But... You don't understand!

squirrel

WKR
Joined
May 25, 2017
Messages
324
Location
colorado
So I set a new record last week. I got in a 10 day hunt in only 90 minutes. My buddy had the previous title at 17-18 hours (a 10 day llama rental where the boys were back in the pasture in that amount of time). My record lagged way back of his at about 26-27 hours (10 day rental)

This one was particularly painful as I was ON the hunt. Plan was to go back country for Gen wyoming elk with llamas for packing. I'm crippled with puss running out of my toe (required surgery upon my return). and we hike in 5 miles and set up camp about 5-5:30 night before opener. Filled up water and listened for bugles until cold and dark put me to bed. Soon as I had a few snores in I get "knock, knock, you awake? "I am now"

We've gotta go, gotta go NOW, Ive got to get home. NINTEY FRIGGIN MINUTES!!!

The conversation went on and on as to why we had to leave immediately, there seemed to be dozens of reasons, and most likely hundreds were waiting in reserve.

He kept lamenting, you just don't understand... and I don't, but yet I did. He was scared to death.

So I want to understand. When you are afraid of the woods, specifically what are you afraid of? Now I do understand no guy is EVER AFRAID OF ANYTHING, so this is all about someone you know.

I asked my wife this question as she screamed a few weeks ago when he dog was on her way out of the tent and stepped on her as she exited while we were on a goat hunt. Her response was that the dog stepping on her startled her so she screamed, I said but yep the dog steps on you 15 times/night at home in bed yet you never make a peep, let alone scream like you are being axe murdered. She got real quiet and said "you just don't understand". 20 minutes of beating around the same bush got me nowhere except a few miles up the big-ass river called denial.

So after reading "creepy experiences in the backcountry" I ask of you. When you wake up screaming what had ahold of you? When you are sprinting back to the T/H the next day to get in your truck and head home what is just out of sight around that last bend, following you?

I've heard some good ones over the years upon early return of rental llamas.
A moose almost stepped on me.
Tons of dead trees and I knew one would fall on me as I slept.
I have chafed thighs and don't want to die from infection in the woods, I'm just too muscular for this.
I want to die in a cornfield not up here, can a helicopter land here?

But over and over what I'm told is YOU DONT UNDERSTAND... so tell me I want to understand. And as I stated above this isn't about you, just your buddy... personally Im skeered of leaches, but this generally does not effect elk hunts.
 

FLATHEAD

WKR
Joined
Jun 27, 2021
Messages
2,297
Funny you mention.
I'm up an hour early this AM cause something was crawling on me.
And I'm at home!!
Never did see what it was.

But yeah, I would have sent him packing on his own come morning.
 
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scfreeman66

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
264
I don't get it. I look forward to hunting all year long. If I'm not hunting somewhere, I'm thinking about hunting somewhere....
I can't imagine pulling up early over fear. I would feel like such a failure.
If a hunting partner wanted to check out that early, he would be on his own headed home. No chance that I would pull up without some good reason.... illness, death in family, etc

Sent from my moto g stylus 5G using Tapatalk
 

NB7

WKR
Joined
Jul 8, 2020
Messages
365
So what your saying is you bailed on a hunt because you're hunting buddy was afraid of the dark/woods/solitude or something like that?
 
OP
S

squirrel

WKR
Joined
May 25, 2017
Messages
324
Location
colorado
I don't get it. I look forward to hunting all year long. If I'm not hunting somewhere, I'm thinking about hunting somewhere....
I can't imagine pulling up early over fear. I would feel like such a failure.
If a hunting partner wanted to check out that early, he would be on his own headed home. No chance that I would pull up without some good reason.... illness, death in family, etc

Sent from my moto g stylus 5G using Tapatalk
He set that up when he wouldn't drive to the T/H because his truck would be vandalised, hence "you have to hike out and take me home now..."
 
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
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1,771
I learned LONGGGGGGGGG AGO to never, ever, never ever, let them lever, ever, I mean never ever convince you ever, to take one truck on an extended hunt. Never! All kinds of things can come up, if you have one vehicle, you're screwed.

