I'm I the only one who fears a solo hunt...

[Kevin Dill]

If we're going to tell stories....

I once sat inside a wall tent in the western Yukon. I was alone and there was nobody for miles. All I had for my own defense was a single-bit axe, which I held across my lap. There was fresh meat and a big black bear cape hanging outside. I got tired of imagining things and went to sleep. I woke to a noise, and the tent flap was being invaded by something large, brown and hairy. My pack horse shoved his head inside and yeah....I survived that.

Then came the time I was tired after sitting next to a bear bait all evening. I'd had one nice big blackie walk over and get with 12' of me before I subtly encouraged him to go back. I left the bait and walked a hundred yards to the 2-track. Dropped my pack and laid down to rest. I was awakened almost 2 hours later by the guys searching for me. That area was full of really big bears and I knew it....but I just didn't feel any fear.

There was this one time.....aww.....never mind. You wouldn't believe it.

 

[mfllood3800]

love the Moose pic Kevin....

 

[mfllood3800]

I tagged out on a Limited Entry bull a while back in the central Utah mountains. When I got to the bull it was already dark and the rains set in and we were both on a super slick steep draw in pitch black. I hung my harbor freight LED light, and began cutting. I also wear a head lamp. As I was cutting, I kept feeling the woods shrink in on me. By that I mean every thing in these hundreds of thousands of acres, felt like it was right there with me watching me cut up their future dinner. I cant tell you how many sets of eyes my head lamp illuminated that night, but I wasn't the only one on that ridge. My 10 MM went every where with me. From the back hind, to the front, to the back straps etc... LOL. It was after midnight when I carried the first load out. Coming back in I wasn't sure what to expect. Fortunately I was able to hoist the qtrs. high enough and they all prevailed. Tracks were every where, and I stayed on high alert up to the late hours of the next morning.

Hunting in Idaho, I heard a bunch of something around my tipi for a good hour, til I finally got up, went outside singing John Denvers Rocky Mountain High, and singing it loudly as I circled my camp.
The next morning I relocated to a place a bit more open.

I will look up some of my old trail cam pics I placed right at a remote ground blind I put up in Utah. It has lions, bears, elk, deer. It was like an interstate system for all things wild. If you examine the pics closely, you can see the same 2 fallen trees in each pic. It was kind of creepy walking into that spot each early morning in the dark. But as soon as I got to the blind, I de packed, laid down and slept for about an hour before sunrise.
I love the woods

 

[Lionhound1975]

i think that for the OP it depends on what you are scared of happening. For example, being scared of big brown bears is a legitimate concern but there are ways to handle that and minimize the risks. Or being scared of the two legged predators out there is a different concern, but also manageable. Or weather, river crossings, etc. Or scared of the unknown/weird paranormal stuff like on the other thread. The main issue is to identify what you are scared of. Then come up with a contingency plan.

If you have never camped by yourself, then start by doing doing solo day trips into the back country and sleeping at your car at night. It might feel safer sleeping inside a vehicle at first, (although to be honest i would feel safer in a tent in the back country that sleeping in my truck bed at a National Forest campground/trail head.) Then once you realize that you ran more risk dying on the highway getting there than you did sleeping in the mountains then you will be more willing to push farther out the next time. Carry a pistol if you feel confident with one. Use a bear fence if you are worried about big brown bears. All of these things help mentally and to a certain degree lessen the risks. But in the end, every time we go into the back country we are seeking something that we cannot find in civilization.

I actually am more worried about things when i'm in the back country with my wife and son than i am when i am by myself. Not that it keeps us out of the the mountains and forests, but i worry more about it since my biggest fear in life is being unable to protect my wife and child from danger. I imagine some others might feel this way in that we are willing to take risks or face dangers that we would not want to see our children do.

I always carry a firearm in the U.S. and feel confident in my training and ability to neutralize any threat posed by two or four legged threats to my family or myself. But there are times when you don't have a weapon or when a weapon will not keep you safe such as bad storms or treacherous river crossings. But i think it is all part of the wild experience. That can add to the lure of why we all do what we do. Men have been going into and coming back out of the high country since long before GPS, sat phones, electric bear fences, and all the fancy gear we carry.

