Hunting Alone

[Speckmisser]

For my own part, about 90% of my hunting is solo.

Sometimes Mudwalker comes along, and once in a while I'll head out with someone else. I almost always end up splitting off and doing my own thing in the field, though.

What about ya'll?

[Sporty]

Same as Speck. I love hunting alone, I feel closer to it. I don't worry about what the other hunter is doing. Even if I hunt with someone I break off and do my own thing then meet back at the rig.
Sporty

[jackrabbit]

Been hunting solo most of my life. I notice a lot more sign and get to follow my instincts as I move along, not worrying that I have to be back to the rig at a specific time. It's also fun to hunt with a group of friends, but I never seem to hunt as seriously, that way -- too much emphasis on meal times and other camp regularities, and more people make a lot more noise in the area, even if we split up.

[MNTNMAN]

The way I look at it with blacktail, the fewer people stiring things up, the better.

[traxman]

I have to chime in and say that hunting alone is the norm for me. It is fun to share experiences with someone who's there, but like you guys have said, fewer people makes for more freedom and less noise.

Although right now I hunt alone for lack of people I know that hunt!

[Megadeth]

Hunting alone is the most "successful" way to go. I always take more game hunting solo, but companionship makes for some fun memories.

[BigDog]

I have been a "solo" most of my hunting years. In the last few years, I have been doing about 50-50. Except when my "partner" does not show up even though I call him and tell him I am surrounded by deer....... hmmm I wonder who that could be?

I enjoy being in the woods by myself. But, as the years go by, I find that I also like the friendship of having partners at the campsite.

[Kentuck]

I hunt alone most of the time. I have found it is getting hard to be motivated to get out knowing it's just going to be me. It's good to hunt by yourself sometimes but I am finding it would be nice to have a partner around to at least bounce ideas off off. And I find myself packing sparingly for overnight trips because who wants to pack all that equipment for just one person.

[Speckmisser]

QUOTE

Except when my "partner" does not show up even though I call him and tell him I am surrounded by deer....... hmmm I wonder who that could be? http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/%3C#EMO_DIR#%3E/smiley-bag-on-head.gif Hmmm... yeah, your "partner" must be a dork!

[doghouse95]

I used to hunt alone all the time, but for the past few years I have had a youngster with me. That's overwith for a few years.
This next year I hope to be packing in with a new hunting partner. I've got a bum knee, and going in with the horses alone isn't a good idea anymore.

[Qbn Hunter]

I like to split up. That way we cover more ground.

[shaginator]

Though I don't object to hunting with others, I still do prefer the solitude.

[paulc]

I prefer to hunt by myself, mostly because i like doing my own thing. sometimes i want to move other times just glass, and with other folks around you have to explain yourself. I like going separate directions in the morning and checking in at lunch or at the end of the day. radios come in handy for that.

[wmidbrook]

Most of the time I've camped and hunted alone. I definately prefer to hunt deer alone but it's more fun having some huntin buddies to BS & swap stories with after hunting hours.

[One Track]

Two boots are more quiet than four boots. Four eyes see more than than two eyes. One mouth is much more silent than two mouths.

I don't like to talk when I hunt, and it seems, no matter what buddy I have hunting with me, they talk, way too much.

I like to hunt alone. No time commitments. No worries. The choices are all mine.

[shaginator]

On further thought, I gotta add that once the wife and I have kids, I won&#39;t be hunting alone as much, as I plan to take them out as soon as they are old enough. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-biggrin-aqua.gif

[jackrabbit]

Hey Shag, good luck with the kids when you have &#39;em. They&#39;re better buddies than adult hunting buddies -- they make noise, but at least you know it ahead of time. I started taking my son with me when he was about five years old, but he was always in hunter orange and we were never too far from the campground. I would just drive to a good ridge point overlooking some prime cover, and I would let him play as loud as he wanted with his toy trucks in the dirt -- making all the good truck sounds and all. This was always on weekdays, and I actually was able to spot a lot of deer on the trails below, as I was in D11 up by Wrightwood, and the deer were accustomed to hearing kids and families making noise all the time. Saw quite a few does and some spike yearlings, but no shooters. My son loved it and so did I. I still like to have cameraderie around the campfire at night, but guess what; seems like if everybody in a campground is hunting solo, then we all visit each other and talk trash with each other same as with a group that traveled together in the first place; yet we don&#39;t feel obligated to entertain each other if we want to be by ourselves for a meal or a nap. I consider group hunts with my buddies the same as when my son was young -- not a serious hunt trip, but just meant to be a nice social event. For really serious hunting, solo is the way.

