Hunting Partners?

[Red Rabbit]

How do you choose your hunting partners?

 

Do you share a camp because he/she a long time friend, immediate family member, relative? Do you hunt with the person(s) because they have the same drive, or hunting tactics, or tell good jokes? Would you choose to hunt with a new person to expand your horizons and maybe learn or be exposed to something new? Do you hunt alone for the freedom? Have you felt hog-tied because of the obligation of long-time partners? Do you hunt with someone because they asked you, or because they have a lot to offer you in terms of experience and knowledge to share? Do you hunt together throughout the day, or just share the camp and go separate ways during the hunting day? Do you hunt with someone new to hunting and you want to share your techniques and ethics? Have you asked your neighbor and his kid to join you on a hunt?

[az4life]

RR

I have had several hunting partners but my current primary is the one I have been with for about 10 years now. I helped him take his 1st deer and he was hooked! Others move on, out of state or out of the hunting Phase of their lives and just lose interest. Come to think of it, I recall helping at least 7 people take their first coues. 4 of those, it was their first deer ! 1 father son combo one year was a real challenge.

IMHO Sharing the hunting experience is part of the best experiences afield one can have.

 

Generally we camp together with 2-4 people and hunt the same areas but often not "with" each other. Maybe 1/2 hour - 1 hour hike apart. many times in visual line of sight for help and safety. occasionally we will sit and glass a spot together but only if we have a good prospect for a stalk or one of us is under the weather.

 

General chat at camp is good but I hope every year that he kicks the nicotine habit before we go. I Don't know how he can be so lucky getting anywhere near deer with that smoke smell all over him.

 

Our Camp is pretty rough . We trade off on using our tents year to year. Both are 12x14 or so. Cots, inside with a good catalytic heater on all night long in the tent. Gas stove used for dinner, and afterwards, we usually kick back, and pop a good DVD in the laptop and have a laugh at the professionals on a good comedy show.

 

Always open to others in camp if they can rough it the way we do. I have thought it would be fun to have a meeting with other hunters from the board in the same unit one night after hunting. I have hunted in unit 24 and often met other hunters in town after we decided to drive the 30-40 minutes instead of cooking. Seems most everyone has a sad story and are eagler to learn what the successful few are doing to get that way.

 

Anyway, have a great hunt

[wetmule]

Marlon,

I'd be very careful with those catalytic heaters and leaving them on all night long.

We use propane heat and or wood stoves in canvas tents that breathe pretty good. The heaters are great for taking the chill off in the morning but when the lights go out so do the heaters. If it's real cold wood stoves are a great way to go, or a combination of both. You've made it this far so I guess you know what you are doing. Don't know anyone personally but a good friend of a friend left a wife and two kids fatherless on a turkey hunt several years ago from a catalytic heater.

[az4life]

Kevin

Maybe I have the heater terminology wrong, but the heater is a "dish reflector type" coleman, attached to a 20LB propane tank. Maybe it should be called a propane heater? We find that the lantern helps throw a lot of heat too, so between the 2, sources it can get very toasty.

I wouldn't advise leaving your mashmallows close to the heat if you know what I mean.

 

We always leave a couple flaps part way unzipped for cross ventilation and I leave one partly open near my head. The heater is on very low during the night which just keeps the chill out of the tent.

 

I too was rather leary of an all nite heater to begin with but seems to work. We have done t for about 8-10 years.

 

I guess there is potential safety problems with an heat source inside a tent. I would not suggest anyone do something they are not personally comfortable with.

 

Thanks for the info and concern. always looking to keep learning and living.

[COUESAZ]

I do not want to jack the thread but arnt the cat heaters the ones made to run in your tent all night. If not they make ones now that are safe for in tent use don't they. I am looking at an 80.00 dollar heater that will set in my camp trailer and not kill me.

 

Any way I always share a camp with the same guys year after year. I just lost a hunting partner this year to a liver sickness. He was 33 and we have been friends from the third grade on. It will be a hard year without him around us.

 

My brother and brother in laws and all the nephews that are old enough to go are all invited. We have all hunted together for so long it is like we all know are place and how to help the team out. I do not care much about the aspect of me killing a deer so as long as someone gets one I am happy.

 

I do the most glassing for the group and am more than happy to send them on the stock. Besides that I love those 3 to 4 hundred yard shots for my self anyways. I guess that is why I like the guiding end of hunting too because I like to help guys get deer. when you guide you do not get to choose your hunting partners and are somtimes glad to see them go when they do. So if you get a few guys together that you like to hunt with and know they will not jack your honey holes then you need to do whatever to help keep them around.

 

And I hope you have luck in helping you friend stop smoking. just for the fact that it is not healthy.

[BASS]

After last years coues I was ready to START smoking. I was hacking and choking all the way to the top of the hill with the deer, while the smokers were already there.

 

My hunting partner is either my dad, my sister's boyfriend, or one of my buddies. I only have one good friend that actually hunts and knows what to do all the others just follow my lead. (Which isn't to smart either.) My partner and I ussually hunt together, or with in sight of each other. Our camp is pretty rough also when my dad goes. He brings the 25 foot long toy hauler. That just about ruined me for camping. But when any of my other partners go, we just sleep in the back of our trucks, or in a little tent. I like the DVD player idea though. On my coues trip two years ago my dad and I bought over $150 on food, and other snacks. We ended up driving back into town each day for breakfast, and mexican food for lunch and dinner. That was very rough.

