Lucky, Destined, Superstitious, or ...

[jchang3]

We all know someone who is “lucky”. Whether its gambling, lottery, etc.

That being said, do you think being lucky is part of the equation in killing mature bucks. For example: 2 friends, 1 being the “lucky” guy. They both put in the same amount of work and time hunting but the lucky guy always seem to be the one getting a chance at mature bucks. The “Unlucky” friend hunts a bed 1st and sees nothing or the buck walked out of range. A few days later the “Lucky” friend hunts the same setup but gets the buck. Is this luck, destined, or what?

Am I being superstitious or does anyone else think there is a thing such as a “Lucky” person?

In addition, referring to Dan’s 2019 season when he didn’t recover the buck he shot. Was it because he wasn’t the one destined to end that bucks life?

Thoughts?

[austin1990]

I am a superstitious person, maybe a little OCD but I have to do things certain ways. I blame it on playing baseball most of my life, them guys are bad superstitious I do think some guys just have a bit of a nack for getting s chance that others dont, and I feel like they do seem to catch the lucky breaks that others dont. One of these days I hope to have that good luck they got.

[hcooper84]

Some things definitely come down to luck but, I think alot of it comes down to mindset. Having the right mindset and confidence influences our decisions alot and I feel like multiple decisions based off the right confidence leads to "luck". I dont really believe the superstition itself makes you lucky or good at something but the confidence the superstition gives you makes you good at it.

[hcooper84]

So if the guy who is doing all the same things but considers himself "unlucky"... He is putting himself in a bad position with that mindset and probably is doing very small things differently that are leading to his failure.

I have seen this with my own life. Weird example but, my wife. I had known her for a long time growing up but it was never a thought to go after her. Shes a few years older than me, she was in college when I was in high school. But once I grew up, half way into college there was one day where it just clicked. We werent talking or anything, I was not on her radar, but I felt this is the girl I need to spend the rest of my life with. Felt it more than anything I had ever felt so I had this confidence that some day it would happen. Couple months later we start dating, two months ago we got married.

You could say I got lucky with the girl I wanted but if that confidence that it would happen wasnt there, I probably never would have asked her on a date to begin with. So same with hunting, a failure mindset will lead you to failure.

I think Dan has said it but I think that is one of his biggest strengths. The dude is just confident he is going to kill a mature deer so he goes and does it. There are guys that probably hunt harder and better areas but lack the mindset and therefore lack the wall of giants too.

[kher]

Some things definitely come down to luck but, I think alot of it comes down to mindset. Having the right mindset and confidence influences our decisions alot and I feel like multiple decisions based off the right confidence leads to "luck". I dont really believe the superstition itself makes you lucky or good at something but the confidence the superstition gives you makes you good at it.

I have to agree with hcooper84, luck is only a fraction of hunting. Having confidence in the area, shot, equipment, setup, etc is so much more important than just being lucky. Otherwise would you say your shot was a lucky shot that harvested the deer or was it your confidence and practice that played out that helped you reap your reward? Maybe Dan is just lucky guy that is able to harvest Mature bucks? If that is the case, I am not lucky at all.

[stash59]

It's a mindset. You think totally positive thoughts. Positive things happen. Negative thoughts, negative things. Like Dan says. The first mature buck kill is the hardest. But once you kill the 1st one. You know you can do it. And so on!!

[Burningbootleather]

It's a mindset. You think totally positive thoughts. Positive things happen. Negative thoughts, negative things. Like Dan says. The first mature buck kill is the hardest. But once you kill the 1st one. You know you can do it. And so on!!

I agree 100% with that. The amount of mature deer I’ve seen after killing the first is unreal.

A part of that came from caring less about killing one though. If you’re anxious and overthinking-I think deer can feel your tension/smell pheromones you’re releasing. It’s like when you walk in a room and you can just feel the tension without knowing the situation. These things are real and I believe deer feel them much stronger than we do

Like the guy who always sees a big one when he’s walking around carelessly scouting but can’t see one from a tree

[Grizzlyadam]

I'd rather be good than lucky. I like to earn it.

