(This only applies to those of us who have all these pre-existing conditions!!) What would it take for you to be that guy? the one who takes a big buck or bucks every year or 2... which do you believe holds you back ? 1. More time in the woods 2. No reponsibilities at home, your mind is completely focused on hunting big bucks (no Kids, no wife ,just you) 3. Less stress at work 4. being in better physical shape 5. Having more big bucks in your area 6. You are lazy as hell 7. You don't know exactly how to hunt for them 8. other hunters 9. not enough land to hunt 10. im an excuse maker and full of BS Me? I hunt a lot, so time is not a factor as far hunting goes. Not much stress at work. decent shape. plenty of big bucks here. not that lazy really. not much much in the way as far as hunters..plenty of land...I make no excuses for my incompetance.. 1# Not that I would trade a second of my life, but being unmarried and no kids would surely open up a lot more ambition to focus, it's hard to focus on just hunting for big bucks when you have all the resposibilties of being a parent.. but I WOULD NOT TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING...I love my family far more than hunting. #2. I suck at hunting big bucks....sure I kill some good ones every other year, but I can't seem to find a way to kill the really big ones here... To sum it up....there is no excuse for me....I just don't k know how to hunt these big guys that roam my land...
#1 and #5 are what hold me back some. More recently the surroundin hunting pressure has sky rocketed so I need to be able to pattern a swarm of other hunters before I can figure out where to pick off a nice buck.
For me, it's no doubt #5. All of the other choices are non-issues for me. If there were more (there's very few) big bucks in my area I'd be taking one at least every now and then. Especially with all of the scouting I do and the time I put in on stand. The best bucks I've seen were on my trail cam during the rut, and very well may have just been cruising through, as I usually only get one pic of them.
without a doubt #1. Ive been so busy with football Ive only stepped foot in the woods once this ENTIRE season. But it will end within 2 weeks and i still may have the chance to shoot a good buck in the late season
#1 and #5 are all an average skilled bowhunter needs to kill big bucks. (#5 being 100 times more important) Tribal is an excellent example. Look at the bucks he has killed in the past.............now he is no longer able to hunt that land and magically he is no longer killing big bucks on a regular basis. Is he somehow a different or less skilled hunter all of the sudden?? Of course not. He has all the skill you would ever need............he just doesn't have the big bucks in his woods anymore. Could there be a better example then Tribal of what is required to kill big bucks???
#1, 5, 9, 10 The more time in the woods the more luck you seem to have... You can't kill a big buck if there are none around to kill. You are less likely to ruin a spot if you have more options to hunt for different wind conditions. There are plenty of big bucks out there that many of us don't know about no matter how many hours spent scouting or how many camaras are in the woods. All it takes is the right things to fall in line wind and having the deer on their feet. If you realy want to shoot a big one maybe let the one that was a shooter walk and wait a year to see if he is realy big. This is a hard one because you have to get everyone on the same train your on and getting people to agree on any thing is damn near impossible. Now I have yet to land any monsters I did take my largest buck this year it was about a 120-130 I geuss not a monster like I have seen others take but still a realy nice buck to my standards. I have let a bunch of other bucks that I would have normaly shot walk in hopes to take a larger animal in the years to come. One thing is certain they don't grow when they are dead. Good luck (all it takes is 5 seconds for things to change to the best 5 seconds ever had hunting)
Access and time have always held me back. But honestly.. couldn't everyone say that? Couldn't everyone say yes to any single one of these??? Afterall.. isn't that what an excuse is???
Kind of agree. For me, nothing in my life right now holds me back other than my own ability. I was shown this year that THREE 100"+ bucks were on/near my property (btw, I found roughly where at least one of the guys is bedding), and I never had any idea. Right now, I just need to get better.
I am the reason I don't get on more big bucks. My pre-season scouting must improve to give me the clues I need to hone in on the bucks from day 1 of the hunting season. I am confident my pre-season scouting has improved over the years to give me a fighting chance at taking a mature buck every year. But I don't want a fighting chance. I want to be ON them from day 1, making calculated moves based on their bedding areas, the time of the season, hunting pressure, winds, my availability to hunt, etc. But if I don't know where they bed, then I am lost. So that is my number 1 goal following the season in January/Feb...find where bucks bed, meaning, their exact bed. But, not to make any excuses, the answer why I don't get on more big bucks is ME. I am simply not that good at hunting them right now.
I think most peoples problem is not having a plan. This is my first year hunting, but last year I was taken under the wing of a professional hunter who tought me EVERYTHING I need to know when it comes to killing big deer consistently. The #1 thing is to have a plan. He tought me how to read a peace of land like it is a book, and learn how the land is being used by deer, and the best way that YOU can best use a piece property. I spent over half the season going and sitting/ scouting ( no bow ) and just obeserving what goes on on this particular piece of property. By the time I hung a stand, I already knew exactly what was in there and how each individual deer was using it. Thus a couple days later I killed a 170 class whitetail. I also spent over 4 months on my local GIS trying to find land. I told my self that I would not hunt till I felt I had at least 4 good pieces of property that no one else hunts, and I know have big deer in them. To me it is all in the plan. Even if your plan does not work, move on to the next one, and I guarantee you will kill big deer year after year. Just my 2 cents, Austin
Without a doubt #5, as they say, if you want to kill big bucks, you gotta hunt where there's big bucks. We just do not have that many good bucks around, it's hard enough just to see a 130in. on stand in a season. And that reason, goes hand in hand with #9, being my 2nd obstacle, not neccessarily having enough land to hunt, but the right land. Just don't have and never will have permission in areas I would like. As the typically scenario around here goes, most good bucks are located in areas I can't hunt, which I basically hunt as close as possible without tresspassing, basically hoping a good one wonders or seeks a hot doe when the time is right? So more big bucks that frequent the areas I do hunt would help big time, along with being able to hunt more scantuary type lands that holds what good ones are around.
AustinPerkins, you killed a 170 in NC? That's impressive in itself, let alone you did your 1st year hunting!!!
I think the thing that isn't on this list is desire to find land within a reasonable distance that holds good bucks. I hear a lot of "my land has no good bucks", but what is stopping these people from finding land that does? I'm driving 4 hours in each direction to my camp, and 2 hours to Dan's. I do this because I know these spots hold good bucks. I could sit around and hunt the thousands of acres of public land that is within 15 minutes of my house, but I know I'd be sitting around saying there are no big bucks on those spots to explain why I failed to kill one. Instead I choose to travel and hunt the better spots. The number one thing that holds me back is time. Not during the season, but the lack of ability to spend more off season time there kills me. I often know of a specific buck or two at my place, and can sometimes figure out what 10 acre area they are using to bed, but I really never have enough time to narrow things down more than this. This forces me to try and get lucky before the rut with some educated guesses, and then when the rut comes in, it's all a crap shoot..........
Big buck hunters are just that. They go where big bucks live, or find one when no one else can. They study them 24/7, 365 days a year. I do not have the time or desire to devote that much to them. I try as hard as I want to.:D What can make you better? Find them (out of state or another area of your own state) if you just have to kill one. Study them. Don't be a slouch. Details. Have a plan and stick to it if it kills you.:D
Agreed Jeff, I do battle with bulls every year. They are plentiful...I'm good at killing them. On the other hand, Colorado reportly has a white-tailed deer herd of approximately 7500 animals. Talking about finding a needle in a haystack! Let's say 50% are does...wow! Michigan has like 1,8 million whitetail. Hmmmm.....#5
