How does one become a solo hunter?

[RobinHood]

For me the greatest feeling has been sending out the first text message with photos attached. "I did it"

Then the response is, "by yourself?"

And with a tear filled smile I replied, "Yessir..."

One thing that has helped me is taking a hunting magazine with good bucks in it and then sticking a pic of my family to the wall of my tent. Then when you begin to bargain and negotiate with yourself, you can look at that pic of your fam and the magazine. This helps me to set my priorities straight and realize l have one goal and only one way to accomplish it... Man up, stay on the mountain and get the job done. Thats just my 2 cents.

 

[Red 1]

For me the greatest feeling has been sending out the first text message with photos attached. "I did it"

Then the response is, "by yourself?"

And with a tear filled smile I replied, "Yessir..."

One thing that has helped me is taking a hunting magazine with good bucks in it and then sticking a pic of my family to the wall of my tent. Then when you begin to bargain and negotiate with yourself, you can look at that pic of your fam and the magazine. This helps me to set my priorities straight and realize l have one goal and only one way to accomplish it... Man up, stay on the mountain and get the job done. Thats just my 2 cents.

Great advice

 

[Wyoflightmedic]

I have done solo from base camps and remote sites. Knowing your limits , planning and being very goal oriented has made my hunts fun. I give myself 2-3 lbs for ipod, and reward snacks for meeting my goals. Try going solo before season to test your mental and physical Abilities. Also test your equipment. Pack out 50 pounds of rocks and head back to your camp and can You do that 3-4 more times in 24 hours. Good luck!

 

[Roger L]

Here in California you are allowed to hunt deer/ pigs/ bear with dogs. My duck duck dog goes along with me and she's always great company and completely useless (my preference) as a deer/pig/ bear dog.
They make great companions on a solo hunt.Fortunately for me, but not the dog, I've drawn late season deer and elk tag for Nevada. I am trying to figure out how to bring the dog, chase a few chukar and back pack into the back country without having to lug a dog crate.

 

[Muleys 24/7]

Here in California you are allowed to hunt deer/ pigs/ bear with dogs.

I think you better check the hunting regs..... I'm 99% sure you CAN'T hunt/pursue deer with dogs in Califorina. I'll look it up later, don't have time now.

 

[JNDEER]

I think you better check the hunting regs..... I'm 99% sure you CAN'T hunt/pursue deer with dogs in Califorina. I'll look it up later, don't have time now.

That would be a big 10-4!

I think what he meant to say was that it would not be illegal to have a dog with him while he is hunting, at least I hope that is what he meant.

 

[goindeep]

Where in the regs does it say that a dog cannot be used for deer hunting? The only restrictions that I know of are; no dogs allowed during archery season of deer and bear, and only ONE dog may be used to pursue mammals during the general deer season.

 

[trkytrack2]

Heck; I thought you just wanted to rid yourself of the guy's you had been hunting with. I was gonna say....just piss them off real good and your on your own.
But in answer to your question, like others, I've gone both ways and although I enjoy the company with a fellow hunter, I find I kind of enjoy the one on one with myself quite a bit. But it can get lonely once in awhile. Ya just have to keep at it and enjoy your own company.

 

[freddogs]

It's nice to have a good partner with you hunting. Some times your good partner can't go and I would rather hunt alone then with a poor partner. Over the years I often hunt alone. It's my game plan and I choose how I hunt. I don't pack intothe wilderness for days but I can drive to WY from WI and hunt on my own. I stay in motels and just hunt somewhere for a day. There are people around to talk to if I want to. A deer or antelope or turkey or game birds are not that bad to pack out.
I often find it relaxing to sit in the woods and squirrel hunt by myself some morning or afternoon. That's how I got started hunting by myself.
Some times a hunting partner isn't ready for a big hunt and they can decrease your enjoyment if they want to go home early because they miss their family or they are just tired of hunting.
A good bunch of people to hunt with have the same dedication to hunt as you do. If I can't find a dedicated hunter to go with. I go solo.

 

[Muleys 24/7]

Where in the regs does it say that a dog cannot be used for deer hunting? The only restrictions that I know of are; no dogs allowed during archery season of deer and bear, and only ONE dog may be used to pursue mammals during the general deer season.

I think your right...... I thought I read it somewhere before that it was prohibited. I'd never go that route. Well I'm sure it'll be illegal soon.....come on, it's califorina. haha

 

[Drhorsepower]

I think your right...... I thought I read it somewhere before that it was prohibited. I'd never go that route. Well I'm sure it'll be illegal soon.....come on, it's califorina. haha

I know in late 90's early 2k, it was illegal in certain counties I want to say. Things have changed probably.

 

[tim]

a good way to beat the lonliness is to bring in a little ipod with speaker or little transitor radio. i prefer the radio because you hear the dj talking. my little radio also has the noaa weather station on it. Handy little piece of equipment. Also if you don't like doing other mountain activities solo you won't like hunting solo. Getting game out is a big deal, but it is very manageable if you don't over do it. And one guy can get an elk out, parachute cord goes along way and also. the biggest thing an indvidual needs in backcountry solo hunting is self confidence. Not cocky, but make sure you know you can do it. And it helps if you have done it. Start with a simple overnighter and work up from there.

