Some people with a lot of money have fantastic trophy rooms and photo albums, lots of animals in the book, hunt a lot, but are only as good as their guide. For them, being fit enough keep up and accurate enough to close the deal are their skills. Despite the results, they are not great bowhunters.
Some of the "greatest" bowhunters are DIY guys you hear very little about. I know some of both, and respect both approaches. But I sometimes grind my teeth when listening to the latest tale of conquest from some who are the "always guided" types, because I've hunted with them and know the real story of their abilities.
Enough said
Its quite possible some are better hunters than that....and its the process of filming the hunt that skews it...but some of the things they do with animals close I could never get away with on a lot of the public ground spots i hunt.
And take a guy like Michael Park - "Willieboat". Quiet, unassuming, humble, has killed 48 bull elk with a bow by his 47th birthday, including a 400" gross bull in AZ. All DIY, as far as I know. He's also a guide-level salmon fisherman. Just a great, all-around outdoorsman who could be a "famous bowhunter" if he wanted to self-promote. But you'll never hear of him.
What separates the good from the greats in bow hunting or any other aspect of life is the desire. There are very very few people who are simply born great at anything. The great work hard at their chosen hobby or profession. For bow hunters, this means they practice year round, they are knowledgeable and proficient with their equipment. They know the game they are after and put themselves in positions to succeed. Most of all, no matter if its bow hunting or anything in life, the Greats all have the ability to keep moving forward when life (or hunts/animals in this case) throw them a curve ball. Instead of using these obstacle's as excuses they use them as motivation to get up and work harder. The greats are up and out of camp before others are even out of their bunks and return long after the rest of camp is back and eating supper, regardless of the weather. The greats know that they can will themselves to make it happen.
"Everyone pities the weak, Jealousy has to be earned"
I didn't mean to imply that great hunters don't go on guided hunts. Only that some who appear to be "great" by their trophy mounts and record book listings may not be all that.
In any endeavor, hunting, running, business, the great ones work harder, are more dedicated, sacrifice more, and push themselves harder to succeed. They believe they will succeed. And it's not unusual for someone who is "great" in one area to achieve uncommon success in other areas too. It's about the drive.
That's a tough question because it can easily be influenced by state or income.
I would say someone who is always bringing in animals that are in the top 5% of the state, heavily involved with conservation groups and working with youth to learn about archery is a GREAT bowhunter.
Anyone who doesn't do the last 2 things can't be considered great in MY book. I just don't think someone is great just because they can kill big animals. They have to give something back.
This isnt rocket science many make it sound a lot harder then it is .
If you blindfolded several greats and some unheard of bowhunters, dropped them off somewhere..anywhere..... you would probably be surprise who would kill comsistantly and who wouldn't. Funny thing is the greats would avoid the level playing field...they already know.
One guy goes to a restaurant and gets a cook to prepare a meal and sits down and enjoys it...another prepares the meal himself and sits down and enjoys it. Both are the same after they sit down, however one can duplicate the meal without help and the other cannot.
Back to subject--good hunters will get it done pretty consistently, and the great ones will do so as well and will be able to tell you exactly how and why as they know the game much better than anyone else.
There is a reason that many of the greats don't hunt Alabama, Florida or the North East, it is because there aren't a ton of trohy class animals living there. They make it a priority to go hunt Illinios, Iowa and Kansas each year during the peak of the rut. They put as many of the variables in their favor as they possibly can. You can bet that if Barry Wensel went and hunted Alabama, Florida or the North East, the biggest deer in the area would be in trouble, no one can argue that.
If you hunted the same properties that they did would you have the same success? Maybe, maybe not, we will never know. The difference is they want it more. Its easy for me to sit here behind my computer and say that I would kill the same bucks that Lee Lakosky kills if I hunted the same properties. Well the simple fact is that he wanted it more than I did. Am I willing to pick up and move my life to Iowa, put everything I own into farm equipment and some land and try to make a life out of it so I can have a better opportunity to shoot big deer? For me the answer is no. Lee dropped everything to make his dream become a reality, he eats sleeps and breathes killing giant whitetail. Nothing right or wrong about it, its what he wants to do, he works hard to make his dream come true and the results speak for themselves.
Same could be said of Chuck Adams, he devoted his life to bowhunting, which for him meant no children. There is nothing wrong with this either, it is his choice.
One thing is certain, you know if you were an animal you wouldn't want either of those guys chasing you.
Another thing to remember is just cause you are on TV doesn't make you great.
The most important thing to remember is who cares if others think you are great. We should all be hunting for our own enjoyment, not for being compared to others. If that means you enjoy shooting does and spikes, have a blast and ill be the first person to congratulate you and crack a beer with you while hearing the story of the hunt. If someone has a problem with your style of hunting, well that is their problem.
I do know I've improved throughout the years to the point where I WILL have opportunities and can be selective.
I think everybody on this site is passionate about hunting and wants to improve to the point where success is achieved more often than not.
Good enough...
You can drop a great hunter into a spot he's never hunted before, and it won't take long for him to figure it out. Some other guys may hunt that same spot for a lifetime and never figure it out. Or they might be experts on hunting whitetails in their little 80 acre woodlot, but that doesn't make them great, all-around bowhunters.
