Hunting Partners Q.

[muzzle]

Just wondering if anyone else out there has the same problem I have been dealing with for years now. When I grew up, my dad was not a hunter. (I mean, really not a hunter)Anyway, I didn't start hunting until the age of 17. My girlfriend's dad at the time, now my father-in-law, took me bow hunting one year and like many addictive things, I was hoplessly hooked for life. The only other hunters I have in the family are my younger brother and my brother-in-law. Here is where my problem comes in. I, like many of you around here, am borderline obsessive(OK, completely obsessed) with hunting. It's on my mind in some form or fassion just about every day. The problem is, my brother and brother-in-law are half ass hunters. They like to think they are big time but they never put in their dues so to speak. They are the kind of guys who talk big in the off season of how much scouting they are going to do next year, what states they want to hunt and how they want to back pack in 15 miles where no man dares go etc. You know the kind. However, when the hunt starts getting near they start whimping out. They always seem to come up with some lame o excuse as to why they can only scount one day or they have to be back to work on Monday even though they said they took the whole hunt off? I am the only one that will take the hunt off, walk over just one more ridge to see if I can spot the gig one, get up day after day and keep a positive attitude and basically do what is needed to be sucessfull. They always say I am the "lucky One" when I tag out. My usual comment to them is "yea i'm the lucky one and you're the lazy one" humm..wonder why you never get anything??? All I can say is I am getting sick of hunting with guys that don't have the same dedication as I do and because of that, I usually end up hunting alone. Hunting by myself isn't all that bad and can be quite enjoyable, but I prefer good company too. I would like to find someone else to hunt with that shares the same passion as I do, but it seems they already have solid partners or they have family traditions. Anyone else find themselves in this boat?

Thanks for letting me vent..John

 

[Benado]

Where ya from?

 

[archeryelkaholic]

Got the same problem. Hunting alone is tough sometimes but I have been forced into that.

Never had anyone that wanted to apply and wait along with travel and bust your butt to hunt.

Archer

 

[OSOK]

I would imagine your scenario is more common than not... Fortunately I've been lucky enough to have the same best hunting buddy ever since we started at the age of 14. He's as "Balls to the Wall" kind of guy as you'll ever meet. Puts in more than his fair share of effort, and is never afraid of going the extra mile... This has also paid off for us w/ great dividends. It sure is nice having a partner who's strong points compliment those of mine which may not be quite so strong! Thanks for reminding me of how lucky I really am!

In all seriousness, keep looking! You'll find someone that is as dedicated as yourself that you can partner up with. Takes time, just like finding that big ol cagey buck.

 

[eelgrass]

Good hunting partners are hard to find alright. In my 40 years of hunting, I've only found four or five who I would consider a match with how I like to do things. Three have moved on to greener pastures (two to Montana and one to Alaska) and one passed away two years ago.

If and when you hunt alone, which I've done plenty of, be sure to leave a map with someone showing where you'll be and stick to it. Fortunatly, nothing bad ever happened on any of my solo adventures.

I'm not nearly as hard core as I once was, so it's easier to find a partner now.

Steve

 

[archeryelkaholic]

After 30 years of looking I have given up. I hunt with folks sometimes but most of the time it is on my own. Not what I would wish but they way it is.

I figured a LONG time ago I could do this or sit around the rest of my life and wait.

Well, I didn't wait and have some great memories along with some good pictures and stories to tell. Even got a few animals to talk about. The only way this happened was for ME to do it for MYSELF and not wait on SOMEBODY else.

Sorry to ramble on,

Archer

 

[MuskegMan]

You know what they say:

"The harder you hunt . . . . . the luckier you get!!!"

MM

 

[caelkhnter]

Good post. It is interesting, like another post above, I met my hunting buddy when I was about 14 and we have hunted together ever since. He is as serious and hardcore as you can get. He taught me the importance of exercising discipline and now we both follow the "ladder" approach to hunting, which was mentioned in another post. Problem now is that we have limited the areas we try to hunt, several different states, which are very hard to draw and it becomes frustrating year after year not getting drawn. For example once again we got shut out of Utah. Oh well there is still N.M., Col., and Az. yet this year. Good luck on finding a good hunting buddy!

