I have had hunts with a solid 2 weeks of no opportunity for a single shot at any distance and then hunts like this year. Arrived at our cabin opening day of rifle, Within 10 minutes of arrival as I am unpacking and starting to light up the wood stove, I look up and see a nice buck right outside of my front window. I could have swore he saw me as well. He patiently waited as I put a couple of rounds in old dirty thirty, opened my front door, he quartered perfectly to me and bang flopped exactly 16 yards from where I stood. This year there is a one tag limit in my area, so I literally tagged out in 10 minutes of not trying, so somewhat disappointing until I remembered my epic skunked hunts. So to the OP question, I am going with allot of frikin luck and a bit of skill.
Skill vs luck?
- Thread starter subdermal
- Start date
patricksbb391
CGN Regular
- Location
- Ottawa & WMU 62
What is that saying? "Better Lucky, than Good."
Best gun hunters are bow hunters period. I been out at least 30 times this year and that is about 5 years of experience compared to a gun hunter. Quick smoking in the stand. Get out as much as you can. If you can get within 30 yards of a 10 point then you can gun hunt. They more you get out the more luck you have. It is just about time in the stand.
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Smoking and hunting. The smoke itself I doubt is an issue, in fact it may be a very good cover scent, however, smoking while on watch is an issue. Not for the smoke, but for the movements involved in doing so, along with the usual hacking cough that a smoker generally gets in time.
I am not a smoker and never have been, but I have pretty much always hunted with smokers.
Same thing with the modern toys, candy bars, coffee etc, they all generate motion. Deers eyes are different than human eyes, they are designed by nature to spot motion, and can do so many times better than any human.
Take those things, sure, but use them when the hunts over, or you really, really need it, remembering that the deer can see even the tiniest movement from far, far away.
Can you walk up on a deer in noisy conditions? sure, have done so many times, but generally it won't be a big buck, (but even that can happen) Deer, like all animals seem to get lost in what they are doing sometimes, or, they are making enough noise walking themselves that they cannot hear you.
An example of this is when a deer is running in dry leaves. They make so much noise themselves, that you may have to yell at them several times to get them to stop.
The number of times that deer have jumped up at close range on me and escaped you would find hard to fathom. They will lay down and let you walk by mere yards, even feet away, even if you have dogs with you.
Here's one from the camp history books:
five guys have been on watch in the bush, while a sixth guy does a push to them. Nothing came of it, so they all go back to the boat to head down the lake for another hunt elsewhere. They are stumbling about, getting into an aluminum boat, unloading and casing guns etc, when suddenly from behind a small bush, apparently standing in the water at lakes edge, a Doe jumps out ten feet from the boat. The dogger stuffs a shell in his shotgun, takes a quick shot, misses, and dives on the ground, yelling shoot, shoot!
Everyone is unloaded, no shots are fired, not that they would have fired over the idiot anyway.
It's checked out, and the miss confirmed as clean. Such is hunting, deer hunting is exciting.
I am not a smoker and never have been, but I have pretty much always hunted with smokers.
Same thing with the modern toys, candy bars, coffee etc, they all generate motion. Deers eyes are different than human eyes, they are designed by nature to spot motion, and can do so many times better than any human.
Take those things, sure, but use them when the hunts over, or you really, really need it, remembering that the deer can see even the tiniest movement from far, far away.
Can you walk up on a deer in noisy conditions? sure, have done so many times, but generally it won't be a big buck, (but even that can happen) Deer, like all animals seem to get lost in what they are doing sometimes, or, they are making enough noise walking themselves that they cannot hear you.
An example of this is when a deer is running in dry leaves. They make so much noise themselves, that you may have to yell at them several times to get them to stop.
The number of times that deer have jumped up at close range on me and escaped you would find hard to fathom. They will lay down and let you walk by mere yards, even feet away, even if you have dogs with you.
Here's one from the camp history books:
five guys have been on watch in the bush, while a sixth guy does a push to them. Nothing came of it, so they all go back to the boat to head down the lake for another hunt elsewhere. They are stumbling about, getting into an aluminum boat, unloading and casing guns etc, when suddenly from behind a small bush, apparently standing in the water at lakes edge, a Doe jumps out ten feet from the boat. The dogger stuffs a shell in his shotgun, takes a quick shot, misses, and dives on the ground, yelling shoot, shoot!
