Just want to get a feel for where you would place your self. Sometimes I feel most guys are hardcore hunter. But I am guess there is not as many as I think.
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Which best describes what you hunt for?
- Thread starter MattMan81
- Start date
I would love to be hardcore but young family and time prevent me from doing that- which is ok with me. Can’t miss my kids growing up.
I just consider myself an average deer hunter that enjoys any opportunity to get in the woods, but strives to hopefully be a good or great hunter within my time and means. I’ll take bucks or does without a second thought as long as I have a tag for them.
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I just consider myself an average deer hunter that enjoys any opportunity to get in the woods, but strives to hopefully be a good or great hunter within my time and means. I’ll take bucks or does without a second thought as long as I have a tag for them.
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What's a hardcore hunter?
You can be any and all those options and either be hardcore or an absolute lazy slob.
Same. Don’t get to hunt as often as I’d like. Just happy to punch a tag but a nice buck is a bonus.
Petrichor
Well-Known Member
I hunt whatever is in season.
I know everyone's seasons are a little different. So doesn't fit every mode every hunt every time.
Just in general what mind frame would you say you generally have going in. Public vs private may change that as well. If I have one of my kids hunting with me, I will be trying to take a shot at something if it's close and a good shot.
Just in general what mind frame would you say you generally have going in. Public vs private may change that as well. If I have one of my kids hunting with me, I will be trying to take a shot at something if it's close and a good shot.
I scout and hunt for target animals but if a chance at a decent buck happens I have a tough time letting them walk by. I have but it's not often.
Holt
Well-Known Member
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- May 13, 2017
- Messages
- 435
For me I love chasing deer. I don't put much or any effort to hunt other animals. I have buddies that love hunting birds. Like turkey, ducks, geese. But I don't get the thrill of the hunt for them, so don't waist hunting time going after them. I put any free time I have towards deer. The biggest problem/difference with the average hunter and hardcore hunter is time. I work my butt off all spring and summer so I can take as much time as possible in the fall and winter. I lose time with my wife and kids during this time, but it's just how I'm wired and can't slow down. I am selfish for this and have found ways to compromise to help the family more. It's all about balance in the end.
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As far as my mindset, before latching onto all the deer hunting how-to and media online, hunting would usually end up being a glorified walk in the woods with a bow in hand and gear on my back. Never really knew what I was looking for. Just assumed I would figure it out.
Now that I’ve learned a lot more, I try to apply as much as I can and put it into practice in the woods. I still consider myself a novice at best. But I feel more confident in the patterns of sign, terrain, and things I’m looking for now. That’s where the whole striving to be good or great thing comes in. At the same time, it is hunting and I still make sure to keep it fun.
Last season I didn’t harvest anything but I had more opportunities than I ever had before in a season just by sticking to a couple points I learned from the other great hunters that make online content. This was on extremely pressured public land too by the way. So that really made me happy and gave me a lot more confidence in myself calling shots on where and how to set up etc.
My mindset right now is essentially just work to get on deer, any deer. That goes for public or private (though I have very little private to actually hunt right now). Finding a big buck is a bonus. If my time and situation ever change to where I can dedicate to going after a specific ad deer or two, then maybe will cross that bridge to that world.
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Icedog
Active Member
I target a good buck when I find his sign and will take another deer if conditions permit. I grew up with buck hunting only with a 4 person party tag for a doe (one of the 4 could harvest one doe and share it), I never shot does. Now many years later my opinion is if everyone else is tagging does I may as well harvest one most years. I don't fill a tag every year but have 20 eight pointers on the wall. I don't hunt as hard or as often as I did when younger. I have 2 upland bird dogs and hunt them hard and scout for deer while chasing grouse.
The ONLY time I target a trophy buck is if I am hunting someone else property and that is their rule. Besides that I try to shoot larger bodied deer (not yearlings). If I am hunting public or my land and it is legal, it is down. I hunt for meat 99% of the time, antlers are nice to look at and.......well, just nice to look at.
Mitchellfarmer1982
Well-Known Member
I hunt 100% public land. I harvest 4 deer a year on average. I try to get 2 does 2 bucks. Usually first buck just has to be good and 2nd buck I'm more picky (2 buck tags and 4 doe tags). If I don't get an opportunity at a 2nd buck I want I will take another doe. A good buck to me here in Arkansas is around 100 inches.
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- Oct 10, 2018
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- 1,377
The short answer is It depends on how many tags I have and what state I'm hunting in that day.
