This probably does not apply to those of you that hunt 100% alone or don't have friends that hunt. But for those of you that have hunting buddies or people you hunt with. Is hunting something brings out the competitiveness in you? Do you strive to beat your "co-hunters" in hunting? Does the drive of beating others drive your hunting passion? or Do you relish when you friends/family are successful the same as if it was you that scored? Do you consider it a team effort to hunt? And that it doesn't matter who kills the deer. Is it just about the good times hunting and the group as a collective effort, or is it the competition as to who is the better hunter? Edit: You can leave out the hunting with kids posts as obviously all of us get great pleasure in hunting with our kids. That part is not competitive. This is more about your buddies or brother, people at the bar, or even on BHC.
Not competitive at all. The few guys I do know that hunt are really good guys and have helped me alot in my short hunting career. We do not go out and hunt together too many times a season, but when someone puts a hit on a deer the call goes out right away or my phone is ringing right away. The excitement is in the air for all of us when a deer is shot. I love a good deer dragging party, and if someone is having trouble finding a deer we all offer our help and join in on the search. By all, I mean a group of about 4 to 5 guys. I consider myself lucky to have this many people to share hunting stories with. They are great guys and we keep it fun. Wouldn't have it any other way!!!
My passion fuels my desire not my competitive side and I am pretty competitive normally. Hunting is my relax and escape time. I love to see a deer harvested no matter who it is as long it is done legally, ethically and own their own (paid hunts don't count in my book). My brother arrowed his first deer last year here on our property and it was amazing and to know I was here hunting with him. Not in the same stand but, on our property. He was in the stand with me when I harvested my first ever last year. Neiter time did either of us feel like we were one upped. The only person I would probably ever be competitive with would be if my sisters POS boy friend decided to start hunting. Even then I wouldn't let it bother me when hunting. I enjoy the whole experience and memories way to much to let competition ruin it. On the range it is a different story though.
It's competitive to ME; in other words, I'm competing with myself to ensure I've done my homework -- that I've scouted as thoroughly as I've needed to, that I have contingency and backup plans (as I hunt mostly public lands and often need to have a "plan B"), that I'm killing a buck that makes ME happy. THAT'S how I compete. I could care less if I kill a bigger buck than anyone else -- especially here on the forums. We all come with a different skill set and, most importantly, access to a vastly different set of properties that can and often will be the determining factor on what someone is able to kill. I did find myself being a bit wistful a few years ago when I saw a pic of a bruiser a guy took right out of the area I hunt... not sure if I'd call it jealousy, contempt or competitivenes, but I'd like to make sure those caliber deer end up riding home with me -- not someone else.
That is a very good question. I guess it is kind of broad for me. The competition between me and the buck (whether he knows it or not) is what fuels my competitive spirit and passion. I don't typically hunt with anyone else, my friend and I both have our different properties. However, we do hunt some land together and at that time it's whoever lays it down. If I get one first, it's all about getting his, and vise versa. We really don't compete in size, never have. Now, with archery, yeah there is definitely some competition there. I shoot with 2 guys at work. I have a mathews, one has a bowtech, and the other a hoyt. So we definitely have some friendly name bashing. Mostly though, it's the competition of arrowing that monster buck that pushes me. Last year was my first season to actually bow hunt. I shoot basically every day, and every time I come to draw, my mind turns to that monster buck I've been hunting on the business end. Thwack!
Yes . If I am not loading the freezer, I have failed. As far as friends that hunt, I have one friend that hunts and the competitive part there is me getting him on deer. If I don't get him in a spot that can get him a deer then I have failed. That will hold true for any other friends I may hunt with in the future. Big racks? I like them but, depending on number of tags and time of year, I will shoot a button or spike if the opportunity is there.
"Do you relish when you friends/family are successful the same as if it was you that scored? Do you consider it a team effort to hunt? And that it doesn't matter who kills the deer." This is probably the most accurate for me, I have a group of 4 buddies that we each have our own properties but we hunt together a lot moving around between the properties. I've had 2 of them score their best bucks on my property and I took my best buck on one of theirs. We all celebrate the sucesses and mourn the failures together. When someone scores a big boy there is always the what if that creeps into the back of your mind but all and all I enjoy there harvests as much as my own.
And to further add... I mentioned bucks, but I actually get more competitve in the realm of does. I relish taking big, old does... and lots of them. Last year sort of messed me up a bit... I captured a huge, true 6x6 whitetail on trail camera right before the season started.... he was on film about a minute after a doe came through. Because of that, I let a lot of does walk early last season, which is generally not my style. I like to kill four or five does, in addition to the bucks I take. So ... I like to compete with my standards from past seasons on the number of kills I have. BUT... I'm not competing with others on here or elsewhere. I let a TON of deer walk, even when I'm putting five or six in the freezer. It makes it more fun.
