Winchester
Well-Known Member
Largest buck killed in the entire county was 150 with 125 making the top 10. Sound familiar!
We discuss this frequently on TN Deer
- Thread starter Winchester
- Start date
plinker22
Well-Known Member
Did he say that? Too funny... :D :D :D
"or not quite pretty enough for Hollywood lipstick girl making it big in outdoor television."
I had to laugh. :)
"or not quite pretty enough for Hollywood lipstick girl making it big in outdoor television."
I had to laugh. :)
Pursuit Hunter
Well-Known Member
My favorite quote: "More people will look at the bigger buck, for sure, but the antlers really have nothing to do with your hunting ability".
The current culture of deer hunting is obsessed with antler size. Almost no consideration is given to the skill employed in the kill. I will take greater satisfaction in a doe or average-racked buck that I killed at 20 yards using my knowledge and hard work to get close, over a large-racked buck that happened to wander into an open field 250 yards away. Skill versus luck.
Unfortunately, skill in not a quantifiable commodity. B&C score is. Skill doesnt require the purchase of the latest gadgets and gizmos which fund the hornography that we see every day and that creates the unrealistic expectations that are so rampant.
At its core, hunting is a very personal pursuit. The obsession with quantifying success based on antler score has gotten things all out of whack both in terms of what constitutes "success" and in influencing our own personal satisfaction with the hunt.
I would love to see more emphasis on "how I killed it" versus "what I killed". It's the process, not the end result, that really matters (to me anyway).
The current culture of deer hunting is obsessed with antler size. Almost no consideration is given to the skill employed in the kill. I will take greater satisfaction in a doe or average-racked buck that I killed at 20 yards using my knowledge and hard work to get close, over a large-racked buck that happened to wander into an open field 250 yards away. Skill versus luck.
Unfortunately, skill in not a quantifiable commodity. B&C score is. Skill doesnt require the purchase of the latest gadgets and gizmos which fund the hornography that we see every day and that creates the unrealistic expectations that are so rampant.
At its core, hunting is a very personal pursuit. The obsession with quantifying success based on antler score has gotten things all out of whack both in terms of what constitutes "success" and in influencing our own personal satisfaction with the hunt.
I would love to see more emphasis on "how I killed it" versus "what I killed". It's the process, not the end result, that really matters (to me anyway).
horn master
Well-Known Member
Very good post Pursuit Hunter! I could not agree more.
TNDeerGuy
Well-Known Member
Great article and great postings, and couldn't agree more!!
Winchester
Well-Known Member
Well said!Pursuit Hunter said:
Hill Country Hunter
Well-Known Member
Pursuit Hunter said:
That may be the best post I have read on here in the last 6 months. Outstanding!
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
[size]Now back to the guy from the beginning of this post. He killed his buck in the county right next to the one I grew up in, and it is basically the buck of a lifetime for the area. I told him this, and suggested he kill many more deer before setting his standards higher. In fact, I told him to lower his standards, which were higher than my own in that area. Also, it�s not a good idea to jump into strictly trophy hunting until you have killed many deer. I hear too many new hunters holding out for big bucks. This is just crazy. The most important thing in the beginning is to gather as much experience as you can. [/size]
Not only do I agree, but would argue one of the best ways for many new hunters to gather more valuable hunting experience for deer is via hunting for squirrels. IMO, one of the biggest single things missing from today's "new" deer hunters is the experience gained by hunting more for small game first.
Not only do I agree, but would argue one of the best ways for many new hunters to gather more valuable hunting experience for deer is via hunting for squirrels. IMO, one of the biggest single things missing from today's "new" deer hunters is the experience gained by hunting more for small game first.
wes
i agree ole redblood and hillbilly hunter are poster children for this
10 squirrel
10 shots
1 hunt
i agree ole redblood and hillbilly hunter are poster children for this
10 squirrel
10 shots
1 hunt
Winchester said:
Cheers all around! I agree whole heartedly
sure shot
Well-Known Member
quite possibly one of the best things i have ever read,very nice !!
BSK
Well-Known Member
Great post Pursuit Hunter. I couldn't agree more.
If I ever get the chance to meet the author of that article (Chris Eberhart) I'm going to shake his hand and say "THANK YOU for a great article and a much needed dose of reality!"
If I ever get the chance to meet the author of that article (Chris Eberhart) I'm going to shake his hand and say "THANK YOU for a great article and a much needed dose of reality!"
Pursuit Hunter
Well-Known Member
A further thought...
I started enjoying deer hunting much more when I stopped worrying about whether the outcome of my hunt met some external measure of success and started listening to that little voice in my head.
When I notice a pattern like what type of acorn the deer are feeding on, or which side of the ridges they are travelling on, or where the freshest buck sign is located and I apply the recognition of that pattern in choosing a spot to hunt, that little voice says "way to go" when a deer, any deer, shows up exactly where I think it will be. I don't even need to draw my bow or pull the trigger to feel a sense of accomplishment. If a nice buck shows up, terrific, but not necessary for me to feel successful.
