Skill or Instinct?
Whitetail Deer
Many of us know someone who always seems very successful in their hunting quests. And on Bowsite there is at least a half a dozen guys that are in that category. When they put a tag in their pocket, it is basicly a death warrant for that species.
I’ll use Paul@theFort as an example because it’s obvious, but there are others that grace the meat poles more than regularly. Paul announces that he has a tag and we just wait for him to post up kill pics. Coues deer for example. They’re tough to find, tough to hunt, tough get a shot at and tougher yet to hit. Yet even when new to a spot, he places himself right on the path of a great buck.
The question is: are there some hunters that have some sixth instinctual sense that direct their actions. Is it more than just skill and knowledge rolled together. Some guys intimately know their terrain and target species. Some guys just have so much drive, that success is regular. But there is a tiny fraction of hunters that seem to succeed where others struggle. And most of us have to work hard just to be average.
Are there “natural born” hunters?
EDIT: this is not just about whitetails.
I think some people are exceptionally lucky....I have a nephew ....any piece of property he hunts...can and has come doppling into the woods 45 minutes before last light...and shoot a deer.
I think some people have that magical combination of skill, ability, determination and luck that puts them ahead of the pack. I have personally known 3-4 deer hunters in that category. Because of Bowsite I know of many others.
I think luck has very little to do with people who are consistently successful.
It bothers me when people attribute success in bowhunting to luck. I can guarantee the guys who are consistently successful are almost always putting in more effort (practicing, scouting, actively hunting) than the guys who aren't.
I'll bet someone like HUNT MAN puts way more effort into this game than 99.9% of hunters. Do you think his success is luck?
I've heard it said before, "10% of hunters kill 90% of the animals" My buddy and I were talking about it the other day. We joked about how out of 10 local deer hunters, 6 will sit a few hours during the opening weekend of rifle season, 2 will drive around and end up at the bar, 1 will tell his buddies he didn't see anything (because he didn't go), and 1 will hunt hard all bow season and most likely have some success before the orange army even pulls out the old 30-06.
The combination of time in the woods, skill, determination, past experiences, and a little luck are what make the 10%.
Based upon the overly, above average, successful bowhunters I know and have known, I think luck, skill, experience, and persistence play a role. Ranking those characteristics, I’d put experience and persistence equally at the top, then skill, and at the bottom, least influential, luck.
I think it is simple priorities. Good hunters are made, not born.
The old saying “The harder I work the luckier I get”
Some men are very talented with the woods and hunting… it’s very natural to them… some men learn the woods from such… another big factor is land each has to hunt
I'm with Blacktail on this. Persistence (like a wolf) is a common trait among the consistently successful. Persistence also helps a person stack up experience quickly. There is also a mindset that is not easily swayed in order to stay persistent. Those that don't have the mindset can not end up being persistent. There's a million reasons to bail when things get tough, or the weather isn't right. Being able to shut them out is a mindset thing.
Most of the time people make their luck, by being prepared and taking advantage of opportunity.
I think you will find that those guys that rarely killed anything switched to crossbows. Tobpitbull- that is part of the skill, finding a good place to hunt, then finding the best spot at that place, then knowing when to hunt that spot and how to enter and exit
APauls, said what I’m trying to say g to get at. Some people hunt like wolves. Do some people still possess a gene from long long ago hunters? Driven more by a need to succeed than just a desire? Something more visceral.
I agree with Bob with a slight caveat. I think persistence is where its at with experience being second. The odd thing about experience is that it will tell you that if you are persistent you will get it done. Experience also tells you where and how to hunt. That is a bid advantage too.
I have 9 days of archery elk hunting under my belt, 4 bulls one being a 352”……. 100% dumb luck.
Location, location, location. Find the location and your chances of success dramatically increases. It doesn't mean there will be a trophy class animal behind every tree. I don't know anyone that was successful from the get go. It's learned through trial and error, and determination.
