RE: What is most important---Skill, Luck, or Land??
 

I agree with Rack-attack.

The mottos of a local billioniare were " The harder I work, the luckier I get" and " No dream comes true until you wake up and go to work" . :)

I believe this includes scouting land, and if you are not on good land you have more work to do. Last year we found 2 new prime hunting areas by scouring arial maps and talking to the landowners. We explained what we were doing, got permission, stayed in touch thoughout the season, and then paid for a night out with their wives. We' ve already been invited back for next year. By then, maybe we will have found something even better. ;)

RE: What is most important---Skill, Luck, or Land??
 

It is the 3 L' s. Location, Location, and Location

RE: What is most important---Skill, Luck, or Land??
 

I really would like to possess all three. I hunt private land but let me tell you that there is around 20 bowhunters that hunt the " pieces" of woods around us. Anyone can have luck at anytime. But.....The more skills you have the more luck you make. No question!
I keep hunting logs and put alot of effort into stand selections and my son doesn' t. We both shoot deer but his lack of scouting puts more meat and bigger horns in the back of my truck. Put more work in and your LUCK increases!;)

RE: What is most important---Skill, Luck, or Land??
 

I think SKILL is probably the most important overall. In the end, it will account for more TRUE success than LAND or LUCK. " TRUE SUCCESS" being that you worked hard and earned it.

However, I do know some knuckleheads that have very prime property....hunt a couple days a year during gun season, and almost always kill a big buck. No SKILL involved....the LAND is the main factor there (alot of big bucks running around, and they take their pick).

As far as LUCK... I' ll agree with David...and Rack...

RE: What is most important---Skill, Luck, or Land??
 

I did??

Read it one more time. I said the same hunter putting in the same effort will be more successful on a prime piece of land vs. the Vietnam atmosphere of the state forest.

RE: What is most important---Skill, Luck, or Land??
 

This statement implies that the land is what dictates your success............but you say otherwise in your post?????

If you have to work harder to achieve the same results depending on what land you are on then it is the land that is dictating your success. Same amount of effort/skill would not get you the same results on different plots of land.

Busting your nads all year may get you a monster on private land. Busting your nads all year on state land could end in frustration as you watch all your hard work go down the drain when some idiot and his friend decide to shoot at some cans while out squirrel hunting and spook everthing for a half mile with a blast after blast from a 12 gauge.

Nothing quite like doing everthing you can to eliminate human scent near your stand........only to watch as 25 hikers go by on a nature walk wearing hair spray, perfume and 20 other scents they picked up along the way.

RE: What is most important---Skill, Luck, or Land??
 

I agree that the land you have to hunt is very important but I feel that your skill level is more important. Just because you hunt private property does not mean the deer are not pressured. The properties I hunt there is hunting pressure all around, dogs and a shooting range. I' m sure all this activity puts some pressure on the deer.

If you put an unskilled hunter on the best piece of deer hunting land they are probably going to educate every deer within miles that something is wrong.

I compare it to this: Put the most technologically advanced bow in the world in the hands of an unskilled archer and see what happens. If they do not have the skill to shoot the bow they may as well be throwing spears.

RE: What is most important---Skill, Luck, or Land??
 

Well, in my heart I would love to say skill but my brain vetos that and loudly screams LAND!!! Yes skill is important. A complete dumba$$ is not going to be able to kill much even on a great piece of land. Luck is a wild card but can' t be counted on. Yes I know people who have shot huge bucks that walked out in their front yards but these things are too inconsistent to be the " greatest factor" of the three. Nothing wrong with skill but, take two guys. One is an average hunter and the other is a world class legendary hunter. Average Guy gets to hunt a private family ranch with very little hunting pressure. A place that can and has managed its deer herd for optimal antler growth over the past 10 years. World Class guy is sent to a piece of public land that is hunted hard by god only knows how many people. A place where the only rule in effect for the past 10 years is " If its brown, its down." Who kills more deer? Who kills bigger bucks? With all due respect to the Chuck Adams types of the world, the average guy in this example is going to clean world class guys proverbial clock. I have in my life hunted a combination of both private and public land. There is no contest. Killing a doe on heavily hunted public land can be more difficult than killing an 8 point on some of my familys private land. I am extremely fortunate to have at this stage of my life several thousand acres of family land to hunt and I can tell you this, the amount of pressure deer get in an area is key! Pressure like the deer receive on public land can and will drive them to more and more nocturnal hours, especially the larger bucks. I don' t care how good you are, you can' t kill deer that don' t move from their bed until 30 minutes after dark and then bury back up in a thicket 30 minutes before daylight. Stalking these bedded deer in the thick woods of Alabama is also an exercise in futility. You would have a better chance of playing pick up sticks with your butt cheeks than you would of getting in bow range of a bedded buck here. All things being equal skill would win out with the occasional lucky upset but things are never equal. I know 12 year old kids who have killed bigger bucks than I probably ever will. Better hunters than me? Pleeeaasse! Better family land than me? You betcha! Face it you are limited by the land you hunt. Like my daddy always says, " I don' t care how good a man is he can' t make chicken salad out of chicken sh#@."

RE: What is most important---Skill, Luck, or Land??
 

Luck is when preperation meets opportunity.Sure a blind hog finds an acorn every now and then.But the " luckiest" hunters I know are usually the hardest working.A good hunter who does his homework and puts in the effort can kill deer anywere.The quality of the deer you kill and or the amount of effort it takes to be sucessfull does depend on were you hunt.If you hunt in an area that produces big deer your odds of killing one are that much greater.

CB

RE: What is most important---Skill, Luck, or Land??
 

Todd1700, I' m going to agree with you on your hunter scenario, except for the skill I feel is involved in improving your land. How do the stands get placed, how do the food plots get planted,who clears out the shooting lanes,who developes access roads, who implemented the 10 year management plan,etc. Skilled hunters !!

Now your unskilled hunter example is successful because of their hard work!!

Your skilled hunter example is unsuccessful because of some jacka$$es hunt that land.