Finding Hunting Buddies

[GreyGhostBuster]

It was harder to find my hunting partners (2) then it was my wife. Yikes..

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

Yeah, I definitely work a "nerdy" job and the demographic I work with reflects that - it's mostly video games, D&D, and that sort of thing, which is fine, not my thing, but fine. If I were ever invited to go hunting with someone's family I definitely would, but I don't intend to invite myself. I intend to keep chatting people up more and more the closer we get to fall.


That's totally fair. Right now, I just have exactly zero people to choose from haha. Maybe that says something about me! Lol

Yeah, different points-of-views, perspectives, levels of seriousness on hunting. My life goal is to move to AK and do trade work up there and hunt the Last Frontier in my off time. I guess never underestimate that people are willing to talk the talk, but hunting is hard work isn't it? Much easier to talk about it from the couch haha.

Hey dude anything is possible. Im no joke about to put my two weeks in at my super secure fed job. People think I’m crazy because the retirement is great, but guess what if last year taught us anything it was that if ‘they’ want to collapse society they can. Only live once why not go for your dream job or lifestyle. F**k everybody, the mountains are all.

 

[gelton]

I found my hunting partner at the trailhead, I was leaving a hunt solo and he was about to pack in solo.

I have also run into a couple of young SF guys that were shooting their bows at a trailhead before packing in. At the time my dad was with me for the first week and I was going to be solo for the 2nd week. We ended up trading inreach #'s and hooked up to spend the last week hunting together.

Still talk to this day. At the time they were going through MORSOC training and both are now Marine Raiders.

The best place to find hunting partners is while hunting.

 

[cnelk]

I’ve hunted and fished with my buddy for over 40 years. We went to HS together and did a ton of cool shit back in the day.

We live 1000+ miles apart, talk occasionally and he comes out each fall to chase elk.

Sometimes elk die, fish get caught and whiskey gets drank.

 

[Cavendish]

Hey dude anything is possible. Im no joke about to put my two weeks in at my super secure fed job. People think I’m crazy because the retirement is great, but guess what if last year taught us anything it was that if ‘they’ want to collapse society they can. Only live once why not go for your dream job or lifestyle. F**k everybody, the mountains are all.

I went in fully committed to doing 20 but seeing how that stuff is run from the inside, I honestly cringe everytime somebody thanks me for """my service""". Gonna get out and use my GI Bill to go to a trade school - preferably the lineman school up in Idaho.

After that, I have no doubt that once I end up back with redblooded, salt of the earth type folk I'll be in better company to find friends with my hobbies.

 

[Cavendish]

It's hard, coming from a family that gave up hunting when I was basically a toddler and fished only once in a blue moon. Now all the people who even did that - my dad and grandfather - have died.

All the hunt clubs seem to be ridiculously expensive, 2-3k annually? I just can't drop that kind of money. But that's big game, maybe, like some of y'all said, there's opportunities on facebook - I'd have to make an account but if it means getting involved with the community I'll bite the bullet - or a local bird shooting (not something I've ever done, but I'd be interested).

 

[4rcgoat]

I 100% agree. Hunting over a good dog is the best part of upland bird hunting. The thrill of watching them work is hard to beat. And yes, forever loyal. Like the saying goes, lock your dog and your wife in the trunk and see which one is happy to see you when you open it.

Gotta love a good dog

 

[iseebucks]

Hey dude anything is possible. Im no joke about to put my two weeks in at my super secure fed job. People think I’m crazy because the retirement is great, but guess what if last year taught us anything it was that if ‘they’ want to collapse society they can. Only live once why not go for your dream job or lifestyle. F**k everybody, the mountains are all.

I wish I had the courage to do that. What are you going to do instead?

 

[browning2480]

I wish I had the courage to do that. What are you going to do instead?

I did this as well. I bailed after 10 years and it has been the best decision I ever made. Got a great corporate job and have all kinds of time to spend with family and do the things I love

 

[Customweld]

I went in fully committed to doing 20 but seeing how that stuff is run from the inside, I honestly cringe everytime somebody thanks me for """my service""". Gonna get out and use my GI Bill to go to a trade school - preferably the lineman school up in Idaho.

After that, I have no doubt that once I end up back with redblooded, salt of the earth type folk I'll be in better company to find friends with my hobbies.

If you make it up here for lineman school, reach out. BTW, my son in law and his friend went through that school a couple of years ago. The friend is making an astonishing living for a 21 year old. My son in law ended up flying Apaches for the Army.

 

[WCB]

My advice is hunt as much as you can/want solo and just talk to people that seem interested in the same thing. If you and someone decide to start huting together great. Also talk to people on the trail or offer to help pack an animal out.

I have been on a few hunts where just a quick talk on the trail turned into camping and hunting together for the week and even staying in touch years later (whether we hunt together or not). I have hunted with/camped with/helped guys from PA, GA, WI, MI, TX, ND. Even helped one guy sneak in on his first mule deer with a bow and was hip to hip with him when he shot it at 10 yards.

