Solo hunting

[Flight635]

I'm about to do a solo hunt out west for the third year in a row. I've hunted out west several times in a few different states over the last ten years. I've hunted whitetail solo in Kansas and Oklahoma most my adult life. The whitetail hunts are usually just day hunts, now that we don't have a cabin in Kansas anymore and not seen as dangerous or risky I guess.

Does anyone else catch grief from your family or friends about doing these hunts alone? I'm only 40 and I'm in good shape and not a new hunter by any means. I always seem to get comments from my wife or Dad like "it makes me nervous" or "I really wish someone was going with you".

I have tire chains, Garmin inreach, the insurance if you have to press SOS and all the usual safety precautions western hunters do. Just curious if anyone else experiences this as well or maybe has an idea how to set people's minds at ease.

 

[dfanonymous]

My wife use to come on the adventures when we were younger. She knows how it goes. She knows I go hard and it's sometimes dangerous.

Then again, we've been through so many combat deployments together hunting is probably the least of her worries.

As far as hunting, I think she's calmed down since I got a inreach. It was a smart move. I've been looking forward for a long time to when I bite off a piece too big.

That said, unless they come with, there's nothing that's going to set any uneasy mind. A lot of it is a "fear of the unknown" kind of thing. Best I can say is ignore it. Probably safer in the sticks than at the gas station or on the hwy.

 

[crashlanding]

I've been hunting alone most of my life. My wife worries more now because of my age, I tell her I'm not going out there to die, I'll be home. But things have a way of turning on you. My son 35 climbs 14,000' mountains by himself, he's only about 6 away from hitting all of Colorado's 58, my daughter, 32, camps, climbs and backpacks by herself. I suppose they take after me in being an outdoor loner. Do I worry now, every time they go out, I don't show it, but inside I'm burning up. The one thing I do demand are bread crumbs until they're out of service and an eta, I've had more than a few anxiety attacks when they've been a few hours late, you get what you sew I suppose.

 

[Huntnful]

I'm 34 and have solo hunted 7 states over 20 times and STILL if I don't give my dad a morning and evening update, he immediately just thinks I died on the mountain hahaha. My wife doesn't worry as much. But I always update her and my dad via text/in-reach by 10:00am and 10:00pm. Simple thing for me to ease their minds.

 

[crazymonkey]

I seem to always catch some grief!!! I did a pig hunt in California a few years back just me. I hauled my trailer from AZ to central California. Shot two pigs and was scheduled to make the trip back and woke up with kidney stones . I still had to drive the 7 or 8 hours hurting like a soma bitch to my sister's in Huntington beach. I stayed the night and made the trip to my dad's to pick up my grandfather's 1917 eddystone. Still hurting I got back in the truck to head home and man it was all I could do to not cry it hurt. Two wrecks on the road made for a even longer ride . The wife and daughter were at the storage lot waiting. A super quick unload and a trip to the emergency room and now I'm not allowed to go solo.

 

[Ol' Red]

I don't get any grief about hunting antelope by myself, but spring bear I do. It's just black bear, and not in grizzly country.

 

[FEENIX]

I'm about to do a solo hunt out west for the third year in a row. I've hunted out west several times in a few different states over the last ten years. I've hunted whitetail solo in Kansas and Oklahoma most my adult life. The whitetail hunts are usually just day hunts, now that we don't have a cabin in Kansas anymore and not seen as dangerous or risky I guess.

Does anyone else catch grief from your family or friends about doing these hunts alone? I'm only 40 and I'm in good shape and not a new hunter by any means. I always seem to get comments from my wife or Dad like "it makes me nervous" or "I really wish someone was going with you".

I used to do solo hunts with antelope and deer, but never elk. I always tell a buddy where I am, just in case. I have always told my wife to call my buddy. I told my wife I could crawl out of the hunting spot, but she never cared for my reasoning.

It all changed in 2019. My buddy and I were hunting private property, a place we have been hunting since 2003. It was flat, with plenty of badger and gopher holes and some rattlesnakes (in the summer). I have fallen on holes covered with snow without injuries other than my pride. We were doing a late PM hunt. There's maybe 2-3" of snow on the ground.

When my buddy downed his buck, I texted him that I was heading his way to help him. He was ~300 yards away. Walking towards him, I had to stop every 5 yards because my heart was beating fast and breathing harder than usual. I am a couple of decades older than you but in reasonably good shape. We have no idea why.

The following day, I ended up in the ER with COVID-19 (double lung pneumonia) and was unable to go to work for 4 months. I am just glad we were not in the boondocks elk hunting. At this time in my life, it is not worth taking risks.