 

[muzzle]

Well it is kinda nice to know that i'm not alone on this one. It's funny though, people often ask me why I don't have very many field photos with all the animals i've taken and I have to explain to them that pictures don't turn out so well from arms legnth and crooked. Seriously though, I have met up with a few hard hunters on these Utah mountians, who knows, maybe one of them might be in the same situation and who knows? Thanks for the posts guys.

 

[fatrooster]

Where do you live muzzle? Yes sometimes I run into the same thing. I'm in Nevada. fatrooster.

 

[cabinfever]

I know how you feel. Every year I'd get together with my family and do the rifle opener. Deer camp is always fun, but when it comes to hunting, these guys are done in within a few days and usually shoot whatever, just to tag out and go home.It was definately frustrating. I finally just started going alone, which I dont mind. I hunted with a guy last year that is as crazy and dedicated as I am to hunting.It looks like we'll be going on another hunt together this year.

Mike

 

[AZbowhntr]

One thing you can do is hang out here and you will meet some incredible people. I think we are all in the same boat. We must be pretty hard core to come to a deer hunting site when there is no hunting for almost 6 more months.

 

[scottyboy]

I know exactly what ya mean. All of my best buddies don't even hunt!! And one of them owns about 5K acres of prime land in central TX!
And I have a few friends that tag along with me here in AZ every now and then, but for the most part, its just me and my dogs or just me for that matter. Sometimes I think I am a little too zealous on the hunting, but I don't what to do anything else, so I have come to the conclusion that this is the way I am and thats what I like to do.

"If ya don't want to go, fine, but I'm goin' anyways"

thats my motto to 'em.....HEheheh



---Scottyboy---

 

[hunting1]

Well I hear you about the being obssesed. I don't go long with out thinking about hunting. I had a great partner that I miss in AZ, but now in NM I am still looking. It is not the hunting alone I mind, it is the celebration and camp that being alone stinks. If you were in NM we could hook up, but until I meet someone else I am a hunting alone. Couple of years until my son is old enough and hoping he wants to go and still able to go. Good shoot'n!

 

[RIMROCK338]

This topic hits pretty close to home.I ues to have freinds and relatives that would hunt.But as life went on they either quit hunting
or had sons or wifes that they would prefer to go with,so now I'm
kinda face with if I want to go on some hunts for myself I need to get the balls to JUST DO IT.I guess what they say is true " if you can't stand your own company don't expect anyone else to":RIMROCK

<IF IT BLEEDS WE CAN KILL It>

 

[muzzle]

OK get this, so last night after reading evryones posts, i'm getting ready for bed and I start talking to my wife about the post I wrote. She thinks about it for a minute and say "ya your right, it does seem like you are the only one that is dedicated and consistant year in and year out". I'm thinking cool, she finally agrees with me. I feeling pretty good.. for a minute, because then came the next little gem. She then asks me "Did you ever stop to consider that maybe all your friends and family just finally grew up?" I don't know about anyone else but thems fighten words! Good night gone bad. The End

 

[idhunters]

That was a harsh comment! Don't believe her for a minute. I'm sure she is a fine woman but apparently she just doesn't get it!

Either keep looking for a hardcore hunting partner or GO AT IT ALONE!

 

[ridgerunner]

Great post, one I can totally relate to up here in good ole WA, I keep looking for that perfect hunting partner, I know that one day either I will find that person or just have to keep hunting solo. I've met most of my hunting contacts on this site, stick around you never know what will happen.

 

[Drake]

I feel the same way as many of you, I used to have a big hunting camp, then i started archery hunting, I did run into a hunter with the same drive and desire to hunt as what I have,
he is a mean scorn old man, so camp with him wasn't even that much fun but all summer i knew i had a scouting partner and when the hunt came along i knew he was there till the end of it.
well 2 years ago i moved him to col to open a archery shop in the springs, been solo since, I have a few friends that are semi hunters, for me it more than just going out opeing day. i prepare all year, shooting my bow everyday, working at the gym everyday to better my physical & mental strength, reading every piece of info i can get, looking at maps and downloanding into my gps till my eyes hurt.
I am going to back pack in this year and kill a monster buck, hopefully i have a partner to share it with, if not I will enjoy the sunrise and sunsets off my perch just the same.. the best part about a partner is at night when the hunt is over you have company. I have killed 5 bucks in the 5 years i have been bow hunting, and 1 bull.
It sure is nice to have someone there to share the spirit with but till that right someone comes along I will solo hunt. I tryed getting my wife into it all last year, and it was very difficult, do to the fact that I hunt hard and she more or less just likes to be there, with 2 kids backpack hunting is out of the question, so i will get her a rifle tag and get her a 2 point opening day. I also do some mule deer guiding every year on a cwmu i have found I enjoy this just as much as hunting myself, i have met some great folks through guiding and look forward to the 1st of sept almost as much as the opener of archery.
I do have one prospect hunting partner this year who knows the meaning of hunting hard and doing home work, so we will see how it goes. his passion is more of elk and mine is mule deer ever since a kid i have loved mule deer almost as much as life itself, there is never a day that goes by when big bucks don't haunt me in my thoughts. i look at big buck pictures every night right before bed so i dream of them, i know i am sick but this is my curse and i will live with it.

