Stories of hunting partners that didn’t quit.

[Customweld]

There are quite a few stories of fellas whose partners gave up on them. How about a shot out to partners that didn’t. I’ll start.
A few years ago my oldest daughter drew a sub par moose tag in north Idaho. By sub par, it was a short season in an awkward time of year. We had 11 days of season.
My youngest daughter and I had drawn mule deer tags outside of Riggins as well.
My father in law went up with us for both hunts. We did 10 days on the mule deer hunt, came home for a day and a half and turned back around and did an 11 day moose hunt in north Idaho. My FIL was all in. 70 years old and sleeping 21 days on an army cot in a wall tent. Eating my crappy cooking, keeping everyone’s hopes up and keeping coolers stocked in Keystone Light! The north Idaho trip was pretty miserable. Snow one day and rain the next. We did take one night off and got motel rooms, took care of some laundry and ate a nice dinner. He’s gone now, I miss his presence in camp and his get er done attitude.

 

[CorbLand]

There are quite a few stories of fellas whose partners gave up on them. How about a shot out to partners that didn’t. I’ll start.
A few years ago my oldest daughter drew a sub par moose tag in north Idaho. By sub par, it was a short season in an awkward time of year. We had 11 days of season.
My youngest daughter and I had drawn mule deer tags outside of Riggins as well.
My father in law went up with us for both hunts. We did 10 days on the mule deer hunt, came home for a day and a half and turned back around and did an 11 day moose hunt in north Idaho. My FIL was all in. 70 years old and sleeping 21 days on an army cot in a wall tent. Eating my crappy cooking, keeping everyone’s hopes up and keeping coolers stocked in Keystone Light! The north Idaho trip was pretty miserable. Snow one day and rain the next. We did take one night off and got motel rooms, took care of some laundry and ate a nice dinner. He’s gone now, I miss his presence in camp and his get er done attitude.

That reminds me of Ed. Father of a guy that we use to bear hunt with. He was in his 70s, couldn’t really move well but he came to bear camp any chance he got. He would generally stay back at camp and cook for us. Sometimes we would drive him down the road about a mile, leave him there with a cooler, gun and chair. He would wave someone down and hitch a ride back to camp when he was done for the day.

Dude would make three course meals for us. He had a chance at killing a bear once but decided to take pictures instead.

I am not sure whatever happened to him. I am sure he has passed by now, but I think of that guy a fair amount.


Also, Keystone. I knew I liked you.

 

[Rich M]

Yup. Sounds like my father. He still goes w me at 85. Took him to CO in 2019 and never complained about nothing. We had serious cold come thru and he turned grey. Switched to a hotel style hunt after that. After a straight thru 30+ hr drive home he said that was his last xcountry trip.

We just come home from a deer hunt about 6 hrs away. He’s good w that. Real big smile when i shot one. Good company. Been doing stuff w him for over 50 yrs. Enjoying what time is left.

 

[Reburn]

My brothers. I am very fortunate to have 3. We have been a bunch of places on multiple contintents.
Never had one quit on me yet. No mater how nasty the conditions. And we all hunt waterfowl. Takes a damaged person to want to go sit in the rain at 500 in the morning for some ducks.

 

[Bman5000]

Another dad story here… he’s in his 70s and is a full time caregiver form mom at this point but will make arrangements to go hunting every year. It’s pretty much his only break and he spends it with me chasing game across Idaho. We’ll push it on backcountry hunts and I’m not sure who is keeping up with who. He’s an “I’ll use the quads God gave me” kind of guy - no quit in him.

 

[Customweld]

Yup. Sounds like my father. He still goes w me at 85. Took him to CO in 2019 and never complained about nothing. We had serious cold come thru and he turned grey. Switched to a hotel style hunt after that. After a straight thru 30+ hr drive home he said that was his last xcountry trip.

We just come home from a deer hunt about 6 hrs away. He’s good w that. Real big smile when i shot one. Good company. Been doing ghinstuff w him for over 50 yrs. Enjoying what time is left.

Dang! Getting around at 85 is awesome!! Sounds like you have had a lot of great adventures with him.

 

[Rich M]

Dang! Getting around at 85 is awesome!! Sounds like you have had a lot of great adventures with him.

Yes Sir! His fav is upland birds - grouse and pheasants - too old for walking thru the brambles now but we still duck hunt some, deer, and lots of fishing w him and his buddy. So you got a grey hair with 2 80+ guys out fishing. Must be a sight to see, but we having fun.

One of my first memories was a fishing trip 25 miles back on some big lake in ME w dad and his brother when I was about 5. Could see a definitive diff in his pace after he hit 78, so the whole pace slowed down. I don't push and if he wants to stay in, will stay in too. It's about family and good memories. If I left him and shot a monster buck or bull, it wouldn't mean as much as an average buck or raghorn with him there.

I think taking the older fellers to camp is the best thing we can do. Some will say they slow everyone down, and yes, they are slower but they add to the whole adventure. The ones I know enjoy it.

They have youth days every year for ducks down here at a refuge. Why not have a youth and a 70 or 75 yo+ day on the other one? Think the old guys are getting shafted and the kids are getting pampered.

 

[Customweld]

Yes Sir! His fav is upland birds - grouse and pheasants - too old for walking thru the brambles now but we still duck hunt some, deer, and lots of fishing w him and his buddy. So you got a grey hair with 2 80+ guys out fishing. Must be a sight to see, but we having fun.

One of my first memories was a fishing trip 25 miles back on some big lake in ME w dad and his brother when I was about 5. Could see a definitive diff in his pace after he hit 78, so the whole pace slowed down. I don't push and if he wants to stay in, will stay in too. It's about family and good memories. If I left him and shot a monster buck or bull, it wouldn't mean as much as an average buck or raghorn with him there.