I have buddies I hunt with that are solid but I do not plan my schedule around hunting with them. If a hunt works out great but I like the flexibility and certainty of plans when I am the only factor. The only hunt I do that is planned yearly or guaranteed with with one of my buddies from college and it is a predator hunting trip in mid Feb...do it every year same weekend.

 

[dylanvb]

The only person I knew that bow hunted lived in CO and I live in CA but he used to live in CA. Gave him a call and he hooked me up with some old hunting buddies that still live in CA and that’s how I got hunting buddies. Now my brother has a bow and is getting everything set up so he can hunt and I’m getting new buddies interested in hunting.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I honestly have alot of really good and fun conversations at the archery shop.

If you have one close get to know those guys. They can kinda match make you up with people they think you'd get along with to.

Far a people I actually hunt or share hunting info with. My wife is my number one.
And other then that its dudes I've met in deep dark holes doing hard shit,we think alike and kinda have to share to keep from blowing everything out.
But honestly I think you have to just do.
There are so many talkers out there that never actually do. They just blow smoke. I don't waste my time once I catch wind of it. They have nothing to offer me and why waste my time if ther blowing smoke.
On the other hand if they have alot of doing stories but need some help zeroing in ill help for sure.

 

[Foggy Mountain]

Brother if you were closer I’d invite you. Thanks for your service btw.
Maybe join a local club if you have one even if only an archery club. Attend some 3D shoots, etc.
Myself as a boy I had no one in my family hunted. I started shooting a bow 3-4 years old. At a very young age I belonged to an archery club. Not my parents just I. Couple of the fellows and I would share information and stories. Often I state something happened and a more experienced fellow would volunteer what to try next time.
Eventually I met some guys prob equal to my experience and we hunted together. I still hunt with some of them today nearly 40 years later.
It may take time but get out there.
Gotta be honest and this isn’t to offend anyone so blessed to have a dad or someone mentor them. Some really bad information gets passed on and imo sometimes stunt someone’s growth.
Look in the military how many guys have you seen swear they can shoot? Dad showed em.
Same thing.
Keep your mind open and keep trying to better yourself. Good luck

 

[BRTreedogs]

...

You can put a little effort in.

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

Hey dude anything is possible. Im no joke about to put my two weeks in at my super secure fed job. People think I’m crazy because the retirement is great, but guess what if last year taught us anything it was that if ‘they’ want to collapse society they can. Only live once why not go for your dream job or lifestyle. F**k everybody, the mountains are all.

Damn. I'm about to do the opposite. A woman got into my head and made me want to get a "plan". Now that that's over and I got the interview I keep asking myself "who the hell am I doing this for?".

I want to die in the mountains not on my way to a job I hate.


Hunting partner thing..
I have one hunting partner that I still won't bring to certain places. If we travel it's all good, but I have been burned enough to have my guard up.

I have some family that hunts, but the most I hunt with them is helping on rifle hunts.

 

[Clearwaterarcher]

Probably one of the hardest things to find IMO. I found mine packing a bull out of a canyon I’ve hunted for years. Never thought anyone else was dumb enough to go in there but me. We hit it off and have been a deadly duo ever sense. Either dumb luck or local archery shoots

 

[Hossmiller]

I have had a lot of people over the years that were going to be a ‘hunting buddy’, they usually had a different idea of what hunting with me was going to be like. I guess I just didn’t vet them well enough. I think most of them were more casual hunters and I am a little more serious and those two types of hunters mix like oil and water. Like others have said, just do your thing and the right people will naturally cross paths with you.

 

[Fallfreak]

Yep it's hard to find a compatible hunting partner. Easier hunts are not the problem got some great pheasant hunting buddies but none would be great for western big game. I've went with people that are ready to leave after the 2nd day or constantly on the phone with wife/girlfriend every chance they have a cell signal.. I'm like are you kidding me. To me that's like planning a vacation for a year and after the first day saying "Yep I'm good let's go hom." A lot of people talk a big talk but don't deliver. Don't have the same drive or passion for hunting you do, some can't even understand why you would want to put so much effort and time into a hunt. They want to drive somewhere, shoot something and drive right back home to tell everyone what a great hunt they had. I could keeping going on got plenty of stories. I just choose to do things myself now when it comes to western big game hunting. If I meet that future hunting partner at the trail head or at a bow shoot or other outdoor activity as stated in earlier posts That would be great and I would welcome that for sure but findimg that true hunting buddy with the same passion a drive for hunting has not proven to be easy to come by for me.

 

[long hunter]

I have had two great hunting buddies the best was my father he passed 3 years ago, very hard time for me and still is, the other is a Marine Corps buddy he is like the brother I never had met when we both 17 1/2 years old, I find most others are only looking for a hunting area and not that reliable. My advise is choose the others you may hunt with lke you would a future wife, be damn careful, sooner or later you will come across that certain one.