Your most important asset/skill

[JakeD]

I'm new to posting here, but have been reading through here quite a bit the past several days since I found this site. It seems that there are a lot of very knowledgeable guys on here and I'm always willing to learn. So my question is: What do you feel is your most important asset or skill that allows you to kill mature bucks? I'm looking for the one thing that you feel sets you apart from the crowd. How do you get it done consistently while others around you struggle?

[Jackson Marsh]

Irrational confidence

I've told this story before but here goes again.

A few years ago I was setup on an island 1.5 miles into a marsh. Early afternoon I heard sticks break behind me, turned to look and see another hunter. I waved and he walked to a patch of trees a quarter mile away.

After close I headed out and bumped into the other hunter and his buddy. He told me he had walked over a mile to an island to my south and bumped into another hunter. He then headed north another 0.5 miles (through thick nasty cattails and brush) and ran into me

They followed me out (mistake) and I missed my trail and had to bushwack through thick willows and popple trees. I could hear them cursing behind me

Back at the parking area I asked them if they hunt out here much. He said "we are done out here! DONE!"

I laughed the whole way home, because I've had similar hunts that were disasters too.

I told my wife that story about his bad luck, and then told her tomorrow I will kill a buck.

The next morning I couldn't get to my tree, due to deep water (swamped my boots) in freezing cold water, found another tree and a few hours later killed a 130 inch buck.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Lockdown]

So my question is: What do you feel is your most important asset or skill that allows you to kill mature bucks? I'm looking for the one thing that you feel sets you apart from the crowd. How do you get it done consistently while others around you struggle?

First off, me responding does not mean I feel like I'm set apart from the crowd. I'm a sponge soaking up everything I possibly can from this sight. However comparing the successful guys to the average deer hunter, and comparing the most successful beasts to others, one thing stands out.

AMBITION

The more you hunt, the more you scout, the more you read, the more you LEARN.

I'm a firm believer that it's a snowball effect.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[JakeD]

So my question is: What do you feel is your most important asset or skill that allows you to kill mature bucks? I'm looking for the one thing that you feel sets you apart from the crowd. How do you get it done consistently while others around you struggle?

First off, me responding does not mean I feel like I'm set apart from the crowd. I'm a sponge soaking up everything I possibly can from this sight. However comparing the successful guys to the average deer hunter, and comparing the most successful beasts to others, one thing stands out.

AMBITION

[glow=red]The more you hunt, the more you scout, the more you read, the more you LEARN.[/glow]

I'm a firm believer that it's a snowball effect.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Very true statement there. I am constantly trying to learn, whether I kill a mature buck every year or not. I do not know it all and never will, but I feel that the more I can soak in the better my chances are. Every little bit of information helps.

[xpauliber]

As the previous two posters alluded to, I'm no expert hunter by any means but the thing that I think sets us apart is that we try to hunt near big buck beds. If a mature buck spends 95% of his daylight hours bedded down and only moves a very small distance (the other 5%) in daylight then you HAVE TO KILL HIM NEAR HIS BED. You have to focus your efforts on the bedroom of big bucks. That's the biggest key that I've taken away from the HuntingBeast. Once you grasp that, you then start to do the things that allow you to be successful hunting big buck beds:

1. Finding as many buck beds in the off season as you can.
   Hunting Mobile (lone wolf & sticks)
   Stealth strips
   Etc.

The best thing that I've taken away is if you know where a buck is bedding, then you can craft a plan to kill him.

[Edcyclopedia]

Well, of course, it's my friggen good looks!
And I smell like a juicy white acorn.

Only works with Doe's though...

[Bowhunter4life]

I don't want to sounds like I'm set apart from other hunters. I think the biggest thing for me is I see sign left by mature deer differently than other hunters. I read the sign better than others so to say. Not just seeing a big rub or scrape and thinking I need to set up on this but rather looking at the sign and thinking about when it was most likely made. Most of the guys in this area that hunt public set up in the same general area day after day. They go in and find a rub not even thinking about when it may have been made or how long ago. Fresh sign is another thing. I look for fresh sign and jump in on it right then.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Hodag Hunter]

Think like a deer.

This fall I put the fishing poles down for a while and my young son is learning the finer details of hunting mature bucks in the northwoods.

