Hunting partners

[Retterath]

I used to hunt with a buddy a few years ago and we did most of our hunting together and my question is how do you guys decide who is going to shoot first and get first chance at the animal if both have tags.

My problem is that i went on three hunts one antelope in montana one mule deer and one elk hunt with the guy and everytime we spotted a animal we wanted to go after he always want to have the first shot or first oppertunity. If there was an average animal he would say that is a good one for u and when the big one stepped out he would say thats the one i want, range it for me. We no longer hunt together cause of that fact. I am all for a buddy of mine shooting a great animal but how do u guys go about hunting with a partner in a situation like that.

The one thing i avoided it was i only hunt with my wife now and really enjoy it but she wont be able to elk hunt with me in wyoming in the bighorns cause her knees are terrible and have have found another friend that i would like to go with and have talked to him about both having equal oppertunity at a animal.I want to go for a fun experience and fun hunt not just making it all about killing. How do u guys go about this. Thanks for your advice

 

[Timberstalker]

I guess it depends on what you want out of it. I hunt alone most of the time, when I do hunt with others I am rarely right next to them anyways so deciding who shoots isn't much of a factor. When it has happend it is they guy who spots that get to choose.

 

[Work2hunt]

Typically when I am hunting with others, I am more camping with them and we are hunting in the same general area so I don't usually have this problem. If we are together when an animal is spotted he or she who spots it first gets first shot is our rule.

 

[DIYLife]

I hunt with my cousin and my uncle. My uncle has always had several friends who hunt with him. When I was growing up the adults always gave my cousin and I the first shots. We never were concerned with trophies the way they are. The way that they did it then and the way that we have came accustomed to is one guy sees something he wants then we make the stalk. If he passes then the other guy might take the stalk. but after that its the next guys turn regardless. If something happens really fast, or really close then we just get the animal on the ground and are happy. We are mainly concerned with having a good time and enjoying eachothers company. With that being said it would be hard to be second in line time after time. Finding a good hunting partner is harder than finding a good friend, a wife, or any thing else. One of the reasons I joined the forum was to hopefully find a partner or two, sometimes you will have to take a risk or maybe give up a trophy but its all part of hunting.

 

[d.kerri]

This is a great question. And definitely one to square away before leaving on/for the hunt. If you're spending fat stacks of cash on tags, gear, etc both hunters have a legitimate vested interest in coming home with meat/trophy.

My hunting buddy and I fell on- "you spot it, you got it." Rarely are you glassing the same immediate terrain, so whoever says "deer" Or "I'm on one" first, gets the first opportunity at that animal.

The key here- have a common understanding and expectation for how this process will go before you leave home. It will eliminate 99% of uncomfortable situations when you're both looking at an animal you'd like to take.

 

[Hilltop]

I used to hunt with a buddy a few years ago and we did most of our hunting together and my question is how do you guys decide who is going to shoot first and get first chance at the animal if both have tags.

My problem is that i went on three hunts one antelope in montana one mule deer and one elk hunt with the guy and everytime we spotted a animal we wanted to go after he always want to have the first shot or first oppertunity. If there was an average animal he would say that is a good one for u and when the big one stepped out he would say thats the one i want, range it for me. We no longer hunt together cause of that fact. I am all for a buddy of mine shooting a great animal but how do u guys go about hunting with a partner in a situation like that.

The one thing i avoided it was i only hunt with my wife now and really enjoy it but she wont be able to elk hunt with me in wyoming in the bighorns cause her knees are terrible and have have found another friend that i would like to go with and have talked to him about both having equal oppertunity at a animal.I want to go for a fun experience and fun hunt not just making it all about killing. How do u guys go about this. Thanks for your advice

You can add an element to the hunt that will eliminate this issue. One guy videos while the other is the shooter. Decide who shoots first on each outing by coin flip. If the first person decided to pass on the animal, then of course you can switch roles easily if the other doesn't want to pass. The key is communicating the issue before hand.

The video is also a great thing to have to remember specific hunts. I love watching old hunting video- it brings back memories and also shows you things you don't see first hand. It is amazing how much tunnel vision we can get in the heat of the moment.

I personally like to split up to cover more ground- increases your chances that one of you will have success.

 

[Timberstalker]

The next question is, how do you split the meat? That is what ruined it for my old huting partner of 20 years. We always split the meat, the last time we hunted together he killed a bull in a canyon that took us over 2 days to get out. He never gave me an ounce of meat off that bull. I sure do miss hunting with him, but I just can't get over that one.

 

[Retterath]

yeah i guess the best way is talk it over before you even leave for the trip that will eliminate alot of stress. i suppose it is better to split up a little and cover more ground and glass more area if nothing pick up camp and move. thanks guys i want my trips with friends to be fun, enjoyable and great memories not stress full.

 

[Sundowners@5?]

