Hunting Solo vs Hunting with a group

[yoteslayer]

I to hunted by my self for years or with my brother my son started going with me when he was 5-6 I tried to make it fun for him he was a trooper he would go anywhere I wanted to go and now he is a very good hunter because of it we don't have horses but not afraid of putting on some miles either my wife wasn't so happy about me hunting alone lol

 

[shaughn]

I haven't group hunted in more than 20 yrs, though I have had a friend or two tag along and then drop off to hunt on their own on a section of land I own or lease.

I don't count culling operations or when I get hired to act as a bear guard or when I did some limited guiding.

When my father was alive, we were out and in position long before you could legally shoot...I can tell you that the majority of the time we were done on the first day of the hunt...and it wasn't the first thing that walked infront of the gun, always a decent animal big body, good to wow racks...we always had prime hunting spots, between family owned or leased lands.

Some buddies of his finally pestered my dad enough to get an invite....much like the opening post...it was an "Interesting" experience...loud obnoxious, what do you mean get up at 4 am to get positioned...back at 10 for breakfast....then oh aren't we hopping into the truck and go cruising around...then back for lunch with an added liquid component....it's cold out there let's sit in the truck...wanting to come in before dark...shooting puppies (deer so small that a puppy comes to mind) only happened a couple times...never again.

Thank you I will sit in the line shack on the back section, where I can practically shoot into tomorrow and drink coffee, while a venison stew is slowly bubbling away on the cook stove and bread is baking in the oven, listen to the radio........

 

[L.Sherm]

I used to hunt alone but not anymore I hunt primarily in griz country and well you've probably heard the story's. Not only that I hunt some pretty rugged country and if I got hurt who would find me. I always hunt with a pack on my back because its usually no way to get back and grab packs and go back in the same day saves on the legs and I dont want to go back and find a griz on the meat.
There's only about 3 different people I hunt with and we all like hunting the same way.

 

[Greyfox]

While I varmint and bird hunt sometimes with or friends, for 50+ years I have hunted big game solo.

 

[frostop]

Generally hunt solo, there are only a couple people that I would consider hunting with anymore and really would rather hunt with my daughter-she recently became an officer of the law and as you can imagine is getting all the lousy hours. She and I hunt well together!

 

[shooter7]

When I hunt in my resident state of Montana, I almost always hunt with one very close friend. He's a very serious, experienced and ethical hunter. I have several other friends that I refuse to hunt with because they're the type to just sling lead.

When I first moved out west and started group hunting in Colorado, we typically split up and worked in 2-man teams. Though I did shoot my first elk on a solo hunt, I did have friends to call for the extraction.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I had a similar experience about 12 years ago.
Had a good friend bring along 2 guys unknown to me and their 12 year old son.
My buddy informed me all 3 were excellent marksman and very experienced hunting our small Fallow deer. We were hunting the much larger Sambar which are vastly harder to hunt than Fallow.

The first morning we head out on a 2+ hour trek to the hunting area. We take it very slow and stop to glass every 10 mins or so.
We stop at one gully head and I glass the gullies to our left, just as I'm about to glass the gullies to our right..........BOOM!!!
The kid has spotted a spike deer about a half kilometre away and proceeds to hastily shoot OFFHAND. No ranging, no glassing by his dad or uncle, they just stand there giving the kid encouragement.
Before I could say ANYTHING, the dad brings his rifle up and starts firing, my buddy then starts yelling at them to STOP SHOOTING.
After all the excitement, I simply say that NONE of them knew the range, yet continued spraying bullets without EVER knowing how far short they were falling.
The rest of the day was extremely tense, the kid was ****ed that he didn't get the deer and, the dad was ****ed that he was TOLD by us to stop shooting.
The rest of the trip to the hunting area was devoid of any animals, not a single deer was seen for 3 days after that incident.
The trip was supposed to be 5 days, the other party pulled up stumps and left on the afternoon of the third day.
I have never seen them since and really don't want to.
Since that incident, I had hunted with another guy, but he became one of those "why should you get the next shot" guys. I ended that pretty quick.
My buddy from the first incident and I hunt together 3-4 times a year, but never side by side, he has his patch and I have mine. We help each other packing out animals by way of a radio, but that's it.
I hunt with my dad more than anyone else. He is 73 and still quite fit and agile, we don't walk as far as when I'm solo, but he does his fair share carrying out etc.

I find people's jealousy/envy the real kicker when hunting, they just can't be happy for the other person, this is why I mostly hunt alone these days.

Cheers.

 

[livetohunt]

The short and the sweet of it:

I hunt better solo, push myself harder stay out later, get up earlier etc.

But with a wife and a kid now, its hard to convince myself to go alone, especially in wilderness areas in Idaho I've been hunting the last few years.