With those results, I suspect skill was far more important than luck. Even on guided hunts, the one shooting the arrow must make final decisions and execute the shot. If they weren’t guided hunts, I know hunting skill played a more significant role.
"With those results, I suspect skill was far more important than luck."......this.
I don't know that there are "natural born" hunters, but I was blessed to know a "natural born" student of the woods. I had two uncles who were hunters and probably caught enough flack from my mother's sisters that a fatherless nephew usually got invited along. Both hunted rabbits over beagles, but one had a brother that I was fortunate enough to get to watch in action accompanying us in on dove hunts in the 60's. When I was well into my teens, I got to where I'd usually come home with a limit of birds if they were flying at all. I won't tell you how many boxes of shells I normally burned through to get them....(it was more than one)! Wingate seemingly never missed. On more than one occasion I witnessed (I counted) him take his limit with half a box, and he shot dove load 20 ga.! A Winchester model 12, with a shortened barrel and a Poly choke installed. Ruining the resale value on such a firearm was the only thing I ever faulted the man for, lol. But the receiver and barrel were silver, not blue and the finish on what I'm guess was a walnut stock was non-existent! In my later years I spent more time watching Wingate than the birds. He never did anything without a reason. Before evening and the doves started flying, he might stand and watch the field for an hour without ever loading his gun. He would be the last to choose a spot. Where were the birds coming from, where were they going, food,water, roost? Why were they taking that particular route? When we blasted the air full of lead, missed and spooked them where was their escape? Where could he set up that they'd be right on top of him undetected. He knew his weapon, it's load and pattern. He only took close-in, high percentage shots...no forty yd. "spray and pray". Yes, there are natural born students of the woods...or were. RIP Wingate, you may have been the last of the breed!
The guys I hunt with kill animals regularly. I barely ever fill a tag. Must be luck. ??
The "never give up" attitude is huge along with the high expectation of success go hand in hand in my experience also. Once you have a decent skill set, having these 2 attributes goes a long way.
I’ll second what Brian M said. It’s all about the property or location. The best properties make the best hunters. Put yourself in the best opportunity to kill something special and you’ll be more successful than not. 100%
Spend enough time in a given area - even if not thick with deer, and you'll develop a 'sense' for their activities. Obviously the 'better' properties with more deer/sq.mi. make it easier and cut the learning curve shorter ;-)
Some just hunt like they’re hungry…
I can tell some judgments are limited to a narrow scope of hunting situation; whitetail, on small tracts of private land.
Drop hunters into millions of acres of wilderness on an island in the middle of the north Pacific. Some bowhunters succeed under adverse conditions. Some, in fact, thrive on it. Others, TV celebrities maybe, who do well with whitetails, fail miserably in a true wilderness.
Is that the result of experience, persistence, skill, luck, or economic advantage. I suggest the aspect of economic advantage plays zero role when the hunting environment and scope of the hunt is true wilderness. Economic advantage probably does enter into it with whitetails, special tags, and the prosperity required to pay for guided hunts. That doesn’t mean some bowhunters don't possess the experience, persistence, and skill necessary to succeed when and where TV celebrities tend to fail.
What Basil said. Although it’s true that if the species you are hunting is in short supply where you hunt, it’s gonna be hard to get lucky, kinda like trolling for a date at the local convent. Under normal circumstances though, luck is a factor. If that buck, ram, bull, or whatever decides to zig when you need him to zag, you ain’t getting a shot. That’s where the work part comes in. While I don’t know Paul Navarre, I know something about him through these pages. IMO, he is the epitome of “the harder I work, the luckier I get”. I think when he sets out to hunt an animal, “if” doesn’t figure in his plans. He plans for “when”, then he hunts (works) accordingly. It may not always end with a notched tag, but even Superman has his kryptonite.