[treeroot]

I think it's just like any other sport. Everyone can always improve, but some have a more natural talent. The natural abilities pick up on details easier i think.

I can see it between my 5 year old and 7 year old. My 5 year old will study frogs and snakes and come back carrying them. My 7 year old just bumbles around and spooks them most of the time.

[jchang3]

I do agree with everyone. The way I see it is luck(fate) has something to do with it. There are plenty of examples here on the forum of good hunters getting it done year after year and some that don’t.

Just like me passing up a small buck that walked in my shooting lane. That buck got lucky because thats not what i’m after so he lives on.

One can be doing everything right, but if its not destined for a buck to be kill by that particular person at that second then it will not happen. For example: a buck jumps the string and the arrow grazes his back. To me, this event happened because that buck was not meant to die by that person at that time.

That to me is why some are destined to have a wall full of mature bucks and some not. This can relate to real life situations also.

So the moral of this post is for beast members who puts themselves down when they feel they aren’t as successful as some. Not everyone has the same fate, so just have fun and stay positive.

[Hawthorne]

I think there is some luck involved and some of it happens before we step foot in the woods. I think we just play the odds with the cards we are dealt. Some are better at it than others

[gsquared23]

Luck is a small part of life; we generally are more greatly a result of our decisions and our outlook of the situation. While the “lucky” hunter might kill a buck and complain about how it’s smaller than he would have liked, the “unlucky” hunter may not kill a deer but simply be grateful for the opportunity to be out in the woods.

[Rich M]

Sometimes things happen and the oddball gets a trophy, most of the time it is the same folks over and over. Success favors the prepared - not the "lucky". We are a sum of the decisions we make - if we have a habit of making the correct decisions hunting, we'll kill more and "better" deer. The more experience and understanding someone has, the better their decisions and ultimately, their success.

If you maintain the lucky or destined concepts in life, you might not won't work as hard. If you do not work as hard you won't succeed as much but at least you have a good excuse - it wasn't my destiny, I just wasn't lucky enough. Those are great excuses cause they remove all personal responsibility and don't create a desire to work harder in an individual.

Referring to the 2 guys you mentioned - The guy who keeps not getting the opportunity just isn't as good as the other guy - makes more noise, doesn't read the sign as well for stand placement, etc. I'm willing to bet that the guy who doesn't see stuff or sees bucks out of range makes more noise than the guy who routinely kills deer. Details, details.

[dan]

luck is a factor in everything, but someone who is luckier than the next guy is creating that luck... Years ago I hunted with a guy who new the area I was hunting real well, he even scouted it with me and new the bedding areas. We would decide what two spots were most likely to produce and then I would generally say "which one you want... I saw deer on just about every sit and shot a few. He only saw a few deer. Never a shooter. He claimed I was lucky, and that was the only thing it could be. I tagged out one time and tagged along to film him hunt. He crashed thru the forest like a bull in a china store and clanked all his gear setting up. Yep... Im luckier.

Simple little things like not getting seen, or heard. or keeping thermals and wind currents and how they redirect off obstacles, and picking the exact right tree make a difference. Its not the one big secret a guy like me has that puts me onto deer. Its a ton of little things I do. Maybe each adds up to 1/2 a percent better advantage... but 50 little things together might give me a 25% advantage.

[Zephyrus]

Attitude.

Positive thinking.

"Knowing" you picked the right spot.

"Knowing" (not "i think) you are on the right deer.

All of this will help you be a little more alert, cautious, etc. Because you "know" he's right around the corner.

My dad is the luckiest guy I know at the casino. I'm not so much. If he's confident in a machine he will keep dumping money in and eventually hit big.

I'll dump 10 in one and move on... because I know that I never hit big. Even knowing this is my flaw, I won't dump a bunch of money at the casino because I "never win".

This same attitude helped him be a top salesman when he sold insurance, then cars, then as a used car manager that helped him run the #1 Chevy dealer in the region for a number of years. Confidence - the "knowing" - pushed him to find new ways to get customers in the door.

Like Dan says - you make your luck to a certain extent by doing the right things without fail because those little things are what gives you the advantage.