are you a master of deer hunting?
03-29-2005, 06:23 AM
#22
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Cologne, MN
Posts: 510
RE: are you a master of deer hunting?
You all have that right about the learning part. I always try to work on my awareness and being ready for anything. Two years ago I got a reminder when a wall hanger walked past me at 20 yards. I wasn't ready and then missed the only shot I had at him. It was the last 10 minutes of the day and I've kicked myself ever since for not being focused. You can go the whole day without seeing anything and then in a split second it all happens at once.
03-29-2005, 09:59 AM
#23
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 3,406
RE: are you a master of deer hunting?
I don't know many people that are masters at anything. What must it take to be a master deer hunter?
Is a master deer hunter someone who knows all about the whitetail/mule/blacktail deer?
I don't think so. I know some folks who seem to know everything there is about deer but their hunting skills leave something to be desired. Getting a high score on a deer hunting quiz just doesn't cut it.
Is a master deer hunter someone who has killed lots of deer?
I don't think so. A lot of people simply shoot a lot of deer because they hunt in areas that has "a lot of deer". If you make a mistake or error in judgement when hunting with a populaions of 60 deer per square mile, well it's probably not a big deal. Wait a while, there are more deer around. If you make that mistake when hunting with only 6 deer per square mile, well it may be a loooong time before you get to taste venison again.
Is a master deer hunter someone who is a great shot?
I don't think so. I know some guys who would make you shake your head at the incredible shots they can make. Shooting at a target is one thing, shooting at that buck, big enough to take your breath away, is a whole different ball game.
So what makes a master deer hunter?
This I think to be true.....Someone who possess all of the above skills. Someone who knows all about deer, their habits their survival techniques, their physical/emotional changes as each season changes..etc.
That person will probably shoot a lot of deer, even in areas with low deer numbers., because he/she will probably be a great shot. Spending time necessary where he/she knows their weapon inside and out and feels confident in what shots can and cannot be made. Also spending necesary time scouting to gather all of the most recent information to form a game plan. Spending time in the deer woods trying to constantly learn new things and also remember old things that were discovered in past scouting trips.
That person will collectively shoot many deer over the years because he/she will put all the pieces together in their grand master plan. That person has definitely made many mistakes in the past but tries to not only not make that same mistake twice but also tries to learn from every mistake made.
If you are a master of knowing all about deer, a master at shooting your weapon of choice to the point of being extraordinary and be a master of killing many, many deer year after year in areas that have few deer, then I would consider you a Master Deer Hunter.
I have hunted over 45 years with many people in my life and I have yet to meet that person! Some are very good, others on the edge of greatness, but a Master Deer Hunter?...I don't think so.
That's why we keep trying. Always gaining more knowledge about the game we hunt, practicing our shooting in the hopes of always making a clean, humane kill and most important, we continue to enjoy what deer hunting is all about and what it means to each and every one of us.
Good Hunting!
Is a master deer hunter someone who knows all about the whitetail/mule/blacktail deer?
I don't think so. I know some folks who seem to know everything there is about deer but their hunting skills leave something to be desired. Getting a high score on a deer hunting quiz just doesn't cut it.
Is a master deer hunter someone who has killed lots of deer?
I don't think so. A lot of people simply shoot a lot of deer because they hunt in areas that has "a lot of deer". If you make a mistake or error in judgement when hunting with a populaions of 60 deer per square mile, well it's probably not a big deal. Wait a while, there are more deer around. If you make that mistake when hunting with only 6 deer per square mile, well it may be a loooong time before you get to taste venison again.
Is a master deer hunter someone who is a great shot?
I don't think so. I know some guys who would make you shake your head at the incredible shots they can make. Shooting at a target is one thing, shooting at that buck, big enough to take your breath away, is a whole different ball game.
So what makes a master deer hunter?
This I think to be true.....Someone who possess all of the above skills. Someone who knows all about deer, their habits their survival techniques, their physical/emotional changes as each season changes..etc.
That person will probably shoot a lot of deer, even in areas with low deer numbers., because he/she will probably be a great shot. Spending time necessary where he/she knows their weapon inside and out and feels confident in what shots can and cannot be made. Also spending necesary time scouting to gather all of the most recent information to form a game plan. Spending time in the deer woods trying to constantly learn new things and also remember old things that were discovered in past scouting trips.
That person will collectively shoot many deer over the years because he/she will put all the pieces together in their grand master plan. That person has definitely made many mistakes in the past but tries to not only not make that same mistake twice but also tries to learn from every mistake made.
If you are a master of knowing all about deer, a master at shooting your weapon of choice to the point of being extraordinary and be a master of killing many, many deer year after year in areas that have few deer, then I would consider you a Master Deer Hunter.
I have hunted over 45 years with many people in my life and I have yet to meet that person! Some are very good, others on the edge of greatness, but a Master Deer Hunter?...I don't think so.
That's why we keep trying. Always gaining more knowledge about the game we hunt, practicing our shooting in the hopes of always making a clean, humane kill and most important, we continue to enjoy what deer hunting is all about and what it means to each and every one of us.
Good Hunting!
03-29-2005, 12:02 PM
#25
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,913
RE: are you a master of deer hunting?
I have patterned deer all summer to have them dig a hole and hibernate till mid January when season is over. Smart little guys. Master...me? i don't even consider myself good. Most of the people that I know that have killed really big deer will tell you that they happened to be at the right place at the right time, luck plays a major part. You can do all the scouting, scent free, trail cam work you want, if the deer don't play along.......it humbles even the masters.