Then, look at Troy. He consistently kills big whitetail bucks, in addition to other game. It helps that he lives in Iowa where big whitetails grow, but everybody that lives in Iowa doesn’t kill big whitetail bucks on a regular basis. He must have something besides luck ! Nosejammer ? Nah, I don’t think so. I think the harder he hunts, the luckier he gets.
Thinking on the fly and acting on your decisions plays a part in this too. I know that this has been my downfall more than once allowing an animal to get away from me as I was waiting for a better shot opportunity that never happened. Some of them were for the best, but some were not. I think the better hunters seize the first good opportunity to succeed and that’s part of their “luck” !
Skill, persistence, free time to hunt and the finances to acquire the tags and licenses all add up to success.
“ Is location an option?”
No.
Experience, persistence, scouting ability, stealthy, knowing when to draw, competent with equipment, and thorough after shot follow-up. Of course, if deer aren't there none of this will help. I know one fellow who I wouldn't want hunting me.
I've heard that the definition of Luck is "Preparation and opportunity!"
Preparation is the mother of skill
"Luck is when preparation meets opportunity"
Just like some guys are naturally talented with sports, or numbers, or making sales, or anything else in life, some guys have a natural born talent to hunt. Take any of those talents, pair it with a desire to exceed, and you have the best of the best, the elite.
You gotta have the property that holds the mature deer or bigger, older animals of whatever you’re hunting. If you don’t have that, you’ll never kill big ones every year.
Since you put this under the WT section, I will comment on it. I truly think of all the animals I've pursued, they (Pope and Young class WTs) are a product of where you hunt vs. how you hunt. They just are. They are my favorite animal to hunt, without question, but sadly the results of killing a big WT is not what I would call on the same level as other wilderness animals. Sure there is skill involved, but one flipping tree on the right property can produce a good buck year after year after year without much skill or instinct. I've seen it, I've experienced it.
I do believe instinct is a definite trait, but so is time. Example, I got a non-hunter into Bowhunting years ago. He's arrowed elk and deer etc. but his stories of not getting a shot, or getting busted are legendary. That's instinct, and he lacks it. I've always said, if you want your spot ruined on one sit, send my partner there one time.
I just thought of my uncle who was what I would call a natural sportsman. He could shoot anything better than most and did some rabbit, goose and deer hunting. But his passion was fishing for large mouth bass and he was truly blessed at that. He would spend an entire day at our local lake and would come home with full live wells. We lived next door and many times as a kid he would pull in and holler at me to get his fish out. I’ve never known anyone in my life who has caught more 8+ pound bass. His only problem was that he had to embellish his stories, although he never had to. Some people doubted his abilities because of that, naturally so, but they were wrong. So to the OP’s question, I do think there are some “natural” born sportsman.
If a person is goal oriented and persistent as said above, he will likely learn to prepare and set himself up to gain the necessary experience to be successful. As others have also said, he will see that the harder he works the more successful he becomes. What Jaq said regarding luck will occur over time if you stick with it.
Cazador, I put this in the whitetail section only because I have never been allowed to post under the section with the big, red “B” and an arrow. I always get a “500 Server Error” message. So it’s not really about whitetail exclusively.
But you made it relevant.
If it is only whitetail, I take back everything I said.
No Bob, you are on the right track.
I think you can be successful with different skills. I have a traditional hunting buddy who lacks any hunting skill or instinct, but yet is extremely successful because once he is presented a shot opportunity he usually kills. Which proves you can dumble doo along and still be successful. Now that being said he doesn’t have much for standards for what he shoots. I fully believe I’m an amazing hunter in any kind of terrain or habitat, but I’m not a great shot. Being very selective on size and marginal accuracy are what limit my success..
Best hunter I know is a 'fill every tag or die trying' type. Lousy weather don't stop him. Decent shot, great blood trailer. Finds a few good spots and hunts them hard. The OP's question - skill or instinct - leaves out 'sheer persistence'. Best to have all three.
