Hunting partner etiquette

[Backcountry_IDN]

Unfortunately I learned the hard way. I love the guys, ones family, but now my great deer spot is part theirs, which in turn they go without me if I can't go. They havent shown anyone else, but still gets to me a bit. Probably shouldn't but I'm selfish with my hunting spots.

 

[dfanonymous]

Just wondering what qualities you fellows look for in a hunting partner. More specifically, do you trust your buddies enough to take them to your honey holes or do you hold out on them. I know from past experience of having some of my best spots burnt out by guys I took who then told somebody else who also told somebody else that I'm pretty discriminating now. If I take you to one of my hot spots, I expect to be with you the next time you go. If you take me to yours, I'm not going back there without you along. How big is your circle of trust?

I agree with the respect off others trust. That being said, I only go to a honey hole that I put the work in hunting by myself anyways. I always like the extra pair of eyes when hunting with others, so I tend to go places that we can break up the terrain easier and explore a little further out. Sometimes we find a honeyhole together and it's their information to with as they please.

 

[dfanonymous]

Aside from my immediate family I have 1 friend that is in my circle of trust. Even had to kick some inlaws out of it

I started a thread last fall after my elk hunt with some old high school buddies - it was chaos...the details are in the thread, but there was more than one "can I shoot over top of your head" directed towards me from one buddy. I felt like I was in a war zone. You can imagine my response...

Sounds like a redneck bbq..

 

[Gord0]

I hunt with my dad, and my son occasionally. Hopefully my son a lot more, as he's 10 and wants to hunt more. I used to archery hunt with my uncle, but don't have the time for archery any more. I would like to hunt with others if I could find some that would actually hunt... Not be a weekend warrior. I pulled a whitetail buck off of state land during archery that dressed out to 200#, the next day there were 6 trucks parked in the spot I was in and hunting in that area was ruined. My stand, and climbing sticks were stolen as well. One other guy had been hunting that area, and actually helped me load my deer into the back of my truck (he actually shot at my deer after I shot it, but missed, and he couldn't track worth a **** fortunately!)

 

[Greyfox]

I must admit that the bulk of my hunting for over 50 years has been solo.....choosing to be neither a borrower or lender when it comes to hunting areas. While I am heavily involved in the social aspects of the competitive shooting sports, and have had a lifelong vocation that has been socially intense, I see hunting(and Fly Fishing) as a break from the outside world, welcoming the solitude ........except my constant companions when wingshooting...
This one's name was "Rusty".

 

[shortgrass]

Maggie

 

[Rhino Hunter]

I mostly hunt with my family when in our home state of Michigan. Years ago I started hunting out West and love it! But my family can't afford it, so I had to enlarge my circle of hunting friends to not hunt alone when going out West. Since then I've been able to hunt out West with a few different non-family members.

My closest friend likes to go on hunting trips with me, partly because I do "all" of the research, planning, etc. Unfortunately he enjoys drinking as much or more than he does hunting. He doesn't drink when he's actually hunting, just after the hunting is done for the day. His wife doesn't "allow" him to get too drunk when at home. So our hunting trips have devolved into him drinking as much as possible, because he's away from his wife, and then I have to watch over him and be responsible for him. He becomes a very loud obnoxious, sloppy drunk and he's extremely careless. I've taken him to the ER on two different hunts, and I know he's gone on 1 or 2 other occasions as well. A year ago he was so drunk he fell out of a top bunk bed and broke some ribs. He's lucky he didn't kill himself. Fortunately I wasn't on that hunt with him.

Three years ago I planned a hunt for five us to Alaska. He was pretty much hammered every night for nine days. He was rude, inconsiderate, obnoxious, offensive, and had multiple black-out nights while on our trip. Every other hunter confided in me one way or another about how much he drinks. It ruined my trip.

The following year one of the other hunters and I went on a hunt out West and kept it a secret from him until we returned. He was pretty offended. Later I told him he was a "drunk" while on our previous hunt and he had ruined my hunt. Since then we went on one 3- day hunt, with the other guy I went hunting with, and he was on much better behavior. Hopefully he's learned a little bit about how he negatively affects the people around him when he drinks.

 

[Dosh]

We hunted with a guy I thought was ok. Every year he got worse, never offered to drive, cook, clean up and became a slob. Slammed the doors, "forgot" important equipment and finally violated our most serious hunt rule by pooping where we hunt. We mailed his reloading components, powder and dies to him with a note explaining he needed to find new hunt friends. I now hunt with my son and grandsons and a couple close friends. Truthfully I'd rather hunt solo.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

I think this pretty much sums up the type of hunter you are - noted. This seems like a comment someone who only hunts on private ranches or with professional guides would make. All serious hunters that DIY have their favorite spots or honey holes that they have worked their --- off to find. Sure, others may be familiar with the area, but like others have said there are a lot of ------- casual hunters that will go busting through and area like a herd of cattle if they catch wind of a sweet spot.

