WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
- Boogieman1
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WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
From time to time I tend to get whitetail questions dropped on me. Usually fishing guys who hunt 5 or 6 times a year and just can't quite seem to wrap there tag on a buck. What am I doing wrong is by far the most popular question. First off not claiming to be the next Michael Waddell here, especially as my season has gone thus far. But think I have a diff outlook that someone starting out might take to heart.
First off, how come when someone doesn't kill a giant they assume they did something wrong! Now a lot of folks (atleast in my state do indeed do a lot of stuff wrong, and baffles me how they even think they have a chance). But chances are if you made the effort to read through this site then u don't fall into the typical praying for a miracle Hunter category.
IMO you can do every single detail right and that doesn't guarantee u squat. We are dealing with a wild animal here with free will. The slightest thing can capture his interest and pull him off course or cause him not to move. We scout, play odds, study wind, plan entrances etc.... All this for a long shot as far as odds go. What increases ones odds is continually putting yourself in high odds situations based off of effort. Now high odds is nowhere near guarantee infact you have much greater chance of not seeing squat even after all that homework.
So simple answer is if you are out there doing your best and making an effort you aren't doing nothing wrong. It just hasn't happened yet!
Just rambling here as I'm bored stuck at home with a sick kiddo. But just had a guy ask me this question so I got a bit enthusiastic! Give it your all (if it's important to you) and see where the chips fall.
Whitetail Wishes
Boogieman Out!
First off, how come when someone doesn't kill a giant they assume they did something wrong! Now a lot of folks (atleast in my state do indeed do a lot of stuff wrong, and baffles me how they even think they have a chance). But chances are if you made the effort to read through this site then u don't fall into the typical praying for a miracle Hunter category.
IMO you can do every single detail right and that doesn't guarantee u squat. We are dealing with a wild animal here with free will. The slightest thing can capture his interest and pull him off course or cause him not to move. We scout, play odds, study wind, plan entrances etc.... All this for a long shot as far as odds go. What increases ones odds is continually putting yourself in high odds situations based off of effort. Now high odds is nowhere near guarantee infact you have much greater chance of not seeing squat even after all that homework.
So simple answer is if you are out there doing your best and making an effort you aren't doing nothing wrong. It just hasn't happened yet!
Just rambling here as I'm bored stuck at home with a sick kiddo. But just had a guy ask me this question so I got a bit enthusiastic! Give it your all (if it's important to you) and see where the chips fall.
Whitetail Wishes
Boogieman Out!
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
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- Wetfoot
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
Great post and so true.
- hunting_dad
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
Excellent post. I think some of the issue is what is portrayed on TV nowadays. Even for the TV guys there’s a lot more unsuccessful hunts than there are successful hunts that they don’t show in a 30 minute episode. I don’t think I would enjoy it near as much if it wasn’t difficult. Do I get worn out and angry sometimes? Heck yeah, but that’s part of it. Wouldn’t want it any other way. Ok maybe a little....
- Tim H
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- greenhorndave
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
Good post indeed. I occasionally get bummed when I slightly miss out on an opportunity, but at least I'm getting them like you say.
May or may not happen this season, but not for a lack of trying. I can pretty much guarantee that my odds will improve next year, though as I will have had more time to gather knowledge (one of Dan's workshops that I will attend next year) and off-season scouting time that I didn't even consider much before getting on this forum.
May or may not happen this season, but not for a lack of trying. I can pretty much guarantee that my odds will improve next year, though as I will have had more time to gather knowledge (one of Dan's workshops that I will attend next year) and off-season scouting time that I didn't even consider much before getting on this forum.
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
https://youtu.be/d4tSE2w53ts
Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
https://youtu.be/d4tSE2w53ts
- Jackson Marsh
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
What am I doing wrong?
A question I ask myself after every hunt
A question I ask myself after every hunt
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
hunting_dad wrote:Excellent post. I think some of the issue is what is portrayed on TV nowadays. Even for the TV guys there’s a lot more unsuccessful hunts than there are successful hunts that they don’t show in a 30 minute episode. I don’t think I would enjoy it near as much if it wasn’t difficult. Do I get worn out and angry sometimes? Heck yeah, but that’s part of it. Wouldn’t want it any other way. Ok maybe a little....