 

[Kimber7man]

If I had to hunt by myself I'd probably quit. My family doesn't hunt so I enjoy 6-7 days out west with my hunting pards and friends. We shoot together quite a bit as the old guy in the group taught me how to handload.

 

[MtPockets]

I've been blessed with some very good hunting partners over the years, and I've also enjoyed hunting alone.
When I was younger, I deer hunted with a friend and his family because nobody in my family hunted much. I enjoyed it, and learned a lot.
Then I met a friend who was a little older than me but really enjoyed hunting and passing his knowledge on. I tagged along with him and his brother any chance I got, and cherished every minute of it. We had some really awesome hunts and also some completely forgettable hunts, but every one of them was special in its' own way.
There have always been times when my hunting buddies were busy, so I'd hunt alone. Those hunts, too, were special. I think it's because instead of the usual bantering and fun stuff that goes with hunting in a group, I usually spent my time reflecting on life and the deeper aspects that can cloud the mind.
I still enjoy a solo hunt now and then, but when I met my current wife my hunting changed again.
Ever since we first started dating, she has hunted with me through everything from knee deep snow to knee deep mud, from 9500 foot mountains to river bottoms.
We have had (and continue to have) some awesome adventures that I couldn't imagine having with anyone else.
Long story short(er), both group hunting and solo hunting have their benefits. I think the main thing is to only hunt with carefully chosen partners who have similar expectations and ambitions.

 

[Bravo 4]

Both for me as well. I enjoy going out by myself but find the comradery back at the tent nice. I just haven't found someone that I guess takes it as serious as I do. They don't want to spend time prepping, in the gym or on the range.
I had a week long hunt last year that I would label a fiasco. I just felt like I was catering to my fellow hunter the entire time, and I think it cost me. I actually though about writing a short story and label it "Hunting buddy...?", and turning it in to some magazines. It was just non stop, you just couldn't make the crap up. However, this year I decided to give it another try as he is a great person, but this time with some ground rules. It turned out to be a really good hunt. I plan on making the trip again next year.

 

[Plinker147]

I don't like the solo hunts anymore. I've done a lot of them but I enjoy the camp with friends and family. My son is my number 1 hunting partner now but he can't hunt some of the hunts I do with school and sports.

I hunt with a select group of friends. You might say I scout out my hunting partners for a couple years before I will invite them on a hunt. I have hard core trophy hunting friends and I also have good time hunting friends. Biggest thing for me is having fun so I make sure of the type of people I have the same attitude. We set ground rules before we ever apply. One is who ever spots the game has first chance at it even if it takes a day or more to get it. All of us will choose doing the right thing over a trophy any day. We had a occasion where a friend and I both shot a BC class animal. There never was a "it's mine" attitude we both argued that the other should take the deer, I ended up with it and we got a better buck for my friend the next day.

As for the OP any dad that would shoot before he let his son ain't worth hunting with ever.

 

[TG-5150]

I have had a FEW good hunting partners in my life and lost one of the best hunting partners to an immature mistake I made when I was in my early twenties.
That mistake has molded me into a much more responsible hunter, now in my late 40's. I think it's important to admit young mistakes and
That being said, Aside from my new wife (3 yrs)My oldest son holds a tie position. He used to throw such big fits if I didn't take him scouting or hunting. Couldn't tell ya how many nights we spent in a Subaru Legacy. The back seat removed made an excellent spot for a dad and kid to sleep. He is now 24 and in Montana, I miss him greatly. He did a lot of school homework before and during our hunting together. One of the greatest we shared was him learning I would be hunting with a new partner(my new wife). He asked how he was supposed to hunt from a vehicle and kill anything with two women in the truck. I asked him to go for a walk with me and stared to explain how much he slowed me down in the beginning and if I had ever judged him. He replied with a "no". I said "great, now go get something". A few hours later he killed a cow elk on his own. She was moving and he knew not to take the shot unless he was certain. The cow was 260 yards from him. The impact was in the back of her head. I couldn't have been prouder. Him either.
My son learned he preferred us hunting together because of the bond that it builds, but he learned a very more important lesson. He learned he could hunt alone if he had too. And more importantly, women could hunt, too. Wife smoked an elk all on her own. The day I'm explaining is one that binds the times that try, especially in a mixed family. Which seems to be the "norm" for these days.
My son also knows about my early mistakes and is a more ethical person for my truthfulness to him. I know that, for sure.
My knew hunting partner(wife) and I finish each other's sentences,want to treck the same ground the same, fish the same holes the same way....blah, blah, blah. And that is nothing I did, just a perfect match. Guess I'm a lucky fella, and then some.
I'd rather hunt alone than have a crappy partner.
But to have a good partner is a blessing and I got two of em.
I am a lucky person.