WHAT KIND OF DEER HUNTER ARE YOU, THE 5 STAGES OF A HUNTER
Don’t Get Stage Fright:
What stage are you on as a hunter, woodsman or sportsman? Hunting is the most varied activity humans perform. It encompasses an infinite range of methods, techniques, equipment and participation levels. Allow me to state clearly, there is not a superior versus inferior hunting method. I could list most methods from drives with large numbers of participants to tree stand hunting while alone. This article is about something beyond that. Please take a few minutes of your time and follow along as I describe what I think are the five stages of deer hunting regardless of your preferred method.
Stage one is the “I want to kill a deer” stage. Stage two is the “I want to kill a buck” stage. Stage three is the “I want to kill a lot of deer” stage. Stage four is the “I want to kill a big buck stage”. Stage five is the “I want to consistently be able to kill big bucks but moreover manage the herd for quality bucks and doe, manage the habitat, and all the while promoting this concept with other hunters and ensuring the activity is around for generation to come stage”. That last description is a mouthful.
Newcomers to the sport of hunting are more aligned with stage one. They want to kill a deer, buck or doe, and size does not matter. They are desperate to make it happen. They often rush to judgement and sometimes make poor decision like shot placement and proper sex identification prior to taking the shot. Hopefully a stage one hunter graduates to stage two rather quickly.
Stage two hunters have progressed to now wanting to kill a buck. Hopefully it’s a buck of good size but they will still pull the trigger on any size legal buck. Their not putting much effort into anything except trying to make the shot.
Stage three hunters are after as many deer as they possibly can get. Primarily it’s a numbers game for them and the deer are the losers. It gives the appearance its more about bragging rights than it is the experience. Most stage three hunters are capable woodsmen and confident marksmen. They may remain at stage three for their entire life. Stage three is where the majority of hunters reside. This is the stage that is most detrimental to a quality deer managed program. Certain methods of hunting will only be able to achieve stage three status. Eventually, some of the stage three hunters decide that what is right for them is to set new personal goals and step up to stage four. Stage four hunters are willing to dedicate more time, money, and resources towards achieving their goal. They start the education process to understand the prey they seek. They plan to only shoot mature bucks. They take advantage of the doe harvest opportunities afforded to them and typically make wise decisions on which deer to kill. Stage four hunters can quickly revert to stage three if success is seldom or too difficult to attain, if they are allowed to do so. Stage four hunters spend significantly more time afield than the previous stages while planting food plots, filling feeders, setting up stands, and checking their cameras. They become more in tune with the whitetail deer environment. If success is frequent, yet challenging, most will settle down right here for the remainder of their hunting endeavors.
Few hunters ever truly achieve stage five.
Stage five is not for everyone. The first convection of a stage five hunter is to leave jealousy, envy, and greed behind them.
Often times it’s not even practical becoming a stage five hunter based on the method of hunting, amount of time required, the expense, and property access available to pursue the many facets of stage five hunting.
I personally spent time in all five stages. I enjoyed all of them during my progression.
My greatest satisfaction with regards to whitetail deer hunting, to date, is stage five. It has opened so many doors of opportunity for me personally that would have remained closed had I not progressed to this level. I’ve been blessed to meet great people including knowledgeable experts in the fields of habitat management, wildlife biologist, professional hunters, successful stewards of properties, deer growers, large animal veterinarians, and even some famous people along my way. I’ve been most fortunate to see and even score several hundred sets of antlers that are the trophies of other hunters. Each set of antlers are unique in their own way and I admire them all. I’ve participated in hunting industry events as a spokesperson to promote hunting and management related products. I’ve facilitated numerous educational seminars for deer management. I’ve written and published numerous articles about the outdoors and deer management in magazines, on YouTube, and on hunting sites on the internet. I’ve visited and/or hunted private properties as a guest that I normally could never set foot on. I’ve participated in game management surveys with multiple landowners. I promote game management to anyone that is willing to keep an open mind and has a genuine interest in deer management. If you talk to me about deer hunting, you will not here all the long drawn out stories of all my kills. Rather, you will hear about the how to information, what works principles, goal setting strategies, land improvements, and so much more. Oh, and along the way, I too am successful at killing mature bucks and doe that become excellent table-fare for the many folks in my circle of life.
I am not ashamed of my progression through the five stages of deer hunting. That’s what got me to where I am today. I do not wish to pass judgement or shame anyone at any stage in their hunting progression.
I simply have a desire within me to encourage all hunters to seek the next level. Make it truly a progression of stages not a standstill or reversal. I encourage you to do so more rapidly than ever before. It’s your next stage that will ensure the sport of hunting remains viable and that the species not only survive but thrive. Like me, you may never know the good things stage five deer hunting may have in store for you.
Article written by; Jay Cone, Living Everyday Outdoors
