Would you hunt alone?

[Buck15]

There is a real sense of accomplishment hunting alone,successful or not. Have common sense and enjoy the solitude!

[Couestracker]

I hunt alone most of the time, when I'm the only tag holder. My family doesn't like me to, but I gotta hunt! Good planning and being extra careful is a must. I leave a note on my truck windshield in camp with my planned hunt area for that day (drive my Polaris Ranger to area).

[Guest 300ultramag.]

did 11 days solo- it was a blast..

 

 

on the 8th day I ran into another hunter.......he asked "are you hunting solo"? I replied "nope" and asked "are you"? he replied "nope"

 

we both lied to each other that we werent hunting alone. over the next few days we kept bumping in the same spots ha ha ha we ended up hunting the last evening together.... too funny..

 

I was more worried about somebody stealing my stuff from camp. Heard rumors that idiots would come through and steal food. etc

[CouesWhitetail]

I love hunting alone, but also love hunting with friends. Each has its own merits.

 

You can get a SPOT unit or a Delorme Inreach to carry with you and you can summon medical help if needed and with the delorme unit you can have two way communication with your wife or friends so they know you are OK.

[naturebob]

Luv hunting alone.Like some said , You can do what You want and useually successful. Gets lonely but peacefull. I did Montana 4 times on My own last 3 years and had never been there. To bad My dang ears ring all the time when I am out there. The tough part is packing animal out............BOB!

[4Falls]

I hunt alone 99 percent of the time. I have to admit that I much prefer having a partner to hunt with.

[GJMauro12]

I like going solo! I don't have anyone slowing me down or changing my plans. I've taken several people that completely changed my plans because they don't want to walk, they think glassing is boring, they want to go take a nap, they want to sleep in, they want to drive roads, they are hungry, they don't want to sit, they talk too loud, they slam doors, they light up a cigarette, they sound like a herd of elephants when walking, they don't want to make a varmint call, they would prefer a motel, they drink the whole time, they don't want to go out in the rain, they get cold.......

 

I think you get the idea. Solo is the way to go in my opinion. If something goes not as planned then you are the only one to blame. The only thing you really lose is a spotter and conversation and maybe someone doing half the work around camp but most times people don't help with camp chores either.

[mattys281]

I have gone up to seven days hunting alone. It takes a couple of days to adjust to not having anybody around. Its a lot of fun remembering how to speak when you have talked minimally for a few days.

 

For me, there's a hump at the 2nd night, especially on backpacking trips. 1st night you're all gung ho to be out there, than at some point I start thinking about work, the family, how much stuff I'm going to be late on, etc. etc. My mind throws every reason imaginable at me why I should quit and go home to a hot meal. If I can get through that though, I wake up a different person on the third morning. It's like my mind changes gears and I focus in on what I'm doing. At that point I really don't know how long I could go. Longest I've gone so far is 5 nights solo, but on those longer ones I feel sad when it's time to leave. I always wish I could stay longer and keep going.

[AZHog]

I've only hunted alone once and it was the only time I got an elk. As many have said, make sure you let people know where you'll be and when you'll return, and have a means to communicate if something were to happen. Best of success to you!

[CouesPursuit]

Going along with many others, absolutely on hunting alone, including putting in for tags and camping alone.

 

Only 1 of my 6 AZ big game harvests involved the help of a partner. And in my first several years of hunting, I hunted with a partner nearly always.

 

I now save buddy hunting for duck blinds, and if I cared about the 7 bird limit, in comparing that aspect of "success," I'd hunt that solo too.

 

[Big or Bust]

I hunt alone most of the time, especially if its my tag. Maybe with a buddy. I have a hard time finding folks who want hunt how I hunt -

[Big Browns]

I hunt/scout alone a lot, but not because I like it. It's not always possible for a hunting partner to join me on a hunt. If I had to wait for someone to come with me I would hardly get to hunt. I hunt alone out of necessity. If I had a choice I would hunt with someone every time. Why? I like to be around friends. I need the companionship. Plus I get easily spooked or scared when I hunt alone. That's been my number 1 reason I don't kill 100% of the time. I allow myself to get spooked or scared. When that happens I usually don't go as far in as I know I should, or I leave earlier than I know I should. Simply, I don't have the mental strength to hunt alone deep into the woods. I can handle simple day hikes, but spending the night alone is not for me. I really wish I could. I’m sure I would be much more successful if I could handle deep solo hunting. I'm currently working on becoming stronger, but until then I much prefer hunting with someone.

[lancetkenyon]

For dove/quail, I usually go out with family/friends.

 

For big game, unless it is on one of my kids hunts, I am usually hunting alone. Not a single one of my buddies wants to hunt as hard as I do. Most of them are road hunters, I am not. I would rather put a couple miles a day in boot leather on the ground and get away from the roads. Sometimes the family is at camp, but not out in the woods with me.

 

I always let my wife know where I will be hunting, where the truck is parked, where my camp is, and that I will usually be out until after dark. I try to camp where I have cell service, so I can check in each night/morning.

 

This fall will be no different. Family all cannot get off work/school, so my deer hunt will be a solo hunt again.

My 12 year old daughter's elk hunt will be just her and I. I am really looking forward to it.

[Mocha1545]

I always at least have someone in camp. I do prefer to "hunt" alone but like the company and security of having people in camp. Years ago on a an archery pig hunt my friend shot a pig. He started down the hill watching the pig and ended up running the arrow through his calf. When he didn't arrive back in camp we went looking for him. He made it back to his truck was starting back to camp when we found him. This was way before SPOT or cell phones but could have ended much worse than it did.

 

Plus my favorite part of hunting is spending time with my brother and Dad in camp after a long day of hunting. You won't find a bunch of trophies hanging on my walls but I have a treasure trove of memories from these hunts.

 

This is my preference but that doesn't mean it's the right way. Plan carefully and make sure you leave a map of where you are going to hunt. Proper planning and being careful should make for a fun hunt. Enjoy.

[Non-Typical Solutions]

For me there is hunting alone and then hunting really alone. I love having camp with family and friends with all having plans of different directions and we split off alone. I enjoy the evenings and being there to help each other. But......there is alot to be said for the gratification of going out there.....alone......and gettin er done. One of my favorite things though is getting me and my wife stuck on a ridge having her royally pissed at me......and then all the sudden jumping a buck and watching her have a blast trying to knock it down......hunting is just one of those fun things that is about alot more than just the kill.......