Waiting on hunting partners....

[SouthernHunter]

I am wanting to go to Alaska on a moose hunt for my 40th(2025). I am learning of all the different options for that hunt and have already ruled out a guided hunt due to the pricing. I am really liking the idea of a drop camp or hunt planner, but the good ones are booked a couple years out already. My main issue is getting a hunting partner to commit 4 years out. All of the companies I have researched require a minimum of 2 hunters to book. Has anyone else have to figure out this same situation, or have any input/advice?

 

[rayporter]

get 4 to commit and then count noses when the plane leaves.

you will be lucky to have one.

 

[Southern Heritage]

I don’t have a answer. I’ve been pretty blessed financial and booked a guide. I’ve tried to do moose or caribou. I remember my first spread sheet I did on cost the caribou hunt was $3500 and moose was $5000.00. I watch it climb every year and saw that dream slipping more and more away. So I booked s moose grizzly hunt.
Now some,thing I do after getting screwed on a turkey hunt where I booked a house, airplane ticket etc and later found no one else had and they bailed.
I take deposits from all my buddies. I do the planning and food etc.
my buddies are great. We do two hunts a year every year. Ducks and turkeys.
Little deposit fixed the wish washyness

 

[Panhandler80]

I was supposed to hunt AK this year but Buddy bailed a year ago. Part of it, unfortunately. Now booked to hunt next year with brother in law. Hopefully family won’t bail.

Good luck.

 

[rayporter]

i was blessed with a pard that was always ready. if one of us said lets go, the other showed up with a rifle, a shotgun and a fishing pole and said "where."

when he passed i was in shock. my pard now will put up with my age but i really dont want to hamper him.

i have had guys bail on the evening we were to leave.

get a deposit, for sure. so many need skin in the game or ......

 

[Short Track]

That's why I go solo. However, 1 Aoudad outfitter in TX has me hanging until he has another solo hunter.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

RayPorter hit it right on the head. Skin in the game and double down on committed "yes sirs" and you'll end up with the right duo, IMO.

 

[Nomadx2]

i was blessed with a pard that was always ready. if one of us said lets go, the other showed up with a rifle, a shotgun and a fishing pole and said "where."

when he passed i was in shock. my pard now will put up with my age but i really dont want to hamper him.

i have had guys bail on the evening we were to leave.

get a deposit, for sure. so many need skin in the game or ......

^^^^ Exactly ... without a deposit, there is no commitment. Skin in the game!

 

[Kevin Dill]

And don't just look for a partner with a pulse. If you're going on a relatively expensive hunt you both need to see eye to eye on expenditures. You need someone who values your trip as much as his. You want someone who is 100% reliable about keeping his commitments. Lastly, you absolutely need to know his character and how well you'll both get along after 10-12 days in the bush.

Make the deposit a serious one and non-refundable.

If you don't have a clue how to find a partner, consider joining several clubs or organizations and attend multiple functions. Meet people and look to make friends. Talk moose and see if their eyes sparkle.....

 

[Fallfreak]

Southern hunter. Where do you live? This is something that interests me. Moose is at the top of my bucket list. As you stated guided is incredibly expensive and finding someone that has the same real desire to do this is hard to come by. I'm 46 now, live in TN. I've been building points out west for 15 yrs and have done several trips out west both solo and guided. Which I know is way different than an Alaska moose hunt. Finding the right partner for this is a critical part of the hunt.

 

[riversidejeep]

I've been blessed with 3 hunting partners that I can count on to do anything. One is a since 2nd grade best buddy, one a since high school buddy, one a fairly recent guy that we have known each other since kids but only got together after a passing of a mutual friend. I have been lucky enough to have gone elk, moose, javalina, deer, caribou, fishing with these friends all over the U.S and Canada and local deer hunts. My advice is hold good friends close as they wont ever let you down and make sure YOU are a guy they can count on NO MATTER WHAT.

 

[Robinhood21]

I was pretty fortunate to have my Uncle and Father as my hunting partners on our moose hunt last year. I didn't have to worry about them one bit, I just needed to help them out with accumulating the right gear. Physically, they're better off than 95% of guys their age and mentally they were rock solid! They both shot big bulls and I'll be going back in 2022 for mine, God willing.

