The anti deer hunter

swbuckmaster · Jul 20, 2008

When I grew up I had a friend?s uncle that I looked up to. I thought he was the stuff. He told us stories all the time about hunting. I mean back in the late 80,s this guy had everything for hunting. He had big red three wheelers, 72 chev short bed truck, and camper trailer. He had bows, rifles and the works. The only problem was He must have been the anti deer or something. I don't think he has killed a deer yet in Utah and it has been almost 20 years since I have talked hunting with him.

I don't know how you can go hunting with a bunch of guys every year and you are the only one who never gets a deer. He has told me he has gone a couple of seasons without even seeing a doe. WTH! Can someone?s luck be that bad? The guys he goes hunting with always seem to get their deer.

Do any of you know anyone that has the same luck? Tell their story!

Archery is a year round commitment!!

BGbasbhat · Jul 21, 2008

Is he all ticked off when he doesn't get a buck every year?

I know alot of guys who have alot of the gear and good tags; but just enjoy being out there with their buddies. They could really care less about getting a buck.

.....wish they would leave the tag for people who really want to hunt!!

swbuckmaster · Jul 21, 2008

He enjoys going out and still does but after a few years he did start getting upset.

I am posting to see if any one else has friends that seem to have bad luck. Tell us their story

I bet there are a few that are pretty funny

Archery is a year round commitment!!

skyline_driver · Jul 21, 2008

I have a friend that usually gets a deer every year but is a dumb ass when hunting, gets mad having to walk too much, waking up early, hates hunting when he doesn't get one, etc. The list goes on and on. I have some funny stories about hunting with him, but he usually gets a deer, so I'm not much luck here bro!

B_F_E · Jul 21, 2008

I've found myself increasingly disinterested in killing a deer, kinda think that I've already killed my fair share so I don't really want to mess with them unless its going on the wall.

Deerlove · Jul 21, 2008

BFE, I think we all evolve (sp?) as hunters, I just want to see a buck that makes me shake.

cjg_beef · Jul 21, 2008

In the 10 years I've hunted deer I've only shot two. The first 3-4 years of hunting I don't think I saw a buck. But things are starting to change and I've been seeing bucks every year the last few years and even some big ones.

rabbitslayer · Jul 21, 2008

My brother in law is the same way. We think his whole family is cursed. I get one every year we go and he goes with me every year. Oh well we are super competitive with each other so I am glad that it is him and not me. I think the pressure is too much for him and I am just out there to have fun. We'll see if the curse continues in a few weeks.

muleymaniac81 · Jul 21, 2008

My curse comes with predator calling. I've called in a place one day and not seen anything. Go back a few days later taking my son or my uncle, and if I don't have a gun, I'll call in at least 2 or 3. Every time. Not just now and then, I mean every time I don't have a gun, we get at least 2 shots, occasionally as many as 8 shots. But, give me a varmint rifle, and I can't call in anything. I'm just glad that is predators and not deer.

1911 · Jul 21, 2008

The older I get the more I feel like the buck hitting the ground marks the end of play and the start of work.

GilaJeff · Jul 21, 2008

LAST EDITED ON Jul-21-08 AT 10:13PM (MST)[p]My oldest brother and my dad get drawn just about every year for deer or elk, and they never tag out. My wife says they don't go hunting, just hiking with guns. It doesn't seem to bother them though, they still apply and go out every year. It is a great time to spend time together in the woods.

nickman · Jul 21, 2008

Some guys just simply don't care if they kill a deer or not.

I haven't shot a dinky deer in 30 years, just to fill my tag. I still hunt, but it better be seriously mature before I will kill it now.

deserthorn · Jul 22, 2008

my friends family and me all when we go hunting its not to just kill a buck its to either kill a mature buck or nothing thats just how we have always done it. so in the past 5 years I think out of all 10 of us and many different out of state tags and out of the country tags each year we have only killed 14 deer. and we will have 6 tags a year each. but all of those bucks were very mature deer with one of them going in the 220 range. so for me I don't have to kill a deer every year as long as I get to go out and enjoy my hunt for a mature buck. but thats just me some people like to kill deer every year no matter what size it is and they cant understand me.

Jake

coolarrow1 · Jul 22, 2008

I have a friend that hasn't harvested a deer in 16 years. A few years back he drew a 2B tag here in nm So I thought for sure he would fill his tag but they had a really bad snow storm and a big tree fell on his truck.after clearing the tree off he packed his stuff and came home. He is still goes hunting every year, and just laughs it off and say when are we going hunting?

gb22 · Jul 22, 2008

I have a friend who has killed one deer on his own. I helped him get his only elk two years ago. He's 38 and hunts all the time. Granted, not with the intensity that some do, but his luck IS horrible.

Personally, I've gone through the "stages", but about 5 years ago, decided I wanted to kill a few again...I'd been holding out for the next world record and hadn't shot at a deer for a while. I reduced my standards a little and (current priority) bring home a mature muley each year (from 170 to 187 (he got measured)).

I think as long as you're enjoying and playing by the rules, you're doing the right thing. Even when I promise to get Jeremy, my unlucky friend, on a deer/elk, he's decided I make him walk a little too far, a little too early and a little too often....he's disappointed each year, but is still having fun.

Within the shadows, go quietly.

lone_hunter · Jul 23, 2008

I am not sure if I know a lot that have bad luck, sometimes I think that bad luck is directly proportionate to effort. That being said, I have known people that have extremely good luck. They seem to give little effort, and even kind of a dumb*** and still take great animals consistently.

