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Cameron County Slayer · Joined: 10 Dec 2002 Posts: 8 Location: Steve

I have only been hunting in Pennsylvania for 26 years. (With 3 million other hunters!) Last Fall there were tons of accorns and a mild Winter. Where I hunt near Emporium, I saw less bucks this year than ever before. However, even with plenty of hunting pressure out there; 90% of all bucks killed each year; with scent blockers; extended seasons and extra bonus tags, bigger bucks are still are taken each year. I saw no larger bucks this year during spring gobbler season, this summer and small game season. And yet I bagged an eight pointer at lunch time! WHY? I wasnt even going to hunt because of the antler restrictions! Maybe I knew the pattern of other bucks I have seen over the years? Maybe it was the deer piss on my boats? Maybe luck? I think SOMEONE up stairs helped me out. A special thanks to my late grandfather. My eight pointer was from him !

[ This Message was edited by: Cameron County Slayer on 2002-12-11 13:33 ]

kdill · Joined: 25 Nov 2002 Posts: 9

I definitely believe that luck plays a big part in every hunting situation. My dad always said "you just gotta be in the right place at the right time or you aint gonna see any deer". I found this to be especially true this year. On 12/02/02 I finally got a crack at a buck that looked like the ones you see on TV. I'd hunted the same southern Ohio property for 7 years and have only gotten 4 does and two small 6 pointers. All that changed due to LUCK! Dec.2nd was the start of Ohio's week long gun season and my day started off bad. On my way to the stand I found another hunter sitting just feet away from "The Spot". Not knowing what to do, I decided to walk until I found another spot that looked promising. As I began to walk I found a good spot on the hillside where I could see for several hundred yards. I decided to sit tight and within 1 hour I had a mid 140's class buck run to within 10 yards of my in-line muzzleloader.If luck wasn't on my side I dont know what was. I guess next year I should try find to the hunter in my "spot" and thank him for making me lucky.

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2649 Location: Colorado

Quote:
I gotta admit, though, that when it comes to luck, having five boys makes it easier to justify gun purchases to the wife.

Well my respect for you and your wife just went up 3 notches on a 2 notch scale. If you guys can survive that mentally and economically (i.e food bills), you both will have become wise beyond your years. :wink:

I have one sibling, a brother, and to hear my parents tell the story, we were terrors, and there is some truth to it. I can only imagine the sheer pandemonium at times if there had been not 1 but 3 other clones of us running around.

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2649 Location: Colorado

Quote:
Maybe it was the deer piss on my boats?

I definitely think it was the piss. Only question is, was the piss their by luck or was it placed with skill?

Welcome aboard Cameron County Slayer!

That's a good example Kdill of how much luck can play a roll. Better give that guy who took your spot a beer next year. :wink:

Cameron County Slayer · Joined: 10 Dec 2002 Posts: 8 Location: Steve

Again, using the Deer piss helps.

But, you still need to have INFORMATION. Whether you are marrying the woman or your dreams, buying a new car, or going to war, you need reliable information.

In the case of hunting, are there any signs, rubs, where will the deer be, and when.

My secret, besides the deer piss of course, and information, has always been "hunting the edge". I always try to find a good spot near the edge of the woods or corner of a field and wait. Sooner or later, I am bound to see something!

Kyle · Joined: 21 Dec 2002 Posts: 4 Location: WI.

What is a trophy? Where I hunt it takes skill to consistently kill mature bucks. It takes luck to kill a mature buck with a freakishly large rack.
Kyle

ontarget · Joined: 13 Mar 2002 Posts: 42 Location: N. CA

"What is a trophy” some would say it must make the minimum for the 'record books', others, in the eye of the beholder. I lean toward the latter. Every season is different with its own set of challenges. Some areas hold truly trophy class animals while others do not.

I have a good friend who has been hunting far longer than I, and he has yet to bag anything bigger than 2x3 buck. The area he hunts is not inclined to produce BIG bucks because of habit, genetics, lack of minerals, and so on, but he still manages to bag the biggest buck he encounters every season. I've tried prodding him to hunt different areas, but he's very content on hunting the same area year after year. In his eyes every buck he harvests is a trophy.

Do I consider him to be a mediocre hunter because he has never killed a record book buck? Absolutely not! In fact he is the best hunter I know. With over 30 seasons under his belt he has managed to take well over 60 animals. In California hunters are allowed two-buck tags per season/year forked horn or better, and he has managed to virtually fill all of them. Astounding!

Getting back to the question at hand….

Luck, skill, time spent afield, and coffee table scouting all play a roll. I just hope (crossing my fingers) I’ll be at the right place at the right time. He, He…

Kind of anti climatic- Anyhow that’s my 2 cents..

[ This Message was edited by: ontarget on 2002-12-22 19:24 ]

chechatonga · Joined: 15 Nov 2002 Posts: 145

It is just being in the right place at the right time, and not getting excited, and flubbing it, not a big deal. So it is luck in the real world of hunting, now if your paying to hunt a game farm, well then it is just a money thing, the more money you have, the bigger the deer. I never belived in game ranch hunting, but friends of mine do and hunt game ranches, their trophies mean nothing to me, as it was "like shooting fish in a barrel"(I have seen the vidio tapes they made) I would rather get skunked, than hunt a game farm with semi tame deer.

saskie · Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2002 10:24 pm Post subject:

I'll take luck...especially with bagging a true trophy. True if you do your homework and take all the proper preparations you'll be "lucky" more often...but those true old bucks can:a) see better than you, b) hear better than you, c)smell better than you and almost always know their neck of the woods better than you. Skill will reduce the odds but you only get the "old guy" by being lcuky enough to be around when he makes a mistake.

[ This Message was edited by: saskie on 2002-12-25 21:29 ]

Kyle · Joined: 21 Dec 2002 Posts: 4 Location: WI.

Saskie
A skillful hunter knows how to address problems A. B. and C. Taking mature bucks is a regular occurance for the skillful hunter. Taking a buck that has an exceptional rack is hard to do becuase so few bucks grow a trophy rack.
Kyle

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2649 Location: Colorado

Ontarget makes a good point. Bagging a single B&C or P&Y trophy is not a good measure of skill. However consistently filling your tag year after year with mature bucks/bulls is without a doubt a measure of skill.

The "luck" factor becomes irrelevant with each passing year of a filled tag. A person can get lucky once, twice, or maybe even three times; but it would be rare to be "lucky" five years or even a decade running.

Skill also depends on the type of species pursued. A consistent black bear hunter w/o bait (or cougar w/o dogs) is probably more skilled than a consistent deer hunter.