Why are you a better hunter today than 5 or 10 years ago?

[300WinMag]

I was reading a post recently where someone mentioned that they had hunted an area without success, but would do much better if they were to go back there today. That got me to thinking a little bit. I am curious to hear what different hunters have learned that makes them better hunters than a few years ago -- are you a better shot? are you in better shape? maybe you truck hunt and know better roads? do you identify sign better? do you scout more? do you glass better? . . . . let's hear the the number one thing that you are better at that has made you a better hunter.

[DR.DOUG]

Patience!!

[Fisher-Dude]

I have a wayyyyyyyyyyy better truck to road hunt with now than I did 5 years ago. ;)

[frenchbar]

Patience!!
YEP THAT WOULD BE IT FOR MYSELF AS WELL!

[The Hermit]

I'm in much better shape physically and continue to learn my life's lesson... patience. I wish I could hurry that patience lesson along!!!

[MikeH]

I've been hunting for almost 20 yrs.The longer you hunt the better you'll be.I'm new to B.C hunting originally from Edmonton ,so I have a bit of scouting ahead of me.I'm in really good shape I work out 5-6 days a week all yr its more habit now than anything.Being in shape is huge for hunting especially if you have to hump something out of the bush and patrolling.I'm against road hunting unless its for scouting purpose only.I suggest practice shooting yr round so your confident in taking shots that will kill quick.Back home on the off season around spring I use to go out scouting and shed hunting.It helps to scout an area for deer,moose and elk.If you scout more on the off season then when it comes time to patrol you know the area and exactly where to go.If you know the area has game ,from scouting and hunting and aren't successful still hunt it just because if your unsuccessful that time doesn't mean the cards aren't in your favor in the future ,sometimes hunting is timing and luck.Practice makes perfect and get out and explore!You learn patience in time.

[Jelvis]

I'm not older I'm better lol - I'm better because of HBC and all it's fine members sharing so much, it just gets better everyday of the years.
jElvis -- thanks hunters -- you make hunting fun you really do -- Thank you, thank yah very musch

[bear buster]

I am a better hunter today because of the wisdom passed down to me from years of following dad, grandpa, and my brother through the woods. They have all since passed making me the meat hunter for a big family. I now take my kids with me alot when i go, 11 months, 4 years and 6 years of age, i find now i am learning just as much because i am stopping to show kids tracks and trails and doing alot of explaining. Repeating all that was ever told to me, and some things i have learned on my own. The kids are giving me reason to re-visit the past, and re-learn and teach everything. Also hunting is not what it used to be when i was that age, now we have range finders, decoys, better optics, calls, quads and equipment to go farther, and get to spots you never dreamed. What ever happend to the old birch bark moose call, the model 94 30-30, the savage model 99c 308 open sights, the long pack jobs, the scouting, the long stocks to get into range, Now the 300 win mag 6x18x50 scope, the 400 to 600 yard shots, sent killer,camo, sent blocker clothing, estrus cow sent, burning sent sticks, hand held hoochie mamas, g.p.s., topo maps, google earth, 800cc quads, the internet, and the ammo. Have we gotten better or has everything made us better? or what we think is better? look at what our fathers and grand fathers hunted with, or with out. Look at us now, all the bells and whistles.......
I have a bear tag left, this weekend i will re-visit the past, i will dust off that old savage, put away all the fancy gear, and see if i really am a better hunter.

[rocksteady]

Specifically speaking about elk hunting here...

About 5 years ago I became friends with a co-worker who was an absolute hard core elk hunter, who took me under his wing and we made several very memorable hunts/epic escapades to be successful...He was an awesome , he taught me how/why/when etc, not just going for it and having me follow behind...He explained things perfectly...And he was 10 years younger than me...

Since then he moved on to Alberta...:frown: However I still have a huge insight into my quarry.....I think this is the key to success....Like Mantracker says, "Know your country, know your prey"....

If you think like the critter you are after (by reading as much as you can about habitat/mating patterns/calls/cover scents....) and then sticking with the things that work...

