Do number of deer kills confirm thorough skills?
12-07-2002, 05:33 AM
#33
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 7,571
RE: Do number of deer kills confirm thorough skills?
I'll try to explain what I meant now that I had a little rest:
It seemed like the topic to me was turning into a comparison of hunters. What I mean is basically does one hunter who shoots many deer have MORE skills then one who does not shoot many. And my answer to that would be not necessarily.
The original question to me seemed like you (C903) were asking if the number of kills is associated with the number of thorough skills for am idividual. What I meant by my last post is that you can intreprete and the question a lot of different ways. You also have to assume what is meant by kills. Such as number of clean kill, the yardage of the shots, number of deer in the area, hours in the field, deer that are killed but not recovered etc,etc,etc. You also have to make assumptions with the word skills, such as did the individual setup his bow, did he scout and set up his stand himself, did he practice with his setup, does he know where to but the arrow, etc,etc,etc.
No matter what, a person that can consistantly bring deer into 30 yards, draw his/her bow back, make a killing shot on a deer and not be detected by a deer does have skill.
So just taking the question the way it was written without putting in any of my own biases or assumptions, I would say yes in part to your question.
Edited by - BobCo19-65 on 12/07/2002 06:42:55
Edited by - BobCo19-65 on 12/07/2002 06:48:45
It seemed like the topic to me was turning into a comparison of hunters. What I mean is basically does one hunter who shoots many deer have MORE skills then one who does not shoot many. And my answer to that would be not necessarily.
The original question to me seemed like you (C903) were asking if the number of kills is associated with the number of thorough skills for am idividual. What I meant by my last post is that you can intreprete and the question a lot of different ways. You also have to assume what is meant by kills. Such as number of clean kill, the yardage of the shots, number of deer in the area, hours in the field, deer that are killed but not recovered etc,etc,etc. You also have to make assumptions with the word skills, such as did the individual setup his bow, did he scout and set up his stand himself, did he practice with his setup, does he know where to but the arrow, etc,etc,etc.
No matter what, a person that can consistantly bring deer into 30 yards, draw his/her bow back, make a killing shot on a deer and not be detected by a deer does have skill.
So just taking the question the way it was written without putting in any of my own biases or assumptions, I would say yes in part to your question.
Edited by - BobCo19-65 on 12/07/2002 06:42:55
Edited by - BobCo19-65 on 12/07/2002 06:48:45
12-07-2002, 08:13 AM
#34
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Virginia / West Virginia
Posts: 4,906
RE: Do number of deer kills confirm thorough skills?
I would have to agree with Bob and Davidmil for the most part. I think numbers do (usually) have something to do with skill. If you can consistently kill (any) deer with a bow...obviously you are doing something right. The size/quality usually ends up being a personal choice, and also has something to do with the area you hunt in. Personally...I haven't killed a buck with a bow in 6 seasons...by choice...but I have shot alot of does during that time, and passed on shots at dozens of bucks. I have just chosen to let the small/medium sized bucks walk...looking for a big one. It may take a long time to harvest the quality of buck I'm looking for...based on where I hunt, and the amount of time I get to spend in the stand...but that's my choice and I'm happy with it. I think all of us have plenty to learn...and if we say we don't...we're fooling ourselves. I know I learn something each time out. What wolfen said....spending time on stand observing....this has probably been the greatest help to me over the years. I'm a firm believer that experience is the best teacher.
I consider myself a faily skilled hunter, that still has alot to learn. This season I had opportunities to harvest deer (or at least shoot at) on every trip out, and many of those were bucks...to me that was a successful season....to someone else, maybe not. I only chose to take one shot...and double lunged a nice doe.
I think if you based "skill" by the number of trophies on your wall, that could be inaccurate. Like C903 said of the hunter he talked about. I believe that many (adequately skilled) hunters...such as many of you here, could consistently take a trophy, if you were put in the position to (IE: put on stand by a guide in a fantastic spot). Of course, you still have to make it happen, but your odds go way up...when you are in the "right" location, in an area that holds numbers of trophy animals. As was said...many so called "skilled" hunters....are not much more than "wealthy" hunters.
Good thread C. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
I consider myself a faily skilled hunter, that still has alot to learn. This season I had opportunities to harvest deer (or at least shoot at) on every trip out, and many of those were bucks...to me that was a successful season....to someone else, maybe not. I only chose to take one shot...and double lunged a nice doe.
I think if you based "skill" by the number of trophies on your wall, that could be inaccurate. Like C903 said of the hunter he talked about. I believe that many (adequately skilled) hunters...such as many of you here, could consistently take a trophy, if you were put in the position to (IE: put on stand by a guide in a fantastic spot). Of course, you still have to make it happen, but your odds go way up...when you are in the "right" location, in an area that holds numbers of trophy animals. As was said...many so called "skilled" hunters....are not much more than "wealthy" hunters.