 

[quicknick]

My father and I have been hunting partners since I was 10 but now I moved further away and my interests are changing. He loves driving around in his jeep and stopping on every hill to glass. We killed a lot of deer that way but I always found myself getting out and hiking off the road (killed a lot of deer that way too). I have an intense calling to start back country hunting which he has no interest in whatsoever. I believe that makes me a solo hunter come this season as I'm going to start doing short backpacking trips in D8. It will be interesting and hopefully rewarding.

 

[Old Hunter]

Hunted with my dad from 52 to 82 when he passed. I've hunted alone ever since. Going to be 70 this year, and still doing it alone. Probably safe to say i'm not going to change.

 

[Brady]

Hunted with my dad from 52 to 82 when he passed. I've hunted alone ever since. Going to be 70 this year, and still doing it alone. Probably safe to say i'm not going to change.

I hope I'm still at it at 70, I'm 26 right now.

 

[Old Hunter]

Clean living, lots of exercise, and a good attitude will get you there. I'm hoping to have another 10years of hunting in me.

 

[Herman Sniffles]

In California you can hunt deer with ONE dog in certain zones, but not in others. The D zones are doggy zones, X zones are definitely not. Much of California is just a massive brush-pile due to poor logging practices and fire suppression. I hunt D3 which is basically just one huge tangle of impenetrable brush unless you are in a clear cut, above the tree line, or down in the central valley. I have two rat terriers that I use (one at a time) and they can be very helpful. It's kind of like pheasant hunting, you better be pretty fast on the draw when Sparky's nose meets Bambi's butt. And the mutts come in very handy if you have to track a wounded deer. Those noses they have are something else. And as a certified solo hunter, I enjoy their company and like listening to their stories when they haven't been drinking.

 

[Drhorsepower]

In California you can hunt deer with ONE dog in certain zones, but not in others. The D zones are doggy zones, X zones are definitely not. Much of California is just a massive brush-pile due to poor logging practices and fire suppression. I hunt D3 which is basically just one huge tangle of impenetrable brush unless you are in a clear cut, above the tree line, or down in the central valley. I have two rat terriers that I use (one at a time) and they can be very helpful. It's kind of like pheasant hunting, you better be pretty fast on the draw when Sparky's nose meets Bambi's butt. And the mutts come in very handy if you have to track a wounded deer. Those noses they have are something else. And as a certified solo hunter, I enjoy their company and like listening to their stories when they haven't been drinking.

I think that changed this year, not 100% positive though.

 

[JMSZ]

I went out on my first solo trip this past fall. My family are all back east and I haven't ran into anybody I that I know well enough to hunt with.

I went up planning to head out and stay in the backcountry, but ended up staying back in the camp where I parked and heading out each day by myself to hunt.

The first night up there, I was at a little camp site just off the road and it was completely dark before I started to set up camp. I'm used to going places for my job or the reserves and being by myself, but this is a completely different kind of alone.

The second night, I found a camp where another guy was based out of and stayed there. It was nice having a little human interaction when I got back to camp at night. I also didn't bring anything stronger than gatorade and coffee. He had some Patron and was generous with it. A few sips of that definintely takes the edge off and I will be getting myself a flask for next year.

When I was out during the day, awesome only begins to describe it. Eating lunch on the top of a mountain, looking out to the north and west the Sierra Nevadas. Walking down to the edge of a meadow and seeing beds...sitting behind a tree and hearing branches breaking as something moves through the woods off to my side. Feeling my heart rate pick up.

It's nice not having anybody else around then... you set your own pace, you don't have to worry about somebody else moving or making noise or wanting to go back to camp.

I'm making some equipment changes and from now on, I have to plan on going up and spending a day getting acclimated to the altitude (9,000') before I head out.

But, since going up, I can't stop thinking about wanting to be up there, how I'm going to pack, how I will pack out an animal, where I will want to go next year.

 

[arrowslinger21]

I didn't read this whole thread so I don't know what has already been discussed completely and what hasn't, but I wanted to comment and didn't have the time to read 6 pages, so I will enter into the conversation here.

For me it is incredibly hard to hunt with people anymore. Outside of my dad who I hunt with some still, most people become more of a hindrance than anything. It is hard mostly because everyone has different expectations. Some guys like tents, some guys like bivys, some guys go without shelter all together. Other times guys camp in the bottom near water, while harcore mulie hunters may go 2-3 days without a water source at a time. It just is hard to find someone on the same page with you in every aspect, and then have them want to hunt the same place, at the same time, for the same animal where only one of you will probably get a shot at best.

My very first trip solo was when I was probably about 16 or 17 for a day trip, and just after I got out of high school I branched off and started doing backcountry hunts for 4-5 days at a time solo. I had always hunted deep with my dad up until then, but after high school I just had a different schedule so I went on my own. I remember my first trip out was just a one nighter, and it was different but I just pushed myself to get to sleep and not worry about it. The next year I did a 4 nighter and never thought twice and I've never looked back since.

I work for a forestry company so I am also in the woods 5 days a week for 10 hours a day, and about 97% of that work is all timber cruising that is done 100% by myself, so being in the woods is nothing new for me. However, the overnight stay by yourself when you are a long way from the truck can be a bit intimidating, but I think once a guy just bites the bullet and tries it, you will really learn to like it. I dont really have any tips for making it easier other than increasing your experience and exposure with it.