A degree in hunting big bucks

[Ashreve93]

A degree in hunting big bucks

Many things can be said about this topic, and many lessons can be heard; but if you read it, can any be learned..?

The average college student spends 240 hours of classroom time to obtain an associate's degree. Double that if you include study time. This makes a total of 480 hours towards their education. Once they complete college, the real learning begins.

Most continue through an apprenticeship or obtain a Job with an employer willing to train them properly. This usually takes a couple years.

The part I find most interesting is, even though they obtained a degree, they still don't know much about the field they've been studying. It takes real world experience to really understand a specific field.

Hunting big bucks is no different. The hunting beast has all of the knowledge you could want about hunting. It has most scenarios you're going to run into spelled out with everything you need to know to be successful. Along with tons of help from experts (teachers), helping you along the whole way.

There are tons of resources available to you including YouTube, and if you put in your time, you could get a "degree in hunting big bucks."

But this is just the beginning. Now the real learning begins. You may have read about 1000 experiences with big bucks, but have you had one of your own? Have you gotten close yet?

Or most likely, did you realize your degree is only the first step?

No worries, this step is the best step. Boots on the ground is where you really learn how to hunt big bucks. Don't get caught up in all the studying. Let it give you knowledge and confidence, but don't let it stop at the books.

Put in your time, obtain your degree,
then step in the woods, it'll be great, you'll see.

Chime in with some some hard lessons learned in the field that "the books" would have never thought you.

[Edcyclopedia]

Damn straight!
Nice read...

[Lockdown]

great post

[keepthefevercalls]

This is so true. Thanks to Dan's video and the info here on the beast, if I go into hill country I can find all the sign I want. But learning how to pick a tree, access, stay still, etc all still has to be learned.

[Challenger]

Field experience is way more valuable after the books.

Are you sure about your numbers? If you were to attend 4 hours a day it would only take 60 total days class time and aditional 60 for study time.

[Ashreve93]

Field experience is way more valuable after the books.

Are you sure about your numbers? If you were to attend 4 hours a day it would only take 60 total days class time and aditional 60 for study time.

Well, I was off, but in the wrong direction. College students average 3 hours/class/week. For a 2 year degree, that's 60 weeks taking 5 classes/week. That's 900 hours of class time, 1800 hours total. But you stated the important fact, the value of field experience.

[Ashreve93]

:clap: great post

Damn straight!
Nice read...

Thanks guys!

[Huntress13]

Too bad deer hunting is only a couple months out of the year. Wish I could practice more.

[Dewey]

Bucks are the best teachers out there. Everything else is just the basics. There is no fast track in this school.

[xpauliber]

Awesome post!

When I found the BEAST, I became a freshman student and learned as much as I could from the immense amount of info available & shared here. I remember watching Andrae shoot the Tuning Fork Buck on Dan's first Hill Country video and Andrae comments that "he had hunted this knoll before and he had a stand 15 yards away but it was just out of the picture" of where he needed to be.

One of the things I learned in the field that I didn't/couldn't learn from reading on here is just how small the margin of error is between success and failure. There are times when literally taking 5 more steps blows a buck out of his bed but other times, if you don't walk those 5 steps, the thermals will pull your scent down to the approaching buck. There's such a fine line hunting this style and you only learn it from getting out there and doing it. And you still end up blowing it sometimes but that's hunting.

Along those same lines, it took me awhile to force myself to slow down when I was out hunting and actually become a hunter and notice those things that made the difference between success and failure. Early on, it was a race to get to my tree as fast as I could, snapping twigs, not paying attention to wind gusts, etc. Now, I routinely stop a couple times for 5-10 minutes each time on my way to the stand if I see tracks or a rub or a food source or the wind blows from an unexpected direction, etc. just to analyze the situation and make sure that the plan I had when I closed the truck door is still the best plan under the conditions I'm faced with.

[stash59]

Bucks are the best teachers out there. Everything else is just the basics. There is no fast track in this school.

Does anyone ever really graduate? Earn a Doctorate?

[tim]

Bucks are the best teachers out there. Everything else is just the basics. There is no fast track in this school.

Agreed

[okeweemee]

I agree with Gladwell's assertions that 10,000 hrs is needed to become "best in class" in any endeavor.
Unfortunately in deer hunting you can waste 10,000 hrs THINKING you are really hunting.
a degree in big bucks may also be out of reach for some due to their hunting area, but of course that has been covered here extensively.

[Prairie Sasquatch]

One thing that reading forums, books, listening to podcasts watching videos etc will do is shorten the learning curve. In field experience gives you something to attach the “book” learning to so you can recognize a situation for what it is and problem solve the solution.

I get a lot of satisfaction when I devise a plan and get an opportunity on a buck regardless of its size. The plan worked and that helps you learn.

Getting hung up on antler size is a mistake. Where I hunt a 140 - 150 inch deer is about the top end most years if I can find one. I probably have 50 different bucks on camera this year and the biggest three are 120-140. That’s probably 1 four year old and 2 three year olds. The rest being smaller 3 year olds and under. I would say our buck to doe fawn ratio is 1/7 or 1/8.

I have cameras set on 5000 acres of private and a bunch more public stuff. You have what you have to hunt. I know lots of guys that kill good bucks, often bigger than the ones I shoot but all they do is sit on corn piles. I don’t care that they do it but it doesn’t interest me.

[BBH1980]

Spot on! For me so far I have found that I can be taught the basics and even advanced stuff. I can be taught how to identify the best bedding a property has to offer by looking at a map or walking it with another seasoned guy and after a short time you start to understand and know what to look for. It does vary from property to property but with help from another beast you can get a feel for this. For me where experience comes in is actually getting the set ups right. I know I'm gonna fail a lot at that and I look forward to it... Each time you fail it makes you better! Soooo I can't wait lol.