[wklman]

I usually hunt by myself or with my brother. We're both pretty hardcore so we don't share our hotspots with too many people.Once you get to telling people about where you hunt that spot usually goes down hill pretty fast.I've heard too many horror stories about guys taking a friend hunting in there honey hole and then the next year his buddy is bringing all of his friends and family in.

 

 

 

Wade

[az4life]

I usually hunt by myself or with my brother.  We're both pretty hardcore so we don't share our hotspots with too many people.Once you get to telling people about where you hunt that spot usually goes down hill pretty fast.I've heard too many horror stories about guys taking a friend hunting in there  honey hole and then the next year his buddy is bringing all of his friends and family in.

Wade

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Been there done that too! man it sucks... Do a favor and it seems it is common courtesy to find your own honey hole, (maybe in the general area) and not adopt te shared one as your won!

[muskrat]

I'll hunt with almost anybody, but usually am by myself. That's mostly because my situation only allows for day-trips, and fairly late starts at that. I don't want to slow anybody down.

 

That being said, I guess the ideal situation for me has been "hunting by myself, but with other people". By that I mean being with some guys at a camp, or travelling to the spot with some guys, splitting up on our own, and meeting later for a snack, meal, or just to compare notes...

[BASS]

I usually hunt by myself or with my brother. We're both pretty hardcore so we don't share our hotspots with too many people.Once you get to telling people about where you hunt that spot usually goes down hill pretty fast.I've heard too many horror stories about guys taking a friend hunting in there honey hole and then the next year his buddy is bringing all of his friends and family in.

 

Ooh that's still a soft nerve with me. I took one of my buddies to one of my favorite spots. This kid gets lost if you made four left hand turns in a row. So I told him I would take him to a spot I like to hunt for pigs. I took him up there, got him a couple shots, and he had a pig latter that day. A month later I'm up there and see a signal mirror hitting me. I glass it and see that kid! He hid his GPS in his pack, and had a map from the Circle K in Florance right to my spot. That was the last time I have hunted with him.

[Benbrown]

As you get older, you select your hunting partners much more carefully! Currently, I hunt with my wife, one of my stepsons, one of his brother's good friends, and an old friend from New York (City?), one at a time.

 

I prefer to hunt by myself, but my aging eyes don't find as many deer as they used to. It's also nice to have a buff young man that thinks that carrying a deer out for the old man is a good expenditure of time.

 

The two young men referred to above spot more deer than I do these days. My wife is also a good spotter and we show each other about as many as we are shown. However, I like to move (and sit) at my own pace, so I tend to tell folks where I am going (and make sure to leave a note under my windshield wiper if I change my mind) and do my own thing...

 

I have recently come to know and appreciate the husband of my wife's cousin (who died a number of years ago). He is my age, we are in about the same physical condition and we agree on a number of things relative to hunting ethics, rifles and the state of the world in general. He and I have made one fishing and one hunting trip together, and we are going to Africa soon. He has hunted about as many Coues deer as I have and I am looking forward to making a hunt or two with him.

 

Unfortunately, I did not draw a single tag in New Mexico this year, and I am waiting to see if anything comes from the Arizona draw... Fortunately, I have an elk tag in Colorado and week-long bird hunts lined up in Nebraska and Montana--and a new .375 to work up loads for Africa--so life is not all that bad!

[stanley]

Good topic Doug.

 

My group of hunting buddies has evolved quite a lot over the years as I've met new friends and others have moved on.... My core list of hunting partners is currently made-up of a couple of old life long pals, a buddy or two I met in college, and a couple of guys that I've gotten to know through my other hunting partners (friends or friends....).

 

Usually if I bring new folks into the circle, I'll try to start by getting together for a bird hunt first. Seems like this way it can be just a short 1/2 day kind of a thing, and I can get to know their style (gun safety, ethics, etc...) to determine if they'll fit in with my group of friends. Not to say that my ethics & style are any better than anyone else's, just saying that it helps if everyone is on the same plain. Another way is to get together for a scouting trip with someone new. Good way to get to know someone's style...

 

One thing that I've noticed is that it can be possible to have TOO MANY hunting pals. By this I mean that I meet people that I'd really like to hunt with but with 'mi vida loco', it is just hard to find time to hunt with everyone I'd like to. Especially now that my boys are coming-up in age, they'll obviously get priority.

 

S.

 

PS: We still have to get together & chase birds sometime Doug!

[coueshunter]

Since moving to AZ 7 years ago, I have only drawn two deer tags for myself. I had one hunting buddy who I would go out with if he or I drew tags along with my two sons Travis and Max. When I did not draw a tag, I still go out hunting at Duwane Adams camps so at least I get out and hunt/see the woods, animals etc......I always get out and hunt with or without a tag.......Allen TAylor....

[muskrat]

I always get out and hunt with or without a tag

 

Really? Maybe you should re-phrase that

[wetmule]

Best hunting partner a guy could have is his Father. Enjoy them while they are around, learn as much from them as you can and pass their knowledge and ethics on to your own kids and others that will listen.