Eastern vs western hunting success rate

[dan33]

Now this might rub some people the wrong way but I think all the success rates are skewed. I lived in Maine for 3 years and the sheer amount of terrible hunters appalled me. There are definitely stone cold killers up there but the vast majority of people plug in a ladder stand on a power line and sit it for 3 years without seeing anything then blame out of staters and posted land for the reason why they aren't killing. Imo if you can get on game and kill in the northeast you can do it anywhere. Ill give you western guys a lot of credit because you all know how to read sign and how animals use terrain. From my experience in the northeast, the majority of hunters want to play team Drury and sit on the edge of a field in iowa for months on end.

 

[Macintosh]

Vermont/adirondack hunter here. Some of what folks are saying about hard hunting certainly resonates, I have definitely found that to be true where I have hunted between this area versus in colorado and wyoming. But I think people are right pointing out that lots of people in ME, NH, VT and N NY (similar ) not really putting in much effort due to easy access to lots of public land, combined with long seasons and OTC tags, is a real factor. There is no world in which that doesnt skew the measured success rates down. However, in speaking with the numbers guy at our fish and wildlife dept, as well as diving into the numbers regionally and nationally, the east in general has seen declining hunter numbers overall, BUT the remaining hunters are more often hunting harder, hunting multiple seasons (ie rather than only rifle, more people are hunting archery, rifle and ML, every year), etc. Thats measured, and thats a fact. So while I agree that there are lots of people treating it very “casually”, that is changing with more people treating hunting as a lifestyle and putting much more effort into it. I think it would be much harder to do that in a place you only had 1-week seasons and couldnt even get a tag every year, so in that sense it may actually be easier for us in the northeast to put in more time and effort.

 

[dan33]

Vermont/adirondack hunter here. Some of what folks are saying about hard hunting certainly resonates, I have definitely found that to be true where I have hunted between this area versus in colorado and wyoming. But I think people are right pointing out that lots of people in ME, NH, VT and N NY (similar ) not really putting in much effort due to easy access to lots of public land, combined with long seasons and OTC tags, is a real factor. There is no world in which that doesnt skew the measured success rates down. However, in speaking with the numbers guy at our fish and wildlife dept, as well as diving into the numbers regionally and nationally, the east in general has seen declining hunter numbers overall, BUT the remaining hunters are more often hunting harder, hunting multiple seasons (ie rather than only rifle, hunting archery, rifle and ML, every year), etc. Thats measured, and thats a fact. So while I agree that there are lots of people treating it very “casually”, that is changing with more people treating hunting as a lifestyle and putting much more effort into it. I think it would be much harder to do that in a place you only had 1-week seasons and couldnt even get a tag every year, so in that sense it may actually be easier for us in the northeast to put in more time and effort.

I agree but the same could be said for eastern guys taking a trip to Ohio. I've done both ohio and Colorado and from what I've seen if you put the amount of effort you do to get on a good buck on public in the midwest or east youre probably not going to have a bad hunt out west. Obviously weather is a factor for both and the Colorado hunt is going to be more physically demanding.

 

[Macintosh]

@dan33 I dont disagree with that, although I find where I hunt is about as strenuous as where Ive hunted in co and wy, just without the altitude…matters sometimes. Just pointing out a “silver lining” to living in the NE that was relevant to a point some others brought up. Sorry if that wasnt clear.

 

[dan33]

@dan33 I dont disagree with that, although I find where I hunt is about as strenuous as where Ive hunted in co and wy, just without the altitude…matters sometimes. Just pointing out a “silver lining” to living in the NE that was relevant to a point some others brought up. Sorry if that wasnt clear.

Oh no man we're 100 percent in agreement. Appalachia can get pretty hairy lol

 

[7RemMag]

One of the better troll jobs I’ve seen on here in awhile…

What about saying “The average Western hunter is better than the average Eastern hunter by about ten fold.”? lol…..Just kidding..Kinda…But I’ll get that.

To the OP’s question, it is a question with many factors. For one thing, I know by Eastern standards, the deer population in Maine was/is, at least in places, quite low. That can be said for certain Western states also. There are also plenty of tags/areas in which the hardest part is drawing a tag, with a successful harvest being almost a sure thing.

I’ve lived in Wyoming 3 years and not killed an elk on a general(OTC) tag but I’ve taken a really nice whitetail on public land every year early in the season here in the Black Hills.

There’s plenty of differences to Eastern vs. Western hunting, but good woodsmanship can translate at least loosely anywhere. I think collectively the hunters in the West tend to have a little more drive and a little more woods smarts, but I grew up around plenty of top notch outdoorsmen in Pennsylvania. If given a few years to figure out the differences there’s little doubt in my mind they would be successful in time. Just my opinion, of course….For what it’s worth.

 

[Tired03]

I think it chaps the average western hunter to hear people say this. But, it’s the truth. It’s the reason tags limit hunting in western states. And, it’s the reason so many guys hunting Appalachia have great success in the west. It’s simply an easier hunt.

The physical fitness required isn’t much different either. At least where I hunt. Yes altitude does matter the first day or so. But, if you run up and down steep slopes with the intent of being in shape, a day of acclimation in tree line elk and deer hunting is just another hike. That’s a fact.

Very well said! In my three trips out west I have never been as tired as I have been pulling a northern Michigan whitetail out of a swamp.