 

[rockymtn_hunter]

Most of my hunting has been solo - 23 years ago (1982) I did a solo bowhunt for bighorn sheep in WY. I arrowed a 160 P&Y, 11-yr old ram the 1st day on top of a 12,000' ridge, 14 miles from the trailhead. The first thing I wanted to do was yell YEEEEHAAAA, but I didn't because I thought to myself "no one will hear me" - although I did get real light-headed and almost pass out from the "hunter's high". It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is forever in my mind & heart, but you know what? I wish I had someone there to share it with now. I look back & wonder how much sweeter that experience would have been if I would have had a good buddy there. Today I find myself today spending a lot of time in my mind reliving that whole experience. And when people ask me about that hunt I jump at the opportunity to tell the whole story to them. The other thought that came to mind back then was "Geez, how am I going to get this critter back to the trailhead? I sure wish I had someone here with me now" -- It took me 5 days to get that ram out by myself. I've had a lifetime of great hunting experiences, most of them alone, but now I enjoy taking others to those wild places - my own sons, buddies, and anyone who is willing to go the extra mile to experience things that really matter in this life.

 

[mickeyelk]

I, like the rest can relate to this delima. Everytime I find the right person that hunts like I do they seem to move out. In Las Vegas, with its ever increasing population, hunting is not all that popular. We now have over 2 million people in the state and only about 60,000 of them apply to hunt. I would venture to say that allot are them are from the northern part of the state. A few years ago we only had one archery shop in this town and really no hunting stores. Times have change and we now have a Bass Pro Shop. Back to the main subject! I actively pursue hunting partners, almost like getting a date. They are hard to find and in the meantime will look for as long as it takes. My friends at work have other interests, but I keep working on them. I do though have 3 sons. The oldest doesn't hunt (wife problem) , the second will be having a wife problem as soon as he marries her (Lives back east. I told him to get all his hunting done that he can before he gets married because..... you know), and the youngest, if he draws will hunt with me but won't do any of the scouting or fun stuff building up to it. We all have the fever when it comes to hunting and wish we could share it around a little more. Later Kerry

 

[straightshooter]

Muzzle,
I sent you a PM.

 

[muzzle]

Danny, I sent an e-mail but I don't know if it went through or not? Let me know if it didn't. John

 

[lostinOregon]

Great post. You are not alone in finding someone who shares the passion of mule deer hunting. Everyone can find a road hunting buddy, it is the serious trophy hunter that is the rare bread. I should have 3 mule deer tags this year, Colorado, Wyoming and already have Montana. I will be hunting alone in Co and Wy. I feel your pain, however you shouldn't grow up. My wife is always looking at me funny when I "research" where I'm going hunting. It is kind of a running joke due with the family due to my large stack of hunting synopsis, draw odds, you guys know cause you got the same pile. The only cure for what ails you is opening day.

 

[freedivr2]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-27-05 AT 10:54PM (MST)[p]This really IS a good post.