I think the top level bowhunters are no different than elite buisness leaders or professional athletes. They are disciplined, hard working and confident because they have prepared themselves for the challenge. It's a personality trait to be the best. I think luck has very little to do with success, because without the hard work ahead of time you can't usually capitalize on the luck part.
I don’t understand how location and access to quality game in above average numbers can’t be somewhat of a variable in the results that skilled and persistent hunters generate
If that’s true that it doesn’t matter that I don’t know why anybody would acquire land ,improve land ,pay for premium hunting experiences, Go to the best places, manage and control the environment in a particular area to the extent they can where possible, or any such activity.
The best hunter, the most skilled woodsman and somebody who hunts 24 seven 365 is not going to kill a stone sheep in Memphis
Obviously, that is an exaggeration for effect, but opportunity is a variable regardless of skill talent luck or persistence
I would say that there’s probably a greater range of levels of persistence on average than there is on skill or ability. You’ve probably got 2/3 of hunters who are generally fairLy tightly grouped in terms of base skills.
I believe that when it comes to persistence, there’s a much wider range in terms of how hard people work at it over the course of a season or a hunt or a lifetime
^^ Funny, but true. Used to hunt an area with 3-4x the deer population around here. Lot easier to stay motivated (and kill stuff!) when you're seeing game regularly, and have good access.
I agree with those who've said there is some sort of natural component to it. People are blessed with various talents and I don't think this is any different. There are certainly areas where I was blessed with more natural talent and didn't have to work as hard, versus other areas where you really have to work to be mediocre. Maybe even call it part natural and part upbringing.
Having said the above, I don't think it is a deal breaker to have that "natural" ability, but it sure can set the tone. From there I'd go with a developed skill and persistence at the top, followed by experience, and then maybe some luck.
lots of variables and as suggested above, where you hunt is a very big factor. private (or public land that is land locked), and healthy bull to cow and buck to doe ratios matter a lot.
some outfitters offer muskox or bear over bait hunts and advertise 100% success. i have never been but from reading and talking to those that have, plains game in africa has a very high success rate as well.
the guy or gal that hunts solo and consistently gets it done on public land has a special skill or know-how, along with persistence and some luck, and likely isn't an over-weight couch potato meaning they prepare year-round.
chuck adams comes to mind as maybe one of these hunters but i don't follow him closely enough to know where all his hunts take place.
I take alot of people hunting. Large percentage prepare very well. But some have it and some just dont. Frank Noska will be the best bowhunter to ever live.
some people are better skilled at shooting - naturally
but for hunting/putting yourself in the right place? hard work, years of experience, the right choices/decisions and the mindset of not quitting, determination etc
we can all attain those things IMO ..... maybe its like Michael Jordan too. There have been many athletes are physically gifted as him. There have been many athletes that has had his mental focus/toughness/preparation. There have been few that had both
maybe its like that for hunters too
I’m leaving location and animal density out of the equation because in this scenario it comes down to putting that “gifted” hunter into any situation with all the others In that level playing field, why does that hunter stand out?
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
"In that level playing field, why does that hunter stand out?"
This has been answered. Like any trade or profession, some simply have a higher level of skill, take more time to prepare, and are more determined to continuously improve.
Years ago, I recall reading about how successful people envision the outcome, sorta of a kind of meditation. Pro athletes are known to do this.
Chuck is #1 right now. Frank will be in 20 years.
Too bad we don’t have Rookie Trading Cards for bowhunters.
“Luck” has to do with pulling good tags.
Persistence, and the ability to keep your mouth shut about things, has killed more animals than most tactics combined.
In any scenario, be in public, private, west, east etc. You still have the folks on the right side of the bell curve that have success levels above the average.
Like most have said, I think hunting smart and not giving up are important factors. Not giving up being the most important.
Someone can be lucky a few times, sure. But to be successful CONSISTENTLY, it takes more than luck.