I went on a guided hunt once for a business event. I got up in the ladder stand overlooking a greenfield that I was directed to and lasted about an hour before I got down to look for my own spot. During that interminable hour, the little voice kept hammering me with, "you haven't earned the right to kill anything."
I don't watch many hunting shows anymore because whenever I see some "hunting celebrity" kill a large racked deer from a spot that was chosen for them, I just can't drown out that little voice saying, "he didn't earn that deer."
On the other hand, I saw a show the other day where a guy was filming his own hunts using a gopro and a camcorder. He talked about why he chose a particular spot. He killed several does in the course of one episode. He was happy. I enjoyed it because it felt like he had earned those deer..
I started enjoying deer hunting much more when I stopped worrying about whether the outcome of my hunt met some external measure of success and started listening to that little voice in my head.
When I notice a pattern like what type of acorn the deer are feeding on, or which side of the ridges they are travelling on, or where the freshest buck sign is located and I apply the recognition of that pattern in choosing a spot to hunt, that little voice says "way to go" when a deer, any deer, shows up exactly where I think it will be. I don't even need to draw my bow or pull the trigger to feel a sense of accomplishment. If a nice buck shows up, terrific, but not necessary for me to feel successful.
I went on a guided hunt once for a business event. I got up in the ladder stand overlooking a greenfield that I was directed to and lasted about an hour before I got down to look for my own spot. During that interminable hour, the little voice kept hammering me with, "you haven't earned the right to kill anything."
I don't watch many hunting shows anymore because whenever I see some "hunting celebrity" kill a large racked deer from a spot that was chosen for them, I just can't drown out that little voice saying, "he didn't earn that deer."
On the other hand, I saw a show the other day where a guy was filming his own hunts using a gopro and a camcorder. He talked about why he chose a particular spot. He killed several does in the course of one episode. He was happy. I enjoyed it because it felt like he had earned those deer..
plinker22
Well-Known Member
Self filmed YouTube videos are all I enjoy. They feel real and I end up right there with them in the tree.Pursuit Hunter said:
Skully
Well-Known Member
Does eat good!
Skully
Well-Known Member
Does eat good!
Skully
Well-Known Member
Sorry for double post, its been a while. I hunt to provide for me and my family food period. I havent killed a young animal in over5 years. Good things happen to those that wait. Its up to you to ask yourself what am I waiting for.
horn master
Well-Known Member
Does do eat good and it aint easy to arrow a wise old doe either.
chatthunting
Well-Known Member
Go! Doe!
BSK said:
X2 squared. I never heard of him but he has it nailed.
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
"It's the process" and I couldn't agree more. Well said! If it's only the kill I've been missing out for the last 6 years, lol.
Bone Collector
Well-Known Member
Quite possibly one of the best posts i've seen on here. I agree 100%.
Bottom Hunter
Well-Known Member
I agree.....
I'd like to add that in many cases, rock star status (bragging rights) is more important to a hunter than the experience is....
Sadly, reaching this status is the goal and not experiencing one of hunting's greatest challenges (killing a mature deer).
Everytime a NICE deer is killed in my county, people scramble around to see what it scored, not just simply to see the deer and share in the experience of the kill but to see if someone gets knocked off the pedestal...
My first question is..."can you tell me about it?"
Many times, the story, if the hunter is even willing to tell it, is far less worthy of the deer's status.
I tend to be wary of big deer without a story behind it....
To me, where, when and how is always more interesting than what.
Nice thread.....
I'd like to add that in many cases, rock star status (bragging rights) is more important to a hunter than the experience is....
Sadly, reaching this status is the goal and not experiencing one of hunting's greatest challenges (killing a mature deer).
Everytime a NICE deer is killed in my county, people scramble around to see what it scored, not just simply to see the deer and share in the experience of the kill but to see if someone gets knocked off the pedestal...
My first question is..."can you tell me about it?"
Many times, the story, if the hunter is even willing to tell it, is far less worthy of the deer's status.
I tend to be wary of big deer without a story behind it....
To me, where, when and how is always more interesting than what.
Nice thread.....
moore
Well-Known Member
X2
Pursuit Hunter
Well-Known Member
I agree. I would add "why were you hunting that particular spot?" to the important facts surrounding the hunt. An explanation that involves some knowledge of deer behavior and woodsmanship impresses me much more than the size of the antlers. Not that impressing me matters to anyone but me, just sayin...Bottom Hunter said:
Pursuit Hunter said:
GREAT post. Ain't it funny how quickly an experienced deer hunter can recognize a line of BS when a hunter is telling his story?
On the other hand, I LOVE to listen to a good hunting story and almost always get some good info from a good hunter telling of a good hunt.
BowGuy84
Well-Known Member
Great thread and great article great points!
