Whys it so dang hard to find a reliable hunting partner?

[69ChrisCraft]

Learned my lesson this year about taking a guys word in regards to his dedication and level of fitness.... Guy told me he frequently hikes an 8 mile loop near his cabin and was in great shape. Meet him the morning of the pack in and we head up the mountain, less than 2 miles to camp and he is gassed and sweating profusely I urged him to shed layers and he refused. Upon arrival at the mountain top we are greeted with snow and heavy winds. He takes off his jacket to reveal thermal underwear that are literally dripping with sweat. We couldn't get a fire started and I made him strip down naked and climb in his bag.... Honest to god he would have died up there if left to his own devices..... He never ventured more than .5 mile from camp the rest of the trip. I'd rather hunt than baby sit.

 

[rhendrix]

Lots of answers to this question. Perhaps your really not the hunter that others want to partner up with. Perhaps you bring too much external bagage to the arrangement. Perhaps your too religious. Perhaps your underprepared. Perhaps your not friendly enough. Perhaps you don't know how to shut up.

Dig deep within yourself when seeking to enhance a relationship. Your certainly not going to change someone else.

If your not willing or capable of changing. Go solo!

Haha. Classic. I'm definitely not going to be changing who I am.

Not having someone to hunt with isn't going to stop me, but it sure does make it easier.

 

[Bighorse]

sharing the burden

Perhaps there lies the problem. Some of us are unwilling to share the burden. Now I'm not talking just about the bag of meat at the end of the rainbow. I'm talking about the logistics. Getting and maintaining gear. Leaving behind the creature comforts of our home and family. Maintaining high ethical standards in regards to how and where you hunt. Working together to make and maintain camp. The complex array of details important to a sucessful hunt.

The yield and the burden should be shared if the relationship is to be strong. Like any good family relationship. Sure your different, but in the end you trust that your companion will meet certain responsiblilties to the best of their ability. In return your sharing the fruits of the labor.

Well sorry to wax emotional here but humans, yes even male humans, have emotions. Your gonna have to connect to the emotional side of a hunting partner if your going to enjoy a good relationship. Communicate your goals. Offer your assistance with their goals. Be clear about what you are willing to provide. Be honest and dependable. Put your partners goals ahead of your own sometimes. In time your going to have someone that trusts you and is willing to participate fully in what ever wild hunting adventure you embark on. Be sure to return that favor and commitment as needed. A one sided hunting buddy relationship is short lived.

I had a hunting buddy help me pack out an elk in 2012. He won the tag this year. I've made my gear available and already requested the time off from work. I'm making this trip with no other expectation other than to breath fresh air and share the burden.

The more I go into the wilderness with other men the more I enjoy the opportunity hang out with these exceptional people. If we've gotten to the point where were sitting on a ridgeline together, your alright in my book. It may not be perfect but I know they are at least decent humans living a grand adventerous life.

 

[Hunting affair]

This is all great but I'm man enough to say. Hey I'm NEW to western hunting and I'm looking for a hunting buddy to show me the way .. I'm not asking to be my best man or loan me $$ I just wanna hunt . I'm in SouthFlorida
Every hunt is out of state hunt for me I have a wife and twin girls I love my family and I love to hunt. I don't need to measure who's got bigger this or more of that .. If you are cool and willing pm me, that's it. Thanks guys

 

[Hunt'nFish]

I believe I am starting to see a great opportunity for the folks that had there partners bail, or simply cant find a partener. Why not start a thread about guys looking to head out or meet up out west ? Could be a great way to meet other fellow roksliders. I could be very beneficial to some and for other it could present the opportunity for great life long friends ships with memories to last a lifetime. Just a thought. should we start a new thread?????????