[dime]

Three things I have learned that have made me a better hunter:

First off, do not spend your whole time looking down. When I started, although I did not realize it at the time, I spent a lot of time looking at the ground. It is a natural thing to do, looking where you will step, but it does not help with spotting game. As a result almost every animal that I would end up seeing would be running as fast as possible in the opposite direction by the time I spotted it. Now I scan the ground ahead at where my next ten steps will be and as I am slowly carefully walking along, my eyes are up and seeing game before it sees me. Then pause, take a good look at the area around you and then look to where your next ten steps will be.

Secondly, picking up your feet so you are not scuffing heels, tripping over sticks and stubbing toes. I call it high stepping and it will pay off, step high and softly. In fact when I am training in the summer, I walk along bringing my knees up to my waist while walking down the street as quietly as possible. Gets some funny looks but helps with success.

Finally, be aware of wind direction. Always try and hunt with the wind in your face, because you can be as quiet as possible but if you give an animal the advantage of wind at your back you are finished before you start.

[BCBear]

the more time you spend in the bush the more you understand how it works in there.. simple formula

[Stone Sheep Steve]

The Internet:p

SSS

[bigshooter]

Location... Location... Location...

[rugeer]

I have to agree with Dr doug,Having hunted for 40 +years patience,not truck,or rifle

[bsa30-06]

Im not......but im working on it.

[green machine]

patience is #1, #2 would be keeping your eyes open, i use to give up on a road if i saw another truck come out on it. but not anymore,two of the bigggest bucks i have shot were shot on roads were trucks just past by them.

[hunter1993ap]

i learn something new every time i step in the bush! shooting an animal out of the truck you dont learn anything about hunting. people always get big animals out of the truck but you dont learn near as much. Animals are also wayyyyy less spookey out of the truck. big mature animals will stand there and look at you from the truck. In the bush the tiniest mistake and there hightailing away from you. I have found out in the past few years to slow down a bit because ill be walking at what i think is slow enough and spook deer. i also have found that to be alert at all times because the animals are never where you expect them to be!

[Salty]

The Internet:p

SSS

The intraweb has taught me everything 2 :cool:

[mcrae]

I have learned my home turf....

[slicky72]

I was just a noob 5 years ago still lots to learn though.

[Steeleco]

the more time you spend in the bush the more you understand how it works in there.. simple formula

The teach speak the truth, 10 years a go I couldn't see the forest for the trees. Now the little things stand out like never before.

Like everything in life, some people are good at what they do, the rest of us need to practice, LOTS. :lol::lol:

[Little Hawk]

I don't cry when I get skunked now...

[scallywag]

I think I got worse

[Squamch]

well 10 years ago I was 13 years old, so I wasn't much on patience, being uncomfortable, walking quietly, etc...
On the other hand, it's been over 5 years since I had any success hunting...
hmmm.
To my credit, alot of those 5 years I lived in onterrible.

[shotgunjohn]

Walk less and look more. When you do walk, walk like a deer.

[snowhunter]

Accumolative lifelong hunting experiences, and other hunters experiences tought me well of how to hunt, and learned to know what to look for, before starting any hunt.

Often overlooked factor for a successful hunt: Luck :)

[LYKTOHUNT]

Three things I have learned that have made me a better hunter:

First off, do not spend your whole time looking down. When I started, although I did not realize it at the time, I spent a lot of time looking at the ground. It is a natural thing to do, looking where you will step, but it does not help with spotting game. As a result almost every animal that I would end up seeing would be running as fast as possible in the opposite direction by the time I spotted it. Now I scan the ground ahead at where my next ten steps will be and as I am slowly carefully walking along, my eyes are up and seeing game before it sees me. Then pause, take a good look at the area around you and then look to where your next ten steps will be.

Secondly, picking up your feet so you are not scuffing heels, tripping over sticks and stubbing toes. I call it high stepping and it will pay off, step high and softly. In fact when I am training in the summer, I walk along bringing my knees up to my waist while walking down the street as quietly as possible. Gets some funny looks but helps with success.