[BDB]

I generally hunt alone but if with a buddy definitely split up and go different directions in the field. I had one hunting bud who wasn&#39;t real experienced and never paid any attention to the wind. I used to always head about 500+ yards down wind of him and see lots of critters sneaking out of the area, kind of like a slow push only he didn&#39;t know he was helping http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-biggrin-aqua.gif

Another advantage to a buddy is double the scouting intel. Due to not knowing any hunters in CA (until recently anyway) all of my deering hunting here has been camping and hunting alone.

[MULEY51]

Spend most of my time hunting alone, but I have buddies in the neighborhood (someone&#39;s gotta drag my deer ) http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-biggrin-aqua.gif If I&#39;m with my son it&#39;s kind of 50-50, sometimes we split up, sometimes we don&#39;t. When I take the old man, I generally stay close...him being 76 and hiking the hills and all, I try to keep him within shouting distance.
Been away quite awhile...it&#39;s good to be back.

[Hawk 1]

I hunt alone about 50% of the time with my other hunts with one to two other hunters. Hunting alone I feel that I am better able to adapt to new scenarios but it is safer with multiple hunters plus you have someone to tell your hunting stories to.

[BLASTMASTER]

I like to hunt alone, although I like to meet-up afterward. I have been taking my kids with me most of the last couple years (ages 10 & 12), and haven&#39;t been as successful, but that&#39;s a small price to pay for all that you get in return.
Now, let me tell you a story...
A couple months ago I agreed to go hunting for pigs on public land with a group of guys from work who have hunted only in groups, out of state. We did the wilderness camp thing, and had a great time in camp, but...after deciding to setup as a group for some incomming pigs one afternoon, 1 of the guys got bored, got up and started moving down range without saying anything, and because we were spread-out, no one noticed (not smart). Well he kicks up a small group at 15-20 yards, got a couple shots off, but missed (probably because of that scope at too close a distance). The pigs ran back to the private land, and we never saw them again. I expect we would have taken some if he would have stuck with his own plan.
The moral is, sometimes pigs have more sense than people.

[prohunter]

Most of the time I hunt alone. When I do hunt with someone, we usually split up and hunt separate directions.

[sportyg]

I hunt alone also. Most of the guys I hunted with don&#39;t hunt any longer to old they say. We would always go our own way when hunting and meet back in camp at night. I do miss the fellowship around the camp fire.

[MrRee]

Hey sportyg ,
you work them kids too hard to make them feel old? They could not keep up with you in the woods???


I have most allways hunted alone too. Only reason I see to hunt with someone is to teach them something. Can not be as quiet, or hear all the sounds if with someone. Two people means twice the noise, and a much longer wait for the game to relax & come back out. It does has one advantage though, Game can not count! So you can follow someone, and when you stop and they keep walking, the game thinks the guy ahead was all the danger & come back out faster.

[sportyg]

Why MrRee,

You sure tagged that buck http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-sideways-laff-aqua.gif

[BrandonA]

I usually go out with someone but split up. We carry radios and Garmin Rhino&#39;s (with the locating on the map) so we can find one another if something happens in an area we are unfamiliar with, but otherwise I&#39;m alone or split up from a buddy... Sometimes I take some unexperienced guys out with me and I&#39;ll let them tag along with me, let them pickup some tips from hunting with me and he can shoot that pesky forky that won&#39;t get out of my path!