This is exactly how I found most of my hunting partners, online hunt forum's just like this.
A few group rendezvous and you get an idea who's compatible and who's not.
I've been fortunate to find a small group of people I like to do different things with,
from fishing to predators to big game hunting to waterfowl. And it all started online like this.
I may not be the most hard core hunter like when I was younger, but I guarantee you I won't bail, love a heavy pack and can be a real hoot around the fire.
Hunt'nFish

 

[Brandon Pattison]

If you are along I-70 from Michigan to Colorado, or even willing to meet up if you are from the east, send me a PM. I met up with a fellow Rokslider at a truckstop for the first time and it was a success. Nik is his name. My relentless hunting partner, Hawker, had work come up, understandable. Turns out he could go. All three of us went. You need someone that is OCD and calls you up and rants about bows, gear, PT, maps or calling - at midnight; but get this, he doesn't apologize or ask you what you are doing.

 

[Muledeernv]

I lucked into a great hunting buddy after I moved to nevada. He came to work at the same place. He had only been bird hunting here. We started talking about hunting and he said that he wanted to hunt big game. He knew the areas from bird hunting and I knew big game so we have been hunting together for 9 years now and have started all of our kids together when he draws a tag I take off work and vise Versa. The first hunt we went on together was 8 miles in to camp with his daughter and my boys we had a great time and so did the kids We both share all food and hunting equipment. He moved closer to our areas so he does most of the scouting. It works well for us. We even plan family outings together. I have a couple of other buddies out of state that welcome us anytime that we can to hunt. Guess that there has to be a little bit of compromise on both sides to make all plans work.

 

[7mag.]

I have plenty of good friends and hunting buddies. The problem is getting them to put in the preparation for the back country. Often times I've have friends ask to go with me, but cancel at the last minute when they realize that they aren't prepared. I would rather they cancel, than show up unprepared, and ruin my trip. There is one guy I can count on, but often our schedules don't line up. I've noticed that most people don't think seriously about hunting until hunting season.

 

[Justin Crossley]

There is a small group of guys that I hunt with and they are all guys that I have a lot of TRUST in.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

You could always make your wife your hunting partner. I hear its twice as expensive, but twice as rewarding too

Tried that, she couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger and that was just on whitetail with no reak back country abilities required.

I have no reliable hunting buddies yet. My brother in law hunts quite a bit with me but that is just day hunts for whitetail and he is far from reliable.

 

[dreamingbig]

There are quite a few people on here that sound like minded and could hunt well together. My dad is my partner and he is always game for anything, even at 58 but it isn't going to last forever. At some point I will be in search of another hunting partner.

 

[Benny]

There are very few things I enjoy more than taking guys out who don't know much about mountain hunting. I don't expect much out of them. I know they will be slow, I know they will be underprepared. But that just means we leave the trailhead a little earlier. I don't look to them to make MY trip better, I look to myself to try and bless them and show them something not many will. There usually isn't anything that compares to the first time they are up there and they see the morning light start to show itself over the mountains and they can see where their hard work has just taken them. To top it off, the Big Man is usually smiling on me during these trips and we're able to find something for the newbie. The great thing about them is an average critter to most is a book critter to them...and they won't stop talking about it for months.

I know many sheep guides that have out of shape, inexperience hunters flown in. The guides know how to handle them. Just stop a little more, take a little more time, teach when there is teachable moments and enjoy being out. You can't run up mountains with fellas who've never crawled up one.

 

[Shrek]

Benny , that was refreshing ! Humility and good will to your fellow man. Interesting contrast to most of the rest of the posts.

 

[fillthefreezer]

There are very few things I enjoy more than taking guys out who don't know much about mountain hunting. I don't expect much out of them. I know they will be slow, I know they will be underprepared. But that just means we leave the trailhead a little earlier. I don't look to them to make MY trip better, I look to myself to try and bless them and show them something not many will. There usually isn't anything that compares to the first time they are up there and they see the morning light start to show itself over the mountains and they can see where their hard work has just taken them. To top it off, the Big Man is usually smiling on me during these trips and we're able to find something for the newbie. The great thing about them is an average critter to most is a book critter to them...and they won't stop talking about it for months.