I believe everyone has had this problem and most of us have been on both sides of the fence during our hunting lifetimes. When I first started hunting, the guys I went with were more experienced, more comfortable in the woods and in better hiking shape than me. And not everyone has the desire to be 100% gung ho with hunting. The fact is that the majority of hunters never venture further than 1/2 mile from a road while hunting (or so says my Calif. Hunter Education Instructors manual). So not everyone has the desire to whack a huge muley or a 6 pt. bull and they're 100% happy with that. Camaraderie and just getting out in the outdoors is what's important to many good hunters, and they don't want to kill themselves in the process by overdoing it. The guys that don't put in the work don't reap the bigger rewards, that's all. Having a good hunting partner doesn't necessarily mean he has to have your stamina or keep up with you in your quest for that muley 5 miles in or 11,000 feet up; what I believe it means is that he holds your same values, ethics, shares the chores in camp, is pleasant to be around, has good gun safety & survival habits and who doesn't panic. A good partner (to me) is someone I can depend on in an emergency if needed. Anyway, if my hunting partners have all those qualities (and they do), that is what makes them a great partner in my book. If they also have the desire to pack it in deep, that's perfect (but not a requirement). Anyway, that's the gist of my view on what makes a good hunting partner.......

 

[usa]

Forget it !! I'm begining to believe there's no such animal as a good hunting partner,I got spoiled being raised in upstate NY with for fanatical hunting brother's. When I moved to Ca. in 1979 my hunting world fell apart, as far as I could tell I was the only hunter in sothern Ca so I took up fishing, yuk, finally hooked up with a guy from Arkansas that used to guide in Colorado and he introduced me to Elk hunting, then I was hooked and had 2 year's with a fine partner, then he died. Hunted alone for 4 years and then hooked up with another great guy thru a local advertisement ( ad said something like "wife say's I'm to old to hunt alone need a partner " we hunted together for 2 season's and seemed to really hit it off and we were succesful in about 4 state's, for some reason he stopped coming around or returning my phone call's ???? oh well, looking for a new hunting partner is like someone said similar to dating, too much work. I've hunted alone the last 5 years and have had a great time and taken lot's of game and the only time I wish I had a partner is when I'm boning out a deer or elk and humping back to my truck and later at camp it would be nice to share the day's event's with someone who understand's what we are all about!

 

[RockyMtnOyster]

I'm more or less the half a$$ hunter everybody dreads. I'm that dude who talks a big game, then goes home after not seeing anything opening day. I think the first step to recovery is admitting it or something. I've been working hard this offseason, shooting frequently, reading all the latest hunting info, etc. I may break the mold and move into that hard core hunter category soon, I hope. Then I'll have the dilemma you guys do of not having a hard core partner.

 

[JRABQ]

Maybe some enterprising soul could start an internet hunting partner matching site for Obsessed Hunters. Fill out a quiz and compare 29 dimensions of compatibility.

 

[YukonDall]

THIS IS A GREAT POST,I THINK FREEDIVR2 NAILED IT.... I HUNT SOLO ABOUT 75% OF THE TIME. HAVE BEEN HUNTING THIS WAY FOR YEARS..... NOW AND THEN WITH A LARGE PARTY. I FIND IT IS SO MUCH EASIER, LESS COMPLICATED,AND MORE TO THE POINT OF HUNTING TO GO SOLO. BUT I DO HAVE LOTS OF PICS WITH ONLY THE ANIMAL IN THEM, I NEED TO GET A CAMERA W/ A TIMER. I HAVE SOLO HUNTED SO MUCH I DONT EVEN THINK TWICE ABOUT GOING OUT OF STATE SOLO, DONE IT A FEW TIMES. YD.

 

[Lien2]

Hello, my name is John, and I'm an obsessed hunter.
And I'm not kidding, not an hour, or a minute goes by without thinking about hunting. Anyway, I have a great hunting partner, and one "not so hard core" hunting partner. But I am fine going by myself too, and a lot of times I prefer it. So if I want to go, I go whether it's by myself or not. I agree though, there are some sweet moments that really should be shared with a hunting partner.

Lien2

 

[muzzle]

Sounds like JRABQ is our man to start this freak show.. all in favor say or type I or eye or whatever! Seriously, I think there may be some potential in trying to match hunters up on possibly this site. Would it be that hard?

 

[eelgrass]

Hi,

My name is Steve. I'm looking for a hunting partner who doesn't like to hunt, but who owns a large ranch with mule deer that have never been hunted. You might say I'm looking for a "silent partner".......

I'm surprised at the number of hunters here who hunt alone and enjoy it for the most part. I thought I was kind of the loner type and not very typical, but I guess not.