I had one experience that highlighted this of why we take risks and what we get out of it. My family and i lived in Swaziland, Africa for three years. We used to do self-drive safaris every month in the Kruger National Park every month and would see lots of game but we wanted something wilder where we would not see people for days. So we loaded up our Jeep Rubicon and drove to Botswana and spent a week in the huge Central Kalahari Game Reserve which is the same size as half the state of Ohio or Tennessee. Besides a few native San Bushman communities, there are no people living there. The rangers told us that the last visitors had left around 2 weeks before so we had the entire park to ourselves. We spent four days exploring the Kalahari and would camp each night. My wife slept in the Jeep but my son and I slept in a tent.

One night the three of us were sitting around our fire in a small clearing when we started to see movement in the darkness just past the fire light. From their height and numbers they were either lions or hyenas. Lions are a lot more dangerous at night than during daylight so i put more wood on the fire. We were only about 20 yards from the Jeep but as soon as i saw their eyes reflected by the light of the fire i thought it was best to stay close to the flames. I felt naked without a firearm but i had a spear and machete and took a burning
branch and yelled into the darkness at the eyes. I had learned from Shangaan trackers that if you ever come across lions or hyenas on foot to stare them directly in the eyes and posture aggressively. As i stood there in front of my family and the fire and seeing several sets of eyes in at the firelight, i felt an adrenaline rush that i hadn't felt since Afghanistan. I also thought about how many times this same scene must have played out in history. After a while, the eyes drifted back into the darkness, and we eventually went back to the Jeep and tent. The next morning i found lots of hyena sign in the brush on that side of the fire and circling our campsite. I was worried that it might have been a bit too much excitement for my wife but we found her some gemsbok to photograph so she was fine. My 12 year old son commented to me that he felt so alive last night and that is when i knew he had been bitten by the same addiction for the wild country that i have.
Kind of like Chris Ledoux's song "Call of the Wild".

 

[Northernpiker]

For me solo are the best, I don't like people and people don't like me. I like to go to sleep at night and dream of Raquel Welch or Ursula Andress ( you probably don't know them) scratching at my tent to get in...it's usually just a bear or Mountain Lion trying to get in with me, shoot them and go back to sleep.

 

[Mike Islander]

Ok, now I'm worried about those "Skin Walkers", was not aware they were out there.
thats just creepy.

They aren't out there.

They're in here...which can be even worse.

 

[cnelk]

Ive lived alone for years.
Solo hunts are a piece o cake.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I grew up in the back country so I was used to it. The first solo trip was when I was 18 and I did just a backpacking trip instead of a hunt to see how it would go.

The first night I woke up a bunch more than normal. After that it was like any other trip.

I’d highly reccomend just backpacking somewhere this spring or summer for a couple nights and see how it goes for ya.

 

[swampthing]

I have done solo trips for close to 40 years now. It started when I wanted to do a trip and nobody wanted to go. I really enjoy being in the woods alone, doing what I want, when I want. I have always been nervous at night! Spotting a grizzly sow and cubs in the same basin before you climb into your little tent makes sleep come hard! In all reality though, a guy is much safer in the mountains than he is just driving to his hunting location. Go do it and enjoy the solitude

 

[Yakykgoose]

I've done it for a while and I've never lost the fear at night...doesnt bother me at all during daylight but night time freaks me out. It doesn't help that I've ran into so many bears and charged a couple of times that me friends refer to me as "Beartrap"

I know it's the "cool" thing to do but after several years of doing this my favorite memories arent the solo hunts where I've got big animals but some of the ones where I was with other people and the animal is secondary to the story. The advancement of humanity was through team work, not solo individuals because we are social animals. The solo hunting thing is just a glorified fad and this is coming from a mostly solo hunter.

 

[Marble]

My biggest fear prior to my solo hunt was the task of packing out an elk by myself. Almost nightly I dreamed of the anxiety of losing an animal to spoilage. The fear turned to drive and determination, which led to my success.

You know what you are capable of doing. Go do it!

PS...
I'm glad I had my kifaru, good boots, walking sticks and an inreach. I enjoyed my solo trip more than any other to date.

 

[Jauwater]

Start with some solo backpacking trips. Maybe do one on a popular trail where you know there are other people backpacking, and camping not to far away. Then when you feel good with that, head into the Backcountry for a night or two. I'm sure you'll come around to enjoy yourself.

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[ChrisS]

The main issue is to identify what you are scared of. Then come up with a contingency plan.

This here. People can give you all sorts of advice, but if it doesn't apply to you, then it's not worth anything.

