Oh I agree, it's just funny when you hear state lines, county lines, land quality,________ used as an excuse. If only I had what he had I could kill big bucks too! Everyone has the ability to go out and find nice bucks, just a matter of will power in actually doing it.
Since we are on the cusp of talking tactics, I figured I'd just throw this out there. Disclaimer-this article did not fire me up in any way, I already had this plan in place before I read the article. I feel like this year I'm finally taking a big step towards doing everything within my power to hunt the way that I know I need to. I plan on finishing hanging my stands this weekend. I have sheds from almost all the bucks that are on the property, and am setting up stands to hunt the different hangouts for the different bucks. I will have multiple stand sites for each and every wind direction. This is the first year that I am hanging all my stands with access being the main reason for hanging in the certain spots. I feel that this is going to be the most important factor in consistently killing mature bucks for me. Once all my stands get hung and have my access paths cleaned up I will kick back, wait, and let the cameras roll. Has anyone else changed things up this year to get more serious about targeting mature bucks?
Honestly, and I'm far from experienced, but I think the majority of it has to do with being in the right spot at the right time.
I haven't found any sheds, mostly because I'm new to shed hunting and have no "spots" but I'm with you on the rest, I don't hang my stands till summer so the tree can grow comfortably during spring but I am going to try everything I can do to get a 130" down this year. That's my goal. I've shot a 125" and a 120" so I'm ready to break 130! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No, the thing that stops most people from killing big deer is their wallet. If you cant afford the high dollar lease, travel to hunt with a high dollar outfitter or buy a big farm, then what? Not everybody is a Dr. or a lawyer. Around here the best pieces of property that have some big deer are either leased or private. Then what? Look harder? Knock on more doors? That's just like killing big deer, you cant find what isn't there.
I think there is merit to this idea of you can't kill what isn't there and that you must go looking if they aren't (or improve what you have in attempt to provide habitat that will hold mature deer). However, it is situation specific. Not everyone has the time to scout and explore multiple areas especially if it requires extensive traveling. Of course, a quality topo and the knowledge to read it can give you a great start before even setting foot on it. I do see your point Scott, and Trevor, I remember that exact conversation :D IF you can't find the time or don't have the resources to expand your hunting options, then you must be content with what you have. You really can't complain if you KNOW what you have to do, but you may not be able to depending on your situation.
The best most consistent big buck killers I know are poor. Money is an excuse IMO. It can certainly help but it isn't a necessity.
This is not true. The article states this... If they can afford gas in their car/truck they more than likely have access to big bucks. Get off your *** and find public land to hunt - Not the public land that the other 4355462513 hunters go to, you need to put in the work and go to places others wont, you need to put in the extra work that the others wont, once you do that you will eventually be rewarded. It also states - Get off your *** and start knocking door to door for private ground to hunt.
The ONLY thing you need to kill big bucks is the right land. I have preached this for years and there are so many examples of it to point to that it's not even worth discussing anymore. It's just a fact. When we were younger and didn't have excess money laying around we hunted state land in NY......it was hard to even see a deer let alone kill one. As I grew up I got permission to hunt some farms nearby and my hunting improved immensely, I was killing one or multiple bucks every year........still nothing huge but the land was pressured and held what it held. I was better off then state land but could obviously be better. Now I own a home with 28 acres of my own and more I have sole access to plus we have 350 acres and a cabin in PRIME New York woods.........it's as good as it gets in our state without a fence. We have killed 6-8 good bucks off that land and I took another beast at my house. Both my brothers have tagged their biggest bucks there (one just a decent 8 but for him still his best). In addition to the kills we have all had encounters EVERY year with deer over 150" and we have so many trail cam pics we could outshine many outfitters websites. Our neighbors and friends kill big bucks out there every year and honestly it's not even a big deal.......it's just normal. People whine about hard work being needed to kill big deer...........that is the biggest crock of BS in the world. It takes a ton of hard work if you want to do it for free........THAT'S the real truth!! I'll bet anyone on this planet a million dollars that I can kill 6 or more fair chase whitetails over 150" in 3 years as long as I am reimbursed for all my travel and outfitter expenses. Easiest bet I would ever win.........and if you wouldn't bet against me or anyone else accomplishing that then you know two things about yourself ( you're not crazy and you know hard work is only required to kill big bucks on the cheap). The way I see it........"hard work" is just another item in the long line of excuses people like to use, only some use it the opposite way as well as some sort of badge of honor which is laughable. Hard work is honorable, don't get me wrong.......but be honest with yourself and you will see that hard work is only done by those who can't afford to have someone else do it for them.
Sure money makes things easier.... but I think most are discussing DIY hunting here. Sure paying $5k for a 5 day hunt will give you better odds than hunting the back 40... really apples and oranges there. No malice intended, but your entire post sounds like the high schooler jealous of the QB dating the homecoming queen. If only you were the QB you could have a hot GF too... Claiming something ONLY takes money is just as ignorant as claiming money has no factor in the equation.