We are chasing two bucks fairly heavy this year and it's cool they are following the script pretty close. We have both on multiple trail cams miles apart and my son comments "dad you're smarter than I thought with deer hunting, how did you know this buck would cross here?" Lol thanks kid, I think that's a complement.

I keep telling him our biggest asset is our brain and the deer's is his nose.

His comment he keeps repeating this year is "a deer's brain is in its nose"

Every step in the woods must be calculated out ahead of time.....I tell him it's like painting the trees blaze orange where ever we step.....
I'm having fun again this year in the woods.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Edcyclopedia]

Think like a deer.

This fall I put the fishing poles down for a while and my young son is learning the finer details of hunting mature bucks in the northwoods.

We are chasing two bucks fairly heavy this year and it's cool they are following the script pretty close. We have both on multiple trail cams miles apart and my son comments "dad you're smarter than I thought with deer hunting, how did you know this buck would cross here?" Lol thanks kid, I think that's a complement.

I keep telling him our biggest asset is our brain and the deer's is his nose.

His comment he keeps repeating this year is "a deer's brain is in its nose"

Every step in the woods must be calculated out ahead of time.....I tell him it's like painting the trees blaze orange where ever we step.....
I'm having fun again this year in the woods.

[ Post made via Android ]

Awesome!

Love the new term he coined as well!!!

[Southern Man]

I keep telling him our biggest asset is our brain..........

That's the first thing that came to mind when I read the title of the thread.

[DaveT1963]

Ok I am new to beast hunting - but I have managed to take quite a few nice animals along my 35 years of bow hunting. I will approach this question from different aspects as they relate to my success over the years - not necessarily hunting beast methods.

Asset: Easily it is our ability to think - we have a brain that has the ability to analyze, problem solve and think through things - animals react where as we can project and predict outcomes based on reasoning

Personal Trait: Determination/persistence - I am stubborn to the point of success

Skill: I am in good shape and my shooting is pretty good. I also have a fair amount of woodsmanship

Strength: I am a problem solver by nature - I am always asking why? Or how or what if..... I am never satisfied with good enough - I push myself and my equipment hard and I keep refining things until I get them to where they work for me and my purposes

Weakness: I can be susceptible to discouragement. I have to fight this at times and remind myself that the next 30 seconds could change everything.

[Ruger]

For me it's confidence in your sit, NO DOUBT!

[Jackson Marsh]

Think like a deer.

This fall I put the fishing poles down for a while and my young son is learning the finer details of hunting mature bucks in the northwoods.

We are chasing two bucks fairly heavy this year and it's cool they are following the script pretty close. We have both on multiple trail cams miles apart and my son comments "dad you're smarter than I thought with deer hunting, how did you know this buck would cross here?" Lol thanks kid, I think that's a complement.

I keep telling him our biggest asset is our brain and the deer's is his nose.

His comment he keeps repeating this year is "a deer's brain is in its nose"

Every step in the woods must be calculated out ahead of time.....I tell him it's like painting the trees blaze orange where ever we step.....
I'm having fun again this year in the woods.

[ Post made via Android ]

Great post HH! Good luck to you and your son of those bucks

[ Post made via Android ]

[johndeere506]

Ok I am new to beast hunting - but I have managed to take quite a few nice animals along my 35 years of bow hunting. I will approach this question from different aspects as they relate to my success over the years - not necessarily hunting beast methods.

Asset: Easily it is our ability to think - we have a brain that has the ability to analyze, problem solve and think through things - animals react where as we can project and predict outcomes based on reasoning

Personal Trait: Determination/persistence - I am stubborn to the point of success

Skill: I am in good shape and my shooting is pretty good. I also have a fair amount of woodsmanship

Strength: I am a problem solver by nature - I am always asking why? Or how or what if..... I am never satisfied with good enough - I push myself and my equipment hard and I keep refining things until I get them to where they work for me and my purposes

Weakness: I can be susceptible to discouragement. I have to fight this at times and remind myself that the next 30 seconds could change everything.

Good post Dave. This fits me quite well too. And also as mentioned first, the DRIVE and AMBITION to get on big bucks. Thats what fuels the above for me as well.

[seazofcheeze]

I think the short answer is hard work. On the beast, you have a collection of guys that are willing to do what most average hunters won't. This is all on average, but I would say beasts scout more, think about hunting and setups more, hunt more often, and are willing to go the extra mile to get to those prime spots.

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