For a deer hunting season? The number of deer seen, the quality of deer seen notwithstanding numbers seen, the size of antlers on a buck taken, the age of buck taken - irrespective of antler size, all of the these - combination of these - none of these and something else? For me personally, seeing some quality of bucks for the area that I am hunting whether I harvest or not is what keeps me motivated, season-season. What say you???

How much I've laughed around a campfire with other hunters.

Deer meat in an ice chest without injury to myself or others.

This and watching nature......as long as I have animals, sunrise and sunset to watch the killing is the icing on the cake for me.

I do get a kick out of finding what I think will be a great set for hunting and watching it all come together like I hoped it would be.

Every second I'm in the field and not working is a big win for me.

Any hunt for me is about finding, hunting and harvesting the oldest and largest animal in any particular location I am hunting be it the deer lease, the mountains of WY, the plains of AB, etc.... Sure, I have a good time with the process, but ultimately for me at my age now it's all about the results.

I gotta agree with Creekrunner.....
Adios,
Gary

All of my gear and I getting to do its purpose, and do it well.

It’s success as soon as my tires touch dirt. Even if that means the next three days involve shovels, chains, winches and tractors.

I measure it based off in large part of the game seen and game taken.

Although one of the funnest trips I’ve ever had was last year in Colorado. I didn’t get a elk but did see a 190” mule deer and hunted with two guys instead of 6 and it was much much better. Had a lot of fun.

But l like seeing game and taking game. That’s the reason I’m out there.

By making it to another ( whatever ) season intact & in good health.

I think success is based off of killing the amount of deer you want to kill every time. I’ve gotten to where I don’t care if I ever kill another one, so every trip is a success for me.

I hate to admit it, but in the past it was the amount of game in the freezer vs the money spent. I'm not poor or indigent, either. Just a mentality I guess. Mostly small game with an air rifle.

Now it is based mostly on the kid's success, whether they had fun, whether they want to go back out. I got the youngest boy hooked on squirrel hunting. We only got a few this year but it doesn't matter- what matters is he can't wait to go squirrel hunting again.

Ensuring the kid's success will definitely change your outlook on cost vs. return. The air rifle was my primary hunting tool, now it's a shotgun. Pretty much used to keep only Remington game loads, #6 shot because they are $5 for 25. Now I have tried every 12 guage #4 load on the store shelf nearby to ensure success. Nothing like hitting a big fox squirrel 3 times in a row to see it run off crippled, to shame you into putting more money AND effort into it. Especially when it happens in front of your kid We pretty much use nothing but Remington Express #4's now for all small game hunting. Overall it has been a blast

I hope the girls will be the same as the boy.

Agree with this. I enjoy putting in the off season work just as much as hunting.

With a RULER!!!

How many memories did we make?

Amen to that

I get a great deal of satisfaction in seeing newbies have some success. To have shared their joy in an experience that will last them a lifetime, does it for me.

100% agree. Also agree with pitchfork AND believe it or not agree with Choctaw and DH3.

I agree with all of these on this subject.

Out in the woods way from the City is a great thing in its self. There was a time I wanted to fill out my limit of what ever then wanted the oldest biggest I could find, now just enjoy the nature and time with Friends and Family. I get my best sleep in the woods while hunting and if I miss seeing something due to a nap so be it. I still like to take a couple deer a year because I really enjoy the meat.

.Some of the funnest hunts I have done over the years are helping with TYHP hunts. Sharing the excitement of the kids and perhaps teaching them a little about this sport we love and the outdoors.

After reading this thread, I think I'd like to hunt with many of you, sounds like we may be kindred spirits. I measure success in hunting by the amount of time spent outdoors, pitting yourself against worthy prey, trying to put yourself in a position to be successful. It is the pursuit and -hopefully- killing of an animal that will provide meat for my family and friends. It is the time spent with those friends and family, sharing a passion, focusing on a common goal, communing with nature, and enjoying the great outdoors of our beautiful state of Texas (and beyond). Hunting success is relaxing around a fire after a tough day, telling stories and laughing. And it is the passing of the torch to the next generation of Texas hunters, the lessons of self-sufficiency and grit that we got from those who taught us and who we remember fondly.

Success for me is getting away from the city, watching animals, enjoying time in the blind with my wife and witnessing the joy she gets when she has success. Rarely have a bad day at the lease except when its muddy, but even then its better than working.

Yep.. As an outfitter we have lot's of metrics we keep. Deer herd numbers. Number of bucks harvested. B&C Score. Number of Texas Big Game Awards. But only thing I really care about anymore is the number of smiles had and memories made.

