Lifetime number of deer hunts?

[Motivated]

I think it may be helpful for myself and others to gain a bit of perspective. On a forum such as this we have all levels of experience, as well as all levels of success (or failure). It is normal for most people to compare a bit to others and wonder "why have I not killed my buck yet when this other guy has two down already"? It is easy for a newer person to get discouraged if he is not comparing apples to apples.

So, since experience is the best teacher, I'm wondering first how many deer hunts you think you have had over your lifetime. Please don't feel obligated to answer, but if you do then please try to give a reasonable educated guess.

Secondly how many hunts you average per deer season?

Thanks! I think this may help newer hunters like me to guage my own success and learning curve properly.

PS--My answers: Probably 25 hunts total so far in my lifetime. Likely 12-14 hunts will take place for me this season.

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[PK_]

10 days out of state bow rut hunts last 12 years… So that is around 120 days.

I believe I have done 3 week long out of state gun hunts, that's 21 days…

I have done 2 out of state early bow hunts totaling 11 days…

For my home state, I am going to say over the past 18 years I have averaged 5 weekend hunts a year, that's 5x3=15 15x18=270

270 + 120 +21 + 11 = 422 approximate days deer hunting.

We counting scouting days? Cause thats probably x2...

[Motivated]

Thanks PalmettoKid! You are rockin' this year!

I was not going to ask about scouting days, just to keep it simple.

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[Tufrthnails]

Um no idea. some years I live in the woods (literally move to the cabin every other week) this year I have yet to get in a tree. Got 2 weeks in KY coming up (one Bow, one Gun). Good question I just have no real way of giving you a realistic answer.

[loneranger]

I GO BY HRS.I TRY TOPUT IN AROUND 80 HRS A SEASON. Mostly around the Rut. For some reason bucks seem to leave my area after the Rut. I have hunted my life time in two states. I have been out there every Season for 46 years.

[seazofcheeze]

I'd say I have somewhere between 160-180 days total +/- 25 days.

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[UPbowhunter]

When I was young I would hunt every day. It has tapered off. This year 6 sits, most only 2 hour sits. The older I get the more methodical I get with each sit. I try to make each one count.

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[Kraftd]

I'd guess I've probably averaged around 20 or so days bow hunting a year over 23 years so 460 days hunting. Some days single am or pm sits, plenty of all day sits, and TONS more time in the woods all year. That all being said, my success rate has improved dramatically when that became more focused time in the woods. Being in the woods a lot certainly is part of the deal, but being in the woods with a plan and a purpose is key.

[Kraftd]

I'd guess I've probably averaged around 20 or so days bow hunting a year over 23 years so 460 days hunting. Some days single am or pm sits, plenty of all day sits, and TONS more time in the woods all year. That all being said, my success rate has improved dramatically when that became more focused time in the woods. Being in the woods a lot certainly is part of the deal, but being in the woods with a plan and a purpose is key.

[BassBoysLLP]

Over a 1000. There were many years when I was younger when it felt like I was hunting just about every day. Those years stacked the numbers big time. I've slowed way down since then. Id say I'm 20-30 days per season now.

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[oldrank]

id say around 1600 days. . I hunt 60 days a year.. Ive been hunting for 30 yrs.

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[Lockdown]

My best guess is 540 hunts. It is hard to be accurate, as I've done all day sits a few times and been out of state 7 times.
Breakdown:
Age 12-23 I'm guessing I had around 20 hunts per year. 12 years x 20 hunts = 240. Age 24-26 I had around 25 sits so 25x3=75. The next 4 yrs I averaged 40 so 160 hunts. I had around 50 hunts last year. This year I've got about 15 hunts in so far. So 540 hunts and I'm 32 years old.
My number should be pretty close.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Dewey]

I keep records going back many years and looks like my average is about 40 hunts/year x 32 years= 1280

There are some years where I hunted much more than 40 times but this is an average. In 2010 I put in 275 hours on stand over 55 hunts holding out for a 150" or better and didn't fill my tag that year. I since lowered my standards and take it a little easier now. I worked 2nd shift my entire life so I am limited to weekends and vacation time only. If I worked 1st shift no doubt my hunt total would be much higher.

[JoeRE]

The first 6 years or so as a teenager I bow hunted just about every day of the season after school, morning and evening every weekend....On average it took me 6 weeks of hunting like that to burn out or tag out, so 6 weeks x 9 hunts per week x 6 years = 324 hunts, average of each 3 hours long. That was sort of my primary school level deer hunting education right there.

In the time since then, say 14 seasons I probably average only 15 bowhunts a season. 14 x 15 = 210 hunts, still average of 3 hours long....yea i have sat all day a few times but not enough to throw that off too much.

Gun hunting is a different ball game because I have participated in a lot of different tactics....spot and stalk, drives, still hunting as well as stand hunting. I probably have put up another 300 "hunts" doing all that. That would put me at 800+ hunts.

Its not just about how much time you have spent chasing deer either.

I hunted small game all the time when I was a younger kid too, that really helps build fundamental hunting skills. I bet I went on 1000+ small game hunts between the ages of 8 and 18. Squirrel season opened Sept 1 and rabbit season closed Feb 28th.....that's 5 months of small game hunting when I wasn't deer hunting. I would be a lot poorer deer hunter without all those small game hunts under my belt as a kid.

Trapping also builds fundamental hunting skills. Have you ever met a trapper that was a poor hunter? I haven't. I ran a trap line every year between the ages of 12-19, probably on average for 4 weeks every year, that's a couple hundred trap line runs, several thousand sets made. I know a lot of guys have done a lot more trapping than that.

I'm not bragging at all, just trying to provide content for anyone who might be frustrated over not figuring it all out after only a few seasons. This is not an instant gratification hobby. It takes a lot of time and the right mind set for many years. I still have a whole lot of learning to do.

[dan]

I hunt a lot less now, than when I was younger... Kinda like U.P.Bowqhunters answer, less hunting now, but more precision... I would say that now I go out about 40 to 60 hunts a year, but bit used to be a lot more than that. Deer hunting is a big part of my life. Probably headed into the woods more than 2600 times in pursuit of deer in my life so far. But there is much more time spent in the woods scouting, observing, and watching.