Keeping a Positive Attitude

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BassBoysLLP
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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Mon Dec 07, 2015 2:03 pm

Stay positive. No excuses.
No
Good post. You can march to my drum any day.

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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby mheichelbech » Mon Dec 07, 2015 2:24 pm

A positive attitude helps to keep confidence up. In my experience confidence is the #1 ingredient in being successful at anything. When I have a crappy attitude it seems to be more difficult and frustrating to hang sticks and a stand. Have to remind myself that I am out here to enjoy myself and it's not that big of a deal compared to the rest of my life.

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"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby Hawthorne » Mon Dec 07, 2015 2:35 pm

One of the best hunters I know personally fits the positive attitude mold. This guy hunts more than anyone I know and always has a great attitude. I wouldn't even consider him a great hunter from a tactics stand point but he goes out there with a great attitude and enjoys every minute of it and kills some nice bucks. I've tried picking this vibe up from him before Turkey hunting with him. This guy also.is a gym nut. He gets up before work everyday and hits the gym. So yes it has to do with everything in life.

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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby Zap » Mon Dec 07, 2015 3:14 pm

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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby Stanley » Mon Dec 07, 2015 5:26 pm

:handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupright:
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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justdirtyfun
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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Mon Dec 07, 2015 5:50 pm

This site is TERRIBLE for my positive attitude.
All these other guys killing big deer ain't helping ME one bit.
That guys ladder stand looks so COMFY compared to this dumb wolf.
I need a better camo pattern before I can get a Booner.



Blah,blah blah.


I don't want to change my attitude...just the deer's hah hah hah.
You don't have to be the best, just do your best.
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Edcyclopedia
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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Tue Dec 08, 2015 12:33 am

100% AGREE.

However,...
Come hunt the Northeast (lesser than desirable hunting grounds) better yet - try to juggle having children, a wife, a home and the responsibility of business ownership and employees. ..

It all about choices.

If I were to be a hunting specific person it would rock my world! It would be trespassing on many levels. One word - selfish. ..

Does not stop ANYONE'S Ability to stay positive though. Just deters somewhat. Add in low deer numbers and average hunting abilities and the recipe can sway...

Have to have fun when the going gets tough!

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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby JoeRE » Tue Dec 08, 2015 1:23 am

Great topic. Attitude has a huge impact. It affects your decision making with everything from stand placement to shot selection.

Every year my season seems to go pretty much how I expect going into it. The years I am less confident, it seems like I struggle more. I think its a self fulfilling frankly.

Sort of a different view on Ed's point, I find my greatest successes are NOT tied to hunting time. Yes, I spend a bunch of time preparing but probably a majority of my success has happened really fast/early in a season or in seasons where I had very little hunting time. Over the past decade as my hunting time has gone down, my success has gone up. It only ever takes one hunt really. I know when I get to grinding out hunts, that affects my confidence. Its very hard to stay at 110% hunt after hunt for dozens of hunts.
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Spysar
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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby Spysar » Tue Dec 08, 2015 1:29 am

It's in my profile thread. Nothing is more important than a positive attitude. Nothing.
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby headgear » Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:30 am

100% agree a never give up attitude and confidence in your ability and setups are huge. I also want to echo some of the things Ed is saying, last few years have been rough going in the bigwoods and sometimes the odds are just stacked against you. No doubt I should try and travel to where the deer numbers are better but a young fam and work make that hard right now so I will just keep plugging away.

The more scouting and work you put into it the more you can build that confidence up. Even if you screw up royally you can build on that by having a positive attitude, don't look at bucks that got away as a failure, just a learning experience. Take pride in knowing you were on that buck and nearly wrapped a tag around him, most hunters rarely get that chance.
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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby vtbuck » Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:47 am

I completely agree with zona. When hunting becomes more like a job than a hobby I'm done. I get excited to hunt. I don't get excited to go to work. Hunting helps me relax mentally and physically .

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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby wickedbruiser » Tue Dec 08, 2015 7:34 am

Spot on. It is crucial to maintain a postive attitude. I bowhunt small pockets in MA and there are 2,3,even 4 hunts later without seeing bucks. Maintaining good vibes and understanding the real reason you hunt can pay off huge when the unexpected arrives.

3 years back I tore down 5 mins short of shooting light only to see my target pie bald buck cruise by 5 yds from my tree half way down. Never will I tear down early again!

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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby checkerfred » Tue Dec 08, 2015 8:04 am

Czabs wrote:
brkissl82 wrote:I have heard this a lot and am starting to put some stock into it but can i ask a question to play devils advocate. If i sitting on stand quiet as can be a deer doesnt know my attitude does he? A deer doesnt know my attitude if im sittin on stand down in the dumps or as happy as can be it doesnt make that spot any better does it? As long as im on stand what does my attitude matter?

Now please dont take this post the wrong way im not tryn to be a smart a$! Just made me wonder

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Not taking it wrong at all...I feel as though you make good point. Obviously a deer doesn't know what your attitude is when your hunting..HOWEVER.