The title of the article says the secret to killing big bucks........I don't see DIY mentioned anywhere. Besides, how is an outfitted hunt not DIY? You just pay someone else to do the bull work. Additionally I listed LOTS of stuff besides outfitters which you conveniently glossed over I honestly have no clue what you are trying to say here.........I'm jealous??.....LOL, of who? The guys still hunting state land or beating on doors of other people begging them to mooch off their land?? No thanks. I/we have worked our butts off our whole lives because our father instilled a VERY valuable lesson in us as children. He told us that living a life of wanting things you could not have was no way to live at all. I/we now have all we could ever want or need and more. We wanted better hunting land and bigger bucks so we went and got it............just because the path I chose was college instead of buying plat books and begging others or logging 500 miles a day in search of state land no one has ever seen before doesn't make it wrong. Except the ONLY takes money part is true. Don't believe me?? Take me up on that bet and you can learn that lesson the hard way. What I actually said was it only takes hard work if you want to do it free.
I disagree with this 100%. I went through college as well and I still look for public hunting ground all the time. I am sure everyone on this site can attest to the fact that they ALWAYS want better hunting ground... They just have to go about it other ways than just throwing their money at it. And believe it or not, many people actually like to do the hard work themselves for free.
That really depends on one's interpretation of hard work....Generally speaking it takes dedication and commitment...some refer to that as hard work...in the case of hunting I call it vacation. To regularly kill big mature bucks, it takes dedication to finding the right spot and commitment to being there when the bucks are. That goes for any land in any situation. I agree that to me...if a person has to go find decent hunting land (for free) it could be what I consider work and can be bought or made if a person has the money. I really do think the article is meant in a general sense of DIY hunts on a budget otherwise the author would have said all you have to do is find an outfitter and booty up 3-10K a year and find a taxidermist....but that's kinda neither here nor there.
I almost got him back into full Atlas mode... but only three quotes and not quite condescending enough... I'll try again. Do you understand what the acronym DIY stands for? By definition it is the OPPOSITE of guided hunts lol. If you want some guy gobbling up land at $30/acre to hold your hand as he drops you off at a stand he placed... where your on stand time is costing you roughly $80-100/hour.... Be my guest. Hope you kill a giant. MANY people go this route, even though the success rates for these hunts are typically well below 50% if the outfitter is being truthful. I guess I was referring to those who actually do the hunting and prep themselves. You obviously are proud to not be included in this group of hunters so not sure my discussion applies to you.
I think the whole intention of the article was to try and motivate guys to stop making excuses and start making it happen. There are a multitude of ways that people can be successful in killing mature bucks. I didn't see in the article where it mentioned going to outfitters and killing big bucks, so I have to assume that the author was referring to guys killing mature bucks on land they have permission to hunt. Yes, having the right piece of land is important, but that isn't the only factor to taking a mature deer. It still takes a lot of work for anybody to CONSISTENTLY kill big bucks. I have a wonderful piece of ground to hunt that belongs to my in laws. I also don't see myself as mooching off of them when they came to me to ask if I wanted to hunt there. And I feel the same way about guys that ask to hunt on others properties. I don't see anything degrading about knocking on doors to ask for permission to hunt. A lot of friendships are made that way, as its not always just about hunting. I am friends with several people whose property I used to hunt on, as well as those that wouldn't allow me permission. Anyways, I guess that all I'm pointing out is that regardless of your method for consistently killing mature bucks, a lot of work is done along the way to make it happen. Money may buy you big deer, but I don't think that was the original purpose of this thread.
"I'll bet anyone on this planet a million dollars that I can kill 6 or more fair chase whitetails over 150" in 3 years as long as I am reimbursed for all my travel and outfitter expenses. Easiest bet I would ever win.........and if you wouldn't bet against me or anyone else accomplishing that then you know two things about yourself ( you're not crazy and you know hard work is only required to kill big bucks on the cheap)." - I will bet you two million you can't kill 6 over 175".
You disagree with what you bolded??? You think living a life of wishing you could stuff you never will is better? You think it's better to wallow in self pity and wish you had a bigger house, more money, a better job, a big boat, a nice truck, hunting land, time with your family etc..........sorry but I'll never believe anyone wishes that on themselves or their kids. I went to college to move up to something better..........not that public land is ALL bad but in NY it's pretty rough and I doubt anyone would say truthfully they would prefer it over a private parcel. You nailed it.........they WANT better land and they HAVE to go about getting it in other ways because they don't HAVE the money to throw at it. Give every one of those guys a couple hundred grand of expendable cash and they would all run out and get as much prime land as they could with a beautiful cabin. The threads about "dream come true" land buys and cabins exist for a reason........for most they are lifelong dreams, many of which sadly remain just that as life needs trump fun by necessity. BS..........they are willing to do it. Given the choice they wouldn't spend their summer begging others to let them use what they have worked for and logging countless hours on the road and foot searching for hidden public land they have to drop out of a helicopter to find. I don't know about you but given the choice between that and eating bbq with my family and watching my dogs play in the pond or being out on my boat in the lake sounds like more fun to me. I'm not knocking hard work as I have always done my share and more..........you have to if you want success of any kind in life. We have 6-8 acres of food plots, 20 some stands and 5 house blinds to take care of every year in addition to the cabin. We do that because we enjoy it as a family and it gives direct rewards. No one LIKES to do hard work if given the choice..........guys without a choice just use it as a badge of honor (perhaps rightfully so) but in truth they would rather be relaxing with friends and family if they could.
The author was simply saying to stop making excuses. To stop putting off the work that is needed. We all have different definitions of big bucks. In some areas it's a 110" and in another area it could be a 180" buck. No matter where you are, if you put the time in with scouting and everything else, you will have a better chance of killing the big buck in YOUR area. Not the biggest buck in the country, just your area.
