I was just wondering. Does a hunter HAVE to become better at the end of each season based purely on time in the woods? Does each and every hunter learn more each year they are in the woods? Just being in the woods, deer encounters, the surroundings, seeing sign, etc.... does one automatically become a better hunter on the last day than they were on the first even if they don't know it? Or is it up to the individual to apply what they see and make themselves learn from it? Is it a passive learning approach or aggressive? Just curious on your thoughts.

I would think so. I know I do, I learn something new EACH and EVERY time out. Alot of times every time I see adeer I learn something. As long as you can take in your surroundings, you should be learning something.

I agree with the previous post. I would say that a hunter learns something, no matter how small, each time they enter the woods. Now whether or not he/she takes advantage of that and puts it too good use is on them...

Hunter A and Hunter B spend the exact same amount of time in the woods for 5 years. At the end of 5 years are they equally as good/educated hunters?

This ought to be interesting!

How many times do you go out in a year?
How many deer do you see?
How many close encounters did you have?
How many animals did you put on the ground?
How many times did you do something DIFFERENT?
How many times di you take the game to the deer (instead of passively sitting there, waiting)?
Etc...
Etc...
Etc...

Man goes hunting 7 times in a season for 20 years .......that don't mean squat to me (20 yrs "experience"). An intelligent man can maybe learn and experience the same in 5 sits a year for 20 seasons. Someone may be able to gain EQUAL/greater experience in less sits.

Heck....some might be able to shave years off. Given enough sits (woods time).....some might surpass that guy in actual woods "experience".

That's good stuff, Rory. Stands to reason the more you're able to be out there....the more you're learning. Being able to apply what you're learning will further your education, too. The more encounters you have....the mor eyou're learning.

Good luck. I'm in the same boat.

I learn that I like to set in a stand more than stalk, the older I get.

Hell no. One's gonna take in more than the other, plain and simple.

Thank you Jeff, that's one of the points I was trying to make. The thing I've really been learning, is stand location. Seems I can't get it just right for bowhunting yet, gun hunting I'd say I got it down lol

No, you do not "have" to get better. You can sit in the woods, kill deer to an extent, and keep doing it the same way season after season. You will kill deer by luck a lot of times. If you want to be a deer guru though, you have to study deer 24/7 in and out of season. Gospel. That being said, I don't ever see me becoming a guru. I have way too many responsibilities in my life to devote the time it takes. I would rather be fairly goodat a lot of things thana guruat only a few. jmho

LT

Hunting is like any other endeavor in life. Some people get better each year, some stay the same, while others actually get worse.

The length of time spent on stand does not make you a better hunter

Yea what he said.

And to add, the vast majority will probably get better even if just a miniscule amount, but it is not a 100% certainty for everyone.