IntroC

I think it all depends on where you hunt.

A guy that pays top dollarto hunt in fenced in enclosures and shoots a Booner evry year is not a good hunter. I wouldn't even consider him a hunter.

I some states P & Y bucks are alot easier to come by than in others.

Here is what IMO I would consider a hunter better than the rest. Its a guy that is consistently taking big bucks out of places where no one else is.For example onheavily hunted public land where the average deer taken is a forky or a small 6 point and a 125+ is very rare. And there are guys doing just that. A guy hunting these kind of areas is gonna get my respect before the guy that has premo private land to hunt where the deer are not pressured and grow big because of it.

Western MA Hunter

I think alot has to do w/ the area and the capacity of the land you are hunting. Some areas just have bigger and more abundant bucks (ie midwest) than others. In those areas I think taking them consistantly is the key word. Up this way it has much more to do w/luck and having the right "spot".
I personally do not think you can fairly judge someone's ability unless you look at all the factors involved (public vs private, managed land, carrying capacity, hunting pressure, etc.)

huntingson

Seriously, some people hunt where they might see 1 P&Y a year (or zero) and some hunt where they might see one every couple of sits. Let's not forget about reality. To kill a big buck you have to be where a big buck is. If you hunt where there are 20 big bucks, then killing one is not that difficult.

Look at the difference between GMMAT and I (am using your name GMMAT b/c I know you will understand what I am saying). He killed a 4.5 year old bruiser this past season that wasn't even close to P&Y and I killed a 2.5 year old that easily makes the book. Am I a better hunter than him b/c of that? No sir. If anything, I would say he was more successful than I.

Germ

His head is only going to get bigger But I have to agree. Don't forget about Atlas, he shot 3 mature deer this year

GMMAT

I've used Atlas as an example in threads like this for a long time. Though he and I rarely see eye to eye....that doesn't diminish the fact that he's a helluva intelligent guy....and a damned good hunter, to boot.

You put him in some of the guys on this board's woods.....and he'd better make some room on his walls for all the mounts.

This is NOT rocket science. Good hunters are good hunters. The ONLY difference in a good hunter in NY and a good hunter in WI.....is the name of the state they call home.

Roadkillwarrior

One of my friends first buck scored in the upper 140's but it was with a gun but still a heck of afirst buck. Well his second buck scored in the 170's and it was also with a gun and the next year he shot his first buck with a bow that scored in the lower 130's. From the way it sounds you would think that he is an excellent hunter but its more like he is in an excellent spot. He isnt a bad hunter but all the bucks he had shot where bucks he didnt even know were in the area because he never does any serious scouting. He just sits up in the same area every year and has these awsome deer come through. I have some other friends that haven't killed any huge bucks but they are great deer hunters. I consider a person a good deer hunter if they can consistently set up on deer and make good shots most of the time and be able to track a deer down after the shot.

GregH

You have answered your own question, perfectly.

Antler Eater

Can onejudge a man's character by the size of his penis? I don't think having a P&Y hanging on the wall makes a guy/gal an outstanding hunter. It certainly could be an indicator of one's abilities but size as we know,can be so deceiving.

Every year all across the country,there are those with relatively little experience that kill a monster,some making Boone and Crockett. Most of those folks would tell you they were in the right place at the right time. I am not trying to "rain on their parade", they still had to make the shot; but hunting skills and shooting skills as we all know are not always mutually exclusive.

Without a doubt the piece of geography where one hunts right away gives that person an advantage or disadvantage in terms of sheersize. Evena hunter with exceptional abilities cannot make a fork horn turn into a Pope & Young (unless of coursehe lets it live but that is a thread for another time and place).

KIDD642

I guess i was thinking more along the lines of success. I consider Matt one ofe the better hunters I know. Very knowledgeable. Bjt like he and I always say. Location, location, location. Matt and I usually tend to see and sometimes harvest one of the nicer deer in the area. But as I revisit it. I feeel thatthere are many good hunters on here but it depends on what actual animals are available in your hunting area. but GREgH is silly with killing big deer. he has a great LOCATION. but there is not manytimes he does not harvest that large buck.

GMMAT

I have NO IDEA of what either of the two guys I mention have killed in their bowhunting lives....but I do know two guys that are friends.....and that I respect as hunters. They are Greg/MO and Matt/PA (among many, MANY others). They've been friends for a long time....and hunted together, before.

In their respective home states, though....."I" think it would be interesting to see the bucks these guys have taken over the last several years. I don't know it to be fact....but I'm guessing their approaches are similar. I think it would be a good testament to my "location" assertion to see the bucks they've harvested throughout the years.