Defining success?

[standsitter]

After reading some of Coaches great little short reads on the hunting experience, I wonder what makes the Deer hunt a success to most hunters? I truly believe the more you hunt, the more you appreciate the little things of the hunt. Somebody said why carry a gun, if your not there to "kill" a Deer? Have you ever gone to Cabellas or Bass Pro Shop, Gander Mtn, and never bought anything, or brought any money with? I know I still had a good time, anyhow! My early years I believe it really did seem important to shoot a deer. Now after bringing home many deer over the years, success to me is to just sit on stand, soak up the ambience, and if a deer walks by without realizing your there, that alone is better than the Shot! Don't get me wrong, to take a deer is a great feeling, too. But I believe it's because the appreciation I have of everything leading up to, and after a shot is what I call a Successful Hunt!!

[BobT]

I don't know if I agree with that completely. Why do we get that rush of adrenalin when a deer approaches? I believe it is because it is the climax of what we are there for. If you no longer experience that rush then maybe I can agree with you.

[gr8icefishinmind]

I guess i have just as much fun passing up on deer and watching them come close to my stand and do what they do! I am not a meat hunter until after slug season comes about otherwise it is deer management for me. Once slug season is done and i haven't seen that big buck, i will hopefully take a doe! Anyways.........to me it is all about the scouting, the hunting, and knowing that i have done my job to not be noticed by the deer in the woods and just enjoying the wildlife. If i was a meat hunter i'd be done the first night i hunt, and then what do i do the rest of the fall besides shoot roosters??

[standsitter]

Bob, The steady approach of a deer coming your way, is one of the most adrenaline charged part of the hunt-I will never lose that feeling. Most people will never experience that wonderful feeling, or will never understand anyway. No, no shooting a deer is the ultimate culmination to any hunt! But for me, it still the whole picture of the hunt that makes it so special! Hey, there is nothing like putting a tag on a nice buck you just shot, if you don't cut yourself from being so wound up from what just happened! I know as much as anyone we are there to get a deer, but don't we have the best time preparing and sharing to do just that?

[panthrcat]

an interesting post standsitter!! I absolutely love being out in the woods, sometimes with a rifle, sometimes with my camera, I love the hunting season, when I see something I definately get a "rush" of excitement,, I think that all the hunt is to me, is getting out with hubby and kids, experiencing the living out there, the walks, the talks, the anticipation, the wildlife I see, it all is part of my hunt. a BONUS for me is taking an animal.

last fall for the first time I tried "tree stand hunting" and it was an experience I'll never forget,, let me share:

I was walking to the tree stand in pitch darkness, (about a 1/2 km walk) and got nestled into my tree stand (complete with camera and 308) and commensed to sitting and waiting for the sun to come up,, I could hear rustling of leaves and critters obviously busy in the early morning light.. then I heard the definate "crunch crunch" of something larger,, yes I knew it was deer. they didn't come out into the open for me to take a shot, so I sat quietly and waited for another opportunity. I was thrilled to be in the wild, by myself, thanking my creator for all He has given us. about an hour later, I heard yet another "crunch, crunch" well my heart got to racing,, and my patience paid off,, I could see movement through the trees, and sure enough, brown!!!! and 2 of them!!! now I was only looking for a doe, as I had already filled my buck tag. well didn't a big fatty doe come out and give me a clean lung shot.... and down she went, when the shot rang out, I heard the other one go crashing away through the thick brush,, but didn't get a look at it, so I wasn't sure it was another doe or a buck (keeping in mind it was November when the rut was on) when all of a sudden I saw this huge buck through an opening in the brush!!! well I gasped!!! and thought to myself (ohhhhhh my GAWD!! he's a beauty!!!) and what did he do?? he strolled out into the opening and was looking for his lady friend I'm sure! he saw me in the tree stand, and gave me an opportunity to lean down and grab my camera and got 3 frames of him, I was so gittery and nervous but so thrilled the my creator has blessed me with this vision. He was a gorgeous majestic buck! I took his picture (which I'll post here) and he graciously left.

it's a hunt I'll never forget!!

[creepworm]

Just from reading the thread about peoples memories of their first hunts, this question can be answered. Better than 3/4 of the memories are not about the deer, but the people, the cold, the entire experience. Now, there is no doubt that the ultimate goal is to get a deer, but for most people, I believe a successful hunt is a safe one, a fun one, and if a deer is taken it is all the better.

