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bowman

bowman

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Since things have been a little slow around here and there are still a few days untill we chase gobblers, I thought I would open up a discussion. There is no better time to plan for next season than right now while last season is still very fresh in our minds.

So the discussion topic is......What is it that the guys / gals who score consistantly on mature bucks are doing differently? The easy answers are money, fame, etc, but I am talking more about the average Joes that we all know that score on an above average basis. If your answer is location, what is it that makes that location so good? If it is tactics, what exactly are they doing that separates them from us?

I'll leave this open for discussion after adding an opinion I once heard. Several years ago I was talking to a buddy about a mutual friend who fits the "consistant" description. The guys was killing big bucks every year even though we hunted the same area and we could vouch that he was doing things by the books. My buddy came to the best conclusion that I have ever heard. He said, "I think big buck hunting is like bull riding......half the score goes to the buck and the other half of the score goes to the hunter." He seemed to hit the nail on the head. This guy didn't necessarily get more big buck action than we did but he made each encounter successful. As I looked back I could only envision my trophy wall if I had not missed or botched the encounter in some other way. The liberal doe tags in the past few years have allowed me to be much more prepared, mentally, than I was back then. But I still find myself at the end of the season looking back at things I could have done differently.

The discussion is open. Be nice!!!! My intent here is not to endorse or sell trophy hunting, just to start a positive, hopefully informative, discussion about a passion that we all share here.
 
The guys that I know personally that score on the big ones every year, spend countless hours in scouting, planning, food plots for year round forage, shed hunting, scouting some more, trail cams and the list goes on. I truely believe these guys are successfull because of the time and preperation that they put in.

Location plays a pretty good role in it as well. I heard a saying from a hunting show years ago, not sure which one it was, but the guys said "If your not seeing monster bucks in your area during the rut, they just might not be there" . I guess it holds some truth to it, but if your not in a bucks core area, rut or not, you may not see him.
 
I think the biggest key, is to scout, scout, and then scout some more. If your time allows for that, which mine does not. (That's my excuse for not having a 200" deer on my wall /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif)
 
For me every year is a success whether or not i kill a trophy by everybody elses standards. if i shoot a particular deer, it is for a good reason, and there isnt a buck i havent shot that doesnt have a place on my wall. I have shot deer that "Shrunk" when i got up to them, but it never fails, i feel at the end of the season i am more seasoned and have learned lots of valuable lessons and make plans on improving next season.

I think the half of the score should go to the deer, but a consistently successful hunter knows his land, his deer and how different conditions affect his movement. whether that deer is 110" or a solid Booner, the antlers are iceing in the cake if you ask me. some of my most memorable successful hunts dont have large numbers of horn to display, rather an experience that will last a life time!

i dont spend time reviewing my mistakes as much as i spend time scheming improvements for next season. I know failure as well as anybody, my closest friends can vouch for me on that, but what i do know is i experience what i consider tremendous success every year, and i can attribute that to this site, the many more experienced hunters i talk to, and the good graces of my wife who allows me to fully pursue what i was made to do! i think eating, breathing and sleeping whitetails makes each season for me better than the last. learning from, rather than dwelling on past mistakes is essential!

it never fails, i manage to screw something up every year that COULD HAVE BEEN the buck of a life time for me, or i become a victim of "ground shrinkage", however, no matter what happens i live for those moments outdoors and have much of the IowaWhitetail members to thank!

additionally, for the next four weeks, i dont care about deer hunting..... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

Rock On
 
I found my best/new stand location last year turkey hunting! you can really see trails good this time of year!
 
I have to agree that the number one issue is scouting.

Nothing will ever substitute actually being out there and scouting.

I live 50 miles from were I hunt and will soon live 90 miles away.

I have a couple of trail cameras, but all they are good for is seeing what deer you have out there.

The guys who kill the big boys, go out in the evenings after work and scout the deer coming in and out of the fields and hang stands accordingly.

A guy like me has to rely on past season scouting and studying trails and deer sign to figure out were I will hang my stands.

The guys who actually put in many hours scouting will always have an advantage when it comes to big bucks.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What is it that the guys / gals who score consistantly on mature bucks are doing differently?</div></div>

1) Dedication to year round scouting, knowing why deer act like they do at different times of the year.

2) Knowing the ground they hunt and how the deer use it inside and out.

3) Knowing and being one with their equipment, practice.

4) Having the ability to hunt areas that allow bucks to reach a mature age class.

5) Attention to details, equipment, weather, time of year, experience....

6) Having the knowledge of when to hunt, where to hunt, why to hunt there, and how often to hunt there...gut feel.

7) Not talking about doing it, but doing it...putting in the time and being mentally prepared.

8) Having confidence to make that kill shot when that moment happens, deep focus...

9) Being able to have the patience to pass a lot of younger age class bucks knowing that you may eat your tag.

10) They make there own luck with hard work. Obsessed with gaining knowledge of the animal they hunt.

Hope I didn't say I or me in any of the above sentences... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Multiple areas to hunt....once boogered, you better have plan b, c, d and so on.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> 1) Dedication to year round scouting, knowing why deer act like they do at different times of the year.