My wife openly jokes to friends and family that come Sept 16 she loses her husband for the rest of the year because "he's with his girlfriend". Girlfriend meaning bowhunting for deer, lol. I'm fortunate that I have an understanding wife and very few obligations at home since my kids are grown. Couple that with a rotating shift work schedule and I've got all the time in the world to hunt which I do to the fullest.
What are my hunting goals?
My mindset when I go hunting is that by the end of the hunt I WILL be leaving the woods with a deer or a bear where legal. It doesn't work out that way most times but that's my mindset no matter how far in the woods I am nor how tough it will be to get it back to my vehicle. For me, the more daunting the task, the more I push myself to succeed and do whatever it takes to get it done.
With that said, I do have one weakness... I can not for the life of me pass up shooting a doe. For some strange reason does get me more excited than bucks do. Picture how excited a young puppy gets after being alone all day and then his owner comes home, it's tail wagging furiously with a raging boner and pissing all over the floor... yeah well that's me with does. Doesn't matter where I'm hunting or what time of the season or whether I just got in the tree, as long as I have doe tags I'm in my glory shooting every single one I can.
When I'm hunting CT or PA I'll pass on lesser bucks because I know there are better ones out there whereas if I'm in my NY areas where good bucks are harder to come by I have no problem taking a good 6 point. No matter where I'm hunting though, when I'm down to the last few days of the season and the choice is either the fat chick or tag soup, let's just say I ain't going home alone.
For me, hunting season is the equivalent of a final exam, albeit one that is four months long. It's where I put my countless hours of practice to the test and the only way to know for sure that I've done everything right is to let arrows fly at every opportunity.
My wife openly jokes to friends and family that come Sept 16 she loses her husband for the rest of the year because "he's with his girlfriend". Girlfriend meaning bowhunting for deer, lol. I'm fortunate that I have an understanding wife and very few obligations at home since my kids are grown. Couple that with a rotating shift work schedule and I've got all the time in the world to hunt which I do to the fullest.
What are my hunting goals?
My mindset when I go hunting is that by the end of the hunt I WILL be leaving the woods with a deer or a bear where legal. It doesn't work out that way most times but that's my mindset no matter how far in the woods I am nor how tough it will be to get it back to my vehicle. For me, the more daunting the task, the more I push myself to succeed and do whatever it takes to get it done.
With that said, I do have one weakness... I can not for the life of me pass up shooting a doe. For some strange reason does get me more excited than bucks do. Picture how excited a young puppy gets after being alone all day and then his owner comes home, it's tail wagging furiously with a raging boner and pissing all over the floor... yeah well that's me with does. Doesn't matter where I'm hunting or what time of the season or whether I just got in the tree, as long as I have doe tags I'm in my glory shooting every single one I can.
When I'm hunting CT or PA I'll pass on lesser bucks because I know there are better ones out there whereas if I'm in my NY areas where good bucks are harder to come by I have no problem taking a good 6 point. No matter where I'm hunting though, when I'm down to the last few days of the season and the choice is either the fat chick or tag soup, let's just say I ain't going home alone.
For me, hunting season is the equivalent of a final exam, albeit one that is four months long. It's where I put my countless hours of practice to the test and the only way to know for sure that I've done everything right is to let arrows fly at every opportunity.
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2022
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- 4,310
This sounds exactly like me. A doe comes in and my heart is pounding so hard I swear they can hear it. When a good buck comes in a get tunnel vision and I don't get nervous until it's over. I would much rather arrow a doe than a young buck. I'll let them grow. We have something like a 7 to 1 doe to buck ratio so, in my estimation, it makes sense.
I hunt what i see. Some properties i see bucks and buck sign. Some places i see lots of does. Some places just hold squirrels. And last year I walked away from it all for a month because it was so slow catching redfish was more appealing.
That's a good way to put it. Knowing what is there is half the battle. Can't kill what doesn't exist some places.
I’m not too far from @Nutterbuster on this one. I’ll hunt on some properties that are brown it’s down and it doesn’t matter about the rut. I hunt as a guest on some land that I wouldn’t be encouraged back if I shot a 120” buck. I’ll bust a doe there and it really depends on time of day, what I have to do when I leave, is she close enough to the road I can just drive up to her and load her up etc. On other properties I’m after the one or two nice deer on camera and don’t shoot anything else as long as I’m getting daylight pics of the deer I’m after. So I guess management strategy is a plan at some places, a burden at others, and an outright whim if the mood strikes.
Buckhole75
Well-Known Member
I hunt to fill the freezer early in the year and will do most of this on public lands As things heat up on different private properties i have acces to I start Buck hunting and for me that is a good mature deer whatever that might be But got to be honest when i get tired of bird watching in am subject to drop the string on another Ol nanny