I agree Frank will surpass Chuck’s North American accomplishments. I don’t agree that makes Frank the best ever. Accumulating P&Y trophies and Super Slams doesn’t make my friend Frank the best ever. He is certainly in a group of the most elite bow hunters ever, but of the bow hunters of North American game that I know of, Chuck Adams is the best and will remain the best even after Frank surpasses his accumulated number of trophies and number of Super Slams.
I guess this comparison sheds light on the aspect of economic advantage. Frank certainly outshines most bow hunters in this respect. He’s pretty damn smart, he’s made some wise life decisions as it relates to having bow hunting success, and he’s driven to succeed like no one else I know or know of. But bottom line, I think Chuck Adams is the better bow hunter.
I have nothing against Frank, I admire his accomplishments, and I consider him a good friend. That said, I base my ultimate comparison and decision on the comparison on a bow hunting environment I personally know better than any other environment. What Chuck Adams does on Kodiak Island is truly remarkable. I know the environment and I know where and how successful Chuck has been there. There is no one on planet earth that can do what Chuck Adams does.
Yes, there are "natural hunters," but it comes with qualifiers.
For example, many of the people who shoot the most/biggest critters, also have a situation in life allowing the most time to chase said critters both scouting and hunting. That is a game changer. Many of those same folks have access to fantastic areas. That may not be a leased 1000 acre farm in Iowa that's been managed for deer for 20 years. It may just be some unmanaged private or public sitting in just the right spot, which for some reason, other folks have not figured out yet.
Now, if those things - location and time available - are equal, then yes, there are still people who just feel it better, for sure. They know the best spot to sit/stand/work through/stalk etc. They just feel it better. The rest of us could hunt the same spot, and see critters, but not arrow them - like the "natural" does...
If you take the natural hunter and give them an average spot and 50% of the time to scout... They are going to look a LOT more mortal - though still better than the rest of us.
Even with whitetails the main trait to success is persistence. Persistence to grind it out AND persistence to figure out a way to get better ground if that is your goal. Many people piss and moan about the Lakosky's but Lee Lakosky figured out a way to kill big bucks. I don't know the guy and he could be the world's worst human being (I don't think that is the case) but he had a goal and made it happen. We could all do it too if we are willing to work as hard as he did. There is not a person posting on this thread that didn't have the same opportunity he had.
Agree with Bowfreak. People have to make shiit happen, not wait for a give away and dumb luck.
Yes, I believe there are “natural born” individuals and agree that numerous factors are in-play when it comes to consistently harvesting game. Imo, attitude and effort play the largest roles in defining the difference between the most accomplished bowhunters and the rest of us.
If we’re talking about the average person with a daily job. TIME and skills make you a successful hunter If you don’t have the time to practice, scouting and ultimately to hunt you would not be killing much, that’s my personal experience
Not to totally derail the thread but I disagree with that saying a lean wolf hunts best. I feel like it would be whatever the middle ground is between starving a totally full. You don't want desperation creeping in, you want to be level headed, focused and still have the ambition. Desperation leads to poor decision making.
And heck - a cat hunts better than a wolf!
My comments on this thread have been thinking of taking a hunter and having them in many environments; elk, moose, deer etc etc. The type of person that is successful across the board. There are guys that seem to be "specialists" have found a groove with a certain species, and then there are the guys I am thinking of that seem to get it done no matter the species, or environment. Could be an urban hunt, could be fly-in, could be a backpack hunt.
They just break it down, expect it to happen, make it happen and plain don't stop until it happens.
I think Bob has hit the nail on the head. And he'd know.
Having a game rich area in easy terrain to hunt can help make up for lack of skills. I see it with elk and deer all the time. We should not judge every hunter by how many, and how big they kill. Some choose to hunt large forests, others choose farmland. The results can be vastly different, yet equally satisfying.
