I enjoy the solitude. I think just seeing deer especially ones within 20 yards means I've done my part. I think we can all agree it can be alot of work just getting out there in the right spot with the right equipment ready to the job. I simply love harvesting a deer doe or buck, although I havnt been too lucky and have onkly takin one small buck with a bow. I love being in nature. Last time I really was able to hunt I used to have this really tiny deer come and stand right under me and eat and play. It was the smallest deer I had ever seen without spots. I love things like that. Warms the heart. I love it all. So really just being able to have the opportunity to get out there is a success story in and of itself. Like others have said I enjoy the learning process as well. Even if I dont kill but learn something new thats a success story too.
Lots of things like time spent with my dad and seeing animals make for a great trip, but for me a successful trip would mean getting a shot opportunity whether I make the shot or not.
KILLING! If I aint killing I aint happy. Wait,thats other guys. I define a successful hunt different now than I did. Now its all about spending time with my son,passing on the tradition to him THE RIGHT WAY and watching him enjoy everything I do for the first time. If I kill a deer,so be it. If not that's fine to. Having fun is #1 priority.
A successful season for me would be to stay healthy and safe all season, see my wife take her first archery buck, help my son in-law take his biggest buck ever, shoot 4 does and a buck that meets the standards I have set for myself, be able to spend time and enjoy good fellowship with all the guys in our lease, and last but not least enjoy every day afield as if it were my last.
couldnt have said it better myself. And this time next year i will be able to add a baby to that list
Seeing a deer is a huge sucess for me. Also love the meet. This year a large (for me) buck would be nice but I'd be fine with just some does. Most of all I just love being out there in the stand.
If I didn't like the meat, I wouldn't care less if I never killed a deer. Once I got into managing my deer...I got soft hearted and hated to kill something I put so much effort into and something so beautiful. That said....I do love my venison and deer have pretty short lives naturally so I talked myself out of the soft heartedness fairly easily, haha. I'm tickled pink if I can go out an sit in a stand and see multiple deer nearly every time. There's few things that compare with the experience of sitting in the fall woods with acorns dropping, fall colors...that sweet smell lingering in the air and watching the beautiful creature known as the Whitetail deer. A couple-three hours in the evening deer stand after a good days work and coming home to eat some backstrap fried up with a tater and an ear of fresh sweet corn....that's bow hunting success in my mind. Wall hangers are a bonus.
Never forgetting the blessing of even being able to climb, see and hunt these creatures. All blessings from God. Anything more than that I do not deserve but will embrace.
A successful year is one that the Good Lord allows me the health and the time to spend outdoors enjoying what I love. Everything else if icing on the cake.
On an individual hunt, I consider it successful if I had deer in bow range. If I had the opportunity to kill, then it was a success. Over the course of an entire season, I want to kill several does and 1 mature buck.
I define success in killing the animal I'm after over the course of a season. I'd still hunt if I never killed again, but success is defined for me by achieving my goal. I never really liked getting 2-8th place trophies growing up either tho
So far I'm gonna call it having a safe enjoyable time out. Kills, trophies, meat, and everything is all hopeful side items. Some of my best goose hunts last fall didn't even see a goose, saw some nice deer stroll through to watch on a nice weathered day twin fawns playing, with some of the most remarkable sunrises. I could do that every morning without taking any animals and be happy.
Its only a success if I kill a 200" deer...... Seriously though each time I walk into the woods it is a success!!!!!!
Who you kidding TJ...you're like me, when the time comes we'll be riding our hover rounds into the woods :D
For me hunting, success is killing deer every season. I know I would feel like I failed if I did not kill a buck. That's not the way I should feel, but it's true.