2) Knowing the ground they hunt and how the deer use it inside and out.

3) Knowing and being one with their equipment, practice.

4) Having the ability to hunt areas that allow bucks to reach a mature age class.

5) Attention to details, equipment, weather, time of year, experience....

6) Having the knowledge of when to hunt, where to hunt, why to hunt there, and how often to hunt there...gut feel.

7) Not talking about doing it, but doing it...putting in the time and being mentally prepared.

8) Having confidence to make that kill shot when that moment happens, deep focus...

9) Being able to have the patience to pass a lot of younger age class bucks knowing that you may eat your tag.

10) They make there own luck with hard work. Obsessed with gaining knowledge of the animal they hunt.

Hope I didn't say I or me in any of the above sentences... </div></div>

Not claiming to be consistent or anything like this, hell I've only bowhunted one year. BUt in reading your post Kent, I found myself saying "yes I do" on every one of those points......we'll see how bow season # 2 goes, still on the beginning end of the learning curve again, ain't it great! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif
 
Sorry to repost. One of my favorite thinsg to do in the summer is "scout". While lots of my friends who hunt are watching t.v at 9:00 on an August night, or drinking beer on their deck. I'm strapping my binoculars to my shest, grabbing my mountain bike and hitting the gravel. To me, there is nothing more enjoyable on a calm, cool summer evening than taking a ride in the country, enjoying the scenery, and hoping like heck I find something wrth checking out again...I absolutely love it. I guess that's another part of what I'd add to the success recipe, absolutely love it, every part of it. It won't happen every day or every year for that matter, but when you absolutely love something, good things will come of it.
 
Its tough to see, let alone shoot mature bucks if you don't have property where people let them grow up.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What is it that the guys / gals who score consistantly on mature bucks are doing differently? </div></div>

Nearly each and everyone of us on this website knows of someone who fits this description. I am lucky enough to personally know a few of these people. To be sucessful year after year takes hard work, and dedication. Hunting season doesn't just last from October-January, but instead January 1st to December 31st. These hunters have put in their time, scouting, practicing, and hunting. These hunters realize that 'the hunt' is only a small percentage of what goes into that fraction of a second moment, before the arrow flies. These hunters realize that the chance of a lifetime could occur on any particular day, and to make the most of that they practice on a consistent basis to prepare themselves for the oppurtunity of a lifetime.

These hunters hunt hard. Every oppurtunity to be in the woods, is capatalized on. You've got to be in the treestand to harvest mature deer, so it makes sense that the more you're out there hunting, the better are your chances of that mature whitetail making a mistake and giving you an oppurtunity at success. No excuses.

Mentally, these hunters are extremely tough. It can get discouraging (to say the least) when things arn't going your way, but they realize that it can turn around in the blink of an eye. They know what success feels like from previous experiences when hard work and patience comes together, and they want that feeling again. It's an addiction that needs to be satisfied.

Whitetails push them to the extreme, mentally, physically, and emotionally, but they can handle it.

They are prepared. They hunt hard. They don't give up. They have placed themselves into the best possible scenario for capatalizing on that one moment when the hardest animal to hunt in North America makes a mistake.

Then, they start the whole process over again, and are better at it than the year before!
 
It is pretty simple really. You have to be willing to put in the time before and during the season. And do not try to take shortcuts during the season. It's all about the time and effort you are willing to put in.
 
In my case one of the few things I can control is seat time. I started bowhunting in 1995. I did not shoot a P&Y until 2000. That so happens to have been the first year that I hunted more than one parcel of land during a season and I have done so every year since. It is also when I started spending a lot more effort in managing the winds as much as possible. Last season I had many different stand locations set and I did not hunt all of them. Most seasons my actual "seat time" approaches 70-80 hours before I am out of vacation and out of an understanding wife at home and usually by then I know it's not going to happen that year. So in summary, control what aspects of the sport you can and hunt hard.

Sorry for the "I" references, it is just the way my thoughts convert to text.
 
I don't post on here a lot, only a couple times before but I think the key to killing big bucks consistently is one word: Persistence. However, I understand that persistence entails a number of factors that contribute to it. You HAVE to be there in order to cash in. You can find out his playground, but unless you are there, your coming up on the short end of the bargain. A person can go out once or twice a year (not dedicated) and kill a nice buck every couple years just because he/she is lucky, but it order to cash in EVERY year on a mature buck, you definitely have to be persistent. I'm from Virginia, so us mountain boys might have a little different philosophy and logic, but I firmly believe that persistence kills big bucks.
 
I believe sureshot1 has said it best.

And it never hurts to be willing to think outside the box when things get tough!
 
Successful hunters have the A factor.

Attitude.

Based on their knowledge, experience and drive they find the areas that hold big deer and they do not hunt those areas until the time is right.

If their are big deer in an area and the conditions are right you should be successful.
 
In the off season...scout, and then scout some more. Plan out every detail, prepare your stands early, and dont forget what you learn from one year to the next, place your stands, then stay the hell out of there. last be modest, and dont tell all your friends where you hunt. This does'nt happen over night, do you homework, enjoy it, and dont forget about the wife and kids.
 
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