For years I thought I knew. Being a good shot sure helps. Being quiet and motionless and playing the winds
is manditory. Saftey is uttmost important. With different game you may have to change your strategy
slightly. I've been an outfitterfor 17 years and guide for 20. I have had many good hunters and some great
ones over the years. One hunter stands out as being exceptional. He does all of the above things well. What
makes him exceptional is his thoughtfulness to other hunters, even under devistating circumstances. He,
Tom, has been hunting with me for 7 years now. Tom always comes bear baiting with me and he knows as
well as I do which baits have the biggest bear hitting. He has never once asked me to put him on those baits
and insists someone else sit on them. The last two years have been devistating for him. First, his brother
Allen past away. Allen was thoughtful like Tom is. Then his daughter Kelly past away six months later. Within
a year his father died. Tom hunted with me through these trying times. He always remained thoutful and
put other hunters ahead of himself, whether he knew them or not. I have felt priveleged to have him in
camp. He has made me a better hunter and outfitter.
I might add; He has got many record book bear over the years and I believe he will continue to do so.

Drive, Desire, Dedication, Persistance, Patience, and just plain old natural Savy in the field. The man who notices everything while hunting and never lets anything excape his attention no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. The man with those qualities will be the most accomplished hunter, marksman, and game getter in the field. No matter what question you may ask him about hunting, he gives you a knowledgable logical answer to your question. He knows instictively through scouting where to ambush those big bucks year after year. You know he knows his stuff, and always comes back to camp dragging the biggest buck during the hunting season.

We all envy him, but never work as hard as he does every season to take his big bucks. He is a calm cool customer, and never comes unglued when the time comes to make the shot. He knows his skills are honed to a razor's egde and is always ready when hunting season comes. He lives to hunt and becomes one with nature. He can smell a deer in the woods before he can see them. He is the quintessential domestic wild animal ready all the time.

Few of us know a hunter of that stature with all those qualities.

I have an uncle who turned vegitarian quite some years ago, but he still would buy his lisence and pack his Large frame Winchester 45-70 into the hills each fall just for the love of the traditional family outing. He used to annoy me to no end when he would come back to camp and tell me about the big bucks he had in his sights as he watched them meander away.



On the other hand I know a very accomplished hunter who is always very fit, a great shot and quite succesfull. BUT! When he doesnt score he will bi@%H and lament to the point of making everyone tense and miserable. Of the two, Ill take my vegetarian Uncle as a partner every time. A pure and simple love for the sport is the first prerequsite in my book.