Stories of hunting partners that quit

[Jdeck09]

I struggled on my first couple hunts in Colorado for elk. I think the combination of a 30+ hour drive and lack of experience really led me to "wallowing" in uncertainty and losing confidence. Now a bunch of elk hunts later, I don't even want to leave. no matter the conditions or mileage on my legs.

I am fortunate to hunt with some family members that always stay positive no matter how hard I push them or my desire to check the next ridge. I image finding my next set of hunting partners is going to be a huge challenge.

I think first timers just need to understand that it will be over before you know it and its not as bad as your mind makes it.

 

[mad_angler]

Here's a good video from Cliff Gray:

The urge to quit is much more common than you think.
And it helps to know that it is coming at about day 3. When it gets there, you can recognize it and move on...

 

[txtransplant]

I agree that finding a good hunting partner is hard, and it’s even worse when they don’t know how bad they are. I had to be the “bailer” a few years ago, but not from a specific hunt. But at the end of season in 2022, I cut ties with the only hunting partner I’ve ever had outside of my family. It was a former coworker who, by all definitions, was a great dude to work with and be around. We got along great at the office and did some stuff outside work and got along so we decided to start hunting together in 2020. We had 3 successful years hunting together and went on some good trips, but I had a limit of about 3 days with him at a time. I had never met somebody so bent on just being a contrarian just for the sake of being a contrarian. If I wanted to glass, he wanted to still hunt where I was gonna glass. If I had new binos, he had newer ones that were better. I had a browning rifle at the time and he made it clear that his tikka was better. When I got a tikka down the road, his tikka was automatically better because he had paid less for it. The worst part was when he would ask for advice or an opinion on a tactic or piece of gear, to which I would provide an answer, and he would then take the opportunity to explain why my answer was wrong and how he had already decided to do this other thing instead. Everything with him was a you-know-what measuring contest, and his opinion was always the correct route, no matter what. After 3 years, culminating in an excruciatingly cold and miserable Colorado 3rd season tag, I decided I was done. My dad’s work situation had changed and he was hunting more, as were my brothers. So I cut ties with that guy and have only hunted with family since. Success rates have increased, frustration levels have decreased, and overall enjoyment of every tag and season since has been exponentially better.

Good hunting partners are hard to find, and putting up with a crappy one only leads to burnout.

@nobody i wonder if this guy is still single

 

[CorbLand]

I haven’t had one quit in the middle of a hunt but I have had a few that quit after they killed their animals. All back in college when it was mostly weekend trips. They kill theirs and then magically have things to do the next two to three weekends.

Had a kid that killed his turkey. I still had my tag. Planned to hunt with him a couple nights after work and every time, something came up or he just didn’t want to go. About the third or fourth time he was like “I just don’t feel like going today.” I was said “Ok. Whatever, dude.” He responded “I don’t want you to think I am just the type that filled his tag and then bails on you.” I responded “ You don’t want me to feel like you got your turkey and bailed on me after while you got your turkey and are bailing on me after?” He was like “Yea.” I think that one ended with “Get ****ed.” Never spoke with the kid again.

 

[nobody]

@nobody i wonder if this guy is still single

Oddly enough married with 5 kids…

 

[Texasbuckeye]

I think some of you may be discounting the real effects of altitude sickness.

This does not excuse the lack of communication, but AS can make you not think straight as well. Hard to say

 

[Swamp Fox]

I haven’t had one quit in the middle of a hunt but I have had a few that quit after they killed their animals. All back in college when it was mostly weekend trips. They kill theirs and then magically have things to do the next two to three weekends.

Had a kid that killed his turkey. I still had my tag. Planned to hunt with him a couple nights after work and every time, something came up or he just didn’t want to go. About the third or fourth time he was like “I just don’t feel like going today.” I was said “Ok. Whatever, dude.” He responded “I don’t want you to think I am just the type that filled his tag and then bails on you.” I responded “ You don’t want me to feel like you got your turkey and bailed on me after while you got your turkey and are bailing on me after?” He was like “Yea.” I think that one ended with “Get ******.” Never spoke with the kid again.

Kids are the worst, except for grown men ... And wimmen! ---

Don't get me started!