Finally, be aware of wind direction. Always try and hunt with the wind in your face, because you can be as quiet as possible but if you give an animal the advantage of wind at your back you are finished before you start.
Perfect x2 go slow and be patient

[jrjonesy]

A lot more patience and Confidence than 15 or 20 years ago. I used to get to the point (sometimes quite quickly) where I'd think there was no chance of seeing anything. That would be when a deer would bound away. Now I expect to see a deer everywhere I look. Even if I don't see a deer in an entire area, I now realize that it's not because the area has no deer but just because I didn't see them on that trip.

[Brambles]

I won't divulge my secrets. They will revolutionize the industry.

[LYKTOHUNT]

I won't divulge my secrets. They will revolutionize the industry.
Now thats funny I don,t care who you are

[huntwriter]

I am better now than 10 years ago because I study the animals I hunt. I am never satisfied with what I know and want answers to everything.

Gadgets do not make a better hunter knowledge does. A successful hunter is one that is willing to keep on learning about the animals and his own mistake.

Besides studying animals and their habitat keeping detailed journals of my scouting and hunting is what helped me a great deal in becoming a better hunter.

I've written an award winning article some years ago "The science of hunting and the good old days". The article deals with the topic of this thread.

[RiverBoatFantasy]

Do you bring a laptop into the tree stand? Now that would be high tech.

[blackbart]

Less income + more mouths to feed = hungrier = better hunter. Relatively simple formula really. Do you hunt for pleasure or need? How do you measure success?

Although the above isn't really true for myself, it might give an indication as to what my Grandfather went through and why he killed so many elk in his day.

In my mind being a better hunter really boils down to maximizing your enjoyment while hunting. Very few of us (especially those surfing the www) hunt out of need anymore. As such evaluate why you hunt, and set out to satisfy those requirements, be they horn porn, organic meat gathering, social event, solitude or trying out new technology (otherwise known as gadgets).

[theK.G.B]

look at it in the short term.... in the 4 times i've been hunting. i went from not being able to find a tree in the forest, to acually tracking a bear! you gain know how and wisdom from exsperience. and you take something with you from each trip.

[wolverine]

A combination of patience and better understanding the animals that I am hunting. Slow and as still as you can in the right spots works almost every time.

[shoot to kill]

I drive slower when road hunting....and i shoot when i see horns instead of wasting time to count points

[granpa's_303]

BEST THREAD EVER!
This is why I joined HBC, tips, tips (and jokes), I'll get back to you in five years when I have that many (years) under my belt. I am learning the hard way, but loving every minute of it. I may have to track down Brambles and git-mo some of those secrets out of him (har-har).

[MichelD]

I don't know if I am.

I was just thinking about this. I shot my first buck 39 years ago give or take a few weeks. I blundered around in the bush, saw a buck following a doe and shot it.

Nice 4x5 blacktail too, best one I ever got.

It's still all I do really , blunder around until I see something, then shoot it.

I've advanced technologically though. I like to use a bicycle now, to go down old roads where it's not too hilly. Sometimes I spot game from the bike or other times I stash the bike and still hunt in the bush or along the slash edges.

[Barracuda]

Money and time equals greater success if that money and time is put in the right place. For most folks that only comes over a long drawn out period of time.

Now i know that there are a bunch of folks that will want to belive otherwise but you really cant avoid the truth.

If you are willing to learn and can pay for someones Knowledge,Time & Equipment and if you can afford to travel to where the animals are you will have more opportunity to collect animals.

A smart person that knows how to aquire the info and opportunities with thier money can save themselves years of wasted effort .

it is really no differnt then any other post secondary education , apprenticship etc..

if you are not a better hunter now then when you started (failing physical limitations) then you have mispent your past.

[frenchbar]

MONEY imo,has nothing to do with been a good hunter!

[vortex hunter]

Not huting with people who smoke while you are hunting lol I am new to hunting I hunt with a excaliur vortex 200 lbs draw and for me is commitment in staying put and being quiet anyone looking to show me some tricks or feelin to take out a respectful new hunter who listens pm me

[sawmill]

MONEY imo,has nothing to do with been a good hunter!