I agree with the above post by Retterrath, Talk it over before you leave. I've shared numerous 2 on 1 guided hunts with guys I didn't know much about. I always suggested flipping a coin for first right to shoot or refusal. Once had a guide tell us, I have a coin in my hand dated 1995 to 2005, closes one to the correct year goes first. Currently on a coin flip I always call tails because that flip got me a 8' GRIZZ!!!

 

[kesand72]

I definitely agree on doing a coin flip well before the hunt.
I'm hunting WY elk this year, and he is the only 1 of my buddies that jumped in on the points game with me 8 years ago, so I am automatically giving him first shot opportunity.
I'm building points in other states as well, he only wanted to do WY so in the future I know I will have more opportunity on elk.
If we are right together, he will have first shot. But if we split up a little it is game on for whoever spots a good bull.
As for the meat, if we only get 1 elk, we split it 50/50.

 

[kesand72]

IMO the biggest thing is to plan ahead, discus everything you can think of, and have the best hunting adventure you possibly can! Be more than fair with your hunting partners, and the good that you put out will come back to you!

 

[Sawfish]

IMO the biggest thing is to plan ahead, discus everything you can think of, and have the best hunting adventure you possibly can! Be more than fair with your hunting partners, and the good that you put out will come back to you!

And IF something does go wrong, have a discussion about it, and agree on some type of resolution, so it does not happen again. Life is too short to sit around sulking about something that happened 10 years ago.

 

[Dearhunter3450]

The next question is, how do you split the meat? That is what ruined it for my old huting partner of 20 years. We always split the meat, the last time we hunted together he killed a bull in a canyon that took us over 2 days to get out. He never gave me an ounce of meat off that bull. I sure do miss hunting with him, but I just can't get over that one.

That would burn me too!

 

[Alabama]

Coin flip is what me and my turkey hunting partner always do at the beginning of each season. Whoever wins gets to shoot that day (if there's an opportunity) and the next outing it's the others turn. If you get one or shoot and miss, then it's the others turn. My buddy misses a lot that's why I have a lot more beards and spurs than he does

It's nice to know who's shooting that day so everyone is happy. I trust my friend to hunt just as hard when it's my turn as I do when it's his, so that helps a lot.

 

[OregonJim]

Great thread.
I'm with Timber, I am rarely standing right beside any of my hunting partners. We do try to have all the scenarios covered when its a possibility.
Usually the person who spots it first gets first option.
What is really sweet is when you pass, he misses the buck you deferred, then you let the buck trot out another 100 or so yards then drop it.

I told him if there are two holes you are burning the tag……
my season lasted 8 minutes with a so-so buck, but it was absolutely worth it.

This trip I have the 1st tag, he gets all options during the second phase (next state/2 tags).
Meat is always split right down the middle (including any costs), decided that one years ago.
EXCEPT THIS YEAR …. cause he is flying and I'm "storing" his meat.

 

[Musket Man]

I have not hunted with alot of people but the ones I have hunted with I knew pretty well before we hunted together and it has never been a problem. Usually whoever spotted it got first chance or whoever got skunked the year before or something like that. Its never been a problem. Meat sometimes we split it and sometimes we didnt but that was never a problem either and if someone wanted meat that didnt get an animal that year they always got some.

 

[ivorytip]

as was said, coin flip at begining of each day. winner gets first shot op and the other calls. then flip back and forth thru out day. first day hunting, the guy who drove gets first shot op. when it comes to splitting meat just dont expect to get any at all. dont even ask. but when you get yours give him some, the less you expect the better itll be. the more you expect the more that will dissapoint. living here in idaho though theres allways plenty of elk and deer meat to go around. if i were traveling to hunt for game non local to my area then meat should deff be split between the friends. if i shot me a hog down in texas with my buddy id be splitting that for sure.

 

[Never in Doubt]

If I invite someone to go with me, I let them know that I get first shot. If someone invites me, I let them have first crack at an animal. But when it's a mutual trip to a location both people have worked on, we'll either flip a coin on the drive there.

 

[ivorytip]

good point never... i had a friend invite me to his honey hole for deer a few yaers ago and while we were hiking up we jumped a big buck, we both loaded the chamber and i told him to shoot. i was locked up on the deer as he was running off incase he missed, i kept waiting and waiting and he never shot, buck was getting close to the tree line and iyelled at him to shoot but he didnt so before he hit the trees i dropped him. my buddy was acting all wierd as we were hauling the buck out and i finaly asked whats up and he said nothing man i was gonna shoot it is all. ha, he had 15 secs to pull trigger, and 15 secs is a life time when a big buck is runing away from you. i told him i gave him the first shot and he never pulled. how it goes sometimes.

 

[Russell M.]

We always make sure all of the meat is split up equal. Also usually put all of our grind meat together at the end of the year for sausage making and divvy up that even as well. As far as who gets the first shot, whoever spotted it first.