I know many sheep guides that have out of shape, inexperience hunters flown in. The guides know how to handle them. Just stop a little more, take a little more time, teach when there is teachable moments and enjoy being out. You can't run up mountains with fellas who've never crawled up one.

how do you get them to finally show up when its game time? i ask as, i really enjoy that as well, but it seems they bail before ever getting the chance to see, why i nerd out about mountain hunting

 

[Vids]

Lots of statements in this thread that I can relate to. I have lots of buddies that will do a weekend trip for whitetails, fewer that will come out west for an elk hunt, and two that I can really count on. I'm very thankful for those two guys, I always know they will follow through on what they say. The only unfortunate thing is they live in MN while I live in CO, so I only get to do 1-2 hunts a year with them.

I still need to find a solid archery partner that lives in Colorado, it's been awfully difficult to find someone with the same drive as me and the same ability to actually get permission from his wife! Still working on that....

Yes, I'm thankful for how great my wife is too. Like someone posted above I couldn't imagine begging for permission to go hunt. We talk about my applications every spring, and if she has any concerns with me being gone too much we work it out then. Sometimes I have to compromise, but it's rare and always for a legitimate reason. Working it out with my wife is almost easier than it should be!

 

[Buster]

There are very few things I enjoy more than taking guys out who don't know much about mountain hunting. I don't expect much out of them. I know they will be slow, I know they will be underprepared. But that just means we leave the trailhead a little earlier. I don't look to them to make MY trip better, I look to myself to try and bless them and show them something not many will. There usually isn't anything that compares to the first time they are up there and they see the morning light start to show itself over the mountains and they can see where their hard work has just taken them. To top it off, the Big Man is usually smiling on me during these trips and we're able to find something for the newbie. The great thing about them is an average critter to most is a book critter to them...and they won't stop talking about it for months.

I know many sheep guides that have out of shape, inexperience hunters flown in. The guides know how to handle them. Just stop a little more, take a little more time, teach when there is teachable moments and enjoy being out. You can't run up mountains with fellas who've never crawled up one.

Amen brother. I'm not a religious guy per say, but the ridge tops are my pew. Your post spoke a little bit of gospel. Keep on converting the ones willing to put in the effort.

 

[charvey9]

It is difficult to find people that prefer to hunt for the challenge and overall experience instead of just focusing on the kill. Most want to take the easiest route, whether that be rifle hunting or road hunting, and do not want to do anything that is difficult. Hunters I know can't imagine hiking over that next ridge, and the thought of hauling out an amimal without the assistance of an ATV or truck is unimaginable. I don't know many people that share the same views about hunting as me, which makes it difficult to find anyone to hunt with.

I got lukcy last season. I wanted to cut the learning curve in some new territory, and paid for my first ever guided hunt. I hit it off really well with the guide that the outfitter paired me up with. By the end of the 7 day hunt we had already made plans for additional trips as hunting buddies, not guide/client.

Good hunting partners that share the same passion are hard to find for sure.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Benny is a stand up guy for sure. We met on the trail last year as he was helping two other guys try and get an elk that was hanging in a hell hole. He was looking for a mule deer himself but helping someone else with their quest. He also stopped and let us barrow his saw to cut the antlers off my brother's elk.

 

[2rocky]

I know I won't get along with everyone or have the same goals. I just try to be the kind of Camp/hunting mate THEY want in the back country.

It starts with a day hunt close to home, shooting 3d's at the club, drinks after a run. You figure out where a person's strengths and weaknesses are when they are stressed and tired or not having a good day. You wouldn't hunt with a weapon you had not sighted in. In the same vein I sure wouldn't do a backpack hunt with someone I'd never backpacked with.

 

[Nick Muche]

I have a few, just wish we lived closer to eachother so we could hunt 6-9 months out of the year instead of 6-9 days. Hard moving to new places and "proving" your worth to locals that you know would make a great fit... They have their hunting buddies already.