 

[Maverick1]

Here's a good video from Cliff Gray:

The urge to quit is much more common than you think.
And it helps to know that it is coming at about day 3. When it gets there, you can recognize it and move on...

@Cliff Gray is a member here - see post #2 on this thread....

 

[CorbLand]

Kids are the worst, except for grown men ... And wimmen! ---

Don't get me started!

I say kid but he was a couple years older than me. I was probably 22-23 at the time.

 

[Brushcreekbill]

Back in my late teens a buddy and I were on a backcountry deer hunt. It took us a couple hours by boat to get to camp.
I come back to camp to grab some lunch, when usually I would stay in the woods all day.
My boats gone along with my buddy. Strange….but not too crazy. I figured maybe he took it to get to a different spot for the evening.

That night by the fire I asked. He lied about it at first and acted like maybe someone else had used my boat. But he eventually came clean.
He was motoring all the way back to his truck. Driving home. And taking a shower. Then coming all the way back to camp each day.

For that and many other reasons we haven’t shared a camp since

 

[Poser]

Back in my late teens a buddy and I were on a backcountry deer hunt. It took us a couple hours by boat to get to camp.
I come back to camp to grab some lunch, when usually I would stay in the woods all day.
My boats gone along with my buddy. Strange….but not too crazy. I figured maybe he took it to get to a different spot for the evening.

That night by the fire I asked. He lied about it at first and acted like maybe someone else had used my boat. But he eventually came clean.
He was motoring all the way back to his truck. Driving home. And taking a shower. Then coming all the way back to camp each day.

For that and many other reasons we haven’t shared a camp since

So.... he wasn't hunting? -just spending all day to go take a shower and come back?

 

[Brushcreekbill]

So.... he wasn't hunting? -just spending all day to go take a shower and come back?

Yep

 

[Brushcreekbill]

So.... he wasn't hunting? -just spending all day to go take a shower and come back?

Plus he insisted on crapping right in the river.
What an idiot.

Right after that I got a solid hunting partner in my bro in law. And never looked back

 

[sodaksooner]

In 2006, my brother left the Oregon vs Oklahoma football game at Autzen Stadium early. The Ducks were down by 13 with 3:12 left in the game. The Ducks scored two touchdowns to go up 34-33.

Blair Phillips blocked the potential winning field goal as time expired right in front of our seats. I heard the ball hit his hand.

Leave hunting camp early? Never!

Let's not bring up that game..... Buncha cheaters....lol. Still love it when Oregon loses...in any sport.

That said, my brother is the best. We have only hunted with one other guy one year and he was a champ. Only time I have ever been disappointed in him is when I had some extra PTO and went out a week ahead of him and he couldn't make it...

 

[Billogna]

Plus he insisted on crapping right in the river.

I used to go on drunken float trips and it seemed like there'd always be some jack wagon that would log flume everyone down stream!!

 

[GClyde28]

I've had the same guy quit twice.

The guy is my best friend since we've been like 5 years old, like another sibling to me and by actual brother. My buddy and I are from Texas decided we wanted to get into elk hunting. I work my ass off, get in way better shape the necessary but having never been, wanted to make sure that wasn't a limiting factor. My buddy says he's been doing the same but we live 90 minutes apart so it's not like I can really check up on him. Our hike into our first spot was pretty much flat, and that was more than he could handle, I knew I was in for it with him for the remainder of the trip. First spot doesn't pan out so we head to spot 2. Next spot has a decent climb up to where we were going to camp overnight, nothing crazy, but off trail, no blowdown, and prob 600' climb over 1/2 mile or so. That was probably the icing on the cake. We got into some elk at spot 2 but it wasn't enough to get him to stay. We were in his truck and he was ready to leave about day 4 of a 7 day hunt so off we went back home.

A few years later I talk my brother into getting into western hunting. I knew if I could ever get him to go I'd have him hooked for life. We decide to go on a pronghorn hunt with me, my brother, my dad, and the same buddy. We make it through the full duration of the hunt this time but there was a point where buddy was getting homesick (his kid got sick back home and wife was calling often). We were staying in town for this hunt so we had a hotel at night and that made it easier for the 3 of us to convince him to stay. It also helped that we weren't in his car this time.

