Is sucess to you meat in the freezer or horns on the wall?
08-06-2008, 10:35 AM
#32
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan/Ohio
Posts: 11,682
RE: Is sucess to you meat in the freezer or horns on the wall?
ORIGINAL: GregH
Germ,
My trophy hunting with my bow is my own personal time, at least until my son wants to start bow hunting again. My goal is to get a deer. I use other venues to have quality family and friend experiences, including gun hunting. BTW, other than my son, I have no gramps, father or other relative to share the experience with. I am pretty much a loner.
Germ,
My trophy hunting with my bow is my own personal time, at least until my son wants to start bow hunting again. My goal is to get a deer. I use other venues to have quality family and friend experiences, including gun hunting. BTW, other than my son, I have no gramps, father or other relative to share the experience with. I am pretty much a loner.
Gregh I agree, it's personel, and if your having fun doing it your way than you get it
08-06-2008, 10:39 AM
#33
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: Is sucess to you meat in the freezer or horns on the wall?
One is certainly a bi-product of the other.
Let's be real.
1. I have the means to feed my family if I didn't kill a deer.....even though we LOVE venison. I could easily find other hunters to give me the amount we eat, though....so just having a full freezer isn't the issue.
2. I love knowing that any seond a nice buck could show. Although I have "other" agendas when I'm in a treestand....this factor is always at the back of my mind. I am after a good buck,.....yes.
3. I'm still naive enough (or stubborn enough) to think I can help with the herd dynamics, here. I will have a management mindset when I go to the woods this fall....and that will weigh heavily into how I measure my "success" at the end of the season. This aspect is THE No. 1 driving force in how I approach my season. I went into this last year....thinking I had a few lean years to endure (buck-wise) before I started reaping the benefits of my efforts. It worked out for me, last year....but it wasn't due to "luck". There's a time and a place......
So to answer the question......Would I feel I was "successful" if I put a matur ebuck on the ground this year.....but FAILED in my management goals? Hell no.
Would I feel "successful" if I met my doe management goals....but didn't shoot a single buck? Hell yes.
Let's be real.
1. I have the means to feed my family if I didn't kill a deer.....even though we LOVE venison. I could easily find other hunters to give me the amount we eat, though....so just having a full freezer isn't the issue.
2. I love knowing that any seond a nice buck could show. Although I have "other" agendas when I'm in a treestand....this factor is always at the back of my mind. I am after a good buck,.....yes.
3. I'm still naive enough (or stubborn enough) to think I can help with the herd dynamics, here. I will have a management mindset when I go to the woods this fall....and that will weigh heavily into how I measure my "success" at the end of the season. This aspect is THE No. 1 driving force in how I approach my season. I went into this last year....thinking I had a few lean years to endure (buck-wise) before I started reaping the benefits of my efforts. It worked out for me, last year....but it wasn't due to "luck". There's a time and a place......
So to answer the question......Would I feel I was "successful" if I put a matur ebuck on the ground this year.....but FAILED in my management goals? Hell no.
Would I feel "successful" if I met my doe management goals....but didn't shoot a single buck? Hell yes.
08-06-2008, 10:49 AM
#34
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Heaven is my home, temporarily residing in WNY :)
Posts: 6,679
RE: Is sucess to you meat in the freezer or horns on the wall?
We have a new group on HNI, all for the purpose of arguing ... lol 
"The Semantics Police!"
I guess the kid shoulda said, "Understanding that we have fun whether we kill or not, also knowing that the preperation and anticipation lends to the enjoyment of hunting season, as does the fellowship with family and friends, .....ALL that being understood ....... what is your one major goal ... to fill the freezer or to hang a rack??
Would that be better for all of you semantic nazis out there? [8D]
"The Semantics Police!"I guess the kid shoulda said, "Understanding that we have fun whether we kill or not, also knowing that the preperation and anticipation lends to the enjoyment of hunting season, as does the fellowship with family and friends, .....ALL that being understood ....... what is your one major goal ... to fill the freezer or to hang a rack??
Would that be better for all of you semantic nazis out there? [8D]
08-06-2008, 11:10 AM
#35
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
RE: Is sucess to you meat in the freezer or horns on the wall?
My freezer and several others will be filled each year, with deer that I kill...I have killed at least 6 deer a year for about 15 years...Last year I killed 9, 8 were does, one a nice buck (for NC)...
I actually get more satisfaction by helping my nieces/nephews.brothers-in-laws and friends kill deer...
I also get more satisfaction by letting younger bucks walk than killing them...
Frankly, antlers don't do much for me anymore...Manageing the land and watching bucks mature mean more to me than actually killing them...
So I guess for me, it is meat in the freezer and keeping the does in check so I have beans and peanuts left to harvest...
If I felt that big antlers were needed to make me successful then I'd pay to hunt in an area that had them...
In my mind, a successful bowhunter is one that can make a clean, ethical kill on the deer that he shoots and has enough maturity to pass on iffy shots, no matter if it is a buck or a doe...
I actually get more satisfaction by helping my nieces/nephews.brothers-in-laws and friends kill deer...
I also get more satisfaction by letting younger bucks walk than killing them...
Frankly, antlers don't do much for me anymore...Manageing the land and watching bucks mature mean more to me than actually killing them...
So I guess for me, it is meat in the freezer and keeping the does in check so I have beans and peanuts left to harvest...
If I felt that big antlers were needed to make me successful then I'd pay to hunt in an area that had them...
In my mind, a successful bowhunter is one that can make a clean, ethical kill on the deer that he shoots and has enough maturity to pass on iffy shots, no matter if it is a buck or a doe...
08-06-2008, 11:49 AM
#39
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: Is sucess to you meat in the freezer or horns on the wall?
Sorry, PT....but I thought mine was OK...lol.
If I had to choose, though....it would be a rack (hold on), PERSONALLY.
Filling MY freezer would be accomplished by that.
Filling the freezers of the families I donate to.....now THAT would be my number one priority, BECAUSE it meant I did my part on the does.
Semantics works both ways.
If I had to choose, though....it would be a rack (hold on
), PERSONALLY.Filling MY freezer would be accomplished by that
.Filling the freezers of the families I donate to.....now THAT would be my number one priority, BECAUSE it meant I did my part on the does.
Semantics works both ways.
08-06-2008, 01:21 PM
#40
Site Buck Guru
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,922
RE: Is sucess to you meat in the freezer or horns on the wall?
ORIGINAL: Germ
Well you have us
Gregh I agree, it's personel, and if your having fun doing it your way than you get it
ORIGINAL: GregH
Germ,
My trophy hunting with my bow is my own personal time, at least until my son wants to start bow hunting again. My goal is to get a deer. I use other venues to have quality family and friend experiences, including gun hunting. BTW, other than my son, I have no gramps, father or other relative to share the experience with. I am pretty much a loner.
Germ,
My trophy hunting with my bow is my own personal time, at least until my son wants to start bow hunting again. My goal is to get a deer. I use other venues to have quality family and friend experiences, including gun hunting. BTW, other than my son, I have no gramps, father or other relative to share the experience with. I am pretty much a loner.
Gregh I agree, it's personel, and if your having fun doing it your way than you get it
The more I think about this, I want to change my answer. My goal is to get some antlers/meat first. Filling the freezer is usually a given (does with gun or bow). I veiw trophy (antler) hunting as a game of sorts. Sometimes I win the game, sometimes I lose. Success to me is just getting to play the game. The things I learn each and every season are rewarding enough to me to be considered success, win or lose.