More and more I believe that I am different than most why I love to hunt. Over the last 30 years, that I could carry a tag, I have taken likely 45+- animals. Some small and some really nice animals, but it never gets old. I find it curious that a lot of hunters like to call it ?evolving or maturing as a hunter? to try for only trophy animals. I am not critical of them for why or what they hunt, but I don't view it as evolving. What I think makes me different is I love every aspect of the hunt, except the 4+ hour drive to hunt and worse driving home. I will measure the quality of a hunt on my effort. Did I do every thing I could according to the conditions of the hunt. Did I make a good stalk on the animal. Did I outsmart a mature animal. Did I make a good shot. Also the conditions of the hunt. I love snow. The Utah ML is the best time of the year to be in the mountains, late September. And yes, I enjoy the actual kill. If necessary, tracking can be a lot of fun. And unlike so many, after the kill it is not ?work?. It may take a lot of effort, but it is all part of the experience. I almost always quarter or bone the animal, and enjoy doing it in the field. I never hunt from a vehicle or ATV, so I generally need to pack it out. I also hunt alone, and find it easier to put it on my back than try to drag. I even enjoy processing my own meat.

Bottom line, I will not criticize someone for the choice whether they want to fill a tag or only hunt for mature animals with the exception of high fence (zoo) hunting, but that is a whole other topic, if it is done legally and ethically.

muzzyman · Jul 23, 2008

I have a friend that has been hunting with our group for over 15yrs and has not punched his tag yet. We have had some experiences with him that have made us double over in laughter. I don't know if its bad luck or his inability to put into practice what we have tried teaching him.

Last year we had a 3 point bedded at 100yrds. We got him set up and told him to get a good rest and get ready. When the deer stood he waited and waited and waited until we told him to take the shot. When he finally pulled the trigger the deer just stood there and looked at him as if to say "what the Hell". He walked away and my buddy tried to tell us that he had hit a twig.

He alway's seems to have an excuse, if its his gun, scope, arrow, etc. I feel bad for him, but at the same time he has given me some good laughs.

balz · Jul 23, 2008

Hunted with a Father and Son both had Pauns. Tags in Southern Utah this was a number of years ago, the hunting was tough but we were still seeing a good number of decent bucks. It was the muzzleloader hunt and the son who was 22 at the time and had to get back to school so it was his last day to hunt. In that day we saw more nice bucks then we had all season long. Every time it was Davey's shot because it was his last day and I watched that corn hole miss 5 times at under or around 100 yards that day. Three bucks were easily 170 plus bucks not hawgs but not bad any would have been his biggest deer to date. I was convinced that this kid just did not want to kill a deer by the end of the day. I think the only reason he went hunting was to make his dad happy but he was not intrested in killing a deer no matter what. I was young at the time and I hated that kid I just wanted to see him kill a deer pretty bad and no matter how close it was he would miss. At one time he got out of the truck and started putting a stalk through the wide open sage brush on one of the bigger bucks. This buck was at 90 yards the second he got out of the truck I still to this day have no idea what the heck he was thinking. Drives me nuts just thinking about it.
Jordan

eelgrass · Jul 23, 2008

I hunted on a private blacktail ranch for a few years. It was a great ranch with lots of deer. We had one member who, as far as I know, never did get a deer. I tried to help him out many times. One time I drove him to the top of a mountain and dropped him off. I told him to hunt down the ridge and I would pick him up at the bottom. I drove to the bottom and then walked up the ridge a ways to meet him. I was standing there next to a tree and here he comes. He had his rifle over his shoulder looking down and kicking rocks and cussing up a storm! "There ain't no %^&* deer around here! Son of a *%#@"

He walked by me within 20 yards and never saw me standing there!

He had already decided there weren't any deer before he even started. I never wasted time with him again.

Eel

manny15 · Jul 23, 2008

maybe he's really blind?

BrowningRage · Jul 25, 2008

I have a second cousin who is really close witih my dad. He used to hunt the Bok Cliffs with some of his buddies. They would make the trip every year. Some of those years his friends would take nice deer. For some odd-ball reason, his friends always let him have first crack at every deer they saw. And for those who have hunted the Books during their Hay-Day, you know there were some whoppers!! This cousin of mine has missed big bucks with both muzzleloader and rifle. Some bucks he missed I have been told were large non-typicals with 12 or more points.
The funniest story was their last muzzleloader trip. On the opening morning they found a real wall-hanger that couldn't have cared less they had driven up on him. My cousin took out his muzzleloader, walked down off of the road and set up on the buck. When he finally took aim the buck stood to give him a perfect shot, 70 yards. He was so excited he apparently forgot his cap, but the funniest part is when he pulled the trigger he leaned so far into the recoil that didn't come, he fell to his knees!!!! Buck-Fever plus Unlucky!! The buck trotted off. Best laugh I ever had at my cousin's expense. Still feel bad for him.

cmiddleton · Jul 27, 2008

i to have evolved i have one spot i love to hunt its heaven on earth to me. i bow hunt it only and wish everyone else did too.
I'm there every day i can even though i could stick a buck every weekend i haven't shot a deer there sense 03. just love sizing them up hoping they make it threw the rifle season so he could get some age on him.
i know a whole family who go elk hunting every year in my back up hunting spot and one year they got a cow. one year mark got a deer with the truck on his way to town to get beer.
i had to go pick them up with a trailer i was hot. i call them beer hunters.
you would think just once they would be sleeping it off in the woods and wake up with elk around them. baffles me how they could not see elk