How much luck goes into be a successful deer hunter?
09-26-2003, 09:46 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 3,406
How much luck goes into be a successful deer hunter?
We have all heard that some luck goes into being successful. Does it depend on where you actually hunt? Do you need less luck if you' re in an area that has more deer? Is it sometimes better to be lucky than good? I always believed in the expression..." The harder I work, the luckier I get" . Personally, I think luck plays a big part in this hunting puzzle. I have seen deer suddenly, for no apparent reason, shift direction ever so slightly. This resulted in no shot taken and the deer never had a clue how close he really was. I have seen deer that were within one second of being shot, suddently bolt because it picked up the scent on another hunter, not the one with the crosshairs on his vitals. I guess we all need a certain amount of luck, but just how much? Fot those who say, " I don' t need any luck, I make my own luck" ...I say.....If I checked your pockets, I would probably find a rabbit' s foot!
09-26-2003, 10:17 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Audubon & Red Rock, Penna.
Posts: 4,472
RE: How much luck goes into be a successful deer hunter?
If you' re a novice and have no help at all I' d say it' s 90-100% luck. For most guys I' d say it' s about 50% luck. Even for the best hunter who does all his scouting, it' s probably still about 25% luck. Everything still has to go just right.
Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge
Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge
09-26-2003, 10:28 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 225
RE: How much luck goes into be a successful deer hunter?
For the guy who picks up his gun/bow on the day he hunts with no scouting or prepartory work beforehand, I would say luck is greater than 75% of his hunt. For the guy who does alot of homework in the offseason, during season, and always shooting to hone his skills, I would say luck is less than 30% of his hunt. Sometimes you have to work harder at it, other times you don' t and things just seem to fall into place, for that reason I would never completly eliminate the luck factor, you always need some of it to help you out.
09-26-2003, 10:37 AM
#4
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location:
Posts: 141
RE: How much luck goes into be a successful deer hunter?
Even with all the scouting, knowledge and so forth, I still think it' s a numbers game some what. The more you are in the woods, the more you will see deer. Of course I always want some good luck on my side. 
-- CDH
-- CDH
09-26-2003, 10:38 AM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Logan Ia USA
Posts: 678
RE: How much luck goes into be a successful deer hunter?
I would have to agree with all of you. I have also found that the harder I work at something the luckier I become. I don' t believe in alot of luck though. You have to put yourself in the spot to see deer. You have to make the shot. You have to recover the animal. I never had luck do any of it for me. I would give it about 10% for a hunter who does his homework. 80% for that weekend warrior who got the old gun or bow out of the case the day season started.
09-26-2003, 10:57 AM
#6
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 56
RE: How much luck goes into be a successful deer hunter?
I agree also and especially with the last post. Hunting is about 80-90 percent scouting, doing your homework, and knowing how to hunt properly, and 10-20 percent dumb luck and making sure to put your time in. Sure you will get lucky more often in an area with many more deer, but in a sparsely inhabited area that just makes the homework and scouting more important.
Mark
http://www.buckhuntersecrets.com
Mark
http://www.buckhuntersecrets.com
09-26-2003, 11:40 AM
#9
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Kitchener, Ontario CANADA
Posts: 152
RE: How much luck goes into be a successful deer hunter?
I' m a rookie so for me its over 50 % luck for sure.
Last year, I sat in a watch (that I was assigned to sit in) and only had a small window to shoot through to the other side of a hill. Be damned if a buck didn' t grunt at a doe right in the spot. So, the luck factor was huge 90%+ but the shot was a tough one. Well over 100 yards through a bunch of potential deflectors. The first shot barely went 20 feet before it hit a branch. The scond shot was true. This had to take away part of the luck factor.
Then I was on the last watch of the day. I picked this spot and sure enough a buck passed within 40 yards. I consider myself blessed, but not quite so lucky on this one, since it happened because of a drive we were doing.
Last year, I sat in a watch (that I was assigned to sit in) and only had a small window to shoot through to the other side of a hill. Be damned if a buck didn' t grunt at a doe right in the spot. So, the luck factor was huge 90%+ but the shot was a tough one. Well over 100 yards through a bunch of potential deflectors. The first shot barely went 20 feet before it hit a branch. The scond shot was true. This had to take away part of the luck factor.
Then I was on the last watch of the day. I picked this spot and sure enough a buck passed within 40 yards. I consider myself blessed, but not quite so lucky on this one, since it happened because of a drive we were doing.
09-26-2003, 11:51 AM
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 801
RE: How much luck goes into be a successful deer hunter?
I believe a hunter can influence his " luck" quite a bit through hard work scouting and preparing for a hunt, but 1 of the great things about hunting is that ANYONE who wanders into the woods during deer season could end up with a MONSTER. To score on deer consistently year in and year out though does not have much to do with luck in my opinion.