was right there beside them whispering instructions. When my tags were filled, I was always taking someone else.
Here is something similar to what was stated about someone else being in your shoes and being able to do what you do. Here is the story;
There was this guy I worked with. Everyone would laugh and make jokes about him behind his back about his lack of success when hunting. He hunted for about 15 years with only one deer to his credit.
I decided to take this guy under my wing and help him out. I got him to practice heavy with his bow. Puthim in my best tree stand the first day. He got a nice spike and was tickled pink. Later he got a buck with a rifle during the rifle season. The guys at work were jealous. They even thought he was making up stories until I brought in the pictures. Some even accused me of shooting the deerfor him. The next year, he took several more deer. He was proud of himself and soon no one was making jokes about his inability to connect with a deer.
In the lastseveral years, he has taken many deer all on his own including a few with muzzleloader.
So yes, if a hunter were put in my shoes, he could be just as successful and I proved it. That is as long as he practices enough with his weapon of choice.
The same can be said for my step son. The kid has taken around 16 deer by the age of 16 and started hunting at age 12. He's taken 5 with a bow by age 15.I helped him get the first few and he caught on quickly. He also hunted with his uncle in Maryland.
Sadly he has all but quit hunting. Just isn't as interested in it.
07-27-2007, 03:04 PM
#36
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 4,668
RE: Do you think you're special?
ORIGINAL: LebeauHunter
atlasman,
In certain areas you might be confusing "average" with "competent." I'm not sure where
I hunt that "average" would reach the level of "competent," if you define average as splitting
the number of people who claim to be hunters by 2.
Maybe that's why I think most HNI hunters would be above "average." Could anyone luck into a
nice deer? Sure. Do I think that most of the names on here would have a better chance of killing a
nice deer in my area then the average local hunter? Sure.
Most of it seems to boil down to experience and dedication.
atlasman,
In certain areas you might be confusing "average" with "competent." I'm not sure where
I hunt that "average" would reach the level of "competent," if you define average as splitting
the number of people who claim to be hunters by 2.
Maybe that's why I think most HNI hunters would be above "average." Could anyone luck into a
nice deer? Sure. Do I think that most of the names on here would have a better chance of killing a
nice deer in my area then the average local hunter? Sure.
Most of it seems to boil down to experience and dedication.
When I said "average"............I meant it as a measure of ability........nothing else. I'm not trying to figure out the definition of the average bowhunter.........that could range from a slob right up to the best of the best depending what room you're in.
Just a good solid "B" student..........right in the meat of the curve.........not a world beater but no slouch either.
07-27-2007, 03:06 PM
#37
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blossvale, New York
Posts: 21,199
RE: Do you think you're special?
They made a song about me... you know, "Oh Lord it's hard to be humble......" LOL I have one thing that sets me apart from most. I can sit in a tree for hours without having to pee.