That`s for sure!I grew up semi poor and I think that makes me a real good hunter.I`m still semi poor.We always ate good cause my Dad hunted and when I was 12 I shot my first moose.
Of course I am a better hunter than I was then.The wife and I tagged out this morning on LEH does(one each) because I pay attention to where they hang out,instead of racing blindly around wasting gas.I told her watch this spot and sure`nuff BangFlop.15 minutes later.....same thing.
I like being lucky but being smart pays more at the end of the day.
Money means f7ck all.Lots of poor rednecks like me do real well....
Right Rock Steady!! Ask him,he knows.:biggrin:

[BCBigGame]

I am better today than 10 years ago because:
-I am a better shot
-I stopped listening to 'advice' about deer hot spots and spent time in a few choice areas to 'learn' the habits of the game I am chasing
-I cross the one last valley or mountain
-and finally, I have better boots!

[Fish Hound]

I guess why I'm more sucessful is because I've got permission from more private land owners. I'm not sure if I'm a better hunter. I'm fatter, slower, my eyes aren't as good as they use to be, I make more noise, my hunting partners are the same as me so it's not them, my shooting gear is about the same, I now use more technology (GPS, computer, range finder, TV shows, etc.) but sometimes I think it only distracts me from using my brain (which is also slower), I drink more and scout less, my truck and ATV are fancier but now I don't want to 4X4 where I used to go in case I wipe it, I don't shoot as much but shake more, etc.

I'm a better couch hunter than I used to be!

All in all, I guess I'm a better hunter because I get the key to the gate that keeps all you "better hunters" out of where I go.............:)

[Big Lew]

I'm better now for several reasons.
-Since I took up spot and stalk bowhunting, I've learned to be very patient, how to move through difficult terrain quietly, how to always be aware of the breezes, how to use ridges, trees, etc. to my advantage, how to neutralize my silhouette (including hiding my white face and arms), and what the various animals habits most likely are.
-There are fewer animals now which has forced me to concentrate on learning all of the above, and to scout before hunting season.
-I have far more confidence in my shooting ability with both a rifle and bow.....and when to shoot or not.
- I have learned where to look and how to spot animals even if only an ear, leg, antler, butt, nose, or eye is visible.

As an example, most new, or novice hunters just scan a logging slash without really looking closely; they don't use their eyes to follow along natural trails, likely daytime bedding spots just under ridgelines or in small thickets on hillsides. One of the largest 4-point mulies I've taken with a bow was located right in the middle of a large, mainly level 3-4 year old logging slash mid-mornig. He was bedded under a small tree behind a large log. Glassing the slash I saw his rack above the log, looked more closely, and saw his eyes looking back at me.(took me over 2 hours to stalk him, but that's another story)

[brian]

I'm better now because 5 years ago I didn't hunt.

[landphil]

I don't cry when I get skunked now...

:lol::lol:I like - good one - does it apply to LEH sucess too?

[stroh72]

A good friend once told me" You can never walk too slow but you can always walk too fast." I found once I put that knowledge into the field , my success increased dramatically.

[CanuckShooter]

#1 reason.....quit road hunting.

[.300WSMImpact!]

I am a better hunter now because I am divorced and have my own time to hunt, lol, no but I do spend more time out on foot scouting and hunting, more then ever before, and the equipment that we can buy really helps for the trophy hunters, meat hunters will always get there animals,

[butthead]

I am a better hunter now because I am divorced and have my own time to hunt, lol, no but I do spend more time out on foot scouting and hunting, more then ever before, and the equipment that we can buy really helps for the trophy hunters, meat hunters will always get there animals,

you cant be lost when you don't know where your going

[Geronimo]

That's where I'm at-- Still not sure if it is better road hunt(albeit easier,and I thing less work packing out) or doing the hiking bit(which by the way I enjoy much more)I find "shed's" but no animals-- I have not been extremely productive either way as yet, but The info I gleen out of this website from all of you is tremendous and gratfully accepted--Thank you all.

[quote=MichelD;527788]



It's still all I do really , blunder around until I see something, then shoot it.