Everyone is unloaded, no shots are fired, not that they would have fired over the idiot anyway.
It's checked out, and the miss confirmed as clean. Such is hunting, deer hunting is exciting.
I shot a doe while a was taking a piss...I was walking along, needed to pee, turned to a tree and let her fly. Mid stream, a doe comes trotting down the trail. I managed to pinch it early and let her have it. Was it luck that the doe was in the area you knew she was hanging around? No, you did your homework. Was it luck that you shot her while lighting a smoke? Yea, that part I would call luck. But really, who cares? You got your freezer full, be happy and carry on!
Thanks for all the comments folks; most confirm my suspcions and a few gave me something to think about; both of which I appreciate 
I probably should have clarified one thing:
I probably should have clarified one thing:
Never been in a stand in my life. We'll set up real quiet and wait for the sunrises and sunsets, but aside from that we're following tracks and moving from water to food, etc. Maybe that's the problem...
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
I'd differ with those figures. Stand hunting can be about luck, but there is a lot of skill there too. The ability to remain motionless, position of the stand, scent and noise control, ability with a call, all play a big part.
Tracking and stalking, definitely more skill required and a lot of guys won't even try. Similar to the above, most of the same skills required, only at a much higher level. Take a call while you are walking? Damned right I do. I will pick a spot and sit for a while at times, and stop often. If a deer is holed up near by when you stop, listen carefully, you may hear them get up before they bolt. If you stop walking near a deer laying down, it makes them very nervous.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
What about hunting from the truck??? Luck or skill??
To someone who doesn't really understand something, success will often appear to be luck. I once had someone argue that chess involved a lot of luck because of how often she "suddenly discovered" a good move. I couldn't convince her that, in fact, chess is one game that involves no luck at all, except for who plays white.
If you are finding most of your deer are shot because of "suddenly discovering" an opportunity, then your hunting probably is mostly luck. If your opportunities come as a result of planning, careful tactics, and knowledge of both deer habits and the territory you are hunting, then luck is far less important. Set up your stand in a Walmart parking lot, and luck will be the determining factor. Drive around in your truck all the time, and luck will likely play a big part. Get out and hunt on foot, in areas you have scouted and know deer inhabit, and luck will be far less important in your success. It is true, however, that luck and circumstance will ever be eliminated as a factor.
I tend to get far more enjoyment out of hunting styles that make any success I have less dependent on luck.
If you are finding most of your deer are shot because of "suddenly discovering" an opportunity, then your hunting probably is mostly luck. If your opportunities come as a result of planning, careful tactics, and knowledge of both deer habits and the territory you are hunting, then luck is far less important. Set up your stand in a Walmart parking lot, and luck will be the determining factor. Drive around in your truck all the time, and luck will likely play a big part. Get out and hunt on foot, in areas you have scouted and know deer inhabit, and luck will be far less important in your success. It is true, however, that luck and circumstance will ever be eliminated as a factor.
I tend to get far more enjoyment out of hunting styles that make any success I have less dependent on luck.
deadeyes40
CGN Regular
- Location
- nova scotia
i read the original post 3 times and the only luck involved here is the fact you never shot your hunting buddy/partner.you had no way of knowing were the bullet was going after it passed thru the deer.you got a deer and that is good but was getting it at the expense of maybe shooting someone really worth it.
How do you get that out of the story? I didn't say where he was, just that the doe was looking at him. It's not like we were in a straight line with the deer in the middle. That bullet would have had to do some serious acrobatics to have gone anywhere near him after going through the deer, and would have had to have travelled a lot further than it was going to after deforming and losing kinetic energy while in the deer. I did take into account whether he was in safe position before I decided to take the shot.
We did discuss this afterwards, and he did not think he was in any danger. He was actually wondering why I didn't shoot sooner.
We did discuss this afterwards, and he did not think he was in any danger. He was actually wondering why I didn't shoot sooner.
