buckeye

So, a friend and I were talking today. We were speaking in regards to another mutual friend of ours and I mentioned that he is a "real good hunter."[/align][/align]My buddy looks at me oddly and says " I am a way better hunter than him, I havekilled two timesas many bucks as he has."[/align][/align]I was kind of taken back by his defensive comment and thought about it for a moment. I have never considered this friend a "real good hunter", more ofan opportunist so to speak.[/align][/align][/align]I think what a bowhunter passes on shapes theminto the hunter they will become much more than what they kill. To me a "good hunter" isn't someone who has taken a truckload of deer but one who understands their quarry's temperament,posture, habits, and to an extent their impulses. Someone who not just finds deer sign but understands it, understands why it is there and the significance or insignificance ofit all.A person who can see thewhole scheme and not just what is right in front of them.[/align][/align]Some may not agree with me but this is just part of what I believe makes one a "good hunter." Agree or not this is how I see it.[/align][/align]I welcome any mutual or opposing views.[/align]

aeroslinger

You pretty much summed up my thoughts on the matter. Good post.

stoneman

I completely agree. I think a "good" hunter also has a true respect and admiration for deer...not just out there to kill.

NY Bowhunter

I agree. It's not a matter of numbersand how many deer you've taken. Heck I could take a deer everynight in my truck. That doesn't make me abetter hunter.
It's the old I got one and you didn't syndrome. Doesn't make the person that "got one" a better hunter than the person who didn't. Could just be an opportunist like you said. I always get a kick out of the guy that you do the scouting, set themup in a stand, make suggestions to, he/she takes a deer, and all of the sudden they are Danny Boone.[:-]
Hunting is a lot deeper than chance.

stillhunt04

I have actually wondered about stuff similar to that. The "Good Hunter" is thought provoking. Personally I think you really summed it up pretty good right there. Somebody can kill a deer, but the good hunter understands and respects the animal.

mobow

Yeah, I mostly agree with you. I think though, that since a hunter kills deer, you have to take into account, at least partly, how successful the hunter is as well. For instance, I have a good friend who can find deer, understands them, why they are there and all that, but when it comes time to deliver the package......well....let me say that I have seen him wound more deer and not find more deer than anyone I know. Instantly, to me anyway, that equates to a bad hunter, no matter how good a woodsman he is.

BOWFANATIC

To me a "good" hunter is someone who gets the job done on a regular basis and has good hunting ethics. Luck plays a role once in awhile but not repeatedly year after year. For meit has nothing to do with how many bucks they let pass waiting for that big one.

wolfen68

No opposition here...I totally agree!!!

wolfen68

No...that's for the next level and is beyond "good".

BHunter32

I agree. A good hunter enjoys the thrill of the hunt, understands and respects the game he pursues, makes ever effort possible to be ready for the moment of truth, and realizes that you do not always have to be successful to be a good hunter. Taking game consistantly means that you have learned all the above.