Might be a little inappropriate of a question, so if you dont wanna put your input in you can ignore it... How does $ effect success... And how much $ do you think you have into your hunting.... These are some things i always think about every year when im planning my season.
Money effects the end result success a lot, if you choose to use it that way. For whitetail hunting around home, i see it helping very little....besides perhaps getting you in on a great lease. I have two treestands which allow me to hunt wherever I please. I have a bow and I buy tags each year...that's about it. I sink alot of money into pointless "gear" just because I can't help it and they make me more comfortable afield, but I don't really see them aiding any success rate. Guided hunts are different, obviously money buys you a better hunt. I spend the vast majority of my money traveling to hunt. I have been on exactly one guided trip though, and it was a gift. It works both ways, without saving up the money, I could have never gone in the first place. On the other hand, all my money did was GET me there and buy my tags, the rest was up to me. Gear for these type hunts is a LOT more extensive and expensive than hunting around home too. I see money as a necessity to be able to be successful, but I also know of NO ONE who simply can't afford it whatsoever. Not saying everyone is rich, just that everyone brings in enough money to be able to do these things (if that is how they choose to spend their money). Don't buy a new bow each year, keep driving that same truck, quit buying so many clothes, don't eat out as much, pick up a side job for extra money, quit spending $40/week on beer. Money is 99% of the time, NOT the inhibitor...it's the time. Guys with jobs get X vacation days, whether that be 0 or 100. You simply can't afford to go beyond x amount of days, without loosing your job. Kids, other obligations only add onto the struggle to find time for trips...Some jobs don't allow for you to take off work at all during certain times (farmers, truckers, MANY occupations). While I agree money is required to a point and CAN be used to greatly increase your odds, anyone using this as an excuse is simply using a copout. There are ways around money being the problem....It's the time.
The sky's the limit... You can spend $5,000 go to Pike County for 1 week and be "successful" if that's success to you... Or you can spend $50 on license in your state, use Grandpa's hand me downs and hunt your but off on some public land and be successful...
To clarify things a little... Im not talking guided hunts/buying property. Im more talking equipment/gear/technology. IE...stands. Does buying a muddy stand really increase your chances of "success" (killing a deer Jeff), or will cheap stands do the job just as well. All opinion answers obviously.
I think it has a substantial effect on hunting success. There is no substitute for quality gear. I'm not saying you have to buy the most expensive equipment out there, because there certainly are many exceptions to that concept, but quality makes a huge difference. Also, the quantity of gear can make a difference. The higher the quantity of equipment you have the more set ups you can get in, the more set ups you can get in the less you have to move gear and the less you pressure the deer. Not to mention the additional time on stand you get. And...it all takes money. You can definetely be successful without it, absolutely. However, there is no denying that money can give you an edge. I think the hardest part of this I have experienced is knowing where to put the money I do have to get the most benefit out of it. I find myself trying to evaluate what equipment I need to accomplish a certain goal that I think will make me most successful. One example was last weekend I decided to get a new hang on and climbing system for an extra set up. I was getting tired of moving and resetting gear. I kner it was costing me mostly in time and secondly it was adding pressure to the area I am hunting. I think it really cost me some opportunities early in the season. But anyways, I decided to go with a solid quiet stand, not the best, but at $39 dollars on clearance with a free bow hanger the Big Game Boss was a good purchase. I got two of them. I used the extra money I saved by buying this stand to buy the Muddy climbing sticks instead off a less mobile, heavier, more time consuming climbing system. Now I have two new set ups I can get into very easily and quickly for about $225. I felt pretty good about that. Compared to previous experiences back when I had very little as far as equipment and money, I think I definetely benefit now from having the extra resources to hunt and help utilize my time as efficiently as possible. With that said, money alone obviously won't make an unsuccessful hunter successful.
I only think $ can make it easier...but not much affect on success. A dummy with all the best gear/bow/stand will never match my success with a 10 year old bow, old stands, old camo (only equip for me in last few years is tags & replacement blades)...the difference being my brains and work ethic. ...at least around here - there is more public ground than most people have any idea about - and it's full of deer (and biggins)
Just talking equipment/gear/technology, I say it doesn't make a big difference. It makes it easier, but I don't think it automatically leads to more success. With lesser equipment, it might take more time to set up stands, heavier to carry around, more practice with a bow, more time scouting, etc, but I don't think it reduces your chances of success.