[Mass-n-trash]

I don&#39;t care how much noise they make or how many questions they have, I prefer hunting with my kids. Admitedly, I don&#39;t see as much game...but the experience is priceless. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/two-cents.gif

My 12 yr old daughter is my good "buck" charm!

[Common Sense]

QUOTE (Mass-n-trash @ Nov 16 2007, 08:04 PM)

I don't care how much noise they make or how many questions they have, I prefer hunting with my kids. Admitedly, I don't see as much game...but the experience is priceless. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/%3C#EMO_DIR#%3E/two-cents.gif

My 12 yr old daughter is my good "buck" charm!
http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/%3C#EMO_DIR#%3E/smiley_10sign.gif

[Fishspanker]

I use to hunt solo alot but now I am more excited about hunting with my father...

[ELKBUSTER]

I prefer to hunt by myself but love to share hunting camp with others. You make all the decisions and don&#39;t have to worry about hurting someone&#39;s feelings. But even tho most of us prefer to hunt by ourselves, I think the majority will agree that we love to meet back up with hunting partners, whether it be back at camp or a specified meeting place after the hunt, and share the hunting experience. The only time I don&#39;t hunt alone is with my children, but then the entire hunting experience is for them and I treat my roll more as a guide. Here&#39;s to great hunting camps of the past - http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif EB

[Wogg]

Both, for one thing I am pretty choosie about my hunting partners. I like to hunt alone because its my time, time to enjoy the outdoors and time for me away from the everyday stuff. When I get the chance to hunt with someone its usually Kentuck, I guess after almost 30 years of huntin together should count for somethin.

[D3Lifer]

I generally hunt solo, but the last couple of years I have been hunting more with friends. An extra set of eyes is helpful sometimes. That being said, the last three deer that I have shot have come when I was alone. This years buck came 2 hours after I dropped my hunting buddy off at the airport. We had hunted the previous 4 days together without seeing any shooters.

[bodega]

The last time I hunted deer with a buddy was five years ago. Have hunted only solo since. Go when I want, where I want, how long I want, etc... Though the freedom is great, it sure would be nice to split the gas bill with someone and the safety aspect of having somebody nearby if a buzzworm bites or an ankle gets broken is important.

[bobcatman04]

upland and waterfowl, I like hunting with friends. Deer, I like leaving all others when I walk out of camp.

[baboltin]

i do a little of all, that should be a option

[FRISCOHNTR]

I love to hunt with my buddies (and they are are hunting buddies &#39;cause they can hunt) we usually split up but stay close. We all usually have the same pace, slower than slow and the information gathered when bumping a deer pays off later...Escape routes, true antler size, wind swirls specific to a draw etc.
Jason

[83Yota]

I prefer to hunt alone, if I am hunting with a buddy then we usually split up and meet within a few hours.

[hamradiofan]

I have a buddy that I hunt with each year. Although we camp together, we usually go our seperate ways (canyons).

Although, this year I was solo.

Andy AKA Hamradiofan

[2rocky]

All of the above.

I bowhunt blacktail solo. Not many people want to drive 5 hours, then backpack 3 hours in the dark and get 3 hours of sleep for the start of a weekend hunt. I always leave a travel plan and emergency contact if I do this...

Elk hunting and out of state mule deer happens in Grizzly country so hunting in pairs is best (to watch each others back). Two hunters can sound like a cow elk going through the timber, or a pair of PO&#39;ed bulls.

Nothing wrong with camping with a group. It sure makes a long week or two in the sticks more enjoyable. It also makes you hunt harder if you know your buddies will give you grief if you aren&#39;t out of bed early enough...

[spot&stalk]

I prefere to hunt solo for deer. I have got twice as many shots at deer hunting alone.

[tmoniz]

Usually one of my boys goes with me. Picked up some new hunting partners via Jesses. Good people and easy to hunt with. The wife prefers, the older I get, not to go solo. Makes her worry a bit.

[Nimrod77]

Not for big game in Alaska i have many times in lower 48

[tmoniz]

When I lived in Alaska, I hunted alone. Bears, sheep, moose, goat, etc. I wasn&#39;t stationed with people that hunted so I had no choice. It was the opportunity of a life time so I could not resist once I became a resident.
I have hunted elsewhere solo, but I&#39;m careful about where I go.

