Do you hunt alone?
- Thread starter hskrhntr
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mallardsx2
Veteran member
- Jul 8, 2015
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I always liked shooting pool and playing racquetball. Its a solo sport 1 on 1.
I think that why I like hunting big game alone most of the time. Its me VS the animals and if I loose I dont have anyone to complain about. Nobody's opinion matters. I hunt at whatever speed I want. Call it selfish I guess but I grew up in the middle of nowhere and didn't have many kids to play with when I was young so I did a lot of things on my own.
The logistics of mountain hunting and safety mostly force my hand when it comes to negotiating a hunting partner. I tried to convince the wife that the in-reach was a substitute for a friend but she isn't buying into it. lol
I think that why I like hunting big game alone most of the time. Its me VS the animals and if I loose I dont have anyone to complain about. Nobody's opinion matters. I hunt at whatever speed I want. Call it selfish I guess but I grew up in the middle of nowhere and didn't have many kids to play with when I was young so I did a lot of things on my own.
The logistics of mountain hunting and safety mostly force my hand when it comes to negotiating a hunting partner. I tried to convince the wife that the in-reach was a substitute for a friend but she isn't buying into it. lol
Whew, I actually feel better about trying to put together a group hunt now, probably wasn't the intent of the thread, but thanks. I have been having a little bit of trouble hunting with a partner, but maybe it was just a mismatch in styles, drive, etc. I think I will try the community base camp approach this year. Good advise. I do enjoy both solo and with a partner, I just need a break from the other guy I think, especially when it gets to that point where I am getting a little tired, which for me means a little irritable (there goes any future partner prospects). Now I think I am going to try for a small group this year, and maybe bring back some info. from solo treks, then maybe get together again go get some meat. A little less nervous now for trying that out, thanks guys. I have been pretty fortunate to find a couple partners that have helped me along as a less experienced hunter. It can be super difficult to coordinate schedules and things that have been mentioned.
That is great for those guys that bring family along, have kids that became hunting partners. Is there any advise to give for someone who wants to bring along a teenager? He has done really well on day/weekend hunts, but how should I prepare him for a more arduous/weeklong trip? That is my goal this year, hopefully it works out.
That is great for those guys that bring family along, have kids that became hunting partners. Is there any advise to give for someone who wants to bring along a teenager? He has done really well on day/weekend hunts, but how should I prepare him for a more arduous/weeklong trip? That is my goal this year, hopefully it works out.
highplainsdrifter
Very Active Member
More reasons I like to hunt alone...
I have hunted with guys that like to make it a competition between members of the group. Who gets the biggest animal...who can tough out the worst weather..what percentage of the group filled out. I don't like that.
When I go hunting, the competition is between me and the animal...not between hunting companions. I want to enjoy the experience and make my own decisions on how hard to hunt...whether to pass on an animal...how long to stay, etc.
I was once in a turkey camp when the weather turned bad...rain/snow mix. One guy insisted that all four of us should continue to hunt in the rain/snow. Three of us wanted to wait out the weather. It caused a lot of tension because he was making us feel guilty for not hunting as hard as he wanted.
For a few years, I hunted with a group of elk hunters who were less dedicated than me. The first year we hunted together, I shot an elk. Since it was the first elk any of them had seen dead, they were excited to help pack it out. The second year...less so. The third year, it was down right unwelcome news when I got back to camp and announced I shot another elk. They had had enough of packing elk out of godawful country.
I have hunted with guys that like to make it a competition between members of the group. Who gets the biggest animal...who can tough out the worst weather..what percentage of the group filled out. I don't like that.
When I go hunting, the competition is between me and the animal...not between hunting companions. I want to enjoy the experience and make my own decisions on how hard to hunt...whether to pass on an animal...how long to stay, etc.
I was once in a turkey camp when the weather turned bad...rain/snow mix. One guy insisted that all four of us should continue to hunt in the rain/snow. Three of us wanted to wait out the weather. It caused a lot of tension because he was making us feel guilty for not hunting as hard as he wanted.
For a few years, I hunted with a group of elk hunters who were less dedicated than me. The first year we hunted together, I shot an elk. Since it was the first elk any of them had seen dead, they were excited to help pack it out. The second year...less so. The third year, it was down right unwelcome news when I got back to camp and announced I shot another elk. They had had enough of packing elk out of godawful country.
mallardsx2
Veteran member
- Jul 8, 2015
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My friend got uninvited from a bear camp because he killed a bear 4 years in a row in Pennsylvania. (FYI thats pretty much like hitting the lottery)
I know him well and he is a good hunter and killed them legit and not over bait. He was just in the right place at the right time.
Guys got ticked off and jealous and didnt want to help him drag them out.
I know him well and he is a good hunter and killed them legit and not over bait. He was just in the right place at the right time.
Guys got ticked off and jealous and didnt want to help him drag them out.
Yeah, everyone wants to kill an elk until they have packed one out of rough country. Then it gets a lot less fun and more work.
So far for me it's been mainly alone for deer and antelope. Elk I have mostly hunted with a friend and that makes it a lot more fun I think. I think antelope hunting would be more fun with a partner as well. I might spend more than a morning on antelope if somebody else was looking over them with me. But I like being in the high country by myself for deer.