Good thread C. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
12-09-2002, 01:53 PM
#35
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: here NY USA
Posts: 17
RE: Do number of deer kills confirm thorough skills?
Skills is taking the Alpha Doe on your hunting land...
Skills is stalking to within feets and placing the shot on your deer...
Skills is not having buck fever when the time comes to shoot the Monster...
Skills is Knowing when you are beaten and how to improve your next hunt...
Skills is confidence to place money on your shots...
Skills is being able to stay undetected when deers are withing feet of you...
Skills is not paying Big money to be placed in a stand and having no idea why you were placed in that stand...
Skills is being able to easily teach and train someone else how to succesfully harvest their first deer with a bow...
Skills is the reason why you walk through knee deep swamps, stick through bitting mosquitos, stay during a downpour and are on point even in -20 degree weather....
* Never shoot at the first deer you see, wait for the MONSTER that's lagging behind *
Skills is stalking to within feets and placing the shot on your deer...
Skills is not having buck fever when the time comes to shoot the Monster...
Skills is Knowing when you are beaten and how to improve your next hunt...
Skills is confidence to place money on your shots...
Skills is being able to stay undetected when deers are withing feet of you...
Skills is not paying Big money to be placed in a stand and having no idea why you were placed in that stand...
Skills is being able to easily teach and train someone else how to succesfully harvest their first deer with a bow...
Skills is the reason why you walk through knee deep swamps, stick through bitting mosquitos, stay during a downpour and are on point even in -20 degree weather....
* Never shoot at the first deer you see, wait for the MONSTER that's lagging behind *
12-09-2002, 03:36 PM
#36
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hamilton Square NJ USA
Posts: 557
RE: Do number of deer kills confirm thorough skills?
There's some truth in numbers, but it isn'tt the defining benchmark.
Some guys hunt here with me in NJ and shoot a haalf a dozen does and buttons a year, we have basically unlimited tags. Are they better than the fella in Iowa who has one tag, and shoots a hammer buck each year? Hell no.
I would say, however, the best hunters I ever met take mature bucks every year on public land. If you've spent time in the woods, you know the type, no scentlok, an older bow, tattered camo, but intimate knowledge of the animal, the animals food supply, and the cool to pull off the one shot they may get a year. I don't care what animal you're hunting, take a mature, at his peak, buck every year on public land, and you're good enough where nobody can tell the difference between you and another just like you.
Anybody can kill deer on managed private land, guided hunts, ect, and you really can't judge the skill level of those hunters, even though they may have it, if you're seeing 5 bucks per day, even the rookie will eventually get lucky. How many public land bruisers you have taken, well, that's a good way to judge a man's skill level.
"In heaven, even the fish have antlers"
Some guys hunt here with me in NJ and shoot a haalf a dozen does and buttons a year, we have basically unlimited tags. Are they better than the fella in Iowa who has one tag, and shoots a hammer buck each year? Hell no.
I would say, however, the best hunters I ever met take mature bucks every year on public land. If you've spent time in the woods, you know the type, no scentlok, an older bow, tattered camo, but intimate knowledge of the animal, the animals food supply, and the cool to pull off the one shot they may get a year. I don't care what animal you're hunting, take a mature, at his peak, buck every year on public land, and you're good enough where nobody can tell the difference between you and another just like you.
Anybody can kill deer on managed private land, guided hunts, ect, and you really can't judge the skill level of those hunters, even though they may have it, if you're seeing 5 bucks per day, even the rookie will eventually get lucky. How many public land bruisers you have taken, well, that's a good way to judge a man's skill level.
"In heaven, even the fish have antlers"
12-10-2002, 07:25 AM
#38
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: AR USA
Posts: 889
RE: Do number of deer kills confirm thorough skills?
I don't think just because a hunter has killed 60 or 70 deer automatically makes him a skilled hunter. there are to many variables here. for instance- if your huntin private ground where the deer get no pressure, then your chances of killin deer increase.- if your huntin an area where there are lots of deer, as apposed to huntin an area where deer are very limited, then of course your goin to kill more deer.- and what about the bag limit-- some states you can kill as many as you please, don't even have to tag em. some states allow only a couple of deer.
I don't know how many deer I've killed in my 12 years of bowhuntin, because I don't keep a record of my kills.
like somebody else said, does it matter, as long as your doin what you love and enjoying the most challenging sport there is?
evidently it matters to some, because they make it a habit to put their # of kills down in almost every post they make.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
daytona 500 winner- Ward Burton
go Cat-22
I don't know how many deer I've killed in my 12 years of bowhuntin, because I don't keep a record of my kills.
like somebody else said, does it matter, as long as your doin what you love and enjoying the most challenging sport there is?
evidently it matters to some, because they make it a habit to put their # of kills down in almost every post they make.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
daytona 500 winner- Ward Burton
go Cat-22