[bigworm]

I always hunt Black tail alone, except with my kids this year. It is just easier to do my own thing. In the past when I have hunted with others some one is always dissapointed, or feels cheated, or does not stick to the plan. I have had better results.

[dbuckslayer]

I dont mind hunting by myself, but usually when I go up for the first few weekends of the B-Zone, my friends and I have had better luck spreading out in a group and pushing a side hill. I like to hunt with 3 or 4 people side hilling. Later in the season though if people are tagged out I dont mind going on hunts by myself. However, when we get something down, it helps if we all take turns packing a half and swiching off.

[brushstomper]

I used to hunt solo all the time. Now I find I hunt with a buddy but we go our seperate ways and just meet back at camp or if we hear a shot turn on the radio and find out if one of us needs help getting a buck back to camp. It has worked pretty darn good. I sure do appreciate the help with a buck when he is down especially if it is a long way from camp. It&#39;s nice sharing a campfire and the end of the day also.

[Speckmisser]

Interesting.

In the four years (almost) since I started this poll, I&#39;ve found that I have started hunting with other people a little more. Part of it is that I have access to some land now (Golden Ram) and enjoy taking people with me... particulary new hunters, but it&#39;s fun to share my fortune with other hunters.

I still prefer to split off and hunt solo for deer, but even that seems to be changing when it comes to hogs. It&#39;s nice to have a little assist getting one of those suckers back to the truck... and the worse my back gets, the nicer it is.

[Valley Hunter]

I hunt alone on the most part, lately I have been taking both my boys, and let them watch and they are two more set of eyes... and the younger eyes are sure nice.

[myfriendis410]

I prefer to hunt with one other person, but that is the key; finding someone that doesn&#39;t drive you nuts when you are out in the field. I feel it is much safer to have a hunting buddy and it sure makes dragging an animal easier.

[ltdann]

I do fairly well on my own, but when I have my partrner (the spotter) we both do excellent. I guess that&#39;s the price you pay for his lame jokes.

[tmoniz]

I must confess I enjoy the solitude of going out on my own. I don&#39;t think about anything. You know. Urban issues.
Living in the city and such.

But I do enjoy when my oldest boy goes with me. I get to teach. And it&#39;s the only time that he actually listens.

Hunting with one of your children who want to learn and a good friend is hard to beat.

[waldo2382]

While living in California, I would hunt alone most of the time, but now that I&#39;m in Alaska, I don&#39;t go very far off the road system or into denser cover without having a "witness." Plenty of bear attacks this year up here and when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, it just doesn&#39;t feel right to go in there alone. Now my challenge is to find someone to go hunt up here with regularly. I just haven&#39;t found a person that will hunt as hard as I want to. I&#39;ll be taking applications in short time for a new hunting partner for people to list their sign, atv or boat available, and if they enjoy long walks on the beach with a rifle in hand looking for that special bear or deer.

[Tuffy]

I used to hunt with all my family, but My Dad is gone now, and my brother and sister moved, and about 15 years ago my best hunting partner... my son "Hoot"... found girls and quit hunting. This year he started hunting again and I love it!!! We know what each other is going to do, so neither of us have to worry about the other.
I have enjoyed hunting by myself the last few years but hunting with my son is awesome. We both really got into Archery and we&#39;re learning a lot together.

[socalkid]

Jus&#39; me an&#39; my dad!

[JNDEER]

i am very lucky to have a brother who loves to hunt as much as i do.....were you see one of us you will see the other...wether bass fishing or hunting.....

once in the woods we will usually seperate some and still hunt, say around a mountain, then meet back up.......our whole family usually deer hunts and is hunting the same areas we hunt....cousins, dad, grandparents...so it is very nice to have them all there and in camp when you get back..

[cornfedd]

i choose to hunt with a partner but split up. never know what could happen out there. better safe than sorry i always say

[el_vaquero]

Usually go out with someone and split up....once in a while I&#39;ll go alone.