I love to dayhunt solo in backcountry situations, often 5 miles deep knowing that a wrong step could result in a broken leg or even just a twisted ankle, but that doesn't really cross my mind as a fear. Bears or other animals, including people, don't scare me. I'm not afraid of the dark. But I absolutely detest camping by myself. I don't like the loneliness (and the kicker is that I'm an introvert) and I end up just shutting down and not able to do anything. I also don't like being uncomfortable at the end of the day. I can spend all day being cold and wet, but I want to be guaranteed that I'll be warm and dry at night. I've pinned down what solo camping does to me, and I've tried a handful of times to get over it, but I still haven't figured out a way to successfully combat the irrational thoughts.

 

[archp625]

I have a couple buddies that were afraid to camp in Wyoming last year during antelope season. You are either scared or you aren't. Your personality and what you want out of a trip will dictate whether you can do a solo trip. Some guys don't like to be alone. To me its the best sometimes. Put everything aside and its just me and nature.

Also some guys like to hunt because its a group thing. They want to BS and drink after the hunt or day. I use it as a way to get away from life and almost use it as therapy.

If you have a wife or gf that is nervous about you doing a solo trip, I suggest you getting a inReach. You can communicate with them the whole time. more than likely it will get annoying them checking in the whole time seeing if you are still alive.

 

[TonySkyline]

I love to solo hunt but don’t mind bringing a friend with for company. This year I’m trying to convince my brother to come to MT for elk. he does not hunt! I would get someone to film and take pictures as well as help pack out meat. Also 2 is better than 1 to scare off an animal at night I guess. I will admit, camping in the mountains alone at night would definitely freak me out especially after listening to all those missing 411 podcasts about missing hunters and aliens


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[Beendare]

I've got buddies that mountain bike at night around here when it gets hot in the summer....now that scares me. I don't need a broken collar bone right now.

I spent a lot of years doing hog depredation at night....and hiking in to hunt camps in the dark after work.....I enjoy the dark now....its typically a little cooler, quiet and peaceful and better for hiking.

I think someones suggestion of getting out and hiking in the dark near your house is a good idea to make you feel more comfortable.

_______

 

[Molon Labe]

I love hunting solo but I don't get to do it very often...maybe 50% of the seasons I get to do a solo hunt. I've got a great hunting partner and hard hunting family so it is hard to justify going solo. But I try to just ghost everyone and plan an extra hunt for myself every other year and keep it to myself until I head out for the trip. Sorry but not sorry. Haha.

The only thing I do not like about solo hunting is not being able to share the excitement when you put an animal on the ground. That always makes me bummed in a weird way. I really like sharing that moment with other people. Plus the pack out...kind of nice to have the extra legs around!

 

[JeffRaines]

I could come in and reiterate whats been thrown out for four pages but you get the idea.

I would say for your first solo trip out, keep the expectations low - make it an overnight. This way if something happens you're not beating yourself up if you cant stay out long enough to make something happen. You're gonna be pissed off if you plan a 5 day hunt and end up back at the truck on day 2.

Some other people mentioned trying a solo backpacking trip, I'd say thats a good idea.

Most of my backcountry hunts these days are for bear in August or September. I'd say having an alternative activity to do during the down time(10a-5p) wouldn't be a bad idea either if you end up hunting early like this. In August especially, they're not gonna be up and moving too much during the heat of the day so at 10 or 12 I find myself either napping or twiddling my thumbs until prime time rolls around. One place I go has a lake within a mile or so, so I think this year I'll pack a fishing rod and a couple of spinners in so I have something to do during down time. Once mid-late September hits, though, you almost have to stay behind the glass all day. I bring this up because boredom is a joy kill on hunts like this... at least for me anyway.

 

[WCB]

If we're going to tell stories....

I once sat inside a wall tent in the western Yukon. I was alone and there was nobody for miles. All I had for my own defense was a single-bit axe, which I held across my lap. There was fresh meat and a big black bear cape hanging outside. I got tired of imagining things and went to sleep. I woke to a noise, and the tent flap was being invaded by something large, brown and hairy. My pack horse shoved his head inside and yeah....I survived that.

Almost same thing here. Dead asleep in my cot. Almost get tipped over from something trying to get in through the wall of the tent. Pull the pistol flip on my head lamp then heard a snort and whistle....One of the mules untied himself and backed into the tent apparently trying to warm his butt. just glad he didn't back against the stove.

 

[Jimbob]

The only part of a solo hunt that was weird to me was after the kill. I had no problem doing the work myself but it was weird to "celebrate" the moment alone. On other hunts its always a big deal when you make a kill and there are hugs/high fives and retelling the story but when you're alone there is none of that. It felt almost anti-climatic. I am looking forward to that part again though. Now I know what to expect I can just live in the moment on my own.