Finding Hunting Friends

[hi2u]

Hey Guys,

Question regarding finding lifetime hunting partners...

I wasn't very active in hunting growing up and in the past 5 years I started going once a year doing something...
The problem I'm having is, None of my friends are into hunting... I have a few friends that I've hunted with, but living in Iowa makes it hard to find people that want to drive 10+ hours and spend 500 dollars on a tag alone.

How is everyone else dealing with this? I know If I lived in a western state it would be a lot easier to find someone to go with..
I'm worried about just finding someone online and going hunting with, just because I don't know how we would click and would hate to waste money to be in a non-enjoyable situation.

Thoughts/advise?

 

[huntsman22]

Find a wife. Take her......

 

[hi2u]

Find a wife. Take her......

Ill try to convince her some more. Maybe I can get her to break...

 

[FlyGuy]

It can be a challenge, even when you find someone - the odds of it being someone that has the same level of passion for it as you do can be even tougher. Then it has to be someone that you won't try and choke out on day two of a 9 day trip, and can get vacation time that lines up with yours. I think its easier to find a wife than a Non-Res hunting partner. My buddies have seen how much I've enjoyed it and that has made them interested in it. I've also met a few people through this site, one of which I will be going on a spring bear hunt with in May.

 

[BroodBuster]

I didn't start bird hunting until I was in my 20's and big game hunting until my mid 30's. Finding good hunting partners may be one of your more difficult hurdles. I'd guess around 80% of the hunters in Wa. are long time family affairs and getting in with one of those crews is almost impossible.

So I mostly went solo. Sure doesn't help with the learning curve and my success rate probably reflects that .

I have been in with an excellent elk camp the past decade or so. I met them on a steelhead river. Well my dog met them on the river and she was invited to join their camp with the caveat, "You go grouse hunting on that side of the mountain and come back and tell us if you find the elk herd." I no longer bring my pup to elk camp.

So my thoughts/advice.......Go hunting. And be friendly and helpful whenever the opportunity arises. Friends are much easier to make mountainside sharing blood/sweat equity than keyboard side.

Good luck! Probably one of the more difficult tasks for those of us who did not grow up in an outdoor/hunting family!!

 

[austinphps]

Find a wife. Take her......

Id say no to this. Mine doesn't care to hunt; so it works fine anyway; but hunting for me is a chance to get away and do a vacation by myself or with buddies. More power to you if your wife likes to hunt; and you enjoy hunting with her. Like I said; for me, it's a chance to unwind on my own. I however, am in the same situation as you; been hunting most of my life; just never had friends that were interested so I always went with my dad and brother; both of which who live in the Midwest so other than for rifle elk season; I'm solo.

 

[MuleyFever]

I end up going alone. It sucks sometimes but I don't have to worry about other people wanting to go home. My wife does go when she can.

 

[oldgoat]

You should try it in the military, in the Navy any ways! You finally find some one and one of a couple things would happen, they would either transfer, get out or have kids and or get married! Not much easier now, but my wife loves it and lives for it just like I do, but she's not aging well because of hereditary arthritis, best luck I've had is asking to join a campfire from fellow hunters camps, join an archery or rifle club. Just don't wait for somebody else, go while life allows it even if it's solo trip!

 

[the0thermrt]

volunteer with a national forest service. you never know who you'll meet or what tips you'll pick up. My buddy was a volunteer ranger, now he knows most of the tenured guys and gets tips each season on where to head, and which roads are not locked, but the gate is closed.

 

[5MilesBack]

Just go solo. No one to worry about but yourself. No one to screw things up except yourself. And you're never waiting for someone else to show.......you just go.

 

[wyosteve]

Join/participate in a few clubs in your area that have the same interests as you and you'll likely meet folks with similar passion. I.E. archery clubs, long range shooting, trapshooting, etc.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Finding reliable hunting partners is quite difficult. I've struggled with this the last few years. The first year was an absolute nightmare. The guy that ended up coming with me had found out that I was going through a mutual friend. He was extremely out of shape and wouldn't listen to a thing I said. Ended up cutting the hunt short because he couldn't hack it. This past season wasn't so bad with the two new guys that came with me, but neither one of them really likes the back country experience. They would much rather stay in a comfy camp. I'll more that likely be going alone next year.

My wife has shown some interest in going, but I need to make sure she has an enjoyable experience.

 

[paleraider]

Join/participate in a few clubs in your area that have the same interests as you and you'll likely meet folks with similar passion. I.E. archery clubs, long range shooting, trapshooting, etc.

Along this line you could join or just go to events put on by BHA (Backcountry Hunters and Anglers). Everyone there is either an active participant of or interested in Backcountry hunting. I am not sure of your home state but there are chapters popping up all over the country.

