Becoming Better hunters- a survey of prioritization

[stan_wa]

also starting to learn how to use the mass of folks that come here to my advantage.

Tell me more how your doing that, I’m interested

 

[prm]

Define “better hunter”. Is increasing success rate for a given area the goal? Or is it being able to show up in a location and make the most of it? I would prioritize differently depending on the definition. Many nuances to the discussion, but some quick thoughts.

Shooting a monster bull on a private farm or big buck in a high fence operation does not equate to being a “better hunter.” For me, being able to consistently find and kill the best representative animals for an area equates to a good hunter.
In terms of western hunting, to be successful I do think scouting ranks way up there. Repeatedly hunting an area really helps.
Being able to shoot well in the conditions presented to you ranks way up there to me. I’ve never had a shot at a deer or elk with a nice bench and seat available. Quick offhand shots are the closest thing to a norm for me.
I think physical condition is important, but only to a point. As long as you can get to where the animals are located and you can get it out, it’s enough.

 

[Benchleg Hunter]

Boots on the ground or e-scouting has zero benefit if you’re in the wrong area.

How would a guy know he's in the right or wrong area without getting boots on the ground?

 

[Hackleback]

I was able to get 52 nights in a tent in 2024 meeting a goal of 50. About half were in a wall tent so not super rough. Getting truly comfortable being outdoors and aware of your outdoor surroundings is big. You can call this what ever you want scouting, wood craft, or being a better hunter, it doesn't really matter.


For 2025, the goal is camping every month of the year and more than 52 nights in a tent.

 

[TaperPin]

How would a guy know he's in the right or wrong area without getting boots on the ground?

There’s nothing wrong with learning everything firsthand, it just takes much much longer than learning from others that have been there before. Local knowledge is usually a better predictor than an entire week of scouting. We see folks spending a lot of effort in locations with very low odds - obviously they are too stubborn to listen to local knowledge.

At the state level, we all know some regions are well known for great animals and others are not. At the region level, some areas are well known to be top producers and others are not. Within any area, 7/8 of it won’t be worth hunting. Of the remaining 1/8 some drainages won’t have the animal you’re after and some will.

 

[justinspicher]

Tell me more how your doing that, I’m interested

PM sent.

 

[180ls1]

Hunting other species in season.

 

[Macintosh]

Im hoping that yall will take the poll and reply to this post in the following format

Your top 3 ratings in order : (extra credit if you rank all 7 haha)
Rough Number of lifetime Days in the Field: [Your Estimate]
Main State You Hunt and Brief Explanation: [Your State and Reasoning]

1) boots on the ground scouting--ime I kill animals consistently based almost entirely on time spent ahead of the hunt, rarely during the hunt. Especially if you have limited time due to work, life and family commitments.
...
9) weapon proficiency--important, but pales in comparison to time scouting. A very distant 2nd place.
10) fitness--depends on where and how you hunt, but I sure see a ton of fat out of shape dudes with big deer and elk. Scouting is pretty good fitness for hunting, at least where and how I hunt, so I personally focus on scouting and the fitness part more or less takes care of itself.
Edit: e-scouting may be up there too. maybe that's my #10.

Rough number of lifetime days...holy crap. super rough estimate of hunting days (not counting scouting days):
1983-1991 about 10 days/year=90 days
1992-2000 college, etc...call it 2 days/year=18 days
2001-2005 got back into hunting, about 20 days/year=100 days
2006-present about 30 days/year average=570 days
Total: 778
If you count scouting days you could easily triple or even quadruple the number from 2006-present. I'm in the woods doing something related to hunting for at least a few minutes almost every day.

Main state hunted currently, and explanation:
Vermont, becasue I have tons of options literally out my back door and very close by--a mix of big woods deer rifle hunting, semi-rural archery hunting, partridge hunting, turkey hunting, and have been dabbling in duck hunting recently.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

There is absolutely nothing more valuable than time spent in the woods observing and learning about game behavior and tendencies. The fitness falls in line with being out their putting boots on the ground. You don’t have to be an Uber athlete but you do need to be able to hike long distances frequently with heavy loads.

Once all that puts you in position you need to be able to make the shot.

Glad to see those three things shaking out in the polls as 1,2,3 because those truly are the 3 most important aspects of being a proficient hunter.

 

[Benchleg Hunter]

There’s nothing wrong with learning everything firsthand, it just takes much much longer than learning from others that have been there before. Local knowledge is usually a better predictor than an entire week of scouting. We see folks spending a lot of effort in locations with very low odds - obviously they are too stubborn to listen to local knowledge.

At the state level, we all know some regions are well known for great animals and others are not. At the region level, some areas are well known to be top producers and others are not. Within any area, 7/8 of it won’t be worth hunting. Of the remaining 1/8 some drainages won’t have the animal you’re after and some will.

I get what you're saying. Figure out where you should even be putting boots on the ground first.

 

[Grant K]

It's not on the list but I'd put woodsmanship, or more simply being comfortable living outside at the top of the list for western hunting, that's a combination of fitness, comfort with your gear, and time spent in different conditions and climates... I see tons of fit people with expensive gear who won't hike in the dark, have a 50lb backpack on day hunts because they are scared and pack for all their fears, things like that, it's a boat anchor that really limits success vs the person who spends time with the gear they have in real field conditions and is confident and comfortable in the woods, be it a day hunt or a week-long backpack...