My answer is solely meant to raise more questions on a topic I find very interesting, and not to call anyone out.

I found this thread (and everyones responses) very interesting, particularly because I am involved in another email based forum between wildlife professionals from around the world and this topic comes up regularly. The topic of measuring hunters success and why people hunt is very hard to quantify, and difficult to ascertain whether people lie or not about it. And it is a hot topic right now given the R3 (recruitment, retention, reactivation) push in a lot of state and non-profit agencies to increase hunters/hunting license sales. So many of the points I bring up are questions commonly asked on the other forum I am on, and not meant to target anybody in particular.

The reason I say it is difficult to ascertain whether people lie is largely because many answers in the surveys are all very similar, and revolve around safe answers: "watching the sun come up, spending time with friends and family, number of smiles, etc". On this thread, many are willing to admit/ tangentially say that true success to them is killing an animal. I fear many of us use those "safe" answers elsewhere because those are accepted answers from society as a whole- wherein lies the problem. We do not want to answer in a way that will make hunting/hunters look bad, plus you are less likely to be pestered or looked down upon (even among hunters) than admitting you measure success, or the reason why you hunt is because you enjoy killing your food. Do we just want to be accepted by each other, and say we have similar gauges of success or reasons to hunt even if we are lying to each other? Are those safe answers used by others to make them feel morally superior to those who admit success to them is to kill an animal?

My definition of success changes based on scale of day, season, lifetime, etc. Since the OP specified season, my answer stays the same: did i bring home meat for myself and my family? TO ME, coming home alive, safe, etc is necessary for success in all aspects of my life. Not just in hunting.

So, If you weren't out there to kill something as your primary driver, would you still spend as much money as you do to get these "experiences"? Would you get up and go watch sunrises every day/weekend, or would you sleep in and miss those sunrises and be none-the-wiser, just like the days you aren't hunting? Why not go camping and hang out with family and friends at a state/county/city park instead of at a lease? You will still likely see wildlife, still hang out with friends, still see sunrises but for a whole lot less money and work. Do you consider it a MORE successful season if you do harvest an animal, instead of just watching sunrises, making memories etc?

I am not here to judge. I give the same "safe" answers given I don't know my audience. I am guilty of it, but honestly say that I don't get up just to watch a sunrise regularly if I am not hunting/fishing or happen to see it while driving to work. I hang out with friends and family while not hunting- that isn't my only opportunity. I could spend the money for those experiences elsewhere that I get from hunting, but choose not to. At the root of it, ultimately I do measure my success by killing an animal and bringing it home. THAT is ultimately why I hunt, all the other reasons are just bonuses that I cherish as well- and not the drivers of why i hunt or spend time outdoors. But I am likely an outlier in the US hunting population as a whole, because I hunt hard and I hunt often, where harvesting/killing my food is my main motivation.

I know our individual definition of success as we go through life does change. But has your primary reason for hunting changed? Are you more in it for the "outdoor experience", or for the hunt? I am sure some answers from this thread were 100% truthful, depending on the that persons experiences through life. But, I do wonder ultimately how truthful we are, even on a hunting forum with mostly like-minded people? How many people didn't want to admit they hunt and measure success as killing an animal and bringing it home? And why should we be ashamed if it is?

Like I said, my answer is solely meant to make you think critically on a topic I find very interesting, and not to attack anyone.

One thing I do ask, is if you are ever part of a hunting survey asking your reasoning for hunting, or how you measure success, be TRUTHFUL. Look at the underlying reason within yourself behind your answers. If they give you options, and your reason isn't on there, write it in.

Most of my lease members are family, and even those that are not, seem to share the same basic mentality! We are deer hunters and are there to hopefully take a nice buck that we are proud of, and to get enough freezer meat to keep us for the year! The laughing and cutting up come with it! I live in the country on dirt roads about 1 1/2 miles from my lease so seeing wildlife is pretty much an every day thing for me! I go to my lease on a regular basis and get to enjoy what most have to designate a weekend off for! As lease manager, I don't set a standard for how old or how big a deer has to be, as I feel like a trophy is what makes a person feel good and successful on a hunt! We enjoy giving each other a hard time for a missed shot,or a missed opportunity or whatever and are mindful of the fact that "not" shooting young bucks leads to bigger and better bucks! Now with that said, you only get one trophy buck, so you can't complain about not taking a nice big mature buck if you shoot junior! In other words, we respect one another and our decisions, and when a deer is taken, it's always followed by congratulations! Ours is a lease designated to "HAVE FUN"! That's what it is about!

For me the measure of "Success" may be different each season.