I wish all the shows would show the failures or hunts that came up empty. Some are doing it better but there is never a focus on how difficult it can be. I’d be more of a fan if they did that. I remember a Major League Bowhunters episode where Jeff Danker sat 17 days in a row morn and evening and then had the buck duck his arrow on the shot. I could not physically hunt 17 days in a row right now. I have to take the elevator up 2 floors after a weekend of hunting now!
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- magicman54494
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
With all due respect, I disagree.
If your intent is to kill a trophy deer and you are not then you are doing something wrong.
It could be any of a number of things or a combination of things.
effort, knowledge, area, time are a few things that come to mind.
I understand that luck plays a part but I also know luck favors those who prepare.
If your intent is to kill a trophy deer and you are not then you are doing something wrong.
It could be any of a number of things or a combination of things.
effort, knowledge, area, time are a few things that come to mind.
I understand that luck plays a part but I also know luck favors those who prepare.
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- backstraps
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
Jackson Marsh wrote:What am I doing wrong?
A question I ask myself after every hunt
I DO TOO!
- tgreeno
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
Jackson Marsh wrote:What am I doing wrong?
A question I ask myself after every hunt
Lol...Along with..."I suck"
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It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
- hunting_dad
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
magicman54494 wrote:With all due respect, I disagree.
If your intent is to kill a trophy deer and you are not then you are doing something wrong.
It could be any of a number of things or a combination of things.
effort, knowledge, area, time are a few things that come to mind.
I understand that luck plays a part but I also know luck favors those who prepare.
Point taken. With regards to your post, I guess my biggest obstacle would be time and not having enough of it. And because of my lack of time to hunt, I need more of the “luck” portion to help me out.
- stash59
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
I think alot of Beast members are doing alot of things right. But like magic pointed out. If your not killing a good buck year after year. Your missing something. Some detail that would put one over the top!
I also think time is a huge factor. I know quite a few Beasts that get in plenty of off season scouting. But for some reason or other. Their time is very limited during the actual season.
I just alluded to the following point in another post. What I'm seeing from the kill stories of the consistent year to year killers is. They know from off season scouting, annual/year to year intel and in season scouting. Almost for sure when a buck is using a bed. So they almost always only go in when the buck is there. They burn less bridges and have a higher percentage of mature buck encounters!
I also think time is a huge factor. I know quite a few Beasts that get in plenty of off season scouting. But for some reason or other. Their time is very limited during the actual season.
I just alluded to the following point in another post. What I'm seeing from the kill stories of the consistent year to year killers is. They know from off season scouting, annual/year to year intel and in season scouting. Almost for sure when a buck is using a bed. So they almost always only go in when the buck is there. They burn less bridges and have a higher percentage of mature buck encounters!
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- Boogieman1
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
magicman54494 wrote:With all due respect, I disagree.
If your intent is to kill a trophy deer and you are not then you are doing something wrong.
It could be any of a number of things or a combination of things.
effort, knowledge, area, time are a few things that come to mind.
I understand that luck plays a part but I also know luck favors those who prepare.
Just because you say with all due respect doesn't mean you can tell me anything you want. Look it up its in the Geneva conventions! Just playin..
I get what your saying, I was talking bout a diff class of Hunter. I have a feeling you are refering to the type of Hunter who spends his time in the woods thinking up new excuses of why they were not successful again this season. Then next year goes out and does the same exact thing.
I was more refering to the type who has a wake up call and realizes there's got to be a better way. The type who joined the Beast for a year or 2, spent a lot of time scouting and planning. Finds the best bed on a given property waits for the right conditions and then when it don't happen right out the gate feel they are doing something wrong.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
tgreeno wrote:Jackson Marsh wrote:What am I doing wrong?
A question I ask myself after every hunt
Lol...Along with..."I suck"
That's me 100 percent of the time!!
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Re: WHAT am I Doing Wrong!
stash59 wrote:
They know from off season scouting, annual/year to year intel and in season scouting.
After a lot of years trying I am starting to see how offseason scouting is kind of a blunt tool and the in season scouting and observations really help hone in on the spot. The hard part with it is that it takes a number of seasons sometimes to start to see it all play out
So it seems like a lot of time spent doing it wrong when really you are eliminating variables so you can have a chance to make it right.
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