[d'hunter]

It depends on the type/location of hunt. I&#39;m usually hunting with family out of state, so we&#39;ll hunt together the first day or so. Then we&#39;ll start together & split up after that. We always set a meeting time and place to check in.

[Monsterbull]

I do both.

I hunt alone for deer and bear in California -- unless my brother decides to come down to help spot. But it&#39;s mostly solo.
Bowhunting in Oregon, I occasionally hunt solo, but usually hunt with several others. We usually split up to hunt in pairs, and trade off in calling/spotter/shooter duties. I&#39;m in simpatico with all of those guys so I&#39;ve never had any negative experiences.

I&#39;m comfortable with either.

[1fitspirit]

Solo...If I done good, great. If I screw it up, then I have only myself to blame. I am much quieter in the woods alone, anyway.

[Tank]

I don&#39;t mind hunting alone but I usually hunt deer with my cousin/best friend....we got the teamwork thing down and besides you have someone to share the experience with. Additionally, if you should get injured or have a medical problem, you have some help.

[hunthard]

I usually hunt alone but I have hunted with other people too.Its hard to hunt with other people,who shoots first?I have been hunting lately with my 3 yr. old.He&#39;s 3 going on 15 but its hard to keep him quiet but,you got to get them started young and he insists on going with dad.Thats why I hunt, its for my family and I.My wife also hunts with me although I do still enjoy going solo.

[Bulleye]

I prefer alone but I feel safer with a friend. If I go with more than one other person then we usually split up and find a meeting point to have lunch of some sort. Plus company is always nice to have.

[Kernman]

I hunt alone because nowadays, I don&#39;t know anybody else who hunts.

My dad was a hunter eons ago, and he&#39;s long dead. I used to hunt rabbits with him when I was a kid.

Guys whose fathers hunted are donning spandex these days and hopping on ten-speeds to invade our mountains in mass on opening day, mindless that deer season has just opened. Dont even ask them how they feel about hunting.

Lot of people in my area hunt, but in my opinion, some are more interested in drinking than hunting. They just want to drive around and get drunk.

Opening day is just an excuse to get away from the old lady, perhaps?

I ran into one of them in the morning; later that after noon, when I saw him again, someone else was driving him around, and he was already tanked. He was leaning out of the cab like he was going to puke or something.

Plus, they were road hunting, not for me.

I&#39;m basically a loner at heart, when it comes to the outdoors, but I do enjoy parties and other social gatherings.

I guess I prefer to hunt alone for the independence of it. Plus, with my luck, anyone I might end up hunting with would probably end up getting lost, and I would have to go find them.

Not that Im Daniel Boone or anything, but, most people these days are clueless about the woods. Most of my friends live in cities. Not a knock on them, that&#39;s just the way it is.

[HuntingAnywhere]

i have always been that "kid" that tagged along with hunters. now, after a couple years of obvserving, reading, and trying to learn as much as i can about the game: i am ready to start my own game plan. i have a buddy of mine who got me into hunting, which i will do all my bird hunts with. But when it comes to big game i think we will go together but split up on the field.

[hank4elk]

95% Alone,partcularly w/blacktails. Once in a while with EASYMONEY . I "scout" with family and friends before season or fall close-up at cabin. I see more and spook less by myself.

[sdbowyer]

Almost exclusively alone. My children come along at times.

[dusty20]

For the last 25 years I have hunted alone. Got tired of waiting for some of buddies or they would back out at the last minute. Packing with horses and mules is alot of work, I&#39;m sure some of you know that. All my X hunting buddies are all in thier sixtys, way over weight and no interest now. The best years for them were in the 60s and 70s. I can&#39;t run to the top of the mountain any more but I can still walk to the top.

[chrisk]

I have to say that after reading the majority of the notes of guys that hunt alone, I feel very priviledged to hunt in a group with my father and son who are 64 and 18 respectively. While I understand some of the benefits of hunting by yourself, I wouldn&#39;t have it any other way. We always put in as a group for the draw with a few of my buddies. We will hunt alone once we get to where we are going, but we always meet back at camp for dinner and stories about the day. And yes, we always take deer. Maybe not all of us, but at least a couple every year.

