The “Average” Hunter..

It depends on the game. Duck hunting is a totally different sub culture of hunting than deer or turkey or coyote. I'm probably an average coyote and rabbit hunter, above average deer and squirrel hunter. There is no average turkey hunter. To me, the average deer hunter is the guy that lives in urban area, but comes out to the woods a few weekends a year to try and put a rack on his wall. Many that I know have hunted for years and taken very few if any deer, much less any bucks they would put on a wall.
I'm fortunate enough to have private land, so I can hunt almost any day of the season and I mainly hunt for meat these days. I put 4 to 5 deer in the freezer every year for myself and sometimes shoot more if a friend or neighbor also wants some meat.

I probably am biased, but living in Southern California, my experience with the "average" hunter is pretty poor. He owns a few guns, about which he knows nearly nothing and cannot shoot well or handle safely. His hunts involve stomping around the desert wondering if that fence means he's not on public land anymore. He occasionally sees a deer a mile away and then posts on the Facebook hunting group about how he needs to buy a 6.5 Creedmore.

So yeah, "average hunter" does have some negative connotations in some places. In other places, well, I'd be happy to take a lesson from any of the "average" hunters on THR.

Out here in CO, it's a guy and his buddy slowly driving dirt roads looking off to either side into the trees, or slowly driving highways through national forest looking up at the hills. In both cases they're trying to spot game off the road whilst driving. They're wearing all their gear in the truck, including their blaze orange, ready to get out and take a shot if they ever see anything. They don't appear to have done any scouting, don't look physically fit, and don't seem to want to stray off the road unless they're actually in pursuit of an animal.

Then there's the guys who park up somewhere off road and sit around waiting for game to show up, whilst drink coffee and chatting.

There's another type too. Who to their credit do actually leave there vehicles, and go crashing or bumbling through the woods. Too loud and fast for Still hunting, but obviously not trying to get anywhere in particular. And seem to think if they wander around long enough they'll just bump into the game they're looking for.

I don't think I've seen many hunters that know what they're doing. Probably because the ones that do, are out in the woods being quiet and stealthy, or sitting up on a hill somewhere behind a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope.

We have another group around here, the hunting clubs. One near me has a 600acre farm with two condominium "blinds" from which they take shots at deer 1000yds away in the corn field. Then they throw up a tree stand 10' feet off the property line 50yds away from one of my stands. Fortunately I know how to deal with this, and they haven't shot any deer from that stand in 5yrs. They finally took it down this year. Hmmm. Lol

When I started deer hunting I would still hunt deer on my grandpa’s farm .

When he died and the farm was sold I joined a hunting club that used dogs and we would sit on a deer stand waiting for the dogs to run one by you .

I bought my own land 2 years ago in another county . They have a style of hunting here called truck hunting . They use dogs with gps collars on them and cb radios and they chase the dogs in their trucks trying to cutoff the deer . This is the worst type of hunting that I have seen . IMO very unsafe not just for the hunter , but also the public the way they fly up the road and shoot across the road and into other peoples property . I spend most of my hunting time trying to keep them from dropping their dogs into my property now . I caught 2 last season . I am going to try and video them next season . These are the type of hunters that give hunters and people that hunt with dogs a bad name . I can see why hunting with hounds is unlawfully in some states now

The average hunter........kills deer at under 200 yds on often under 100 yds, shoots their rifle once before season starts to make sure she still shoots straight, has very little comprehension of the difference between a berger/game changer/scirocco 2/lrx,eldx/bxr/ablr/etip and an interlock/corelokt/sgk/nbt/federal bluebox, the average hunter rarely needs to know the differences because this fall's issue of field and stream will tell him exactly what rifle/cartridge/ammo to use this year and if he can't get it, he'll use the next best thing. The average hunter will know more about wind drifting his scent than his bullet. The average hunter rarely needs more than a 6.5 grendel but will often be found toting some monstrosity of overkill to compensate for bad shots. When hunting out of his home turf, the average hunter will do very little scouting and instead plan on copying the youtube hunting tactics he saw over the summer. The average hunter's kills will also weigh at LEAST 80 lbs less (often much more) than the actual scales will show. The average hunter won't be welcome on many stretches of private property due to a lack of respect displayed and few average hunters are truly conservation/herd management minded.
I forgot, one other average hunter type, will use a .410 pistol to turkey hunt cuz he saw that one feller do it that one time, or perhaps attempt to take a bull elk with a .22k hornet because that one gal took one with a .243 at 6xx yds so this'll be cake.

I like to explore my hunting areas all year around. Checking for signs of the game im after. Im always quiet as can be when doing so. Then when im hunting i hunt alone. When my son comes along were watch separate parts of the woods for deer. Rabbits we split off some to better our chances to kick one up. I have shot all my deer with a bow. Am i an average hunter? Im no pro lol. Just a hunter who uses common sense.

