You didnt put both. For it to come togetheryear after year takes alot of skill alot of hard workand a little luck to pull it all together IMO.

There is definitely a luck factor, but it is far from luck to be consistent.

I am saying even playing field time money and ground all even. No one has a advantage.

its all luck, I found a 33 leaf clover back in 98, stuffed it up my, (nevermind)and since then I have all kinds of luck killing good bucks for my parts..

Whether you just get lucky time after time after time like Shed, or you are as skilled as me, I'll still congratulate you. I agree with Beagle though, it takes skill to put you in the place where you can take advantage of a lucky break.

Love this honesty.....

Love this answer, too.

To kill nice deer year after year you need to have a lot more than just skill or luck together.....

You need the skill to locate and set up where the bigger bucks are, then you obviously need some luck to get them into shooting range and actually be able to get a shot off. Then you need the skill again to make sure your shot is accurate. Thisalso falls under the "You make your own luck" category, the more you work at it the "luckier" you get.

You must also remember you need to be in an area that has a lot of big mature bucks to kill one. Those who are in states that don't have the volume as some other states will obviously be at a disadvantage. You can't kill what's not there. I know...I know.... Most states have big antlered deer, but the number of them is less in some states than others.

No, there is FAR more variables involved than just luck or skill. I suspect if you put an average bow hunter in an area that is thick with big antlered deer, he will score more in the same time frame than an expert hunter in an area where big antlered deer are few and far between.

the LUCK word will REALLY make me mad when used in certain ways...such as "mauser, your a lucky hunter"

to me, thats saying im a lousy hunter, but get lucky.

that makes me mad because i feel im FAR from lucky..period. i put in the time to scout..find the game im after..spend the time shooting and practicing...hang the stands, practice scent control, learned to hunt the wind and hunt SMART and not force areas or over hunt areas, i feel i do everything i can to minimize the "luck" factor. if i find something i overlook, i work on that...the only "luck" i have is seeing the game im after while im in the stand, but even THAT i feel is minimal "luck"..because i put in the time to learn the habits of the animals..i put in the time to figure out where they eat and sleep...

i REALLY get fired up when someone says my turkey huntin' is luck...errr does that get under my skin...ive been hunting them 10 years...i spent mannnny years from late febuary to the season getting up before dawn to locate birds...patterning birds...learning to sweet talk turkey..finding the optimal load and choke combo for "Thumper"...the only luck i feel i have in turkey hunting is luck of finding the right bird to call to...i learned how to setup...learned when to wait and when to run n gun..

i just hate when someone uses the L word towards me...i put in more time than anyone i personally know(off these boards) and when its used against me, its out of plain jealousy...

but you get people like my buddy...LUCKED into 45 PRIVATE unhunted acres...only shot his bow maybe 10 times tops and only once in 5 weeks during the season...i shot with him on his 2nd or 3rd time...he says "i can kill a deer easy at 25yds" set up my bag target at 20 and he was barely hitting the whole target! didnt really scout...didnt practice scent control...doesnt know much other than climb a tree and shoot a deer...he killed a doe and a proably 120" buck this season...he KNOWS hes lucky...if he didnt, ive told him lol....hes always been lucky though...im going to start rubbing his head before i go hunting...

but one day his luck will run out...thats where hard work and knowledge and practice pays off in terms of consistancy...

without knowledge, hard work, and plain skill, you wont be consistant....or you got a mighty fat wallet like quik said...

Its 80% location , 20% dedication and skill

Just like fishing , you cant get them if they dont live where you hunt

It's a combination of both, but I have to say the skill side outways the luck part of it. Plenty of scouting, multiple stand locations, and common knowledge of your area as well as knowledge of the deer in your area greatly increase your chances of taking down the big, wary, nocturnal bucks. Keeping your scent to a minimum, playing your wind direction properly and the ability to make the shot when offered is skill, not luck. Luck is when you hear about those select few lighting up a cig in the woods and a monster comes trotting back to his bedding area or chasing a doe and he lifts his shotgun/crossbow and takes him down. There is a fine line between those who get lucky and those who consistantly take down big bucks year after year.