Do you hunt alone?

[hskrhntr]

I'm curious how many of you hunt by yourself. If you do, is it by choice or because you don't have/can't find a hunting partner?

For me, it's the latter. I LOVE mountain hunting...it is absolutely my favorite thing in the world to do and I'd love to do more of it. But I'd like to find a solid hunting partner to make the trips more enjoyable, safer, and just overall more manageable (packing in and out, teaming up on elk, etc.). I'm assuming there are a lot of guys out there in the same boat I'm in, just curious to hear from the rest of ya.

What I've run in to is:
1. They don't have any points - I've been putting in for a few states for a while
2. They think hunting the mountains sounds awesome but have never done it before - I took two of my best friends a couple years ago...they lasted three nights on the mountain and would have only been two but I convinced them to say one more. I totally understand and remember that it is intimidating, overwhelming the first time you pack in, which is why we did the hunt we did. The problem is, I don't want to have a hunt that I'm really excited about cut short because a newby can't handle it.
3. They aren't in shape for it and don't understand how physically demanding it is when you come from the flat lands.
4. It costs too much - which I totally understand and it's not getting any cheaper. This is a passion and priority for me, so I'll skip other things to make sure I can make my hunting trips.

[mallardsx2]

I have run into the same exact issues. Almost to a T actually.

My friend a couple years ago showed up to my house out of shape with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

He lasted exactly 2 days at 11,000' before I had to take him to the hospital in steamboat springs after a panicked walk through the blowdowns for 2 miles back to the 4 wheeler...(long story but his health was getting very serious very fast)

I returned to the mountain.

People dont understand what high country hunting is until they experience it.

To answer your question. Yes I hunt alone most of the time. But I dont like to hunt alone in the west. Wife's orders. Its the one thing I dont argue about.

[Colorado Cowboy]

I mostly hunt along. I do have friends I've hunted with for years but they live in California. We will be hunting Wyoming together this fall. Occasionally one of them gets here to Colorado to hunt with me. When I retired (20 years ago) my hunting buddy retired too and moved here to Colorado too. We hunted together for 15 years until he suddenly passed away. I don't backpack anymore. I have a covered utility trailer that I converted into a hunting camp trailer and carry my utv in also.

Big problem for me is I'm 76 years old and lots of young guys around here think I'm too old to hunt with them. Yes I've slowed down the last 5 years or so, but I still try to keep in shape. The last couple of years it has been a lot harder to do that!! My wife is resigned to the fact of me hunting mostly alone, but I do take a sat phone when I know I'll be in an area where my cell phone won't work.

I intend to hunt as long as I can still hike the mts.

[big44a4]

Yup. Same issues you mentioned. Tough to find someone as committed as you are. If they aren?t you know they will fail mentally or physically if not both at some point during the hunt.

Hardest part is you never know how people will handle the situation until you are in it. They can be solid in all other aspects then get in the mountains and can?t cut it for whatever reason.


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[hskrhntr]

That's awesome Colorado Cowboy!!!! I think we all hope we can keep hitting the mountains as long as you have been.

[mallardsx2]

Buddy of mine wanted to put on our pack frames and leave the mountain when a lighting storm rolled in on us. I practically had to choke him out to get his new found lightning rod off his back and away from us. He was scared and panicked. So was I but I know enough to know that what he was doing was going to potentially get both of us potentially killed....

For the record I would have choked him out if he had pushed the issue because I was starting to get mad.

I compare it to helping someone who is drowning or thinks they are drowning.

Never hunted with him again out west but we are still close friends.

Same thing happened to me in Canada a few years back while on a moose hunt. Buddy insisted we get in the boat and head back to camp during a lightning storm instead of waiting it out.

Newbies panic. Know how to deal with it prior to going on a trip with them.

[go_deep]

Prior to moving to Wyoming I had as many failed hunts as I did successful, because of the wrong guy came with. No successful in tags filled either, successful in we actually got to where we wanted to get to, and stayed the whole time/or till tags were filled.

I mostly hunt alone now, I'd be open to hunting with someone again, but really have found that I like the flexibility in hunting alone. Now my wife on the other hand HATES that I'm out on a mountain alone.

A lot of people have big dreams of 2, 6, 10 miles deep, till they see what the first mile looks like, then its like oohhhh crap, what did I get myself into.

[Hilltop]

I rarely hunt out west alone. I have several very good friends that live in Wyoming and a few here in Nebraska that have gone with me. I'm thankful I haven't run into the issue some of you have on my personal hunts. As a guide, I did have a few guys struggle but in the end I was able to structure the hunt so it became something they could handle. I hunt alone frequently here in Nebraska.

[Never in Doubt]

I hunt alone all the time. I like doing whatever I want. Some guys are more fit than me, and others are less fit. I like going my own pace. I also don't want to bring people into my spots. Not that they are super great spots, but I found them and I enjoy hunting them alone.

[tim]

I don't know how to hunt with some one. but I grew up in the mountains and feel safer without anyone. Beside, I don't want to have to explain what I am doing. Just go do it. I do have a brother that does not hunt, but does not mine packing meat. I have used him a few times in the past, but all three animals came out solo last year.