CoalCrackerAl said:

I like to explore my hunting areas all year around. Checking for signs of the game im after. Im always quiet as can be when doing so. Then when im hunting i hunt alone. When my son comes along were watch separate parts of the woods for deer. Rabbits we split off some to better our chances to kick one up. I have shot all my deer with a bow. Am i an average hunter? Im no pro lol. Just a hunter who uses common sense.

Click to expand...

I think perhaps what the "average" hunter lacks, is a desire to be in the woods, and an earnest interest in the life there at any time other than when they get to shoot at it.

Average hunters to me are usually yuppies types who leave the suburbs for opening day and Thanksgiving weekend to try their luck on deer. They do no scouting but check on their stand before season. Possibly the day before. They shoot their gun to verify POA/POI. They don’t know much about guns but are safe. They generally do not bow hunt but may partake in late season hunting to get something in the freezer. There may be a small amount of small game hunting they do otherwise.

I don’t see this as a negative viewpoint unless they screw up my hunting on opening day of rifle season when I have been hunting all year. As in ALL year. Not just deer season.

There is no average hunter. It’s a completely non quantified term that is often used for some argument or purpose. Stuff like....

The average hunter supports background checks and common sense gun safety (control) measures

or

The average hunter is a lower income, rural rube who shoots everything he sees and loves killing things

or

The average hunter hates game laws almost as much as he hates game wardens

But in my personal and actual experience as an avid hunter in Montana and Alaska in the late 80’s through mid 2000’s, the average mature sport hunter:

- Follows laws and is careful not to screw the woods up for others

- Knows little about guns in general but knows plenty about his own gun and ammo.

- Helps others get into the sport

- Believes it is more about the hunt than the kill.

maybe I’ve been lucky...

It’s boringly common to see these threads degrade almost instantly into the “everyone is a slob but you and me....and I’m not sure about you” bashing. Doesn’t matter if it’s hunters, guns, calibers, scopes.

I’m not qualified to judge someone else’s abilities, character, or equipment choices. And I’ve been hunting about 60 years. Other than poachers or road hunters, I welcome everyone who obeys the rules and helps support wildlife management with their license fees.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe we should help the guys that haven’t had the opportunities we have. We all would have fit the derogatory descriptions posted here at some time. I don’t know that anyone is born with innate wildlife skills.

I am going turkey hunting a week from today with my best friend. I helped his son get a turkey a couple seasons ago, twenty minutes into opening day. When I started turkey hunting, I knew less than zero and struggled for five years until a neighbor was kind enough to let me hunt his land and guide me. After that, I whacked one a year maybe 8-10 years in a row

So, perhaps think about going out of your way to help someone rather than ridiculing them. I understand some will learn, some will never learn, and some don’t want to learn. But, maybe you can improve someone’s experience

WrongHanded said:

I think perhaps what the "average" hunter lacks, is a desire to be in the woods, and an earnest interest in the life there at any time other than when they get to shoot at it.

Click to expand...

I think this is exactly right.

Buzznrose, I'd say you've been lucky. What you describe is probably the top 40% of hunters around here. Of course, I'm being generous by calling the bottom 60% "hunters", but the rest of the world lumps us all together.

redneck2 said:

It’s boringly common to see these threads degrade almost instantly into the “everyone is a slob but you and me....and I’m not sure about you” bashing. Doesn’t matter if it’s hunters, guns, calibers, scopes.

I’m not qualified to judge someone else’s abilities, character, or equipment choices. And I’ve been hunting about 60 years. Other than poachers or road hunters, I welcome everyone who obeys the rules and helps support wildlife management with their license fees.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe we should help the guys that haven’t had the opportunities we have. We all would have fit the derogatory descriptions posted here at some time. I don’t know that anyone is born with innate wildlife skills.

I am going turkey hunting a week from today with my best friend. I helped his son get a turkey a couple seasons ago, twenty minutes into opening day. When I started turkey hunting, I knew less than zero and struggled for five years until a neighbor was kind enough to let me hunt his land and guide me. After that, I whacked one a year maybe 8-10 years in a row

So, perhaps think about going out of your way to help someone rather than ridiculing them. I understand some will learn, some will never learn, and some don’t want to learn. But, maybe you can improve someone’s experience

Click to expand...

Yeah, that goodwill and sportsmans attitude you mention is the right one to have with the ones who WANT to learn to be responsible hunters, no one is degrading those. I think most here know what we are condemming and why.

redneck2 said:

It’s boringly common to see these threads degrade almost instantly into the “everyone is a slob but you and me....and I’m not sure about you” bashing. Doesn’t matter if it’s hunters, guns, calibers, scopes.

I’m not qualified to judge someone else’s abilities, character, or equipment choices. And I’ve been hunting about 60 years. Other than poachers or road hunters, I welcome everyone who obeys the rules and helps support wildlife management with their license fees.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe we should help the guys that haven’t had the opportunities we have. We all would have fit the derogatory descriptions posted here at some time. I don’t know that anyone is born with innate wildlife skills.

