I'd like to know how many of you guys taught yourself to be good bowhunters... as opposed to many people who have had someone teach them all the tricks? I'm teaching myself and it's not too easy. What tools helped you the most (eg;; scouting , location etc..) on becoming successful? Or was it the will to not give up?

I have yet to prove to myself that I am a good bowhunter. I am mostly self taught, having learned most of what I know here at HNI. I have killed several deer and a few dozen feral hogs in 3 1/2 years of bowhunting. I am proficient, but am I good? Maybe not yet. When I get a mature buck on the ground we will talk again. When I consistantly get mature bucks on the ground, well, then I'm good.

Attention to details. Learn all you can about deer. Read everything you can get your hands on. Watch deer in the wild. Study everything they do. What do they eat? how do they react to things. Keep your gear simple and in Perfect working order. Slow down in the woods and take the time to really study everything. Become a deer hunting CSI guy.

The best teacher by far is failure. If you keep doing the same ole same ole you will always get the same ole results. Failure will make or break a bow hunter.

Excellent advice. I read all the time. I "try" to know where the deer I hunt are at any given time throughout the season. It's tough.....but "fun". If you know what they're eating, though.....you've got a LOT of this stuff licked.

More good stuff. I've failed enough to know this. Thanks, Chris.

Trial and error my friend and also you have a great bunch of guys here who will help out best they can for advice.
They have helped me heeps. (I luv using aus slang)

I too am self taught as I did not start bowhunting till I was in my early 20's. I have had some friends along the way thay helped a lot but for the most part (as said before) Mostly trial and error, and I am still learning everytime I get on a stand or do some scouting and I have been at it for 12 years....IMO you never stop learning, you just keep improving.....

Do you guys ever doubt the decisions you make when choosing a spot,,,? Thats where most of the difficulty comes into play for me..I'm always unsure .

OF COURSE!

Listen, though....I hope this will set your mind at ease....

I've only been doing this for 2.5 yrs......and I'll say that the more I hunt deer....the LESS the above comes into play. It still happens (second guessing)....but the more I learn about the deer I hunt.....I second guess my decisions less and less.

In MANY ways I'm in the same boat your are in, this fall. I have new properties to hunt. I'm sure I'll get that feeling more times this coming fall than I did last fall. I suppose that's just part of it.

I have to always tell myself this, though.....You're smarter than them. You chose that spot for a GOOD reason.

Ride it out.

I've learned mostly from my mistakes....