Face It, You’re a Weekend Warrior

I’ll be the first to tell anyone, I am an opportunistic hunter, which is just a fancy way of saying I’m not a stone-cold-killer. Nope, there’s no ice in my veins. I’m not a big buck guru. I don’t consistently kill mature bucks.

When I have killed good bucks, it had more to do with right-place-right-time rut luck than it did natural killer instincts. Like a shade tree mechanic, I know enough to get by. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love hunting. I grew up in a family of hunters, and it’s been a large part of my personal and professional life. But if I’m honest, I love the idea of hunting more than hunting itself. I’m willing to bet a lot more hunters share this same sentiment than they care to admit. And that’s okay, as long as you’re okay with that. If you are, then it’s probably time to embrace your role as a weekend warrior.

This isn’t a cry for mediocrity. I firmly believe that you have to work hard to accomplish your goals. There are no shortcuts, and you’ll have to make sacrifices to achieve success in whatever you do, and that includes hunting. The question always comes back to what you want from hunting and are you willing to make the sacrifices? This requires an honest self-evaluation. If you’re not honest, you’ll resent hunting, the time you spend outdoors, and yourself.

I admire hunters who consistently kill big bucks year after year. Like an artist, the best hunters constantly look for ways to evolve or improve their craft, which they’ve honed for years. Their dedication rivals that of professional athletes. But like sports, the vast majority of us aren’t making the pros either because we’re not willing to put in the work or we don’t have what it takes. This is just the truth.

If you look at hunters who consistently kill mature bucks, none of them do so coincidentally. There’s tons of scouting, early mornings, and hunting that occurs. While hunting whitetails might not be their only big game pursuit, there’s no doubt it’s in their top three of life’s priorities. They spend hours, probably days, thinking about hunting, checking trail cameras, scouting, and burning all their vacation time during deer season—if they don’t already hunt for a living. They devote a ton of energy, effort, and resources to hunting, more than the average hunter, which is why they produce above-average results. If you’re not doing these things, then you shouldn’t expect to achieve the same results as those hunters who do.

Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy deer hunting or even experience success, but if you’re comparing your achievements to those hunters, you’ll be disappointed every time. Do you check trail cameras or scout every time you get a free moment, or are you willing to take out a second mortgage to afford an insane amount of cell cam subscriptions? Will you leverage a large part of your income to hunt unpressured ground or out-of-state? Do you have any other hobbies or interests that you’ll give up to chase big bucks? What about friends and family events? Sure, there’s a happy medium in there, but if these habits sound extreme to you, you might not be as invested as you think. Again, that’s okay.

If you’re relegated to just weekend hunts or a few day stretches, you should consider what success means for your situation. For starters, you should probably calculate your hunting days to figure out just how many days you’ll get to hunt this season. After that, consider what you’d be happy shooting. Do you love the idea of eating venison year-round, or do you just want a shot at a decent buck? It might be risky to hold out for bigger bucks, especially if you hunt in low-deer density areas on a limited time. But again, that, too, remains subjective for everyone.

Weapon of choice should probably factor into this as well (depending on your local hunting regulations). Is it more important that you kill a deer with your bow, or are you just as happy to put one down with a rifle? If it’s the latter, then go with the weapon that gives you a greater chance of success. If you have less than twenty hunts for the season, you might only have one or two encounters with a good buck. Are you okay with not getting a shot because he’s just outside of bow range? If so, great. Just hunt the way you want. But if you’d cry and kick yourself all the way back to the truck, put down your ego and pick up a rifle. Trust me, no one cares.

Maybe you’re not even interested in running trail cameras. Honestly, part of me wishes they didn’t exist. I run a few cell cams on a family property with my dad. They show us what deer hang around, but it’s really just a way for us to chat and keep up with each other throughout the season, more than a strategic tool. I don’t use them on public lands because I hate the idea of carrying a ton of stuff into the woods. For me, hunting provides a break from the clutter of work and life. Keeping up with a ton of cameras feels counterintuitive to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting a big buck on camera, but it also removes a bit of the magic for me. Even if it doesn’t give me the intel I need to kill it, I’d much rather find that deer’s rubs and let it run wild in my imagination. After all, a weekend warrior can dream.