Happy hunting!

[outdoorsman35]

This is an interesting topic. Hunting alone is great because you can make almost no noise and mimimize scent and everything. It is very rewarding in all aspects. I have children so hunting with them is great because you get to spend time with them and they become more self sufficient and confident. I have hunted with my wife also, that is great but she usually falls asleep. I bow hunted once with an old girlfriend and she brought a magazine and and didn&#39;t want to sit where a spider might be. She opened all of the perfume samples and then swore that if a deer did come in range she would scare it off to save its life. I hunt in MN with family in a drive hunt. We have many many people and are very successful. last but not least.. my girlfriend (my new chocolate lab). I can&#39;t wait to hunt with her.

[flyarmyguns]

I love hunting alone...but... I must admit after a hunter at the wardens overheard me tell the warden I saw LOTS of BIG cat tracks by my spot, he chimed in and reported a sighting, I&#39;m questioning the wisdom of solo hunting... Then the warden said, "There are very big cats on base here, and a larger than average population as well."
Hmm, I was planning on getting in well before sunrise, my spot has plenty of deer, cover, water, converging game trails, etc, etc..
It couldn&#39;t be better for ambushing deer, I guess that means for mtn lions too......
Web research says they are more likely to attack if you are crouching or kneeling, looking smaller than you are. You know, just the way we do when hiding from deer...
I think I&#39;l leave the doe urine at home this time.

[D-Zone]

I&#39;ve hunted alone many times, however my wife hates it!!!! I will continue to hunt alone during archery season, but will pair up with my brother in law during General Season, because they don&#39;t do archery. Hunting alone might not be the smartest thing to do, You can easily twist an ankle, slip and fall or step on a rattler, who knows! Accidents can happen

[CLDhunter]

I usually hunt alone but lately I have been hunting with a few good friends. More successful when I hunt alone but it good to hunt with friends and share the experiences.

[dusty20]

I think hunting alone is much safer than driving to where you want to hunt. Thier are some real idots out there that don&#39;t belong on the road and I&#39;m sure we have all seen them.

[gozarca2]

very good topic.

I hunt 90-95% of my deer hunting alone (mostly private). :( i only have a few friends that hunt. Pretty much none deer hunt. Pretty much none show the dedication that i do and they don&#39;t put in any time on foot, scouting or at the range. Turkey season i can usually find a few people to bring along.

I pretty much devote my entire aug & sept to deer season, mostly A. The wife and I have an understanding that come Aug/Sept, don&#39;t count on me being around much until there is meat in the freezer. Even my 3yr old has figured it out. My mom and wife don&#39;t like me going solo, because of the snakes, chances of injury and now mtn lions.

Turns out i may be hunting X3a alone this year too :(

But hey i&#39;m on a 4 year deer streak. :)

[wmidbrook]

When I posted a reply 5 years ago to this poll, I felt pretty similar to how I feel now. For blacktail, hunting alone has seemed to be more effective for me and an enjoyable thing to do. I still hunt solo.

However, I do think I have a bit deeper appreciation of hunting with others and enjoy it more than I used to. Part of this is due to hunt elk in "teams" which is an effective way to go especially during the rut. I&#39;ve always enjoyed duck hunting with others although sometimes I prefer to be by myself. There&#39;s no doubt I seem to best on deer solo except for in open country with multiple sets of eyes to spot the deer....of course, blacktail typically are in less open country than muleys.

Regardless, I do prefer coming back to a camp and socializing as opposed to hanging out by myself....although sometimes there&#39;s nothing that beats a campfire, no distractions and a good book.

[jls456]

Mostly alone..Probably 95% of the time.