I can tell you how I am when I don't keep a positive attitude...

I don't want to sit on stand as long as I normally would because I'm having negative thoughts

Having a negative attitude and being pissy usually go hand in hand for me. When I'm pissy I tend to break equipment and make noises when setting up, etc...its just a downward spiral.

I don't want to go out as much as I would normally (rather watch the packer game, etc.)

I sleep more on stand/less attentive

Less confidence in my setup which in turns leads me to leaving early or ^ (Sleeping)

When i go on a streak of not seeing deer I will start getting jealous of others having success and then start thinking about how much hunting public land sucks...blah blah blah. My family does not own any property...I don't have any money to buy property. Theres nothing you can do about it, but work harder. That is speaking for myself.

I think too many people start making excuses when they are in a slump and that won't ever get you anywhere. I always think to myself...there are so many others in this world that have it far worse than I do...I'm healthy and physically capable to do things many others can't. I'm going to make the best of it.

Positive thoughts often times yield positive results believe it or not, I know it works for me.


Awesome post...I have been hunting 7-8 times this year without seeing a deer on stand. I did jump two on one sit, one going in and one coming out. Then jumped one on another sit coming out. I get more frustrated that anything though sometimes negativity gets to me. When you go a while without seeing deer, it lowers confidence...I start to question if I'm in the right place, if I'll see a deer, and all other sorts of things. I end up getting down early and have even moved. Last year, on public, I setup on some swamp land. It just didn't feel right and after an hour the wind changed a bit to where I thought deer might be. I was like this is stupid...there's water around me, wind coming from the water, why would a deer be here. I got down to scout, and just 50 yards away jumped two bucks with a doe. Had I stayed put who knows?

You guys nailed it too with seeing all the big bucks posted here. In a way it gets my blood pumping but it also gets me frustrated. I feel I'm fairly smart and should be able to put things learned here in use. Then it sinks in just how difficulty killing mature bucks can be and how you guys that are doing it are in the major leagues. I feel like sometimes I don't have a chance, but I'm determined.
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Czabs
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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby Czabs » Tue Dec 08, 2015 11:31 pm

checkerfred wrote:
Czabs wrote:
brkissl82 wrote:I have heard this a lot and am starting to put some stock into it but can i ask a question to play devils advocate. If i sitting on stand quiet as can be a deer doesnt know my attitude does he? A deer doesnt know my attitude if im sittin on stand down in the dumps or as happy as can be it doesnt make that spot any better does it? As long as im on stand what does my attitude matter?

Now please dont take this post the wrong way im not tryn to be a smart a$! Just made me wonder

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Not taking it wrong at all...I feel as though you make good point. Obviously a deer doesn't know what your attitude is when your hunting..HOWEVER.

I can tell you how I am when I don't keep a positive attitude...

I don't want to sit on stand as long as I normally would because I'm having negative thoughts

Having a negative attitude and being pissy usually go hand in hand for me. When I'm pissy I tend to break equipment and make noises when setting up, etc...its just a downward spiral.

I don't want to go out as much as I would normally (rather watch the packer game, etc.)

I sleep more on stand/less attentive

Less confidence in my setup which in turns leads me to leaving early or ^ (Sleeping)

When i go on a streak of not seeing deer I will start getting jealous of others having success and then start thinking about how much hunting public land sucks...blah blah blah. My family does not own any property...I don't have any money to buy property. Theres nothing you can do about it, but work harder. That is speaking for myself.

I think too many people start making excuses when they are in a slump and that won't ever get you anywhere. I always think to myself...there are so many others in this world that have it far worse than I do...I'm healthy and physically capable to do things many others can't. I'm going to make the best of it.

Positive thoughts often times yield positive results believe it or not, I know it works for me.


Awesome post...I have been hunting 7-8 times this year without seeing a deer on stand. I did jump two on one sit, one going in and one coming out. Then jumped one on another sit coming out. I get more frustrated that anything though sometimes negativity gets to me. When you go a while without seeing deer, it lowers confidence...I start to question if I'm in the right place, if I'll see a deer, and all other sorts of things. I end up getting down early and have even moved. Last year, on public, I setup on some swamp land. It just didn't feel right and after an hour the wind changed a bit to where I thought deer might be. I was like this is stupid...there's water around me, wind coming from the water, why would a deer be here. I got down to scout, and just 50 yards away jumped two bucks with a doe. Had I stayed put who knows?

You guys nailed it too with seeing all the big bucks posted here. In a way it gets my blood pumping but it also gets me frustrated. I feel I'm fairly smart and should be able to put things learned here in use. Then it sinks in just how difficulty killing mature bucks can be and how you guys that are doing it are in the major leagues. I feel like sometimes I don't have a chance, but I'm determined.


Failure is success if you learn from it
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Edcyclopedia
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Re: Keeping a Positive Attitude

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Tue Dec 08, 2015 11:34 pm

Spysar wrote:It's in my profile thread. Nothing is more important than a positive attitude. Nothing.


Are you positive you would be happy only hunting NY:)

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