Part of hunting to me is being able to do my own thing, when I want, where I want, and the way I want. 95% of my life is lived on somebody elses schedule and for their convenience. My hunting time is very precious to me and not to be wasted, wondering if my partner will be on time, or if he will back out, or be in a bad mood, or have to stop on the way out of town because he forgot to buy his hunting lisence, etc., etc. You all know the type.

My wife says I'll never grow up.....I sure hope she's right!

 

[Smokepole]

My hunting partner (cousin) moved to Idaho about 10 years ago. We could hunt a ridge, canyon, basin, etc. together and we would know exactly where and what the other would do. I miss those field experiences. Since then I've hunted occasionally with some other friends. But, when I seriously want to hunt, I take off on my own since I can't get any of my current hunting buddies to go with me. My kids are now old enough to hunt and I take them and go at their capabilities. We (my kids and I) are having some great fun, but not the serious trophy hunt (maybe in a few years when my son gets more meat on his bones).

I drew my LE muzzleloader deer permit for the Book Cliffs this year and as far as I know, I'll be going it alone for the whole season. I'm looking for a wall hanger and plan to spend the time and effort to find one.

However, I too wish to have someone to share this experience (and others) with and talk about how the hunt went each at a camp fire each night.

So, Muzzle it appears we share a similar handle and likely interest in hunting with those same weapons, that it's possible that we could hook up. But, as you can see, I'll be busy this year in the Books.

Smokepole

 

[muzzle]

Smokepole, good luck in the Books, should be a banner year. I'll be busy enough on Nebo for LE Elk this year.

 

[camuleycrazy]

This is a really great post. It brings up many good points for all of us mule deer crazed people. I too think freedvr2 nailed it.
I have been very lucky first to have an older mentor who has now past on. Then from a couple of guided hunts long ago I have been fortunate to become hunting buddies with two great guides. One is no longer guiding and we hunt together almost every year. Sometimes only one of us has a tag and the other just goes along as a sort of guide companion. I enjoy going along without a weapon almost as much as hunting myself. With the draw odds and low number of tags in the best units it is many times better to apply by yourself and hope that you can take a good buddy along.
Often I end up hunting alone but I think everyone agrees it is sure nice to at least have friends in camp at night to share the days stories. This can work with friends who are not as serious. I live in southern Ca. where there are not that many hunters but I have found many that share my passion at least enough to make trips out of state workable.
Good luck!
PS. I would try hanging out at the local hunting store and attending any game fundraisers. Also the shooting range.

 

[Warren]

Here in Mississippi I am in a Hunting Club. We go from hardcore to never skinned a deer before. It is a great setting for me to take my Son and also to enjoy "camp life". It seems like things work out better when I have casual hunts around home, and save my serious hunts for out of state. I got some good guys from my camp that I hunt out west with, and a couple more that are going with me to Kansas on an archery hunt for whitetails. It is probably best to try to mix in a little bit of both. It is hard for us the go out west to apply together for a lot of top end hunts. Me and another friend have an agreement that if either ever pulls a sheep tag, the other will go along.

 

[straightshooter]

John, It dosn't look like the e-mail went through. Try it again or feel free to just give me a call.
Danny

 

[freedivr2]

camuleycrazy..........check your private messages.......

 

[deerbedead]

I quit hunting with my family when I was 17. They always went to the same old place and hunted year after year. I got tired of watching them kill any buck that came running by during our deer drives. I hunted alone for about 10 years, and killed some big mule deer. I loved being out in the mountains with no one to worry about, or to screw up my hunt. It seems like no matter who you go with, they always have some problem or limitation that hinders you from gittin er done!
I have tried several new partners, and some have been good, and some not so good. It takes a few years to really tell which one is going to be the right one. I hunted with a crew of guys last year, and one of them turned out to be what I was looking for. He was downright funny when we started telling jokes at night, and he stayed with me right to the bitter end of a week long hunt, and he paid for his share of everything, and this year he has done a hell of a lot of research for our hunt, and to top it all off he has enough money to apply and enough time to go on the hunt, not to mention a scouting trip or two. Now that is going to be hard to beat for a hunting partner.
I still like to hunt alone, and I'm sure we'll split up and do our own thing once the hunt starts, but it is nice to have someone to scheme with all year, and then to have someone to share the good times and the tough times with.
I would still go it alone before I would take on just any old partner.
deerbedead