[chrisout]

QUOTE (BDB @ Apr 23 2003, 11:56 AM)

I generally hunt alone but if with a buddy definitely split up and go different directions in the field. I had one hunting bud who wasn't real experienced and never paid any attention to the wind. I used to always head about 500+ yards down wind of him and see lots of critters sneaking out of the area, kind of like a slow push only he didn't know he was helping http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/%3C#EMO_DIR#%3E/smiley-biggrin-aqua.gif

Another advantage to a buddy is double the scouting intel. Due to not knowing any hunters in CA (until recently anyway) all of my deering hunting here has been camping and hunting alone.
Slow push, yah I know that one. This one greenhorn I know tries but he cant help him self and makes tons of noise, so I waypoint the truck and start a track on his GPS, give him a radio and send him off the way I NEED him to go. So far I got a meat pig out of it. He has walked by me 15 yards away thee times and never even knew I was there. He loves the outdoors though and does work in camp.

[sss5358]

I hunt either way. I have a long time hunting partner and we hunt together whenever we can. But he lives in Eastern Washington about 4 hours away from where I live in Western Washington. So there are times when I hunt alone because he can&#39;t get off or I don&#39;t have time to drive over there. I must say I relish both experiences.

[TagEmBagEm]

I think it kinda just depends on the hunting partner.

If it's somebody who really gets after it and hunts hard sometimes that's what you want. But sometimes, they hunt too hard, don't take their time, don't glass enough and miss a lot of things.

Another set of eyes is always good. But that's another set of feet and another body and scent to traced as well.

It all depends on your mood and terrain as well. Thick brush can be dangerous if you don't know where your partner is at all times. Open terrain, rimrock, canyons and meadows are a little easier to depict.

I like pushing a canyon or opposite fingers of a hill with a buddy and meeting on the other side.

[richracer1]

I pretty much hunt alone here on Vandenberg AFB. This way I can do what I want, when and how I want.

In Idaho, I'm fortunately part of an elk camp, but we go our separate ways to hunt. I got my first bull elk, a spike, last year while camping and hunting by myself, I got there Wed AM - shot the elk on Fri PM - rest of the group came up Sat AM. I used my quad to drag it back to camp and get it hung up. I skinned it Sat AM.

[bustinbrush]

I USUALLY HUNT WITH MY DAD AND BROTHER. WE RUN OFF RIDGES AND VALLEYS TO EACHOTHER. OF COURSE THATS EASY TO DO WHEN YOU HUNT PRIVATE PROPERTY. THIS WAS MY FIRST YEAR HUNTING B ZONE. I MUST ADMIT I FELT BETTER WHEN I HAD MY BUDDY NEXT TO ME WHEN A BLACK BEAR AND HER CUBS CROSSED OUR PATH. IT MADE MY 270 FEEL LIKE A BB GUN.

[hunting-guy]

i usually hunt with 2 or people just to make it fun and have more advantages

[builder]

Since i moved from Apple valley to yucca valley over 2 years ago i have hunted solo most of the time,buddies don't seem to have time to make it to the east side of D14.normally we all hunt the same general area and split up and go our own way,keep in contact with 2 way radios.i have missed not having people in deer camp the past couple of years. to me it's about friends & family,outdoors and the challenge of finding and bagging a deer,especially in california.

[thomtwo]

I may go to the hunting area with others, but I explain to them Don't worry about seeing me until 5 to 6 hours after dark. I don't like having to deal with other hunter schedules. I hunt — I don't party.

[Zackman]

I mostly hunt alone, especially for blacktails. I think that bowhunting for blacktails is better done when you are alone. They are an exceptionally hard animal to hunt and being by yourself gives you more options.

[beastslayer]

I prefer hunting with a buddy, except success for me comes when hunting alone.

[slanttop357]

Hunted a hand full of times with hunting buddies, Most of the time by myself :archer green:

[rude robert]

I have only hunted for the last 4 yrs started when I was 40, I always wanted to learn but didn't know how to field dress a deer if I shot one. I shot I nice size doe in Idaho, a friend showed me how to dress it. Watching videos is nothing like first hand experiance. Then, My next deer was a 4x3 here in s.cal, same season as the doe but here in Cali. God blessed me that year for sure. It was a lot of work but it was fun. Although, my friends hunted together we usually split off trying to drive the deer to each others direction. I'd rather hunt this way but, I can't find anyone to go with around here so I go by myself. Noise doesn't bother me too much as I have found more deer when I was breaking branches, twigs and other noisy activities along the way. Now, only if I can get off a shot lol.

