State of confusion in my bowhunting life...

Good stuff, there. Comparing with hunters in other areas is also futile.

 

They both killed one monster(or 4.5 yr old if you prefer) over that 5 year span.......one guy passed everything else and the other whacked 3 more solid 3.5 yr olds.

How again is the guy who passed hunting on the "next level"??

 

Anyone can do whatever they want............If it were that simple of a choice for NYBH I don't think he would have posted it here in search of opinions and/or advice.

 

Mr. Atlas,

Can you agree with the following statement...

If you shoot a buck and tag it with your only buck tag, you have absolutely no chance of legally tagging another buck for that season within your state.

No one said passing the smaller buck is taking it to the "next level". Taking it to the "next level" is not complete until you pass those smaller or younger bucks and then tag an animal which you are after.

The act of hunting older bucks isn't the "next level", passing the younger ones and then taking the older ones is.

I believe this definition is being lost in translation between you and others in this thread.

 

That's not what you said earlier

 

Obviously you haven't read my posts.

LOL........that is so dumb.

So if a guy hunts on his farm for a few years........the whole time chasing and desiring to kill a big buck, he is only on the "next level" if he passes younger bucks leading up to that kill?? If he kills a bunch of nice solid bucks along the way before he gets a crack at a beast he is somehow a "level" behind?? Even though it's the same guy, same farm, same dead beast?

Makes no sense.

Are you just making this crap up as you go along?

 

Buckeye...

That's from the OP's opener.

 

You are taking it to literally. You are making hypothetical examples. We are speaking of NYBH here.

He says he has taken some great bucks on his land, but he knows there are bigger bucks to be had on that land. So yes,for NYBH it takes passing younger bucks and the taking of older bucks to reach the "next level". Right now he is at one of the "next levels" by taking very respectable bucks that his lands offer. There are many "next levels".

Taking a deer... Taking multiple deer... Taking a buck... Taking multiple bucks... Taking a nice buck... Taking multiple nice bucks.... So on and so forth.

I use the term younger bucks loosely in this post.

 

I am going to get simplistic again.

Two guys hunting in the same environment. Hunter A and Hunter B. Hunter A puts in the extra effort by scouting more and other things and making a firm commitment to only be focused on killing say a 4.5+ year old buck. Hunter B proceeds with business as usual, while wanting to kill an older buck, he will "settle" for an inferior (his standards) year in and year out. Hunter A kills 5, 4.5+ year old bucks over the next ten years. Hunter B kills 2, 4.5+ year old bucks over the same time period and also kills a few 3.5 year old or younger bucks along the way.

Two Hunters. Both with a desire to kill older bucks. Hunting in the same area. One makes a firm commitment to only kill 4.5+ year old bucks. The one that makes the commitment to hunt older bucks kills 5 older bucks over a ten year period while the one who does not make the commitment "only" kills two. I believe one can clearly say that Hunter A (the commited older buck hunter) has "taken it to the next level" as compared to Hunter B. I am talking about two guys HUNTING IN THE SAME AREA and I am not talking about comparing hunters in different areas/states/etc.

 

If you buy into that.....rock on.

 

I absolutely buy into that.

 

Have Schultzy, Burnie, Brett, etc.., etc... etc... and I moved on to the next level, by switching to traditional tackle?

You buy into that?

I find all this "next level" talk humorous.

 

So if he kills a slammer next year he will NOT be included in this elusive, mysterious "next level"............because he didn't pass the bucks he killed recently. How many years do you have to pass bucks to obtain this "next level" status?.....and why if the same huge deer hits the ground does it matter what you did in years past?

Why?............what if he kills a monster next year. Doesn't that show you DON'T have to pass?...........after all, the same goal was accomplished.

Maybe in your head...........but in reality there are not. There are stats and probabilities. Germ and Rybo are perfect examples Neither were at some delusional "next level" when they whacked slammers for their areas. They are both very good hunters that took advantage of the chance they had when it came........and neither is dumb enough to sit around where they hunt now and expect something similar to wander down the trail every year because they have morphed into some self glossed "next level". Passing of bucks had absolutely nothing to with either of their successful runs. Rybo makes that clear in this very thread.


I have no problem with anyone passing bucks...........I passed up shots at a couple bucks in the 130+ range when I was in Illinois. Something I would NEVER do in NY though.

 

So compairing hunters is OK only when they have different results?? LOL


What if both hunters killed five 4.5 yr olds over 10 years and Hunter B also killed 3 more 3.5 yr olds as well...........Hunter A none because he passed them or maybe didn't even see that many.

Hunter A still on the "next level"??

 

It has nothing to do with last season. If he sets out to take an older class buck next fall and succeeds than yes, next level achieved. Whether he passed other bucks or not. Setting out to do something specific and succeeding is achieving the next level of the progression.

If that monster is the first buck to present a shot, yes it proves he did not have to pass other bucks. If he went in with the mindset of monster buck or bust. Otherwise it was an opportunistic opportunity that he capitialized on.

You can say what you want about how I look at things, it doesn't change anything. I have my thoughts, you have yours.

To add... Germ and Rybo do pass many shot opportunities on bucks that they do not want.

Just think if a slammer showed up, you would have been to the next level! ​

 

Atlas, I am not some big buck hunter. I am a 2.5 year old buck killing machine. So take what I say as merely a debate. I am comparing those hunters because to truly "take it to the next level" in any endeavor one must have success. And success when talking about killing older bucks is actually killing older bucks. I talk a lot about killing older bucks but that is really all I do because I have only ever killed one 3.5 year old buck and a ton of 2.5 year old bucks. For me right now in my hunting development to take it to the next level, I would have to consistently kill 3.5+ year old bucks because that is where my knowledge base is kind of at a flux. I am just not that good at finding them where I hunt. The only thing I can do is make a firm commitment to pursue them and stick to the game plan. And when I start making it happen by killing those bucks then I will know that my knowledge base has risen to the challenge and I will be ready for something else. I will be "at the next level" as compared to ME. Noone else and in no other environment than where I hunt. I am putting the pressure on me and not leaving it to luck.

 

If that is a progression you are interested in obtaining, than yes.

 

So....this is on an individual basis. And, it never can be used as a blanket assertion. Correct?

We may be closer to "good" than I thought.

 

Is the "next level" if you pass on younger bucks and then kill any older buck or does it have to be one that you passed on previously.

Or is that targeting a specific buck and is that an even different level?

And would that even be a "next" level because really that buck can't be that smart, I mean he's been within bow range of said hunter at least twice and who knows how many other "next" level hunters had passed on him in previous seasons as well.

I'm so confused right now.

 

Instead of using the term "the next level" maybe saying I'm going to challenge myself a bit more sounds better. To some It's not near the challenge while with others It Is much more of a challenge depending on their location and hunting knowledge. It can sound like a cop out and I really don't like using the words "It's a numbers game" but In fact It's what It's all about In many areas when trying to go to that next level or challenge as a hunter.

Don't know If I made any sense or not with this post.