As I said in my first post Brad... all boils down to what land you've got access to and the population of the deer herd. Nothing special. I have fun at it, but it doesn't make me a better hunter.
The only competition I have is with the deer I chase.... To be honest, those deer kick my tail. For every move I make that's right, there are countless moves that I made that were wrong. I am pumped when a buddy or my brother gets a deer. I never miss a drag out. None of my buddies or my brother take hunting as seriously as I do though.
Good stuff Greg!! As for myself, I'm a huge competitor against myself. I'm very stubborn and will not settle on a buck. I hold to my standards. My brother scored on a dandy buck last fall, not sure who was happier me or him. Back In 2007 when I shot my biggest buck, It seemed at times he was happier then I and believe me I was excited. Allot of gun and bow hunting friends of mine can't believe how stubborn I am when It comes to my standards. Even my brother says this. Back In 1991 I said that's It, I'm not shooting no more young or smaller bucks. I've shot one since that day (my biggest) and wounded another buck whom was a dandy buck. I've passed up more 120 to 130 Inch bucks then most people will ever believe on here although my friends and brother know to be the truth. Prior to the last 2 years around my neck of the woods seeing a 130+ buck was tough to come by but I still held to my standards. The last 2 years have been phenomenal hunting. Yes I've gotten a tad better hunting mature bucks but the biggest thing Is what Greg eluded too, location. My location (woods) has gotten much better the last couple years because of the late corn crops during the gun seasons. Deer (bucks) had places to hide which In turn put some age on the bucks around here. A good area can make a deer hunter look pretty good at times. I could have a good couple handfuls of 120 to 130 Inch bucks but their not what I'm after at this point. That should tell you right there that I'm not competing with others on here or with anyone else. I've saw the competitiveness on bow hunting forums, even on this one when forum members shoot a nice buck. Kinda bothers me seeing this. Bowhunters around my area don't shoot bucks of this caliber (120 to 130 Inch bucks). A few of the gun hunters do. I hunt for me and only me. It's a challenge, I like a challenge.
Not at all, I am in it for the experience and I want my buddy's to be successful. Almost more than myself.
i would say no, but i partake in the bh.com contest. that's about as far as it goes though. i have got the "buck shakes" while talking to buddies on the phone in the stand who are hunting states apart. i get excited seeing yall post your deer harvests on here cause i feel like i "know" some of yall! just the other day i went back thru the 2010 contest to see yalls post and match faces with avatars and see what deer got laid down. all in all i'd say no not competitive....
Nope not at all, I have given most of my best spots to friends or family trying to get them what they are looking for. I do ride myself pretty hard at times during the season even to the point of making dumb moves that you know are going to get busted by the buck but you have to try.. But the same as others I think I get more excited seeing friends and my daughter shoot deer than me..
Nope not at all, I have given most of my best spots to friends or family trying to get them what they are looking for. I do ride myself pretty hard at times during the season even to the point of making dumb moves that you know are going to get me busted by the buck, but you have to try.. But the same as others I think I get more excited seeing friends and my daughter shoot deer than me..
Deb, Louie, Kendall and I are hugely competitive. We race each other to sign into the zone we want to hunt. Steal each other's parking spaces. Slash tires. Glue locks. Sabotage each other's bows and arrows Shoot deer out from underneath each other. Never help track or haul out each other's deer. Dull their knives and get in the way when it comes to gutting deer. Try to pawn off the bill for lunch on each other. It's cut-throat. ...and I might be completely fibbing....
Last year some of my buddies and me had a friendly competion, set up with two teams. It was fun and for bragging rights only. My brother and I give each other trouble (jokingly) about hunting quite a bit. Really though I only hunt for me, not to impress or beat other people. The more and more I think about it, the more and more I would hate to hunt for a living. It would take all the fun out of it, and I would really be hunting to impress other people, with all the pressure on myself. I love the contest on this site and a couple others to see the deer that people kill.
No. But I kind of get upset with myelf if I am not able to fulfill my goals. This year should be one competitive nightmare for me as I will have to balance a lot of stuff during the hunting season. So my only goal, to kill two deer with my recurve with my limited time afield. If I can do that I will feel like my season will have been wildly succesful. In fact, if I only put down one doe I will feel like my season was a success this upcoming season.
