atlasman

What would you say is the number one reason for whatever success you have in the woods.....no matter how little that may be

I would say that my best attribute in the woods is a combination of being focused and calm enough to get the job done when the moment of truth arives.

I am a good shot. I know my ranges with gun and bow and won't pretend they are longer then they are.......so that part is solved by the time I hit the treestand. I don't have to worry about my shooting ability so I never do. I am confident and sure of my equipment.

I get excited as anyone.......but I don't get buck fever. I don't fixate on the rack or count points or start reserving a place for him on the wall while he is still walking around. My father taught me very well from an early age that you have to stay focused on the job at hand and you can count the points on the rack when he is down. I have never been so worked up that I missed a deer right in front of me or blown an easy shot that I know I should have made due to nerves.......my 2 brothers on the other hand have some pretty funny stories about deer they could have spit on yet managed to miss. LOL


Things I could use some improvement on are patience......I need to just stay in a spot that I KNOW is gonna produce sooner or later instead of bouncing around between a couple different stand sites.....Nothing worse then seeing deer go by the stand you were in YESTERDAY [:@]

I could also be better at sneaking around quietly in the fall woods. If there isn't snow on the ground or really wet leaves I just feel like I make too much noise. I seem to step on every damn twig on the ground. I think I need to be more careful and walk slower sometimes.

AKDoug

My strongest attribute is patience. It allows me to stalk quietly..and I'm a fat guy, it allows me to shoot very well, and it allows me to remain totally calm when shooting at game. I find as much enjoyment in the act of hunting as I do the kill. That inner calmness allows me to be patient and never really have much disapointment.


Like you, Atlas, I have never succumbed to buck fever. Although I have only shot one big game animal with a bow, the countless kills on small game and rifle hunting have convinced me that I should really never have an issue with it.

comndr45

I'm right with you guys. I shake like a leaf watching the deer's approach, but when the time to draw and shoot comes, I am dead calm. No buck fever. If I shook like I do on the approach, I would never hit anything.

PABowhntr

I am always well prepared for any situation/condition....whether that be a buck coming from behind me or a buddy who has twisted his ankle and needs help I always have the mindset and equipment to cope with it.

As for the rest...I have no illusions. I am an average hunter at best...but I sure have fun just being out there.

silentassassin

I'd say that pretty much sums it up for me too

NY Bowhunter

I would say I have a unique ability to be able to focus on a sound quickly. My eyes can pick out a sound in the woods in a split second. Even if it comes from directly behind me as soon as I hear a crunch, I can immediately pick out what made it. Of cours 98.2% of the time they are squirels, but I think it helps me out. Another one is my ability to stay completely motionless on stand. The only thing you can see moving on me is my eyes. I think this stems from doing a lot of ground hunting. Whether it be from a blind or stalking, I like the challenge of hunting on the ground. You learn how to not move an inch pretty quick.

davidmil

Well, let's see, I can't hear, I'm am OK shot, I don't get rattled, I don't give a dang if I do or I don't. I guess they're right. I have people that tell me everytime I get a deer, I'm just damn LUCKY. OK, I can live with that. So there you have it. Number one attribute...... LUCKY sum-beesh.

wimp

Killing deer

Actually, I feel I'm quite good at detecting deer as early as possible while they are still a ways away from my tree. Allowing me to get ready. A close second is that I don't get rattled at all.

Len in Maryland

Don't let Dave fool you, he has a lot of attributes. True, he can't hear worth a dang; but, he makes up for it in many other areas. He's great at tracking, deer sense, location of stands, and patience.

I think attitude is equally one of our biggest attributes as well. We both respect the animals intensely. We love it when everything goes right, but don't let it get to us if we don't get a shot off. If we do happen to have a shot go array, we hope intensely for a clean miss. If that is not the case, we will search until we are sure that any further search is futile.

We have the utmost confidence in our equipment because we tune and practice often. We accept what we cannot change and change what we cannot accept.

Good hunting to all.

WV Hunter

Ditto PA and SA...you nailed that one.

I'd say if there is one thing that helps me out, it's the fact that I have more patience than most of the guys I hunt with. Not that it's helped me take any monsters or anything LOL...but I have taken alot of deer, and many of those when everyone else was either not hunting, or already came in. Like PA said it's all fun, and I enjoy just getting out