 

[DFB]

I grew up hunting and in a outdoor family and have brothers, childhood friends, and college buddies who did as well, but all in the southeast, where it is dove, duck, quail, and deer. Hunting is casual for them...they don't think about it between January and August. They don't exercise, and if they never went West of the Mississippi or North of the Mason Dixon line, and never killed any big game animal besides a whitetail, they would be content. Some would say they want to go after elk, etc., but after several years of trying to get them to commit to a hunt, and getting excuses, the runaround, or objections about cost, I gave up.

I did have one buddy who agreed to go to Kansas with me. We put our deposits down and things were exciting for awhile, but once the hunt got closer we had to talk through every little detail more than once so he could save $25 here or $50 there. He was also dead set on driving and I wanted to fly. I got tired of the debate and finally told him I would pay for his airplane ticket and for his meat to get shipped home, which I did and did not mind doing. (More than once while we were drinking beer on the plane, he told me how right I was) He is a friend I can call anytime I need anything, and we hunt whitetails together back home, but I will probably not plan another trip with him. I think a big part of the problem is he works for himself and can just take off for 3 weeks if he feels like it, whereas I am a corporate employee and my time off is finite and precious to me. And he has as much money as me (if not more), he is just a cheap bastard.

As was mentioned above, my wife is who will go with me on my greatest hunts. She is also my first mate when I go offshore to fish for the day.

I could not have written something to better discribe myself. The only difference is I work for myself which lends itself to easy time off unless a big job gets dropped on me at the last minute. It rarely happens but it can.

 

[KJH]

I've hunted all my life, and many of the people I hunted with earlier in life no longer do it. Life happens and access to land isn't easy to come by if you're not from the western states with lots public land, so it got too expensive and they lost interest... not to mention their kids will never try hunting. Hunting was just too much money and commitment for them. Sad but true.

Hunting is why I go to work everyday... Its really the motivation I have to be successful. I want to hunt as much as I can and experience as many days afield as I can before I die.

I enjoy going alone for some hunts, but its hard and somewhat unsafe to do some hunts by yourself. I joined a local conservation organization chapter after moving to a town where I didn't know anyone and really didn't have anyone to hunt with anymore or anywhere to hunt. I can now say that all of my truly best friends and all hunting partners (except one) all came from joining that group and meeting people. Many of them were like-minded and now I have a extensive group of friends with different hunting interests. They introduced me to their friends, and I've been invited on dozens and dozens of hunts over the years. I've reciprocated over and over. I have a hunting focused group of friends and my life is better for it.

My success in hunting partners was truly taking a leap of faith and joining a group I knew nothing about and getting to know people. Beyond the surface, I gained more than I can ever repay the organization before even considering the conservation mission and benefits to habitat and wildlife management. I know some groups seem very tight knit and not open to outsiders, but more often than not, I bet its not actually the case.

 

[gelton]

Hey Guys,

Question regarding finding lifetime hunting partners...

I wasn't very active in hunting growing up and in the past 5 years I started going once a year doing something...
The problem I'm having is, None of my friends are into hunting... I have a few friends that I've hunted with, but living in Iowa makes it hard to find people that want to drive 10+ hours and spend 500 dollars on a tag alone.

How is everyone else dealing with this? I know If I lived in a western state it would be a lot easier to find someone to go with..
I'm worried about just finding someone online and going hunting with, just because I don't know how we would click and would hate to waste money to be in a non-enjoyable situation.

Thoughts/advise?

Its a crapshoot for sure. I have brought along a lifelong friend that couldnt hack it and will not be invited back. I go solo often and actually enjoy it most. About 4 years ago I met a guy at trailhead after a solo trip as I was leaving. He was just getting there from North Carolina and I was about to drive back to Texas. We talked for a bit exchanged numbers and have hunted two seasons together and he can definitely hack it and we will continue to hunt together in the future.

I met a guy on here from Texas one time that popped smoke after day 3 of a 14 day backcountry trip - good thing he had his own truck so he could be sent on his way.

So besides my dad the only hunting partner I know I can count on in the backcountry is the one I met at the trailhead from North Carolina. Its hit and miss for sure.

 

[Cant hit em]

Join/participate in a few clubs in your area that have the same interests as you and you'll likely meet folks with similar passion. I.E. archery clubs, long range shooting, trapshooting, etc.

Great suggestion


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[Jskaanland]

Once you get to know a few folks, I would recommend being upfront. It might sound weird but I've been "invited" a ton of times in conversation to hunt or fish. It's rare that something comes together from, "Hey you should hunt with me sometime." Last year, I went a buddy's house and over a beer told him I wanted to hunt with him. I offered a few ideas up and told him what he can expect out of me, time and effort. Especially if you're traveling, I'd get some of that stuff out of the way.

 

[ddavis_1313]

Find a place in Iowa for me to hunt and I’ll be your new best friend and hunt anywhere else you want to go!


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[Where's Bruce?]

I have formed solid friendships with guys I met on forums like this and now hunt with regularly. I have also connected with hunters in their state and had amazing experiences...some good, some brutal. It's all part of the fun. Embrace the horror.