I've known old timers who consistently killed game year after year after year the hard way. Take that as boots on the ground and NOTHING else. Never traveled to "trophy" known areas. Never killed a book animal though. That's my hero. I do believe some folks are just more inclined to be successful both in life and the woods.. Either fishing or hunting. Admit it. It's a mental game from getting out of bed or planning. You have to have faith that it's going to be a good day.
I have not read all the posts so forgive me if I repeat some observations. I have never been as successful as I should be or should have been. I am not the hardest or smartest hunter and that is on me. Therefore my "trophy room" is more of a "memory room", which has kept my taxidermy bills and time cleaning mounts way down. I just think some people take it alot more seriously spending more time, energy money and thought to the hunt!
I know it's credited to someone....the statement " I'd rather be lucky than good" I'd maybe agree with that on most things...Two things in life I'd rather be "good than lucky" Hunting and golf
Come on.......we all know they all own Hex suits! ;)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Yeah Nomad....a former boss of mine has been prodding me to buy HECS hunting clothes.
I like Coops post, kind of describes guys with a true passion for hunting.
I feel honored to be mentioned by the OP as "one of those guys" but I am just a normal guy to loves to bow hunt and is blessed to live in an area of the Midwest, Rock Mountains that has a lot of public ground, access and abundance of big and small game. So there is no boredom in my hunts as I have a few species to hunt and surely take advantage of that.
No doubt I have honed my skills over the past 85 years, bow shooting/hunting as a kid to a present grown man who still has that passion and the ability to physically be able to pursue those critters especially during the past 23 years of retirement here in Colorado and then since moving to Colorado since 1992. Not too many people would leave another state, who had a good job, house, future, and move to another state, so they might bow hunt elk every year. I did that because the timing was right. So lets take the chance at 61 years old! Kids grown, in or out of college, one child married, wife willing, so why not.
Born in Ohio in 1940 and in a rural area. Moved to the Lake Erie shore in 1949, ie, the best move my parents made, as it launched me into the out of doors and that set the stage to where I am today; still examining the wonders of the out of doors and all of the critters that occupy those different spaces, big or small, and best yet, through the eyes of a hunter. Yep, four year in the USAF and then six years of College, a natural resource/biology back ground, South Dakota regional planner, sales rep for large company, tourist lodge owner, house painter after retirement but still have not retired from life or from bow hunting which continues to give me my connection with the out of doors, the critters, be it, big game, small game, fish, waterfowl, dog training or just watching the clouds drift by and still wondering the whys' and whats' in life. Yea, and I still say, "yes ma'am and yes sir" and believe in the Higher Power that watches over us.
Yea, I have always been curious and an observer of wildlife, especially those I plan on pursuing from deer, to elk, to moose, to pronghorn, to etc. and as a bow hunters, how to get within my effective range with a compound bow or recurve bow. A question I have is, what are those animals doing when I am planning on hunting them, what food, what environment, at what stage of their life are they in? Rut or not? Travel patterns? And while each species needs, water, food, shelter, all of these needs are different for each species so it helps me to know those needs which in turn helps me be successful while bow hunting, waterfowl hunting, fishing and just in life in general. Hunt public land 99% of the time and have only been on one guided hunt, my Mt. Lion hunt.
Yea, I have the time, the energy, the passion, physically able (hip replacement Feb 10th), the knowledge, and am bless with a great wife who understands all of these needs and what drives me. Have been attending the same gym for the past 22 years, hike and bike ride, staying motivated and strong as possible. Having the ability to hunt Colorado's 10 big game animals, killed nine of them, the last being the bull moose, has kept my drive and passion alive and my curiosity alive to believe maybe number 10 species is in the very near future.
Bow hunting is not a hobby but a life style for me and I would expect, many of you also, as well as Chuck and Frank.
Remember this, You only go around in life once, this is not a dress rehearsal for your next life, so grab up all of the gusto you can now.