[wmidbrook]

Dang, I thought Speckmisser did another poll like he did 7 years ago! Sheesh...seems like yesterday when he posted that. I answered the poll exactly like the way I did 7 years ago and my thoughts on the subject haven't really changed in 7 years. Not sure if others' have changed or not.

Now that my kids are 10 and 5, my opinion may be changing soon though. I want to get out into the field with my kids if they take to it and think I'd prefer hunting with them over being solo during the hunt.

[Almanorjoey]

I like hunting alone or with one other guy as long as i know that he can take care of hisself while we hunt seperately. Usually, i can't find local guys who are willing to put in the time that i do. When i only draw a C zone tag, i'll make 5 day trips every week of the over a month long season. Hunting with another guy in camp seems to motivate me to get up earlier and hunt harder. I seem to kill more deer when someone else is around also. For some reason, when alone, i pass bucks up that i might otherwise shoot if someone else was there to see the shot and witness the kill.

Killing another buck is no big deal to me unless he's huge. I've taken my share both in state and on outa state trips going back 40 years now. I can't complain about anything hunting related except that my body doesn't allow me to near do the hunts that i used to and that the cost of just going, getting there, and getting back home seems to cost more and more each year.

Good luck to you guys in the draw this season!!

Joey

[dunderee]

My Dad has been taking me hunting since I was 8 and we always go together, I never known it to be any different, But he is 66 now and not moving up and down the mountains like he used to, and I've been doing a lot of hunting by going off by myself and meeting up with my dad after dark, I don't really like the alone feeling in the woods but I am alot quieter, Its really sad for me because my dad has been my life long hunting partner and it makes me think about the day he won't be able to do it any more! So I guess my answer is with a buddy, (My DAD)!

[rude robert]

Your lucky to have the experience with your dad for sure.

[MULEY51]

My Dad has been taking me hunting since I was 8 and we always go together, I never known it to be any different, But he is 66 now and not moving up and down the mountains like he used to, and I've been doing a lot of hunting by going off by myself and meeting up with my dad after dark, I don't really like the alone feeling in the woods but I am alot quieter, Its really sad for me because my dad has been my life long hunting partner and it makes me think about the day he won't be able to do it any more! So I guess my answer is with a buddy, (My DAD)!

Good for you. I still spend my hunting season with Dad and he's 84 now. I try to find him good trails/areas to watch since he can't follow me around (or vice versa in the old days). Haven't found him a buck in 7 years, so I've got to try harder. Anyway...hunt with him while you can.

[cheta]

I like to hunt by myself when hunting deer, My hunting partner( My Brother) and i have been hunting together since we were 12 so when we get a chance to get int he woods together we do. At this point it is only like there is one of us because we know exactly what the other is going to do and know how to cover ground together.

When hunting pigs well i always hunt with a buddy, i don't feel bad about bringing novice hunters with me because we usually get thye drop ont he pigs before they know we are there....

[map]

It depends on where I'm hunting. I'm still stressed-out from last years target shooting that took place at RayHouse Road and the Fiske Creek Trail Head. My boy and I had that small pond staked-out, and some guys started target shooting real close to us. We didn't know whether it was pot growers, or what? I doubt if I will ever hunt that area between Lake Berryessa and Clear Lake again. I just don't feel comfortable with that many hunters around me who are playing with guns.

On the other hand, I feel quite comfortable hunting alone up on top of the Sierra Crest. The summer lightning scares me while I'm scouting, and I've seen a large rock ahead of me struck by lightning. But for some reason? I never feel paranoid about nature.

[JaegerMeister]

Don't hunt alone, it may be your last.

[Chinogoose]

I try to go out with some of my buddys but most of them have to work the week day and that's when i like to go out.