Success is what happens when and where you are. Success in Comal County can have quite different measurements than in Frio County. Success in a ten foot john boat going down the Nueces is likely much different than a guided trip at Lake Fork.

I stretched my budget one year, maybe 21 years ago, to go on a mule deer hunt in some Hard Scrabble area of Utah. Went with some of the finest people I get to be around, met some really good people, witnessed some glorious country and saw no mule deer (zero). Out of the six paid hunters on our trip, one chambered a round, albeit not for what they were looking for, and the others saw nothing - nada. To a T, every dad gum one of us had a great time and still often tender fond recollections of the extended outing. The tent collapsing with the foot of snow in the middle of the night also provided for a great memory. When we got snowed in, the camp fire on the mountain with recitations of cowboy poetry was absolutely memorable. My feeding my breakfast apple to a buddy's horse (I thought it was my horse) was memorable. My losing the stirrups on the slippery trek down is still spoken about. I could go and on and on. Paid bigley to see mule deer, didn't see any mule deer and made the most of it.

My thoughts on hunting is it puts man back were man evolved - out in the country doing more primitive things in the pursuit of bringing him back to his roots. If you've got to shoot the biggest, noteworthy animal to bring you back to your roots, then maybe a little introspection is in in order. If your success is dependent on money, then spend it. If you don't have it, then make more of it so you can be happy. if you can't achieve hunting success without more money, I doubt you will be successful at other endeavours, which typically all involve money. Don't put yourselves in positions where you cannot succeed. Maybe somes of you aren't really hunters - find contentment.

Testing, are you kidding or truly in a dream world. An idiot was beating tests in the 50’s. Look at what happened in the Olympics(the most extreme testing in the world), and even today, they can’t catch them. So, your 5 buddies broke 500 in the bench, in your day and time, and they were 18 to 22 years old, in your glory day. I got some swamp land….
But, that is a different discussion.

You look into the guys that can “afford” to hunt all the time and it’s because they are not married, don’t have children and live on shoestring budgets to be able to have the time and money to hunt like they do.

There is a definite sacrifice on their end, it’s not all play and no sacrifice.

Chuck Adams is not a rich guy. He has parlayed his talent into some awesome opportunities but it’s not due to his business success

Many business men barely have time to take a long lunch break

Last year I took my kids on a billfish trip in Costa Rica and we all caught a sailfish. Last week I took my kids fly fishing on the Guadalupe to catch little sunfish and 10 inch Guadalupe bass.

Had a great time doing both and the river trip wasn’t any less special than the billfish trip. If you live your life always envious of others or looking down on what you have you are going to be a miserable person.

For maybe the 4th or 5th time, more $$$$$ on private land usually provides more opportunity and chance at bigger, higher scoring animals; doesn't guarantee success but provides greater chance at successes on private land, without a shadow of a doubt.

Donald Trump Jr. (a fantastic shot and extremely gifted hunter according to his dad) might have a slight advantage over me on putting Cabelas in his bedroom. Maybe not if I can save my pennies and get his dad’s jet to fly around in. Kiddingy

Trying to figure out how $ works to the success for hunters pursuing anything other than head gear?

Horse poop and you know it. There’s a reason people buy land and have leases besides trophy deer. I’m not in south Texas where the likely hood of a 160+ buck is much of a possibility but I don’t have to worry about the public hunters trashing the area, stealing everything, poaching or hunting on top of me.

Horse poop and you know it. There’s a reason people buy land and have leases besides trophy deer. I’m not in south Texas where the likely hood of a 160+ buck is much of a possibility but I don’t have to worry about the public hunters trashing the area, stealing everything, poaching or hunting on top of me.

Trying hard (ie: real hard) to understand your "call out" and lament here. Pretty sure I have never paid to hunt varmints yet, people like me to come back. Same pretty much goes for hoggies. Close by and far away. Bet I can find private land where I am free to chase squirells and bunny rabbits.

Ive folllowed this thread but tried to stay away from it cause the answer is so obvious its hardly worth debating and seems a waste of time to comment.
But here goes.... Success can be measured in many ways but Im pretty sure the OP meant success of Trophy type animals.

ASSUMING we are defining success as Trophy animals, then....
> Money can help buy opportunities which can vastly improve chances for success on Trophy type animals but does not guarantee success.
>A lack of money makes success at Trophy animals more difficult but does not make it impossible.

The rest of the banter back and forth is pretty far off base from the original premise and partially because of the way the OP started the thread and partly cause many need something to debate in the off season.
Well, I did it, I wasted 15 minutes of my day(but it is the offseason).....

Ive folllowed this thread but tried to stay away from it cause the answer is so obvious its hardly worth debating and seems a waste of time to comment.
But here goes.... Success can be measured in many ways but Im pretty sure the OP meant success of Trophy type animals.

ASSUMING we are defining success as Trophy animals, then....
> Money can help buy opportunities which can vastly improve chances for success on Trophy type animals but does not guarantee success.
>A lack of money makes success at Trophy animals more difficult but does not make it impossible.

The rest of the banter back and forth is pretty far off base from the original premise and partially because of the way the OP started the thread and partly cause many need something to debate in the off season.
Well, I did it, I wasted 15 minutes of my day(but it is the offseason).....

I’ve been following along since this thread began. Wasn’t going to state the obvious but when you strip away the envy and misunderstanding, it works like this. Whether it is the pursuit of money or trophy animals, those who regularly succeed make their own breaks. The individual unwilling to accept that is generally not going to be as lucky.