JimP
Administrator
I remember a friend the first time that he walked up to a elk laying on the ground. He just stood there and then said "wow they are big"
But we got lucky with that elk, it was only 100 yards from a road and just as we got done cleaning it along came a truck full of military men from Fort Carson. They came over to us to show their friends from the middle east what a elk looked like. I then asked them if they would help get him into the truck. They were about to just drag the bull to the truck but I drove it over to him and we loaded him in whole. All they would take in exchange for the help was most of the liver and heart. A half hour later I was home with a whole elk hanging in my garage.
The next year I paid for getting him out whole. A two day pack to get one out of a hole.
But we got lucky with that elk, it was only 100 yards from a road and just as we got done cleaning it along came a truck full of military men from Fort Carson. They came over to us to show their friends from the middle east what a elk looked like. I then asked them if they would help get him into the truck. They were about to just drag the bull to the truck but I drove it over to him and we loaded him in whole. All they would take in exchange for the help was most of the liver and heart. A half hour later I was home with a whole elk hanging in my garage.
The next year I paid for getting him out whole. A two day pack to get one out of a hole.
Bonecollector
Veteran member
That's a true statement when asked immediately after completing any difficult task. However, a few weeks later we are ready to go again!!
This is exactly how i am. I love huntimg alone, its a treasure to me. I also love hunting with good friends. Celibrating success with close friends there with you is a treasure in itself.
It seems like you could answer this two ways. Many people will "camp" with others but then "hunt" alone or you can camp and hunt completely alone.
I like to camp with others, then hunt alone in different areas and then meet back up at the end of the day. It really helps to have someone else around if you get one down to pack out or if an emergency occurs.
I like to camp with others, then hunt alone in different areas and then meet back up at the end of the day. It really helps to have someone else around if you get one down to pack out or if an emergency occurs.
I do a lot. I also pretty much always scout by myself for lots of reasons.
I like to hunt with a buddy but for scouting I like to be by myself. If I find a honey hole with good bucks I will keep it to myself. If I find a few good spots I will pick the top 2-3 and keep them quiet but talk to my hunting buddies about the others. When the time comes to hunt and I?m solo I go to the top spots, if I?m with friends I will take them to the lesser spots and try to fill their tags. If we aren?t seeing quality bucks I?ll take them to the better spots to try and fill their tags.
In the end I want everyone to fill their tags and will gladly take them to my honey holes but if I can get their tags filled on the lesser spots I?ll keep the top ones for myself.
I like to hunt with a buddy but for scouting I like to be by myself. If I find a honey hole with good bucks I will keep it to myself. If I find a few good spots I will pick the top 2-3 and keep them quiet but talk to my hunting buddies about the others. When the time comes to hunt and I?m solo I go to the top spots, if I?m with friends I will take them to the lesser spots and try to fill their tags. If we aren?t seeing quality bucks I?ll take them to the better spots to try and fill their tags.
In the end I want everyone to fill their tags and will gladly take them to my honey holes but if I can get their tags filled on the lesser spots I?ll keep the top ones for myself.
that's the #1 reason I would rather hunt alone.
let em find their own dang spots like I had to.
it NEVER fails, bring someone to your spot and they will show ten others!
there are very few that are exceptions on this.
to hunt with another one has to put trust in that individual and it is against human nature to be trustworthy.
always keep this in mind and they will never disappoint you and on some very rare occasions may actually surprise you.
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I’ve had this happen to me before and lost a great honey hole that was easy to draw because a friend couldn’t keep his mouth shut. This is why I scout alone.
I have had it happen more times then I can keep count of.
oh well , no good deed goes unpunished ,I guess.
RICMIC
Veteran member
That's where I'm at this year with a CO deer tag. My wife is afraid that I am going to die alone in the mountains some day, and my hope is that I do. I've put out a few feelers here, but the reality of timing, points, etc. intrudes and it is once again a solo trip. My deer area is too tough to get into for me to even think of taking most guys I know, and quite frankly there aren't that many deer there anyway. CARPE DIEM
never could figure out why so many are afraid to die alone .
alone , with someone ,yer still daid.
if I were hunting with someone else and had a ,let's say heart attack ,I would hope my hunting partner would have the good sense to just hit me in the head, leave packing me out for later and go finish his hunt.
A group of Alabama friends went deer hunting and paired off in twos for the day. That night, one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under the weight of an eight-point buck. 'Where's Henry?' the others asked.
'Henry had a stroke of some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail,' the successful hunter replied.
'You left Henry laying out there and carried the deer back?' they inquired.
'A tough call,' nodded the hunter. 'But I figured no one is going to steal Henry!'
Catahoula12
Very Active Member
I have hunted alone on occasion for archery hunts in the past. Rifle hunts have been with either my spouse, my long time hunting buddy/best friend or my uncle. Although, it’s been nice last 4 seasons that my spouse has taken up archery hunting. She has always shot a bow for the enjoyment of shooting but now chases elk. Honestly, it’s not a big deal to hunt alone but it’s nice to have an extra set of eyes with you..