The Tougher The Hunt, The Sweeter The Success

Aaron H

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
For me, the harder a hunt is the better a successful outcome is. I'm wondering if others feel this way. Sure, I love going one time and getting lucky with a nice buck or turkey, but when the hunt has pushed me to actually work for it and failure seems obvious... then it all comes together... that's special! Even when the deer is not a trophy to the eyes of others, a deer taken after a lot of effort can be a trophy to me. You too? This Mule Deer is one I took on a 9 day muzzle loader hunt in 2014 in Colorado. It was public land hunting so getting a mega buck was not the expectation, but on my first day out I would have passed this buck. 8 days of all day hunting had worn me down a good bit and when my alarm went off in the tent at 4:00am that last day I so much wanted to stay in my sleeping bag. I pushed myself to rise and walk in the dark to a place where I had glimpsed a decent buck a few days earlier and against all odds I got the chance. This deer means way more to me than it would if I had easily taken him. I like a hunt with some uncertainty. Take the shot.... wonder, was it good? It looked good but I was nervous. A scant blood trail.... maybe it waasn't good.... then- the deer! I love that! When I look back at 50 years of hunting, the hunts that keep coming back to mind the most are not the biggest racks or thickest beards. I love remembering those times that took the most effort. If it was always easy I doubt I would have stayed for the long haul.IMG_2770.jpg
 
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Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
Agree with that. Steve Rinella sums up what you are talking about best. There is high grade and low grade experiences/ fun. a low grade experience is something that is easily obtainable and provides instant gratification, think a roller-coaster ride. While fun in the moment these experiences often lack staying power and quickly fade from memory leaving no residual satisfaction.

A high grade experience is one that in most cases a delayed gratification that often grows with time. What makes a high grade experience is that they did not come easy and were well earned. Most of the time these end up being times when in the moment you were miserable and struggling to overcome whatever it may be. If you were 5 days into a 7 day hunt, haven't seen much, cold, raining, 10 miles from the truck ect. Even if you do not take a "trophy" you'll more than likely look back fondly on the memory with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

It's an excellent philosophy to live by and I personally try to fill my life with high grade experiences.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
I always say memories are made from days that are not ordinary. One such day this past season. We saw a rattlesnake, treed a bear and I nearly stepped on a snake, only to see it out of the corner of my eye. Instant thought was rattlesnake. Did the high step to minimize the target, as I had already moved before I saw the snake. All while trying to get a deer going with the hounds. Finally, got a good race going though. We did not even shoot that day, but it will be remembered easily.

Another was a hunt with my Dad. He killed a deer when he was 16, his second was when he was 57 and hunting with me. He had had a massive heart attack @ 55, doctors said he should not have lived. Nothing, could be done to correct any of the damage. Back to the hunt, we hiked back about 1.5 miles. I went a few hundred yards past Dad after I got him set up. Thunderstorms rolled in poured rain. No, need to run, we were caught like it or not. Dad crawled into a hollow log to stay dry. Yes, it was a huge log. Rain stopped, a couple minutes latter I heard him shoot, then shoot again. I hurried on back to him. There laid a crow horn, I was ecstatic. I ask why he shoot twice. He replied, "I was making sure you heard me shoot". LOL Well, I field dressed the deer. I started dragging. More storms came, pouring rain the mud deepened. 3/4's of the way back, I crossed some fallen trees and got foot hung up in the tree with my shoulders touching the ground. Oh, forgot to mention this was just after a hurricane. Glad dad was there. I think I would still be there. When we got back to camp, the winds torn our camp up. Dad is now 79 and we went hunting this past year, he still is on #2. Same place and the only time he hunts, I love all the trips, but I would not trade that one for the world. That spike hangs on his utility porch, so I know it is special to him, too.
 
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DBCooper

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I’ve probably killed 100+ whitetails. I’ve killed <10 of those with a long gun (10 or so with a recurve; one with a revolver and the rest by compound bow).

I shot a decent buck this year (ML) that I thought was a 3 yo. When I got to him, I was off a year. I’m grateful for the meat, but the experience meant absolutely nothing to me. I just love hunting with a bow.

Friend of mine once said - “you’ll get the most satisfaction out of hunting when the how becomes more important than the how-big or how-many”
 

Frostcat

Twelve Pointer
I agree 100% too. Some of my most memorable bucks were the ones I felt liked I had earned. My most memorable season was 2011. I had found where a large buck was using the last week of the mountain bow season. It took a good two hours walking and climbing from 3000 ft to about 5500 ft to get to where he was. I hunted him during the gun season and no I did not get him, but I will never forget matching wits with this deer. I did not put him on the wall but he will always be a trophy to me. When hunting natural food sources here in the mountains no two years are alike. The next fall the acorns had not hit where he had been and there were no deer there. I did kill a buck that fall that dressed out at 170 lbs that was almost as far back in the mountains as the one the year before. I shot him a little after 7 am and got him drug out to the truck about 3 pm. I felt like I well earned him. The last several years i have gotten a little soft riding the four wheeler to the stands down east and hunting close to the house here. Maybe next fall I need to do some way back hard hunting.
 

DBCooper

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I agree 100% too. Some of my most memorable bucks were the ones I felt liked I had earned. My most memorable season was 2011. I had found where a large buck was using the last week of the mountain bow season. It took a good two hours walking and climbing from 3000 ft to about 5500 ft to get to where he was. I hunted him during the gun season and no I did not get him, but I will never forget matching wits with this deer. I did not put him on the wall but he will always be a trophy to me. When hunting natural food sources here in the mountains no two years are alike. The next fall the acorns had not hit where he had been and there were no deer there. I did kill a buck that fall that dressed out at 170 lbs that was almost as far back in the mountains as the one the year before. I shot him a little after 7 am and got him drug out to the truck about 3 pm. I felt like I well earned him. The last several years i have gotten a little soft riding the four wheeler to the stands down east and hunting close to the house here. Maybe next fall I need to do some way back hard hunting.

I have a friend in KS who told me, years ago, - “hunting mature whitetails is a game of cat & mouse — where we are rarely the cat”.
 
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