My best, Paul
A big part is prioritizing. Filling the tag being put at the top. That often means at the expense if time, money, job, family, other activities, health, comfort, friends, safety, etc. That balance is different for everyone.
After reading Paul’s post…me thinks it’s a whole lot more than skill, instinct or luck.
So many variables. Skill, Luck, knowing your quarry, location, & learning to understand what you see in "sign". Today, we have so many extra aids (game Cameras, food plots, Google earth, Attractants are a few examples. Success to me is fooling your quarry on his home turf & that critter being close enough for a bow shot & NOT knowing you are there. 30 yds or less I feel. Regardless if you choose to take it or not. We can all "shoot" 50-60 + yds.
Chuck Adams story - he showed up at our turkey camp in the NE Black Hills once. Was friends with one of my hunting partners. Hunting was hard, for a variety of reasons, including scarcity of toms. Nobody had scored, and we were all very experienced hunters.
Then Chuck hiked up the ridge, killed his two toms the first morning, and waved goodbye as he set off for the next state.
Some have it, most don't. It's a combination of drive, ambition, knowledge, physical ability and stamina, opportunity, and that undefinable "Sixth Sense" which leads to making the right decisions more often than not.
I've been lucky enough to know a few, including Paul. Michael Park (Willieboat) is another. He may be the best bowhunter nobody, besides a few Bowsiters, has ever heard of.
One important factor that I failed to mention in my original post that I just remembered as an after-thought. Wingate, my uncle's brother who had uncanny outdoor intuition never married. For 80 years, the outdoors was his "soulmate". And that's an "institution of higher learning" that most of us never even consider applying to!
Well if Uncle Wingate was always single, he must have been pretty handy.
C'mon, be honest. I know some of you read "Call of the Wild", "My Side of the Mountain" and countless others like them. My uncle, (not his dead-eye brother) whetted my appetite at an early age. 55 years ago, he, my cousin and I would take 3-day canoe trips down the river and live off of .22 shot bullfrog legs, trot lined catfish and roasted ears of corn from the river bottom fields. I felt like a king! My uncle assured me we were "borrowing", but he worked at the PO and everyone knew him. Sometime back in the age of innocence most of us have imagined a life where, after the work whistle blew, we'd go "wet a hook" or sit in a tree stand. And if the catfish were biting, we'd build a fire, eat a couple, grab a sleeping bag out of the truck and pull an all-nighter. Splash a little river water on the armpits and you're good to go back to work in yesterday's clothes! What happened to that dream? What were we thinkin'? "We started thinkin' 'bout a little white tank top sittin' right there in the middle by me".....
Nicely stated Richard. You could expand your story into a great book on life. My best, Paul
Paul, thanks. The frogs were not hunted at night but were taken in broad daylight. We'd kill 20-30 per day just floating quietly along until we saw one and my uncle would try to reach bottom with the paddle and stop the canoe. If he couldn't, I'll have to say I got pretty good at killing them on the move. You'd better hit that pee-brain or the spine, because those hind legs would reflectively kick and you'd better hurry into the shallows and feel around before the current took them. We used .22 short HP's out of a Model 61 Winchester pump with the best open iron sights I've ever seen on a rifle. It had no more bluing left than his brother's Model 12, lol. We were made to religiously wipe firearms down with an oily rag every day afield, but i don't think they ever cleaned anything beyond that. The saddest thing was by the time I left my teens there wasn't a bullfrog to be found on that river and hasn't been since. I heard biologists say it was the chemicals the farmers started using. I've heard Roundup in particular was tough on amphibians. Come to think of it all my babies were born naked and it probably came from eaten all that "borrowed" corn!
I have a close friend that you could drop on the moon and he would kill an Elk, Moose or deer.
It’s not luck, it’s skill from years of being a passionate, driven hunter. and being very analytical in figuring out any situation.
He gets a lot of grief from less skillful or knowledgeable hunters as always being “lucky”.