What about hunting from the truck??? Luck or skill??
there are very good road hunters that get game every year and then there are others who just burn gas.....with road hunting the skill is the eyes and knowledge of where to look. I hate to admit but inspite of the fact that I have done horse pack trips, backpack trips, float plane only access, float trips ect, a large portion of the success has been out of or very near to a truck.
Agreed.^^^^^^
Luck improves with experience and preparation. You may never realize the bad luck you have while hunting, when a big buck walks behind you, or hunkers down when you go by at 15 yrds. But thats why hunting is so great. The worse you can do is get nothing. Everyone has been there. Its all upside from there, whether its attributed to luck or skill, it is equally as rewarding.
Luck improves with experience and preparation. You may never realize the bad luck you have while hunting, when a big buck walks behind you, or hunkers down when you go by at 15 yrds. But thats why hunting is so great. The worse you can do is get nothing. Everyone has been there. Its all upside from there, whether its attributed to luck or skill, it is equally as rewarding.
TheSteamingPile
Regular
- Location
- Scarberia, Onterrible
My most successful hunts have been the ones I've taken time to scout the area before hand and chosen a watch location carefully. Even if you can't get out to the area you're planning to hunt to pre-scout, google earth can give you a good idea of what's where. That being said, even with all those preparatory steps, I've still been surprised by many an animal.
TheCoachZed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I agree with the 90/10 breakdowns posted earlier. For MOST hunters, stand hunting is 90 per cent luck, 10 per cent skill, and vice versa for hunting on the ground.
Having said that, in the areas I hunt, a lot still comes down to luck. I know the areas are full of deer, it's just a matter of who gets those deer first. I improve that luck by hunting as hard as I can, as early as I can.
I've put it this way to my buddies: There are two ways to greatly increase your chances of getting a deer - hunt hard, or hunt smart. If you hunt hard AND you hunt smart, it's even better. I don't have the time or skill to hunt hard (as in, I have little tracking or other similar skills), but I know areas where there are deer, I know how to get close to them, and I shoot one every year. Maybe not a big deer - I've shot a couple tiny ones - but in a province with a 16 per cent success ratio, I'm not complaining. Meanwhile, the guys who started hunting the same time I did, around five years ago, some of them longer, have yet to tag out. Why? Two reasons: They don't hunt smart (they all want to shoot a deer in "their spot," instead of driving to the areas where there are deer, and they also don't hunt hard (they don't hunt in the rain, they don't want to put it as a priority over other events and things going on).
I've been lucky to have a doe tag the last three years, but even that wasn't just luck: I actually went out and applied for it, which is more than many can be bothered with. And, I applied in the zone I knew I'd have good success.
The harder you work, the smarter you think, the better your luck gets. If I actually wanted to get a big buck, and put the work into it, I bet it would amaze people how "lucky" I could get every year.
Having said that, in the areas I hunt, a lot still comes down to luck. I know the areas are full of deer, it's just a matter of who gets those deer first. I improve that luck by hunting as hard as I can, as early as I can.
I've put it this way to my buddies: There are two ways to greatly increase your chances of getting a deer - hunt hard, or hunt smart. If you hunt hard AND you hunt smart, it's even better. I don't have the time or skill to hunt hard (as in, I have little tracking or other similar skills), but I know areas where there are deer, I know how to get close to them, and I shoot one every year. Maybe not a big deer - I've shot a couple tiny ones - but in a province with a 16 per cent success ratio, I'm not complaining. Meanwhile, the guys who started hunting the same time I did, around five years ago, some of them longer, have yet to tag out. Why? Two reasons: They don't hunt smart (they all want to shoot a deer in "their spot," instead of driving to the areas where there are deer, and they also don't hunt hard (they don't hunt in the rain, they don't want to put it as a priority over other events and things going on).
I've been lucky to have a doe tag the last three years, but even that wasn't just luck: I actually went out and applied for it, which is more than many can be bothered with. And, I applied in the zone I knew I'd have good success.
The harder you work, the smarter you think, the better your luck gets. If I actually wanted to get a big buck, and put the work into it, I bet it would amaze people how "lucky" I could get every year.