Last year I was after one specific buck I had let go the year before knowing he would be something special the following year. "Success" would have been targeting that one specific buck and getting him...…..and I got it done the very first day of bow season despite having no pictures of him at all in the weeks and months leading up to that point. To me there is no bigger reward in hunting than targeting a specific animal and playing the chess game trying to out smart him. Anyone can go out and kill a deer......but not everybody can go out and target a specific animal and get it done.

This year "Success" for me will be measured some other way but not sure how just yet. Going into this coming season I have no prospects at all to look forward to so I may not even kill a buck at all. I wont consider that a failure because I know going in that its a very real possibility, and if I were to get a buck I would consider it a bonus at this point. Sure I could go out and pop a 3 year old like so many others do and claim "success" but I have been there and done that and its really not all that much fun. A fat mature doe might be my "success" this year and Im cool with that.

Success for me is about the quality of the experience. There is nothing like getting into a deer stand in the dark, hearing the sounds of different birds, maybe some coyotes, then seeing the sunrise. I like the quiet time to focus on where I am in my journey through life, and where I am going. I like to see and harvest game. However, I have no desire to shoot anything at first light, because I then feel I missed out on the day. I find hunting is a way to relax my mind, and find peace within myself. That is my success.

Watching animals on my own place. Planting food plots. Working on the cabin. Drinking beer by the fire. All of it. Pulling a trigger is only part of it.

Of course harvesting a deer larger and more impressive then my previous best is the ultimate success. However seeing improvement in my resident deer population, my wife and family members seeing and maybe harvesting something exciting or special and that could be a little ole doe. . I have been hunting since I'm 12 that's 59 years and I've never had a year that made me think I should be less excited about the coming new season. I love everything about the outdoors and I'm praying if I'm lucky when it's time to check out that there's a 1/4 or 1/2 section where my dad and my uncle John already have a spot reserved for me at the camp fire and a couple good stands for me to spend some quality time.

I go on a hunt to enjoy the hunt. I do a lot of hunting alone and do enjoy hunting alone but will hunt with friends if they are going to hunt as long or as often as I do. I prefer to pick one animal to hunt if I have a choice but many times just hunt till I find what I like. I keep hunting till I find that animal or the season is over. I enjoy watching wildlife, landscape, etc but in the end I can do that the rest of the year. So when I go hunting...I am there to hunt and kill what I was after. That is why I have so many mounts from past hunts so that I can remember those hunts. I can BS with my buddies anytime and anyplace while hunting or in the off season. I can call them on the phone if I choose...might be to rub in the fact that the hunting was just great and tell them about what I killed while they were still at home....

Great post. These threads often turn into a kind of “one-upper” thread where people give the “safe” answers either because they think that’s what they’re supposed to do or because they think it makes them look “proper”. I’m pretty sure that’s the case for about 90% of those who give such answers - especially if they are younger than 65 or so.

I have been all over North America enjoying the outdoors hunting, fishing and camping. I’m pretty sure I enjoy nature, friends, and being out as much as anyone. I love the outdoors.
But I’m not hunting solely to be outdoors - I’m seeking an animal that meets certain criteria. I love matching wits with the quarry. Whitetail hunting at my farm is a long game, and I don’t have to take one every trip or even every year. But I’m still hunting, not just nature watching.

On my western hunts, I’m sure not going to sit here and give that old saw that a hunt where no animal is taken is just as successful as one where no buck, bull, or ram is taken. I’m hunting. I’m seeking to kill an animal. When I don’t, I’m disappointed. Otherwise, what the he** have I prepared and worked so hard for??

The supposed “5th stage” of a hunter is where they simply seek to mentor others and don’t care if they ever kill anything again. I’ve reached the mentoring stage, but I honestly hope I never reach the point where I never care if I kill anything. Because I’m pretty sure that means I’m not a hunter anymore.

Anyway, my

Spent time hunting. Spent time around the fire with friends. No one got hurt, no equipment got ruined. If we see some animals, it is a bonus. If any of us took one, or more, those are bonuses, also.

Cheap meat.

Yup....I'm much more interested in just getting away from work and the house to hang out with people I like....hunting is as good enough excuse as any....

when you get my age..success could be just being able to get out into GODS country..having a granddaughter..or any child to be along side you..even more when he/she gets their first kill..or being at the deer lease and having an emergency call to tell you better get to the hospital..your first grandson is about to be born..ON YOUR BIRTHDAY..success can be a myriad of things..success is not having to live up to anybody elses measurments in life,in the woods..but when you reach that point in life when youre comfortable in your own skin..Great thread!!! i was about to say when your wife lights up a cigarette after a fun....well ill leave it at that..