When I got back from the trip, and people saw how successful we were, I can't tell you how many people told me they wanted to go next time.

Out of all those people maybe 2 or 3 of those guys I would trust on a 2 week hunt.

A few other guys might work but I just don't know them that well to get the warm fuzzies about spending 2 weeks with them in Alaska.

Then a handful of other guys are a hard pass... it just wouldn't work out.

I know it's hard finding a guy to commit but make sure this guy is what you want out of a hunting partner. Hate for your partner to make the trip miserable for you.

 

[SouthernHunter]

Thanks, for all of the input. First off, I live in Louisiana and currently have a core group of 3-4 guys that hunt elk together. They want to go, but are at stages in their lives that they aren't able to commit that for out. I will keep my hopes up that at least one of them will agree. Being that I am wanting to do this for my 40th birthday I have also been looking into B.C. guided hunts because I can do that solo, but would much rather Alaska. I will keep my hopes up, and keep researching.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Prospective hunting partners are more important than prospective girlfriends. You can always dump a bad girlfriend at her door and it's over!

When considering a new hunting partner on a serious hunt:

Don't:
....rule him out because he hasn't done it before.
....rule him in just because he hits you with his verbal resume.
....let a couple beers lubricate your decision making lobe.
....conduct a formal interview. Evaluate on the sly and take your time.

Do:
....compare goals, values and ethics.
....get a sense of whether he's financially good.
....look for common ground and interests outside of hunting.
....avoid popping the question until you know he's gtg.

Toward that last 'do'....I've seen 2 guys basically convince each other they'd make a great hunting team. They need a partner if they're gonna dance, and 'this guy seems pretty okay'. But there's no real connection except the want of hunting moose. There's frustration out on the hunt, and they disagree on things. That's why I suggest taking it slow and not necessarily talking immediately about 'let's go moose hunting'. There'll be time.

 

[Silveroddo]

Finding good hunting partners these days is becoming harder than finding a good wife after 30. I'd say its time for Rokslide to start a "hunters only" service, but I can only imagine the ways a guy could get cat fished in that scenario.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I think I once said the following:

Going on an Alaska hunt with someone you've never hunted with....that's like going on an island vacation with someone you've never taken a day trip with. Truthfully, 2 out of 3 times it might be great. Ask yourself if you can afford the 33% chance of your dream hunt getting messed up.

 

[Panhandler80]

I figure my brother in law and I should be fine. One thing does concern me a little, and that’s him not speaking up. Needs to be an open book mindset and leave your feelings at the last airport. At least IMO.

Example: He was over at dinner the other night and pointed at what I thought was my go-to binoculars and he asked, “Are those the ones you bringing to Alaska?” I said yeah. He made kinda a funny face but nothing too dramatic. I thought nothing of it. Later that evening I found my binoculars in my room. They had been out earlier because 2 year old and I were checking things out. It was THESE below that bother in law had messed around with and was referring to, not mine. Hahaha! Dude, call me out if you see something even half that messed up. Hahaha.

 

[mooster]

I think I once said the following:

Going on an Alaska hunt with someone you've never hunted with....that's like going on an island vacation with someone you've never taken a day trip with. Truthfully, 2 out of 3 times it might be great. Ask yourself if you can afford the 33% chance of your dream hunt getting messed up.

Another factor too is despite having hunted with someone, and you think you know them, how do they handle stress? How do they handle a remote environment? How do they do when under pressure? Kevin’s right, I wouldn’t roll the dice on the unknown. Worst case, your life depends on them.

 

[rayporter]

much wisdom^^^^^

one year i took 2 friends elk hunting. we knew each other and i had literally grown up with one. he worked every day with the other at the gas company.

i dropped them off and went on several miles to hunt.
when i came out they were standing there drinking beer which required a long walk and a long drive.

they had seen no elk despite a gut pile a hundred yds from their camp.

word was they did not speak for a year in spite of having to work together.
all because one was afraid to leave camp.

 

[dtrkyman]

Asking for money typically weeds everyone out immediately!