Sorry to hear about your trip.
 

Northpark

WKR
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
1,130
Not saying my mind has t wandered in the dark before, as oddly enough of all things the idea of Bigfoot bugs me. I’ve bailed on two evenings of hunting I can remember out of fear? Bad feeling? I didn’t go home just moved locations and all was well. One was this past august during bear season and I was intending to hunt and camp in this one big canyon. I got a real bad feeling about something when I went in and the longer I stayed glassing the worse the feeling got. Finally I just left and moved over to a different area a few miles away and no more bad feeling. Maybe a cat was watching me or something.

Biggest thing for me that makes me want to bail out early are missing the wife and kids and work stress.
 

Yarak

WKR
Joined
May 24, 2020
Messages
425
If there was no emergency at home and it was just being afraid of the dark
Well someone would have a long hike to the highway to thumb a ride or call friend. cab, uber or whatever to get back to their safe space
There is no way I'd be packing out for the OP's friends reason plus I'd be minus a friend over that garbage
 
Joined
Oct 5, 2018
Messages
1,889
Location
Colorado
I've had friends and relatives bail on hunting and fishing trips early and based on the excuses my guess is overall home sickness as opposed to fear of the dark or bears, because when it happens it's usually halfway through the trip.

My favorite excuse was from a good friend of mine on day 3 of a 7 day backpacking/fishing trip in Wyoming. We were packing camp and getting ready to make the push to the lakes that we specifically went on this trip to fish when my friend drops the bombshell. "Hey dude I actually need to get back, my girlfriend is watching my dog and she isn't supposed to have animals in her apartment." What? Why the hell did you have her watch your dog then? It was just an excuse of course, he was homesick. I went back a year later by myself and made it to those lakes though, it was much more peaceful knowing that nobody else could ruin the trip but me.
 

Mosby

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Jan 1, 2015
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Last time I took a guy with me, I made it clear there wasn't a leave early pass available. He could do what he wanted but I was hunting every day and doing my thing. He stayed by or in the truck most days. One morning he told me he was having chest pains and needed to stay in bed. I agreed. We got through the week and he has never asked to go with me again.
 

nobody

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Sep 15, 2020
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Not saying my mind has t wandered in the dark before, as oddly enough of all things the idea of Bigfoot bugs me. I’ve bailed on two evenings of hunting I can remember out of fear? Bad feeling? I didn’t go home just moved locations and all was well. One was this past august during bear season and I was intending to hunt and camp in this one big canyon. I got a real bad feeling about something when I went in and the longer I stayed glassing the worse the feeling got. Finally I just left and moved over to a different area a few miles away and no more bad feeling. Maybe a cat was watching me or something.

Biggest thing for me that makes me want to bail out early are missing the wife and kids and work stress.
Same on the Bigfoot thing. People make jokes and everyone says he's not real, but all I can think when I'm outside my tent in my undies at midnight with my boots unlaced is... what if?
 

Scoot

WKR
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Messages
1,521
It sounds like your friend is someone who you shouldn't go on any kind of extended hunt with again. Maybe he's got anxiety, maybe he's scared of the dark, maybe he's just a pussy... dunno. If you don't have any of those and you're not a person who can empathize with other people very well, you'll likely never understand it.

My suggestion- don't plan another extended trip like this with another person if there isn't an agreement up front about it and an alternate way to get someone home (plane, bus, etc.)
 

Burnsie

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 3, 2017
Messages
246
Location
Illinois
Wow!
I guess I never realized there were full grown adults that would bail on a trip like some are describing.
After spending months planning and thinking about a trip and then busting my ass hiking in with my weeks
provisions on my back, there would have to be a pretty serious situation to make me come out. Death in the family, house hit by a tornado or burned....etc.
 

hunterjmj

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Feb 3, 2019
Messages
1,204
Location
Montana
That's crazy people would bail like that. Thankfully no one in our group has ever bailed. Years ago my dad was being really quiet on a deer hunt and come to find out he had a bad tooth ache. I had to convince him to go get it taken care of and come back. He left in the morning and was back before dinner with a fixed tooth.
 
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