Alright, I've wondered this forever and there may not be a "correct" answer but I'm interested in your opinions. Let's (hypothetically) take a two bowhunters that are identical in every way except for where they hunt and the species they hunt. The two hunters are listed below... Hunter A: Has been a whitetail finatic his entire life. He's hunted everything from the mesquite bucks of Texas all the way North through midwest and up into Michigan, chasing whitetails. He's spent countless hours on stand and knows the behavior of whitetail deer through and through. He hunts whitetails because they are pretty much the only big game animal that is prominent in his home state of Kansas. He's killed numerous P&Y bucks throughout his hunting career. Hunter B: Has grown up in Gillette, Wyoming... Pronghorn capital of the United States. He hunts mule deer in both the plains and the mountains as well as Elk, Moose, and Black Bear. He hunts whitetail deer in the Black Hills and on river systems all within hours of the house. The majority of these hunts are spot and stalk with the exceptions of the spring bear, some of the whitetail hunts, and waterhole antelope hunts. Which one of these hunters would be more successful in the other's environment? Would the whitetail hunter make a good spot and stalk hunter due to the patience he's acquired over years in a treestand or would mountain hunter do better with only one animal on which to focus? What kind of differences and similarities do you see? What advantages do you feel one has over the other?:evil: :d What do you think?
In all honesty I could see Hunter B being a little to Impatient with whitetail hunting while hunting from a stand being he hasn't done much of It and It might bore him some If the action Is slow. Hunter A would probably get his but kicked chasing animals around In the mountains being he wouldn't have a clue what the thermals do when In the mountains. He might also be a little out of shape for this kind of hunting also. When It comes right down to It I think Hunter B would do better In Hunter A's woods then Hunter A would do In mountain country and plains. If were talking just the plains I think Hunter A would have a shot at It then. Now that was confusing!! A this, A that, B this, B that.
What about a Hunter A who grows up hunting whitetails but travels around to hunt others....what is he? Hunter C? Or better yet, what about the guy stranded at birth left to fend for himself from infancy. He is truly a hunter among hunters, most kills coming with bare hands. We will call him D. I think D would need to shave, only if A and B swapped roles while C was sweeping court and killing everything. Now that the confusing mambo jumbo is out of the way....I'd say it is more personal than that. I can see a whitetail hunter showing up in the prairie or mountains and not having a freakin clue what to do next.....and I can also see a mtn/prairie hunter not really knowing the ins and outs of where to hang setups...much less having the patience to sit on stand waitin for the action when they are used to taking the action to the animal. Sure Gomers kill slammer bucks each year, but it happens out west too. Spot and Stalk is challenging, but not anymore so than the whole process of hunting for whitetails. I mean when you break it down into something as simple as, sitting on a trail, sure it sounds easy....but what is spot and stalk when looked at this way? You get higher to a good vantage point, use extremely high powered optics to locate game until they bed down usually...often multiple target animals at that.....you check wind and swing wide staying out of sight...use the terrain in order to sneak close....if it is a dry noisy environment, remove boots and use wool socks to finish the stalk. They are unique challenges. One you sit on a trail and wait....the other you spot from a distance and get close. Ive done both, and spot and stalk is hands down more fun IMO, but I dont see it being THAT much more challenging... Lets word it this way....you are dropped off in an area you have never seen before, and have 5 days to kill a respectable animal for the area. Do you choose to: A) hunt the rolling praries for Pronghorn or Mtn setting for Mulies? B) try and setup and pattern the whitetail movements for a woods setting with traditional treestand methods? Hands down, no comparison, I choose A. Give me the situation where I can see multiple target animals from far away and choose the best one for stalking....whether that be pronghorn or mulies, they often inhabit the same terrain...actually from what Ive seen in SD, Id almost wager that once spotted, a mulie buck could be easier to stalk than a pronghorn...from what I saw, Mulies inhabit much rougher terrain, giving more things to sneak up behind...pronghorn on the other hand, often bed down in the wide open where they can see anything within 2-300 yards....BUT, finding pronghorn is MUCH MUCH easier than spotting mule deer. Pronghorns out west are like rabbits in the east, they are everywhere! lol I know I would envy hunter B more though! lol
If you had not said from Kansas I might have picked B. Some of the best experiences I have ever had was stalking whitetails in Kansas, God made it for stalking. I guess if you just took the average tree sitting Gomer from Kansas and threw him out west he might not fair so well! But a good bowhunter from Kansas will do well. Bowhunter B wont have much trouble fitting in in Kansas either. Send them both to the big woods of the north and they might go hungry for a while.
I see neither one in the others environment doing any good for the first time without a guide service or some type of guidance. Both hunding situations are entirely black and white. For the most part if you hang out in a tree out west waiting for game to come by, you may just be there still after your retirement hits.....Same goes for the westerner coming here in the midwest...If he thinks that he is just going to go out in the alfalfa field and start stalking a whitetail in the flats here.....he may as well just stay home and pound dirt...... IMHO it is just two totally seperate experiences. Without help neither one would be very successfull without some pointers.
Ok I will be the one to desagree with everyone, I am going to say hunter A who I am going to back because if you hunt Michigan enough you learn about thermals and stalking. I have always said if you master whitetails you can hunt anything out there and I still believe that today. Most not all but most good whitetail hunters learn every aspeck of hunting and whitetails will make you humble in a hurry,So my vote goes to hunter A.Walt
im an A hunter but B has a lot more experience and is a bit more diverse, he/she has hunted everything and although may not be able to outsmart a big P&Yer will sucessfully kill deer. to me the question is what is sucessful, head to head contest? i guess B.
How hard is the concept...watch one bed down and creep up to it Set up on good vantage points, find the deer, formulate a stalk....and you'll kill deer. Hunter A and B excel. Answer that question though Jeff. Hunting a totally new parcel of land...and you are told you have 5 days in order to kill a representative good buck for that area. Would you seriously treestand hunt a whitetail woods you have never stepped foot in....or head to the open prairie or high country to spot and stalk mulies or pronghorn? I go out west...no questions asked. Whitetail hunting takes time, spot and stalk can usually have you getting in close to your animal within the first 1-3 days. Be vewy vewy quiet, were huntin mulies! I think most eastern hunters just have this mental block about the west, and what it involves. I know I sure did before witnessing SD. Not saying it is easy by any long shot, but it certainly isn't any harder than killing a good whitetail IMO.
Depends entirely on the individual and his/her personality type. Not to mention all the thousands of other variables.. like priorities.. woodsmanship.. ability to banter well with other super hunters ETC. As far as advantage though.. the mtn. dude would have better stamina more than likely. But even thats not entirely true either. Why is Obama president of these United States?
Duke you gotta read the second sentence. They're identical in every way, no difference in personality, values, priorities, woodsmanship, body type, fitness... nothing. Obviously this is simply for the discussion and is in no way possible. I guess I could have asked which background would prepare you better for the other, mountainous game or whitetails? Obama is president because the electoral college is gay.
I have hunted bear in Idaho and whitetails in many states, I still will stand by the whitetail hunter being more versed in all winds thermals moon spot and stalk tree stand sitting and reading animal sign in general. Walt
I thought about this some more today, I'm not sure....they have such a different set of skills that hardly apply to the other type of hunting...I can see both struggling at first. I grew up with whitetail, but not a master I still struggle LOL, so I will report back in a few years at how easy the other deer species are to pick up compared to whitetail. Jeff makes a good point about success too. Killing any deer? I think whitetail hunting would be easier....but getting on a good deer, who knows a toss up...right now I lean towards spot and stalk being easier to pick up than eastern whitetails.