In that case it probably won't improve your "success" but it may improve the quality of the experience. I can kill deer wet, cold and miserable but I enjoy it more being warm, dry and happy.
equipment wise? Yes, to a degree. I can be a LOT more successful with my Loggy Stand and Muddy Sticks over one 60 lb 12 ft ladder stand. From one extreme to the other, it will make it easier to achieve success....but subtle differences? Not a bit. $400 bow kills em just as dead as a $900 bow. $25 lock on straps to a tree just the same as a $250 counterpart. I usually go the cheap route on stands/sticks, as they get the job done (until my muddy sticks this year). For other venues, I don't skimp a bit. If I am hiking in somewhere to stay for 11 days, the LAST thing I want is cheap gear to make my life hell for that 1.5 weeks. Sitting on my grandpa's farm for 3 hours Saturday morning is different.
Thanks guys, Obviously skill, experience and hard work are #1. I guess what im getting at is, the more $ you spend on pursuing deer, the easier the process is. A $200 bow will kill a deer, but $900 bow is going to be faster, quieter and more efficient at doing the same job. A $80 ladder stand will accomplish its goal, but a $400 Lone Wolf might attract less attention, be more comfortable, safer and easier to set up. I guess these are the choices we as hunters get to make when it comes to prepping for our season. I have never been able to justify expensive stands, expensive camo, expensive deer cams or a new bow. Doesnt mean i havnt been able to kill deer. The process of finding out where to the spend my money is the tough part.
I've always thought, he who has the most stuff... WINS ?!? lol ! I don't feel it actually make me a better hunter in a direct way..... however, I feel it gives me MORE confidence and therefor I'm willing to sit longer and hunt harder than most hunters and ultimately that's what is going to produce more ops at more and bigger deer.... time spent in the woods. So that's what having the best bows, optics, stands, etc. mean to me. :D
You know I see no point in spending $130+ for a set of sticks and then another $250 ($400ish total, Almot $500 for the "Pro series" Lone Wolf combo.) for a hang-on that is NO BETTER than the hang-ons and sticks that I can buy at Rural King for $25-$35 ($65 total for a set). I mean I can get like 8 sets for the price of that Lone Wolf combo. And besides, I don't have to hang the dang thing every time I want to hunt. Now I could see buying a climber if you want to be mobile, AND, I could see spending a bit extra for nice climber for the added feeling of safety that it could offer. Maybe I'm just cheap... I actually just went out and hung a 16' stick ladder (Remington) and a Hang-On. I assembled it all prior to going to the woods, then carried it back. Ladder in one hand, stand in the other, and backpack on my back. Found my tree, threw the ladder up, strapped it on, hauled the stand up, set it, strapped it, climbed in, set a bow hook, cut a couple branches. Done in NO time at all and it cost me a whopping $65 bucks. Actually I used an OLD stand, so it really cost me like $33 (just the sticks).
Meeting in the middle, im pretty good at that. $500 Lazertec, $200 Capture.... As i mature as a hunter, im slowly building up my arsenal of equipment. Being into filming hunts makes it hard, because thats where spending the money is gonna hurt. Should i get a mobile setup next year, or a pass thru camera arm? Decisions, decisions....
I'm the cheapest SOB around, been known to pinch a penny until it chits a nickel. But there are a few things that I won't go cheap on when it comes to hunting. Bloodtrailing lights. Socks Broadheads/ammo Call me crazy, but I'm not looking for the most comfortable stand on the market. I'll nod off and miss all the action, seriously...I fall asleep really easy LOL. Give me a stand thats safe and quiet and I'm happy.
I have none, therefore I do not. I am activly planing for the spring turkey this coming year. Possibly some other things. But as of right now, no. I just started my new job this week, and will probably be picking up some overtime through the winter. Need $ for fun.
I did that 5 times this year, it gets tiresome. Especially when you hunt it 2-3 times are realize you need to move it somewhere. But then again, with a mobile setup, i would be doing that EVERY morning and evening. No way. ps...There are probably 26 trees on my properties with bow/pack holders that i left IN the tree...damn