[bogwalker]

Success is based upon your goal.

[CANOPY SAM]

To me, success is a moving target.

On opening day I'm just pleased by fresh air, and the beauty and wonder of what's going on outside my home office. By the last day of the season, I'd better get to the business of putting a little meat in the freezer!

[Musky Buck]

Whether or not I connect, why you say, well every year I have the friends,relatives,scouting,tcams,cutting lanes,etc. etc. etc. so with those things being in place year after year I guess to define success is whether we connect or not because the other things are there year after year and are a huge part of the hunt. Whether I do get one or not is fairly irrelevant, I hope, but I realize I'm after a 3.5 year old or older buck so that cuts down my hope by a long ways, but I enjoy watching all the deer I see each season hoping for the big boy.

[96trigger]

It really depends on what stage you are in of your hunting carreer. I am not too old to remember when just getting a deer, any deer was very, very important to me. Now, getting a deer is not nearly as important as trying to get the drop on a high quality buck. I still save a tag so that I can firearm hunt with my family as that is very important and still exciting just to be around deer camp. When my kids start hunting, I'm sure that hunting for me will take another turn, and shootinig the high quality buck will become second to teaching my kids about the outdoors and just spending time with them.

[nonteepical]

for me every year is successful, beginning with shed hunting in winter, to a couple small food plots in spring, monitoring trail cameras from june through december and then the actual hunt, all of it is deer hunting to me. I hunt archery, rifle and muzzleloader. i don't have to shoot a deer to be considered successful because i'll pass on killing certain deer every year that i know i could have killed if i wanted.

[Rippinlip]

Success=coming home safely.

Wear your Safety Harness.

[standsitter]

Well said, everyone-Our visions seem to be the same. It's not that shooting a deer isn't a big part of the hunt, but the many, many little things that go with the outdoor experience, more than makes up for the many hunter who get "skunked". I never feel "skunked" anymore, if I don't shoot a Deer. I feel more than blessed than we even partake in such an exhilarating time of the year that we call Deer Hunting!!

[Coach1310]

To be honest... success for me is just being able to go and be part of the camp and the hunt. I love everything about it.. arriving at camp... hearing the same stories around the fire... walking out opening morning in the dark full of anticipation.... hearing shots it the distance and wondering if it is a member of my party... hearing the crack, crack, crunch crunch...feeling your heart about to leap out of your chest.... maybe seeing a deer.... soaking it all it... and coming home safely....

All of that is success for me.... sure it would be nice to shoot one, but I could go 20 years without a deer and hunting would be just as successful for me.

[standsitter]

Coach, You could be my twin. Well spoken. Can the anticipation of opening day get any better than just talking about it?? I actually find myself getting up earlier and earlier each morning now, just to get used to it for opening morning!!

[SORNO]

Not sleeping when a shootable deer walks past? LOL.

Success to me is a perfect day for hunting seeing animals hanging out with the family and maybe just maybe getting a chance to shoot a monster buck.

I have had many successful hunts where I never even shot a deer.

[bigbucks]

Knowing the stand setup was right & it was hunted in the right conditions. That doesn't mean you shot a deer, it doesn't mean you necessarily had one come in. It means they were there, you saw them, & there was good odds of them coming close enough. They might have picked a different fork in the trail, got spooked by somebody or something, but they were there & the next time things could easily work out. If you're fooling the deer & they're getting in close the rest will work out. You can't control mother nature or the whimsy of a quirky deer.

Hunting with my brother-in-law earlier this year in WI. The deer were coming right where he wanted them to, the wind was perfect, they didn't know he was there. How could he know a stupid farm cat would come traipsing down the field & the deer would actually get spooked by that? When stuff like that happens you just have to laugh, you were successful, just not lucky.

[RIPN LIPS]

Success is when someone else in the party drops the wall hanger. 1 my hands stay clean and 2 I just saved $500.00. Good luck everyone and be safe..

[Musky Buck]

This year, not drowning, success every time you successfully drive in the dark as I laid one down this morning with the chevrolet, that was an unsuccessful ride to work, 2.6 miles to work, didn't make it. Bigbucks nailed success well with his post.