Shows what you know. How much it must suck to be that wrong all at one time. I don't hunt much anymore, and certainly not in Kommiefornia anymore, it's too dangerous. For 25 years, though, I hunted only public land and have taken literally a hundred guys out and shown every single one of them where I hunt. You know what's come of it? Nothing at all. It turns out if you don't suck at selecting which humans to play with, nothing bad comes from doing so.

 

[joseph singleton]

I mostly hunt with my family when in our home state of Michigan. Years ago I started hunting out West and love it! But my family can't afford it, so I had to enlarge my circle of hunting friends to not hunt alone when going out West. Since then I've been able to hunt out West with a few different non-family members.

My closest friend likes to go on hunting trips with me, partly because I do "all" of the research, planning, etc. Unfortunately he enjoys drinking as much or more than he does hunting. He doesn't drink when he's actually hunting, just after the hunting is done for the day. His wife doesn't "allow" him to get too drunk when at home. So our hunting trips have devolved into him drinking as much as possible, because he's away from his wife, and then I have to watch over him and be responsible for him. He becomes a very loud obnoxious, sloppy drunk and he's extremely careless. I've taken him to the ER on two different hunts, and I know he's gone on 1 or 2 other occasions as well. A year ago he was so drunk he fell out of a top bunk bed and broke some ribs. He's lucky he didn't kill himself. Fortunately I wasn't on that hunt with him.

Three years ago I planned a hunt for five us to Alaska. He was pretty much hammered every night for nine days. He was rude, inconsiderate, obnoxious, offensive, and had multiple black-out nights while on our trip. Every other hunter confided in me one way or another about how much he drinks. It ruined my trip.

The following year one of the other hunters and I went on a hunt out West and kept it a secret from him until we returned. He was pretty offended. Later I told him he was a "drunk" while on our previous hunt and he had ruined my hunt. Since then we went on one 3- day hunt, with the other guy I went hunting with, and he was on much better behavior. Hopefully he's learned a little bit about how he negatively affects the people around him when he drinks.

Had to do the same,(RULE)If you have to much YOU WILL NOT HUNT THE NEXT DAY..........PERIOD..Everybody needs to come HOME SAFE.

 

[FIGJAM]

Shows what you know. How much it must suck to be that wrong all at one time. I don't hunt much anymore, and certainly not in Kommiefornia anymore, it's too dangerous. For 25 years, though, I hunted only public land and have taken literally a hundred guys out and shown every single one of them where I hunt. You know what's come of it? Nothing at all. It turns out if you don't suck at selecting which humans to play with, nothing bad comes from doing so.

 

[FIGJAM]

Shows what you know. How much it must suck to be that wrong all at one time. I don't hunt much anymore, and certainly not in Kommiefornia anymore, it's too dangerous. For 25 years, though, I hunted only public land and have taken literally a hundred guys out and shown every single one of them where I hunt. You know what's come of it? Nothing at all. It turns out if you don't suck at selecting which humans to play with, nothing bad comes from doing so.

Why is hunting in California too dangerous? I have some friends that hunt deer, turkey, and pigs every year in Cali and have never once commented on it being dangerous.

 

[Rich Coyle]

owlman,

I tend to not share my area.

 

[jbur13]

Nobody owns knowledge which can be gained by simple observation nor does anyone own some section of public land just because they saw it before some other person. If you think of some section of the outdoors as "yours" in that way, you'll never hunt with someone like me and I feel sorry for you. Public land is public. Knowledge of the observable is un-ownable.

What I see in y'all that say junk like that is nothing but a foot stomping temper tantrum at not owning something you want to own. It's best to stop that kind of behavior as a child where it belongs.

If I take you to a spot I know of with good game populations, you've thence forward been taken to that spot and now you know about it. I'm not remotely naive or childish enough to think that the shared knowledge won't ever be re-shared or re-used without my expressed consent. Those that do, man do I feel sorry for you. Your life must be such a series of frustrations what with people breathing up your air without asking and all. I mean, exactly where does that sort of mindset find its boundary?

I don't know about you jokers but I've never been in the woods so deep that I see no signs of human presence other than my own. If you think that's how the world works, I got some news for you. Your spot is not a secret. It never was.

Spoken like a true Californian. Please dont move to Idaho. Ever.

Shows what you know. How much it must suck to be that wrong all at one time. I don't hunt much anymore, and certainly not in Kommiefornia anymore, it's too dangerous. For 25 years, though, I hunted only public land and have taken literally a hundred guys out and shown every single one of them where I hunt. You know what's come of it? Nothing at all. It turns out if you don't suck at selecting which humans to play with, nothing bad comes from doing so.

Again with the California thing! Why do you think it's too dangerous? Probably because you showed a hundred guys your sweet spot, and then they each showed 3 friends. DUH!