My brother is now hooked on hunting the west and we don't invite my buddy on the next years elk hunt. At this point my brother has proven to be a great hunting partner, never has once mentioned wanting to quit early, we grind it out the whole trip to make it happen. I've officially got a good hunting partner.

Last year my brother and I went to Utah for Archery Elk, originally planned to just be the two of us. Our buddy catches wind that we are going and asks us about it. I warn my brother but in his infinite wisdom he decides he's going to invite the buddy but make the trip sound like a real gut punch, camping 6 miles from the truck, etc. Initially the buddy is swayed from wanting to go, the plan seemed to have worked. But about 6 weeks or so before the trip, my buddy texts back asking if he can still come. Kinda hard for us to say no at that point since my brother had already previously invited him so we tell him he better get his ass in shape. Our camp location really is 6 miles from the truck up into the wilderness. We make it to the trailhead and all hop out and get changed for the hike in. We make it about a couple miles up the trail when the sole of my buddy's boot begins to flap around. I cut some paracord and tie it around his boot to hold the sole on. We finally make it to camp and we can tell he's already defeated, one because he's out of shape and about died on the hike, and two his boot is falling apart. Come to find out, he's left his boots in his garage in the Texas heat for the last couple years and didn't bother going on a single hike/walk in them before we left, just assumed they were fine. We make it 1 day of scouting and 1 day of hunting and don't turn up any fresh sign at spot 1 so we hike back out to the truck to head to spot 2. By the time we begin the hike back both the soles to his boots are now having to be tied on lol. By the time we make it back to the truck, he's gotten pissed at his tied on soles and completely ripped them off and walks the last couple miles on just the midsoles of his boots. We get back to the truck and tell him we will swing back into town so he can grab some new boots at the hardware store. He informs us he's done. We kinda think he may be joking so we stop and sit down to grab a burger when we get into town to try and convince him to stay but he's adamant that he's done. We try to get him an uber but we are in a tiny little town along I-80. No chance any uber is coming to get him and take him back to SLC. We end up having to drive his ass 4 hours round trip all the way back to Park City to finally get him an uber the rest of the way.

He's still our good friend. But we don't hunt together any more.

 

[M-Wig]

A lot of good examples why I don't carpool on any hunt more than a few hours from home.

 

[ChrisA]

Back in my late teens a buddy and I were on a backcountry deer hunt. It took us a couple hours by boat to get to camp.
I come back to camp to grab some lunch, when usually I would stay in the woods all day.
My boats gone along with my buddy. Strange….but not too crazy. I figured maybe he took it to get to a different spot for the evening.

That night by the fire I asked. He lied about it at first and acted like maybe someone else had used my boat. But he eventually came clean.
He was motoring all the way back to his truck. Driving home. And taking a shower. Then coming all the way back to camp each day.

For that and many other reasons we haven’t shared a camp since

Lol, I didn't change my underpants for 1 week and 14 hours a couple weeks ago hunting elk in Colorado. I did rotate an extra pair of socks though.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

WHAT?

Yup, I’m real careful now who I hunt with, usually ends up being just me.
I only agreed to hunt with you because your meme game is strong. Figure if we are dying, you could at least have a sense of humor about it

 

[S.Clancy]

I usually hunt with my brother or a select few individuals. I take a decent amount of people hunting their tags, so if they quit, it's annoying, but I don't really have a huge investment in it. Basically all of my out of state hunts are solo. If I am going to be hunting with someone on a hunt I also have a tag, I have a few rules:

1. We will not be reliant on the same vehicle. I have mine, they have theirs. If they want to leave, goodbye.
2. I am not reliant on gear they bring. I have the gear to self-support.
3. I have a 1 strike policy. If you quit, or some other abhorrent behavior, that is the last time I will hunt with you.

One recent near miss was a coworker and friend that drew a Mtn Goat tag in a wilderness unit here in MT. I am familiar with the unit and its challenges (remote-ness and high G-Unit populations). He asked me multiple times to go with, I refused. He ended up roping in another buddy and his horses. They packed in on a Saturday, supposedly coming out on that next Sunday (8 days). I saw his Teams light up Monday morning. I was stoked cause I thought he killed a goat. They bailed Sunday afternoon, about 30 hr in to the hunt.....