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.

 

[Winchester]

My normal hunting partner has been unavailable for a couple of years and there's no relief in sight.
Soooo, I have been hunting solo more often lately.
I really don't mind but my wife does, makes her very nervous.
Hunting with a good partner is better ... but it is tough to find that person sometimes.

 

[hskrhntr]

You guys hit on the other part of hunting alone....my wife hates it. I had to promise to take a sat phone or something like that on the hunt I'm planning to do this year.

 

[mcseal2]

I hunt alone around home all the time mainly for predators and whitetail. I have not hunted alone out West yet. My best friend that grew up a mile down the road from me is my hunting partner for all the out of state adventures. My family did a little small game and bird hunting but his family hunted quite a bit. He was a late child in his family and missed out on the western hunts his Dad, Grandfather, and brother did when they were younger. His Grandfather was a big hunter but health issues kept him out of the field by the time we got old enough to hunt much. The rest of the family didn't have the drive to do the big hunts like he had so the family quit doing them.

We grew up listening to his Grandpa's stories and loading rifle ammo in his basement. We hunted and fished together around home a lot learning things the hard way. We always wanted to hunt out West so when we got old enough we started doing it. We learned a lot of that the hard way too but were lucky enough to make some connections that taught us a lot. As we get busier with our own families we still make time for one out of state hunt each year and usually a scouting trip also. Every once in a while unexpected tag luck gets us two hunts but we plan for one. I'm pretty lucky to have a hunting partner I know so well and that I can get along with. Our ideas and methods are very similar since we learned together. We bought some of our gear like the Seek Outside 8 man tipi together also and split costs on fuel and other expenses on hunts.

 

[Bonecollector]

My best hunting partner is my son. He grew up hunting with me in the East and went with me on my first Western hunts. He knows how I operate and I him. I groomed him into the hunter he is and utilize his strengths and mine. We are both in great shape, level headed, and knowledgeable. Unfortunately, his life is expanding with new house, family, etc. so I've tried out a few partners. Both on easy style hunts. One guy did great, the other not so much. I will step up the hunt challenge this year with the partner who did well on his first trip. I think he'll be 'ok'. This trip will dictate if he is 'the one' or if I go back to solo hunting which I've done during the in-between years. I love hunting the west to much not to go, even if it's alone. My other issue is finding folks near me who are dedicated enough to hunt hard for 6-10 days, prepare for said hunt, and set aside the time and $.

On a whim; last year I "met a guy on the internet- LOL" (hunttalk) who wanted to go elk hunting but had no partner nor had he ever been. He and I were going to be hunting close together, so after a few months of talking via phone and email, we met at the halfway point and rode together to our hunt area. I could tell he was sane, in good shape, and had general hunting knowledge. We hunted solo and together for 6 days. It worked out great and I now consider him a hunting friend. Unfortunately, we live in different states and have different levels of points in different states, thus the odds of hunting together in the future are slim for some years. However, it was worth it last year on OTC tags.

 

[minn elk chaser]

For years I hunted with whoever I could find that would go out west to hunt. Had some bad experiences and some good but never could count on one person to go and be committed to hunt hard. Finally my son got to be old enough to go and that is great for both of us. We have been doing trips for about 20 years now and wouldn't trade it for anything. He lives in California, self employed so can set his time off as he wants. I live in Minnesota so we meet in the middle every fall and spend a week or so hunting together. He is always willing and able to do what it takes to make our hunts great. The time spent together is what I consider a successful hunt and if we fill a tag that is the bonus. Very lucky to have a great hunting partner.

 

[Tim McCoy]

I enjoy an occasional hunt alone. Very satisfying for me. Generally I hunt with others, which I enjoy, but it's different. My wife has accepted there are places I hunt where there will be no calls. I may start carrying a self rescue device, have not so far.

 

[Winchester]

For years I hunted with whoever I could find that would go out west to hunt. Had some bad experiences and some good but never could count on one person to go and be committed to hunt hard. Finally my son got to be old enough to go and that is great for both of us. We have been doing trips for about 20 years now and wouldn't trade it for anything. He lives in California, self employed so can set his time off as he wants. I live in Minnesota so we meet in the middle every fall and spend a week or so hunting together. He is always willing and able to do what it takes to make our hunts great. The time spent together is what I consider a successful hunt and if we fill a tag that is the bonus. Very lucky to have a great hunting partner.

That is so great!! It doesn't get any better.
You sir, are a lucky man indeed!

 

[HighPlainsHunter]

I have done quite a bit of hunting by myself. I think there are good and bad points to it. Sharing adventures with someone can be a lot of fun, but babysitting adults is not fun either. It can feel like guiding at times.

The key is matching ability/expectations/style/drinking/smoking/etc...

I have done a few hunts with folks I met one hunting sites. I had a good time on all 3 but there were certainly some challenges.

I think if I had a preference now it would be hunting with a small group, some solo hunting and meeting up to strategize in the evenings/mid day.

For casual hunting like antelope I prefer hunting with my wife, daughter, and dog. But someday I hope to find a good hunting partner for more serious hunting that requires more walking or getting up early.

 

[kidoggy]

I often hunt alone but also hunt with partners .

probly 50-50.
hunting alone makes for better stories

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

For years I hunted with whoever I could find that would go out west to hunt. Had some bad experiences and some good but never could count on one person to go and be committed to hunt hard. Finally my son got to be old enough to go and that is great for both of us. We have been doing trips for about 20 years now and wouldn't trade it for anything. He lives in California, self employed so can set his time off as he wants. I live in Minnesota so we meet in the middle every fall and spend a week or so hunting together. He is always willing and able to do what it takes to make our hunts great. The time spent together is what I consider a successful hunt and if we fill a tag that is the bonus. Very lucky to have a great hunting partner.

I have a son , he is 54 and very busy running his own business. He's single and travels all over the country. He loves to hunt and we did a lot together when he was younger and not self employed. I do miss the times with him. BUT, I can remember when I was working, I had the same situation with my Dad. I was very busy on the Space Shuttle Program, an Engineering Manager with about 150 engineers I was responsible for. Hard to get a lot of time off, and what time I did was spent with my wife & young son. Easy to get sucked into climbing the promotion ladder, especially when the compensation matches your effort. I am sure my Dad felt the same way for about 20 years. He is talking about selling his business and retiring. He owns some land near us and wants to build a house. Hope he does, maybe I'll get my hunting partner.