I think taking the older fellers to camp is the best thing we can do. Some will say they slow everyone down, and yes, they are slower but they add to the whole adventure. The ones I know enjoy it.

They have youth days every year for ducks down here at a refuge. Why not have a youth and a 70 or 75 yo+ day on the other one? Think the old guys are getting shafted and the kids are getting pampered.

I think a 70 plus day is a fantastic idea. Once that group is gone, a lot of stories, history and knowledge is lost.

 

[Rich M]

I think a 70 plus day is a fantastic idea. Once that group is gone, a lot of stories, history and knowledge is lost.

Agreed - few folks are willing to stand up for the older guys like they would kids or veterans and many of the old guys are veterans too. We do have a veteran hunt day down here.

 

[insanelupus]

I had the privilege of going with my grandfather on his last pheasant hunt. Farming took a lot of time, but he loved shooting birds. In his early 80s, with shoulder issues, but he packed that Browning Auto 5 20 all day, behind the dog. We did a lot of walking and I'm sure he was sore. Not a single bird found all day. But he wore a smile on his face and gushed about the experience, enjoying every minute of it. Died in a tractor accident several years later on the farm.

All day long, no birds, ok weather, a smile on his face the whole time, despite the ailments of time and hard work.

There is an ethos there I hope I'm man enough to live up to someday.

 

[IDbrushswimmer]

My 10 year old son and my wife. I’ve drug both of them into some absolute hellholes in terrible weather, and never had one of them try to get me to leave early.

 

[Customweld]

My 10 year old son and my wife. I’ve drug both of them into some absolute hellholes in terrible weather, and never had one of them try to get me to leave early.

My wife is a trooper as well. She’s never called it quits, but she has grumbled at me a few times!

 

[DiverCat]

A few years ago brought a friend who was on a budget on a bear hunt with me. It was his first time hunting, and this was only my third year of hunting, self taught.

Guy shows up with his rifle and a jansport backpack. Not much else.

I manage to get a bear down towards the end of a long day of hiking. We’re just about out of water and it’s about to get dark. Mind you this is my first bear and only my 2nd big game animal..

We get the bear quartered and caped and start the pack out.. by the time we finished this process we were fully out of water, but only a mile or 2 from the truck. Right next to a spring and small creek. I insist we fill up at the creek but my friend convinces me we’re gonna get giardia or worse if we drink it.. so off we go, no water.

The hide is stuffed in his jansport, head draped over his shoulder, and he was carrying some meat with his arms too. We’re both a mess, it was a sight to see. I had the rest of the bear in my little mystery ranch pop up.

I plan a route up and out of there to a ridge that would take us down towards my truck, but my buddy insists we head straight down the wash we’re in. I was worried it would lead us into some gnarly terrain.. sure enough, after a few hundred feet of elevation loss.. were trapped. Back up and out we climb through steep and slippery oak underbrush. Along the way his Walmart headlamp gets dimmer.. and dimmer.. until basically useless.

It took us almost 6 hours to get back to the truck. No water, 1 headlamp, and 1 iPhone flashlight.

.. I have learned so much since then.

Anyway, he did not give up. Either did I

 

[Rock’N Tacos]

I have a buddy that I have been hunting with for 16 years. Our wives forced us to be friends because neither of us are overly social. We have been on elk hunts, pheasant hunts, deer hunts, several AK moose and caribou hunts, bears hunts etc and neither of us have ever bailed or left early. Love this dude like a brother. My son just turned 18 and is hopefully going to be that same guy for me.

 

[TheCougar]

My son. Last year, at 16, he helped my buddy pack out his moose. He wasn’t the best at packing, but he didn’t complain.





Then went to MT and I put him through a cold, elk-less hell for a week. He never complained. He kept me going when I wanted to throw in the towel.



This year we went back to AK and he helped pack out my moose, on a much worse packout. He did amazing. The two of us packed out a bull in 8 loads. For a skinny kid, he crushed it. He never complains, and always has a great attitude. He can handle more than the vast majority of men I know.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

My 93 year old dad is going deer hunting with me next week.

 

[Marble]

I have a hunting partner is hunt with in Colorado every other year. I'm 49, hes 35. But we can both go all day, every day, all season. Even if I'm sore or had a crappy prior day, we can and both still do get up at 3, saddle horses and hit it.

I apooted the buck I ended up killing this year and watched it go to bed. There no elk in the basin and he only had an elk tag. I asked him if he wanted to go with me to shoot this buck which was a mile away and a thousand feet of elevation and he said, I was hoping you would say that.

And I have several stories like that.

Hes a good dude. Good family man. And great hunter.


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[Scoot]

My buddy Jon. The dude had no give up in him. Another buddy Gabe. Great hunting partners and friends who I'm lucky to get to tag along with...

 

[Ajsomp]

The two buds I founded our non-profit with. It was truly solidified on a trip from hell during Idaho OTC elk a few years back. We brought some other hunters with us - they left mid trip because it was too hard. Took some common to all gear with them. We then get run off the road by a guy taking up both sides of a backcountry road and nearly rolled our F250. Ended up getting some assistance from a few other people coming along the road and took three trucks, two winches and a come along to get us out.

The next day got on a small herd of elk and had proceeded to get rained and iced on in 20 degree temps for the next 12 hours. Probably the coldest I’ve ever been. No one quit, no one left, just kept hunting trying to find a bull in the herd.

We ended up not punching our tags that year but on the trip home we laughed about the shit luck that year and because we’re non-residents and tags went on sale roughly three weeks later, already started planning our ID trip for the following year.

We don’t hunt personally with anyone else anymore. I’d rather do solo hunts than hunt with people who bring me down or are a liability.