Formula for Succes.

[at1010]

Very interesting discussion. I base my success on age more than score. As far as what's the biggest factors involved in me getting it done each season. Is good access to mature bucks, time( at least 3 weeks) to hunt pre rut or rut, and practice with the bow and guns I intend in using.
As of right now, I still have a buck tag and don't have anything on TC that meets my standards yet. So it looks like I might eat my buck tag this season. However, I had a great season and I am alright with that

Same boat pal!

 

[bowhunter1023]

I wasn't meaning anyone in particular ....I just see that a lot on various sportsman message boards

It's the old "grass is always" greener scenario...

One thing that hasn't been mentioned (directly) that I thought was a surefire key to success early on and that's hard work. I was certain that if I worked hard, harder than the next guy, I would earn a buck. Silly boy... I worked my ass off when I first started taking things serious and it amounted to a big, fat zero in the score column. In fact, it hurt more than it helped. Undoubtedly I created more havoc in the woods than I even realized and I burned myself out. It took several years to learn hard work didn't matter. It didn't matter how much time I spent in the off-season scouting, hanging stands, clearing trails, cutting lanes and generally living deer 24/7. None of that equaled success. It does for some, but it's not a guarantee.

 

[Jackalope]

I think a lot of times it easy to get jealous of others opportunities . From the outside looking in I think a lot of us look at property other people are hunting and think they have it better when in reality if we actually got to hunt that property we'd realize its not much better than other places .

I would agree with this in some cases. However in the vast majority of cases the trail cam photos they post don't support that theory. Based on all the photos I've seen in my 11 years of being on a forum, and 5 years of owning one, I can positively say the guys who consistently get it done year after year have one thing in common. A number of shooter bucks on camera during season. The guys who don't have that, don't consistently kill bucks. From what I've seen it's not a lack of effort, money, tactics, etc. Typically it comes down to one property being better than the other and the proof is in the photos.

 

[Dannmann801]

I'd like to chime in with a comment about the difference between talent and skill.

Skill is something that you acquire, thru teaching, study, work, practice, observation, and applying yourself. Coaches/teachers/peers can help teach you something you didn't know, and hopefully we all get exposed to others who can teach us something.

Talent is someting you're born with - natural abilities that need to be harnessed/honed/fed/and expanded upon. I believe that some hunters have natural talent, and are able to innately understand things they observe or that they're taught, and be successful in their endeavors. It's like Michael Jordan and basketball - he worked hard and made the most of his God -given talent. Rudy worked hard, but wasn't born with the football talent he would have liked to have had.

In a brutal self examination, I'm not sure that I was born with a great amount of natural hunting talent. Any success I've had has been born of working at it and having some good luck. I think the harder you work at it, the more time on stand, and the better access you have, the more success you'll have. But if you have natural talent to build on, you're going to really excel.

Think about it - are you doing your best to exploit your talent to it's best? Do you know a talented hunter? Do you know a "Rudy" who tries but no luck?

 

[Buckmaster]

Do you know a "Rudy" who tries but no luck?

I do. His name is Jesse. :smiley_crocodile:

 

[bowhunter1023]

I do. His name is Jesse. :smiley_crocodile:

Yep. Pretty much...

 

[Jackalope]

Good stuff. Lots of good info for people to think about. In the end that's what discussions are for. There will always be differences of opinions and some people with stronger differences than others. Some like the debate and others just get butthurt. Some won't learn a thing, some will refuse to learn, but others might find something to think about or have an ahhha moment. Really that's what it's all about, if we all sat around holding hands and singing kumbaya then it would be a pretty boring place and nobody would every think outside their zone, change, adapt, or learn.

 

[giles]

I prefer singing "yellow submarine"

 

[bowhunter1023]

Good stuff. Lots of good info for people to think about. In the end that's what discussions are for. There will always be differences of opinions and some people with stronger differences than others. Some like the debate and others just get butthurt. Some won't learn a thing, some will refuse to learn, but others might find something to think about or have an ahhha moment. Really that's what it's all about, if we all sat around holding hands and singing kumbaya then it would be a pretty boring place and nobody would every think outside their zone, change, adapt, or learn.

Exactly.

And for those that accuse us of group think, read this thread again. Or the baiting thread. A lot of us do agree on somethings, but that's not the standard on everything issue we discuss.

 

[Dannmann801]

I'm just amazed at shed hunters who consistently drag barrels and barrels of fucking sheds out of the woods, and I'm still looking for my first.
Granted, I honestly haven't applied myself very hard, but shit, you'd think this blind squirrel would get at least ONE nut.