03-29-2005, 03:54 PM
#29
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 590
RE: are you a master of deer hunting?
I think this type of question can actually be good for assessing yourself. I think that anyone who rates themself as a master has plateaued and will probably not improve and will probably get humbled next hunting season!
I do think it's very important to really know your strengths and weaknesses. For instance, if you can't sit still for 10 seconds then you're not going to have success standhunting, and you need to find a different hunting method or take tranquilizers.
Me as a hunter(on a scale of 0 to 10):
Shooting (stationary target) - 7
Shooting (moving target) - 3
Tracking, reading sign - 5
Patience - 9
Attention to task at hand (i.e. NOT daydreaming) - 2
Physical stamina - 9
Map reading as applied to hunting situations - 9.5
Mental attitude - 7
Commitment (i.e. willingness to blow off a hot date with a Jessica Simpson lookalike to get in the woods) - 9.5
Discipline (i.e. not taking shots I probably can't pull off) - 8
Analytical skills - 10/0 (this can be a blessing and a curse, leading to paralysis by analysis)
Knowledge of prey - 8
I'm sure there are other areas, but off the top of my head those are the biggies. So my strengths are map reading, patience, commitment, and stamina. My weaknesses are shooting at moving game and a tendency to daydream. Putting all this together, I look for stand-hunting options versus hunting on the move, and I count on my hours and hours of poring over maps to find isolated little holes miles past where other guys are willing to go. If I have to resort to stillhunting (some of my hunting areas force this), I compensate by moving very slowly, trying to catch game unawares for standing shots because I won't take a running shot.
How's that for overanalysis?
I do think it's very important to really know your strengths and weaknesses. For instance, if you can't sit still for 10 seconds then you're not going to have success standhunting, and you need to find a different hunting method or take tranquilizers.
Me as a hunter(on a scale of 0 to 10):
Shooting (stationary target) - 7
Shooting (moving target) - 3
Tracking, reading sign - 5
Patience - 9
Attention to task at hand (i.e. NOT daydreaming) - 2
Physical stamina - 9
Map reading as applied to hunting situations - 9.5
Mental attitude - 7
Commitment (i.e. willingness to blow off a hot date with a Jessica Simpson lookalike to get in the woods) - 9.5
Discipline (i.e. not taking shots I probably can't pull off) - 8
Analytical skills - 10/0 (this can be a blessing and a curse, leading to paralysis by analysis)
Knowledge of prey - 8
I'm sure there are other areas, but off the top of my head those are the biggies. So my strengths are map reading, patience, commitment, and stamina. My weaknesses are shooting at moving game and a tendency to daydream. Putting all this together, I look for stand-hunting options versus hunting on the move, and I count on my hours and hours of poring over maps to find isolated little holes miles past where other guys are willing to go. If I have to resort to stillhunting (some of my hunting areas force this), I compensate by moving very slowly, trying to catch game unawares for standing shots because I won't take a running shot.
How's that for overanalysis?
03-29-2005, 05:17 PM
#30
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location:
Posts: 174
RE: are you a master of deer hunting?
Dirt, I had a big huge long reply similar to yours, but I erased it...after seeing yours..I had to do the same thing....so I used your scale...THANKS!
Great job!
Me as a hunter(on a scale of 1 to 10):
Shooting (stationary target) - 9
Shooting (moving target) - 8 (but Im a bowhunter, so that means walking targets)
Tracking, reading sign - 8.5
Patience - 6.5
Attention to task at hand (i.e. NOT daydreaming) - 5
Physical stamina - 9
Map reading as applied to hunting situations - 7
Mental attitude - 7.5
Commitment (i.e. willingness to blow off a hot date with a Jessica Simpson lookalike to get in the woods) - 9 (but you're crazy, I LOVE Jessica Simpson, so thats one of the few days Id stay out of the woods. If it helps to prove my commitment though, I QUIT my job so I could hunt more.)
Discipline (i.e. not taking shots I probably can't pull off) - 8.5
Analytical skills - Im pretty good at analyzing the situation, and then NOT over analyzing now....I used to always second guess myself, but I changed my methods to where the "gut feeling" always wins.
Knowledge of prey - 8.5
The day I stop learning, is the day I stop hunting.
Have a good one all---Matt
Great job!Me as a hunter(on a scale of 1 to 10):
Shooting (stationary target) - 9
Shooting (moving target) - 8 (but Im a bowhunter, so that means walking targets)
Tracking, reading sign - 8.5
Patience - 6.5
Attention to task at hand (i.e. NOT daydreaming) - 5
Physical stamina - 9
Map reading as applied to hunting situations - 7
Mental attitude - 7.5
Commitment (i.e. willingness to blow off a hot date with a Jessica Simpson lookalike to get in the woods) - 9 (but you're crazy, I LOVE Jessica Simpson, so thats one of the few days Id stay out of the woods. If it helps to prove my commitment though, I QUIT my job so I could hunt more.)
Discipline (i.e. not taking shots I probably can't pull off) - 8.5
Analytical skills - Im pretty good at analyzing the situation, and then NOT over analyzing now....I used to always second guess myself, but I changed my methods to where the "gut feeling" always wins.
Knowledge of prey - 8.5
The day I stop learning, is the day I stop hunting.
Have a good one all---Matt