I am going turkey hunting a week from today with my best friend. I helped his son get a turkey a couple seasons ago, twenty minutes into opening day. When I started turkey hunting, I knew less than zero and struggled for five years until a neighbor was kind enough to let me hunt his land and guide me. After that, I whacked one a year maybe 8-10 years in a row

So, perhaps think about going out of your way to help someone rather than ridiculing them. I understand some will learn, some will never learn, and some don’t want to learn. But, maybe you can improve someone’s experience

Click to expand...

Well said .

Hugger-4641 said:

Yeah, that goodwill and sportsmans attitude you mention is the right one to have with the ones who WANT to learn to be responsible hunters, no one is degrading those. I think most here know what we are condemming and why.

Click to expand...

Who gives anyone the right to condemn ? Nothing but negative crap comes from these feed the trolls threads.

All I can speak from is what I was taught, and from that, Yes, I do have the right to condemn certain actions. Especially if they are detrimental to wildlife, other people, and the sport in general. Like it or not, the negatives must be talked about so those who want to better themselves can learn what is right and wrong.

The "Average" of anything is going to be dictated by the mentality of the people who participate. That will change by location, cultural opinion, and any number of other things....

Thus my "average" Hunter is the guy that goes along with what is commonly thought of as acceptable practice.

I'd honestly guess 90% of the people who go out and take game are "average" hunters.

We tend to only hear about the really bad ones, and we generally only take notice the ones (Good or bad) who have different practices or different sets of ethics than we do.

LoonWulf said:

The "Average" of anything is going to be dictated by the mentality of the people who participate. That will change by location, cultural opinion, and any number of other things....

Click to expand...

LoonWulf, I couldn't click a double or triple "like" for that statement, or I would have.

Hugger-4641 said:

Buzznrose, I'd say you've been lucky. What you describe is probably the top 40% of hunters around here. Of course, I'm being generous by calling the bottom 60% "hunters", but the rest of the world lumps us all together.

Click to expand...

Maybe.

Local culture has a lot to do with it. One man’s outlaw is another man’s role model...and vice versa.

Most hunters have morals and standards, but they clearly vary. So we make laws and regulations for standards... but they aren’t always the right thing to do.

BigBore44 said:

I do not want that to happen. I just wanted people’s opinion on what characteristics qualify someone as an average hunter. On some of the opinions I agree. And some I don’t. And I’ll give an example of one I don’t agree with and explain why from own personal standpoint. Again, it’s just my opinion.

On this I respectfully disagree. Being able to get close, in my opinion, actually makes you a better hunter IF you know why you were able to get so close. Yes, sometimes, dumb luck plays a role. I’ve been the beneficiary of dumb luck before.

But you just labeled me a troll. I believe there are many member here who would disagree with your assertion of me. Up to and including a few Mods. I’ve been a very active member since 2013. Almost 4K messages and over 5.3k “likes”. The purpose of this thread was in response to another thread I was participating in. Someone said “the average hunter doesn’t benefit from xyz.” And it got me thinking about what exactly is an average hunter. So, I asked what the other members here opinion on what qualifies as average. And your opinion of the qualifications matters also. You are a member here. So you’re still welcome contribute if you’d like to.

Click to expand...

@distance, I see your point, my counterpoint to clarify is that deer nation wide are mostly taken under 100 yds, why? Because the terrain that the bulk of the population are exposed to doesn't yield farther shots, on this site alone I'd wager that for every deer killed at 200+ yds, there are 3-5 more killed at sub100 and even sub50. Mostly terrain, stand placement, and population density equate to my "average" declaration. In states where legal, multiple tags are issued and deer often are taken where the opening in the trees is only 75yds long. This is not a designation of an average skill set UNTIL the hunters take same gear/mindset/skill level to new turf where wind, distances, lack of bait, lack of forage, and lack of cover require a HIGHER than average skill set.

Eta that there is NOTHING wrong with getting close to game and that I'd expect EVERYONE here to do their best to adapt to wherever they're hunting, this viewpoint is solely from watching the people passing through looking to take that long prairie shot on a critter with zero preparation to do so (mostly they compensate drop well enough but completely misestimate how their chosen load performs in the wind and equates to quite a few wounded critters to track down).

There is quite a bit of work done on identifying "the average hunter". Several years ago, I was involved with the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports, then a joint effort between the National Association of State Wildlife Agencies and the NSSF. The Council is laser focused on promoting hunting and the shooting sports as a means to secure wildlife conservation funding from license sales and Pittman-Robertson excise taxes. They have done a great deal of work trying to identify "the average hunter" and on using that information for the 3R program: Recruit, Retain, Reactivate.

Their most recent study of the issue, conducted with several leading fishing organizations and entitled The Future of Hunting and Fishing Project (2017), offers a good deal of information on the subject. It can be found at the link below and may be of interest.

https://cahss.org/research/the-future-of-hunting-and-fishing-project/