I remember a turkey hunt many years ago on heavily hunted public land. Spooky mountain Merriams, steep, tough terrain, very wary birds because of so many hunters. Calling was really difficult because of the pressure and nobody had killed one in any of the nearby camps. Chuck Adams showed up in the next camp over, climbed up the same mountain, quickly killed two birds, and was off to his next adventure while the rest of us continued to struggle.
To quote the great "cat hunter", William Jefferson Clinton, "It all depends on what the definition of 'is', is."
I am sure the guy you know who bags a 140"-150" every year in MA is an amazing animal, but I highly doubt that he is simply hunting the same tree stand on the same tree on the same property each and every year to get those bucks. I would bet almost anything that he is putting in considerable amounts of time scouting and finding these great bucks for your state, then he is getting access to hunt those properties, then he uses the experience and knowledge that he has gained over the years to hunt those bucks in the smarted way possible. He then probably only hunts when the conditions are perfect for his stands. He puts the odds in his favor as best as he can cause he has the passion for killing big bucks. I don't know who this guy is but I bet my guess on how he gets them year in and out isn't very off.
IMHO,
A great bow hunter recognizes his quarry puts his experience and knowledge to use in an attempt to harvest his game.
A great bow hunter is a person who can respect his quarry, appreciate the great outdoors and realize anything ethically hunted (true chase) and taken with a bow is truly a trophy.
A great bow hunter gets fulfilment and enjoyment from the hunt. His harvest is the icing on the cake.
A great bow hunter is determined by the example he exhibits to others and to him or herself. Not by the harvest.
Anyone can be a bow hunter.
However, everyone cannot be a "great" bow hunter.
In my opinion, to be a great bowhunter you must be "good" at every aspect of the hunt. Some are good at a few aspects, some even great at 1 or 2, but not many are good at everything. Passing on the passion and similar ideals are all good things and might compliment being a great bowhunter, but imo don't have anything to do with actually being one.
Bowsite has great hunters that hunt maybe 3 to 5 species but focus on one species. A couple come to mind that focus on elk, mule deer, and whitetails.
You do not need to get to Africa to be a great hunter. I have walked into the woods guys that just put themselves in the right place to kill and kill often.
I have killed lots of different animals in a lot of different places but much of this would be from hunting hard, often, and with tremendous intensity. This does not make me a great hunter.
Some peeps make it look easy, some people may kill many of an animal but may never achieve greatness.
Some are pioneers, some hit everything they shoot at, and others it is a life long endeavor while executing a plan.
Then as with everything there are those special people that God has aligned them to their purpose and often their passion and they are the real cat's MEOW.
I can think of some that may fit this citeria: Ben Rogers Lee Fred Bear Paul Schaefer Guides Pinnel & Talifson Chuck Adams Bob Miranda Wensel
Their are some great hunters on Bowsite and some one day will be legends of the game but true greatness is intangible that is hard to determine where it shows up.
All the thoughts above are more than likely captured in the essence of greatness so I am not mean to detract from what has been said but just wanted to add my 2 cents to the discussion.
Oh by the way, I think Pat has achieved greatness with bowsite.
-Eric Thomas is a pastor and motivational speaker who repeatedly tells a story of a guy who desires to know the secret to being successful. He enlists the guidance of a wealthy man for some inside knowledge. The mentor tells him to meet him on the beach the following day. They convene on the beach as appointed and the mentor tells the neophyte to walk into the ocean up to his eyes.
After he comes out, his mentor asks him what he wanted more than anything else in the world when he was in the water. The guy says he wanted only to breathe. The mentor says, "When you want success as badly as you wanted to breathe in that ocean, than you will have it."
So that sums it up for me. If a person wants to be great at anything, they need that drive. I'll add there are as many paths to success as there are successful people. Some folks work to buy opportunity and some folks trade money for opportunity.
Hard to add much to what's been already said, but here's my 2 cents:
I believe that "great" can be a very broad definition. I think of guys who have a regular job/income, wife, kids, etc, but still get out and consistently kill a plethora of animals, year in and out, including some good ones. Then there's also those with a more disposable income that can afford better opportunities, but are still very consistent in there success, usually more than others with the same opps.
My brother is in the latter camp and pays to go to Illinois every year and hunt good property. Funny thing is though, that he is the most consistent killer out of all the many guys that come through the camp. Sure it's a pay to play game, but he's "great" at business which allows him to have better opportunities, which is a must for him as he has to maximize his time spent afield due to more obligations than most. Again though it isn't co-incidence that he is in the top couple guys who always notch their tag.
I, on the other hand, do not have the same income, but moved to Montana to better pursue my dreams. I have been much more successful than my brother on public land, and on a variety of game, but mainly that is due to where I live, and a big difference in my responsibilities vs his. I can honestly say he's great at what he does, and think he would say the same about me.
In the end, I really cling to something one of the bona fide "greats" here on BS said to me one time. To paraphrase "There's a lot more to being a good hunter than just woodsmanship" I totally concur.
