Deadspace
WKR
For those who have them, I’d like to hear them. I’ve had two hunting partners quit on me in the past two years. The first one was on a Wyoming cow elk hunt. No animals, he got discouraged and drove the three day drive back to Michigan, he was there for four days total. I killed one the next day about 300 yards from the truck. That one’s not that big of a deal but this next one, goodness.
So I’ve been planning a moose hunt for about three years and have had the air taxi booked for two. The original plan was for my dad, brother and I to go but since my brother is going through a custody battle, he had to stay back. Same reason he wasn’t in Wyoming with me the year prior. So I invited another buddy in his place who was super excited about it. Dropped 5k on a custom rifle for this specific hunt and bought a bunch of new hunting gear so he seemed pretty serious. Or so I thought.
We flew out of phoenix August 25th and got to our destination the 26th. We tried to fly out that evening but were weathered in a flew out the next morning. The first two places I chose to hunt were already take. So we had to bump to the third choice, which was still pretty good but I’m assuming this is where things started to fall apart for him.
On the way in I didn’t see any moose, animals, nothing but on his flight in he saw five big bulls. I think this bit of info is imported for later. So it obviously took two flights for all of us to get to camp and my dad and I set everything up by the time my buddy gets there. We get settled in and all agree it feels like we stepped into a painting. Absolutely beautiful place and I can’t wait to return. Then we start exploring the next day, find places to glass from and all the places we want to focus on. Season opens up the September 5th so we have plenty of time and start shooting and cooking up ptarmigan.
On about day four he starts mentioning that he’s having a hard time sleeping, seems a bit worried about all the grizzlies and the lack of moose. We haven’t seen any moose in our hunt area yet. Then he says something about how he’d rather be at his cabin in Montana. I sympathize with him and try to encourage him and keep glassing and hiking around. I eventually, on day five, glass up a cow high up in the alders so we’re finally on the board for moose. If the cows are here, the bulls will be. And I remind him of that to get his spirits up. Apparently that didn’t work lol.
The next day he mentions Montana again and how he only got one hour of sleep that night, and how if no animals are here on day five they won’t be on day ten. I tell him I’ll go glass and he can stay back and catch up on sleep. I get back up on the glassing knob and after a few hours I hear a plane coming down the valley. I think nothing of it and then get eyes on and see that it’s our pilots plane and that he’s on approach to land at our lake. I break down everything and start running back to camp wondering what’s going on. By the time I get there he has everything of his loaded up in the plane and is getting ready to leave! Has not told me a thing about him actually leaving, contacting the pilot, nothing! I’m in complete shock that this is happening. If I wouldn’t have come off the hill, I wouldn’t have even known he left until I got back to camp that night.
Anyways, I get down there and ask him to leave his food and the raft. He already left the raft (took the paddles though) and handed me the extra food. Says sorry man and then flys off. Im in disbelief. I’ve known this dude for almost two decades and he pulls this. Leaves me alone with my dad, who’s 65, in the wilds of Alaska to hunt moose with zero explanation. Still haven’t got one from him and I honestly don’t care to ask.
So after that nonsense I saw an absolute monster of a moose the next day. Which is kinda like what happened in Wyoming in terms of finding animals. Patients pays off. Fast forward to the 5th and I shoot one opening morning. This is when I needed him. I packed that moose out, for the most part, by myself. My dad helped as much as he could but he’s 65 and moose quarters aren’t light and we had to move that bull 1.25 miles to the river then up the river another 3.5 to camp. Took me four days total, if my buddy wouldn’t have quit on me it would have taken two. But great news! I didn’t lose any meat, had a good time with my dad, and love the grind of moose hunting.
So, who else has a story like this? Everyone I told this to at the lodge was shocked and had never heard anything like this happening. Yeah, people quit but they normally give you a heads up! So let’s hear it guys, what’s your craziest hunting partner quitting on you story?
So I’ve been planning a moose hunt for about three years and have had the air taxi booked for two. The original plan was for my dad, brother and I to go but since my brother is going through a custody battle, he had to stay back. Same reason he wasn’t in Wyoming with me the year prior. So I invited another buddy in his place who was super excited about it. Dropped 5k on a custom rifle for this specific hunt and bought a bunch of new hunting gear so he seemed pretty serious. Or so I thought.
We flew out of phoenix August 25th and got to our destination the 26th. We tried to fly out that evening but were weathered in a flew out the next morning. The first two places I chose to hunt were already take. So we had to bump to the third choice, which was still pretty good but I’m assuming this is where things started to fall apart for him.
On the way in I didn’t see any moose, animals, nothing but on his flight in he saw five big bulls. I think this bit of info is imported for later. So it obviously took two flights for all of us to get to camp and my dad and I set everything up by the time my buddy gets there. We get settled in and all agree it feels like we stepped into a painting. Absolutely beautiful place and I can’t wait to return. Then we start exploring the next day, find places to glass from and all the places we want to focus on. Season opens up the September 5th so we have plenty of time and start shooting and cooking up ptarmigan.
On about day four he starts mentioning that he’s having a hard time sleeping, seems a bit worried about all the grizzlies and the lack of moose. We haven’t seen any moose in our hunt area yet. Then he says something about how he’d rather be at his cabin in Montana. I sympathize with him and try to encourage him and keep glassing and hiking around. I eventually, on day five, glass up a cow high up in the alders so we’re finally on the board for moose. If the cows are here, the bulls will be. And I remind him of that to get his spirits up. Apparently that didn’t work lol.
The next day he mentions Montana again and how he only got one hour of sleep that night, and how if no animals are here on day five they won’t be on day ten. I tell him I’ll go glass and he can stay back and catch up on sleep. I get back up on the glassing knob and after a few hours I hear a plane coming down the valley. I think nothing of it and then get eyes on and see that it’s our pilots plane and that he’s on approach to land at our lake. I break down everything and start running back to camp wondering what’s going on. By the time I get there he has everything of his loaded up in the plane and is getting ready to leave! Has not told me a thing about him actually leaving, contacting the pilot, nothing! I’m in complete shock that this is happening. If I wouldn’t have come off the hill, I wouldn’t have even known he left until I got back to camp that night.
Anyways, I get down there and ask him to leave his food and the raft. He already left the raft (took the paddles though) and handed me the extra food. Says sorry man and then flys off. Im in disbelief. I’ve known this dude for almost two decades and he pulls this. Leaves me alone with my dad, who’s 65, in the wilds of Alaska to hunt moose with zero explanation. Still haven’t got one from him and I honestly don’t care to ask.
So after that nonsense I saw an absolute monster of a moose the next day. Which is kinda like what happened in Wyoming in terms of finding animals. Patients pays off. Fast forward to the 5th and I shoot one opening morning. This is when I needed him. I packed that moose out, for the most part, by myself. My dad helped as much as he could but he’s 65 and moose quarters aren’t light and we had to move that bull 1.25 miles to the river then up the river another 3.5 to camp. Took me four days total, if my buddy wouldn’t have quit on me it would have taken two. But great news! I didn’t lose any meat, had a good time with my dad, and love the grind of moose hunting.
So, who else has a story like this? Everyone I told this to at the lodge was shocked and had never heard anything like this happening. Yeah, people quit but they normally give you a heads up! So let’s hear it guys, what’s your craziest hunting partner quitting on you story?
