Finding Hunting Friends

ddavis_1313 said:
Find a place in Iowa for me to hunt and I’ll be your new best friend and hunt anywhere else you want to go!


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I am a late bloomer as well. Offering help is a great way to get to know folks. If you have land, invite them. If you have a spot, share it with them. I have helped a couple of buddies build stands, learn to shoot, pick out bows, gut deer and haul meat. Be friendly and find ways to be helpful and you will make hunting friends fast.
 
Desk Jockey said:
I am a late bloomer as well. Offering help is a great way to get to know folks. If you have land, invite them. If you have a spot, share it with them. I have helped a couple of buddies build stands, learn to shoot, pick out bows, gut deer and haul meat. Be friendly and find ways to be helpful and you will make hunting friends fast.
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Gotta be careful here as you don't want to get burned by someone wanting to take advantage. Guess nothing ventured nothing gained but I recommend scouting a new place together or something similar that puts you both on equal footing and gives you both equal chance to work hard for success.

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Same challenges for me.

I knew of a local guy that goes elk hunting every year and got on his stand by list. Slow to include me.

But I joined here and learned as much as I could, bought the stuff I needed to backpack hunt and stayed in shape. One year a spot opened up and I'm in.

Funny thing is, as I talk about what I do with other friends and professional colleagues they have all started expressing desire to take them! This is great, cause I am trying to cultivate others to invest now in being ready - and I can see which people are serious...

I have also meet a few guys here that I hope to meet in person (I'm in Michigan) and hunt with, and I've offered off season options for Great Lakes fishing for salmon where I am.

John
 
Its about as hard as finding a trophy animal. I have met some great folks off forums. Anyone passionate enough to hang around on a forum and geek out on gear and other info is usually the type of guy you want to hunt with.
 
Aside from my Dad, I don’t even try to find hunting partners anymore, I’m growing my own. My son is ten and I am teaching him to hunt like my dad taught me. When I hunt out west, my dad is my partner. When I hunt locally, I either go alone or take my oldest son. Weekend before last, I was showing him how to still hunt. I went by myself this past weekend and wasted my day in a treestand. Next weekend, we are setting up a blind or still hunting again if we can get a good wind.


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A lot of good advice so far. Don’t be afraid to give a solo hunt a try, antelope or mulies being a good choice IMO. Hone in your gear, and figure out who you want to be as a western hunter before you either join a group, or find a partner. Do you want to be the guy hiking 5-15 miles per day to hunt down your animal, or do you want to drive around in your truck all day talking about how the weather/wind/pressure has them somewhere else? Thats for you to answer for yourself, and I’d try to find buddies whose goals align with your answer.

Not all hunting buddies are created equally. I have a bunch of friends who are ‘active’ Minnesota hunters, and a small group who I hunt with in MN each fall. We indulge in a a bunch of adult beverages each night at camp around the bonfire, eat a bunch of good food, and hunting is a bit of an afterthought. None of them would even make the cut for an invite as camp cook for my western hunts.

The western hunts are the pinnacle of my whole year. I am extremely fortunate to have a cousin and uncle whose hunting goals match up extremely well with my own. We dedicate a short window of time for a couple hunts where it is all about the hunt. Our scouting is a 6+ month process, its a lot of early mornings to hunt all day, a quick Mountain House before hitting the sack by 7:30. The last thing we want on our hunts is someone with less dedication to derail it. Its not for everybody, and thats the appeal for me.
 
I move a lot in the military, so I end up being forced to make new hunting buddies wherever I go. Ways that I have met hunting partners:
- hanging out at the archery shop.
- Associations: BHA, RMEF, charities, church, etc. I saw a guy sporting a MR pack, I started talking to him, and we struck up a great friendship.
- solo hunting, met some dudes, ran into them multiple times, and eventually became friends and we hunted together.

Honestly, most guys aren’t in your shoes. They have their crew... so you have to initiate and pursue opportunities/people if you think it might work. Any time you can reciprocate, it helps. I’m sure there are guys on RS who would gladly come to Iowa for WT hunting and take you elk hunting. A lot of times, it only takes one guy... you meet him, then his friends, etc and you can build a network pretty quickly. Worst case, I’ve seen guys post on RS looking for hunting partners. I suppose you might end up with some crazy serial killer, but probably not. If you’re in the same boat next year, just put up a post looking for a hunting partner.
 
A reliable and committed hunting buddy is priceless, hunting is everything I live it and breathe it everyday so I require a similar minded hunting partner. Not one that just sees it as a glorified camping trip as I have many of those. I have one solid hunting buddy but problem being is now we work opposite schedules(rotational work 2wk on/off). Nothing wrong with solo but some types of hunts its paramount to have a partner and to split costs for flight charters and such. Go to archery shoots, hang at pro shops, join local groups like on FB, etc., im sure you'll find a 'match' lol..
 
I've met some great guys off rokslide and as a matter of fact my go to hunting partner I met on here. We've hunted a number of years together now and he's become one of my closest friends. Not all people mesh but there are plenty of guys from rokslide that I've never met face to face who'd be welcome at my campfire anytime. I would caution to get to know someone as good as possible before the trailhead though and maybe get some scouting trips in first.

Live2hunt custom shelters
 
I understand. I gave up at this point and mainly make the 24+ hour drive out west to elk hunt by myself every year. It would be great to have a group or a friend but finding someone who is willing to put forth max effort is difficult sometimes. I love going for the experience and the sights don’t get me wrong, but I go in the middle of summer for the hiking trip, when I go in September I’m going for groceries...


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1) Join your states Bowhuntng organization & go to the annual banquet
2) Join your local archery club and get to know them through volunteering
3) Join a BHA chapter
4) Be active on forums where you may find like minded individuals

If that doesn't work, then go solo. As much as I love to go hunting with my friends, I'd never pass up on a hunting opportunity if I couldn't find someone to go with me.
 
On the flip side of this situation is having a guy asking/wanting to go with an established group.
Been there.

I’ve vetted someone for a couple years before I take a chance on being burned on showing him some select spots I’ve worked years to find.
Been burned even after that, but have made some great hunting buddies on forums.
At least you’re in like-minded people and not some raging liberals

I would suggest getting your own experience and working up from there.
Build on it.

There are 3 kinds of people in the world

Someone that makes it happen
Someone that watches it happen
Someone that wonders what happened
 
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