Who believes''pro''hunters are any better than the rest of us?

Just out of curiosity - who has ever heard a professional hunter claim to be better than anyone else? I've met and hung out with a considerable number of hunters who either have TV shows, DVDs or write professionally and none of them have ever said anything about being better than me, or any other hunter for that matter.

So assuming that nobody here has ever heard any of them say that they're better hunters than you are, why is there so much dislike and jealousy for these people? Because some of them have worked hard to own and manage properties that grow and hold big deer? Or because they've worked to put themselves in a position to go on guided hunts that others can't afford?

There's something wrong with our society when we start holding it against people who are successful. Instead of using them as an example of what hard work and dedication can get you in life, we seek to tear them down in order to make ourselves feel better. Pretty sad really.

With that said, I pesronally think there are quite a few professional hunters who are INFINITELY better hunters than your
Average Joe.

 

Ahhh , See thats what i was beginning to wonder myself.......lol

To me you know what , who really f****n cares ........lol

 

This is a great post and it can be used throughout ANY industry ... I am a manager and it cracks me up to hear people's thoughts on management ... I am a managef be cause I work hard at what I do ...

 

Awesome. Great, well thought out post. Thanks BH staff.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Oh, now the thread is...What do the "pro" hunters think and say about us?

Thanks Justin!!! I would have never made that connection from what I've read.

 

I also think this is a great post. Success is the American dream and as long as they are not lying, cheating or stealing, I have respect for them! Again, great post!

 

See , exactly , i'm a shop manager for a buisy trucking company , i got 9 guys in the shop , 164 over the road trucks and 190 trailers to make sure there all fixed and running , and with two shifts to baby sit and please everyone in the company as my phone rings 24 /7 , 7 days a week , as i work 7am to 7pm monday through friday and take care of order the parts , make sure we dont get screwed and diagnosing 99% of the engine problems on the computer and building the engines and transmitions because i'm the only one there that can do it , thats my management job .

 

I've met a handful of bona-fide professional - a.k.a. "celebrity" hunters (people who legitimately get paid to hunt). For the most part, they're good people, but politicians and slaves to marketing. You just don't get anywhere in that business without being a good politician and product pusher. Back in their hayday, I'm sure quite a few of them were top-tier hunters, but it's been a LONG time since a lot of those folks had to actually go out in the woods and hunt (as we know it). They have to produce a sizable pile of carcasses every year to keep their employers at bey, so their means and methods of "hunting" are far different than what you and I are accustomed to.

As far as being a "pro" goes, I always wear my heart on my sleeve, and could never sell my soul so that mutually excludes me from ever being a "pro" hunter. I think that some of those people are complete jokes, and I'd have no problem telling them that.

In that same vein, I've met 10 handfuls of wanna-bee celebrity hunters (people who start half-assed "pro" teams) in an effort to eventually get paid to hunt. Wanna-bee pro hunters are a dime a dozen. Some of these people know what they're doing. Others are just plain delusional. It's a mixed bag.

That said, none of those people (Pros or Wanna-Be Pros) even remotely enter the equation when I sit down and really think about who are the greatest hunters I've ever run across.

Is that an indictment of the "pros?" Not by a long shot. But with that said, let's not sit here and pretend that these people are out there scouting their asses off, finding their own deer and killing them. Instead, they're hunting the most target-rich environments on the planet, hunting deer that were grown and scouted by other people and/or off-limits to just about anyone but them. They're out there to push product. Somebody puts a deer in front of them, they shoot it, break out the southern drawl and crack that million dollar smile. It's ridiculous, but time has proven that this is what the American hunting consumer wants to see.

Shooting big deer is all about location and stand time.

Professional hunting is all about marketing and demographics.

When you find people who are routinely having the odds stacked against them, and still filling their tags consistently with top-end deer, then you're looking at separating the real wheat from the chaffe.

The people that you're watching on TV will never have the odds stacked against them, so you'll probably never really know how skilled they really are. There's too much marketing $$ on the line to put these people in a stand that has any real risk of failure.

But to answer your question, I'd say that, on average, most "Pro" hunters are above average hunters. They're WAY above average marketers and ambassadors to our sport, but that's more on the political end. That may not mean **** to you, but that's what matters to their employers.

For what it's worth, most guys on here are "above average hunters."


...and just to clarify - when I say "Pros," I'm talking about the Nugents, Lakoskys, and Jordans of the world . . . NOT the whisker biscuit "pro-staff" guys. Let's not confuse the wanna-bees with the real deal.

 

So let me get this straight.

If we dont believe the "pro" hunters are better hunters than we are, that means were jealous of them and there succsess...thats interesting. Uhhh...Ya...great post, LOL!!!!

 

Now THIS is a good post!!!

 

I'm not so sure I've read into such a message that you describe. Perhaps I missed something? Can you point out where you are getting this message gri22ly?

 

That doesn't surprise me at all....just take your time an read slow bud.

 

Was thinking the same thing

 

Josh,

Seriously, why should it matter? Why do you hunt? Is it to keep up with the Jones; is it for the horn, or perhaps the meat and nothing else? Who cares if these guys are better or worse? They're not you, me, us!

I pour a lot of time, effort ,and money into my hunting. I can honestly say neither the "numbers", the "meat", nor the "horn" is the driving force behind my endeavors. These by-products are merely a bonus when they come around! I do however, measure success with the "I was there" tape. At the core, I love to hunt, it comes so naturally to me! It is the thrill of being out in nature....pitting my wits against that of any mature animal....antlers/horns or not! I love the experience each and every hunt brings! I love sharing that experience with both friends and family. If you were to take my hunting away, I would probably shrivel up and die! No, not really, but there would be a huge emptiness I would have to contend with.

Brother, I'm sure you feel the same way. Do what you do to the best of your abilities...they're yours and they should never be compared...shared but not compared.

 

LMFAO. I literally just lost water on my keyboard.

 

You're avoiding my question bud. Can you point out where and what you read that would cause you to draw such a conclusion? Instead being an instigator (which doesn't surprise me!), maybe you could put forth a bit of effort to explain your angle, "BUD"!

 

Great post Will...and your right on as always. I really enjoy reading your thoughts.

 

I dont want to go back and cut/past this whole thread for you....I dont like your attitude, so I deem you unworthy of the effort.

Seriously, go back and read this thread again, its not hard to pick up on.

Bud

 

No Josh ... it COULD mean a few things ...

1. They aren't - like in your case ... you are one of the best hunters I know ... why? Because your WORK HARD at it! You have tremendous success where most guys that hunt public land couldn't touch your accomplishments.

2. They really are ... SOME of "pro's" have worked their butts off and got renown through the fruit of their efforts ... aka, Chuck Adams and the like.

3. Or they are Ted Nugent, who gained popularity in music and rode that donkey to becoming a "pro" hunter when in reality anyone on here would succeed in his environment....


I will say that Fran's post and Justin's post were both great posts ... I will also say that I TOTALLY agree with Fran's statement about great hunters on here .... and that brings up another thread ... Will also was right on with the "keeping up with the Jones's" comment ... let's not throw the baby out with the bath water, guys!

FTR, I don't consider myself to be a great hunter by some people's definition... I could be if I wanted to .. it just falls way down the line in priority for me ..... but that is ME. As I get older and the kids get older, I have spent more time on it than ever before ..... it's ALL good!!! I can't wait for October 15th to come as it is my time to get alone in the woods and shoot me a 1.5 year old buck ... or maybe I will let him pass this year as I wait for a bigger one ... I don't know ... we will see in less than 3 weeks

 

Long live the King ! !

Well said Quik