And you other fuckers are getting BARRELS. there's gotta be a talent thing going on there.

 

[giles]

I'm just amazed at shed hunters who consistently drag barrels and barrels of fucking sheds out of the woods, and I'm still looking for my first.
Granted, I honestly haven't applied myself very hard, but shit, you'd think this blind squirrel would get at least ONE nut.

And you other fuckers are getting BARRELS. there's gotta be a talent thing going on there.

Hahahaha!

 

[Fullbore]

I'm just amazed at shed hunters who consistently drag barrels and barrels of fucking sheds out of the woods, and I'm still looking for my first.
Granted, I honestly haven't applied myself very hard, but shit, you'd think this blind squirrel would get at least ONE nut.

And you other fuckers are getting BARRELS. there's gotta be a talent thing going on there.

Lol... Your absolutely right Danno!
However, good shed hunting is much the same as deer hunting land as well. Access and time are the most important factors in shed hunting TOO. I've lost a lot of my shed hunting land these past two years and my numbers have spiraled downward ever since. I went from 37 sheds in 2014 to 12 last year!

 

[Flatlander]

The discussion about good access reminds me of a story. Several years back I had a pretty awesome place to hunt. My cousin stated to me that anyone could kill a deer when they are hunting at the "Columbus Zoo". Long story short, I got permission for him to hunt the place for one year and he still didn't kill a deer. I hunted down from him and would watch deer walk behind him. At the end of the hunt I'd ask him how many he saw and he would tell me he never saw a thing. He did take a shot at a small buck once and missed. He judged it at 30 yards and I paced it off at 43. Bottom line is....hunter skill does play a big part in success. If you don't know how to hunt.....a good spot can become bad real quick.

 

[runhunter]

The discussion about good access reminds me of a story. Several years back I had a pretty awesome place to hunt. My cousin stated to me that anyone could kill a deer when they are hunting at the "Columbus Zoo". Long story short, I got permission for him to hunt the place for one year and he still didn't kill a deer. I hunted down from him and would watch deer walk behind him. At the end of the hunt I'd ask him how many he saw and he would tell me he never saw a thing. He did take a shot at a small buck once and missed. He judged it at 30 yards and I paced it off at 43. Bottom line is....hunter skill does play a big part in success. If you don't know how to hunt.....a good spot can become bad real quick.

Haha 100% true. But it has to be a good spot to begin with...

 

[giles]

Haha 100% true. But it has to be a good spot to begin with...

Does it? Or could an idiot neighbor be a good thing? I like to hunt other hunters, they are much easier to pattern.

 

[finelyshedded]

Lol... Your absolutely right Danno!
However, good shed hunting is much the same as deer hunting land as well. Access and time are the most important factors in shed hunting TOO. I've lost a lot of my shed hunting land these past two years and my numbers have spiraled downward ever since. I went from 37 sheds in 2014 to 12 last year!

X2


I pass prime shed hunting props that already have shed hunters with exclusive rights everyday. Actually a spot inside King Mills city limits I had my eye on but didn't know who to contact to get permission was developed a few years ago and a 250ish inch set was found within that property by a construction worker running heavy equipment.

ACCESS AND TIME applies to shed hunting TOO!

 

[Flathead76]

I'm just amazed at shed hunters who consistently drag barrels and barrels of fucking sheds out of the woods, and I'm still looking for my first.
Granted, I honestly haven't applied myself very hard, but shit, you'd think this blind squirrel would get at least ONE nut.

And you other fuckers are getting BARRELS. there's gotta be a talent thing going on there.

successful shed hunters have have to cover lots of ground to be successful. They focus on properties that have deer. No deer no sheds. Many do well on properties that they have permission to shed hunt. Sadly many do well on ground they have no rights to be on.

 

[finelyshedded]

Covering lots of ground is the easy part! Getting permission is by far the toughest! Especially these days!

 

[CJD3]

I'm just amazed at shed hunters who consistently drag barrels and barrels of fucking sheds out of the woods, and I'm still looking for my first.
Granted, I honestly haven't applied myself very hard, but shit, you'd think this blind squirrel would get at least ONE nut.

And you other fuckers are getting BARRELS. there's gotta be a talent thing going on there.

I feel the same way about arrow heads too...

 

[hickslawns]

My shed hunting is hit and miss. Depends on crop rotation if deer will be dropping antlers on properties I am allowed to hunt, or if the deer will drop them on a neighboring property.