Finding Hunting Buddies

[ODB]

I’d rather do differential calculus than try to find a like-minded hunting buddy.

I think the autonomous nature of hunters leads to this challenge. However, if you do run into one or two guys, you will likely be good friends beyond hunting as well. Not always the other way around sometimes. Yes, I’ve ditched people because of the way they act afield.

 

[HUNT>WRK]

I’d rather hunt solo unless I’m out packing with my goats. I like hunting with three of us when I bring the kids so we can rotate watching the kids in camp. Pack goats are awesome.

 

[Rich M]

I still hunt with my father and 3 buddies.

Longest buddy i worked with back in 1994/1995-ish. Remember him coming to watch me stalk a flock of ducks after work one day. We started duck hunting together after that.

Other two I met when started a duck hunting organization in 1998/1999. One of these two is retired, lives local and we hunt deer & ducks, he also fishes w my dad on a roughly weekly basis.

You'll not find anyone if you don't talk to folks and hunt together a time or two. Some folks just want someone to take them, so you'll have to wade thru the chaff.

 

[HUNT>WRK]

I’ve taken too many “buddies” hunting to only find them out in the areas I took them to the next year glassing off of the same points I do with their “buddies”. That’s why I prefer to go solo.

 

[jlh42581]

I have two that I would hunt anywhere with but both are so extremely busy we rarely get together.

I have A LOT of friends that hunt that I have no desire to hunt with. Really it boils down to a lot of them expected me to play free hunting guide. Going on out of state trips and expecting me to force feed all the info to them on buying tags, where we stay, what land we hunt, where we go. Nah, I'm not into that, even if it is public land. Im talking guys I EXPECT to know better. Flip side is the guys you take somewhere and they hunt the piss out of it after you took them. Guys standing at the truck before dark being worried enough to start stopping people to form a search party... like bud, ive done this shit for almost 30 years solo, I got this under control on my side.

Not that long ago I told my wife I think most of my out of state trips going forward will be solo. Im not even going to mention it outside of the two id want to go. Im just gonna go, do it and keep my mouth shut. The only person unconditionally welcome is my son.

 

[IDShane]

Finding hunting buddies since I moved from Wisconsin to Idaho has been tough. I have been talking to a few guys that I met through Rokslide and still have been talking to him no hunting yet. I actually talked to a guy that I sold some Sitka gear to we went shooting a few times. I posted on Rokslide rally point to mostly no avail. As I have said before on posts like this it really seems as though there are a ton of people looking to meet hunting buddies but not alot that will actually try to get together. Good luck to you!

 

[.204smokechaser]

I hunt 90% of the time solo. Schedules just don’t line up with friends as spring and fall is our busiest months in the forestry field of work.

One of the ways I’ve found more people to hang out with is finding co workers and their other halves to drink beer with once or twice a week after work. That has led to finding more and more people with common interests (all of us being land management folks) that love to ski, snowmobile, fish, hike, etc….

I have found other folks I’ve thought about asking to join up to hunt and fish the area I’m in, but really have trust issues if I don’t know them too well. I’d rather mentor first time hunters than take other seasoned hunters out that I’ve never met.

 

[Wildone]

Close to home I've been a member of a deer camp since 1976. None of us actually hunt together but if you need a hand getting game out they are there for you. I have traveld all over NA since 1992 and share my stories with the guys every year. They all say let me know when your going I want to do that. None of them have ever put their money on the table.

I planned a caribou hunt in AK for my first DIY trip to AK 25 years ago. Posted up on one of the sites if anyone wanted to tag along and hunt because I was going solo. A guy from Detroit sent his money to the bush pilot and then no showed at the airport while I was in the super cub. Pilot leans back and said your buddy is a no show what do you want to do? I told him I came 5000 miles to hunt Caribou and have 2 left to go put my AZZ on the ground. 12 more solo trips to the AK bush, 5 provinces in Canada and 7 states out west, so far and only 2 other times I have had company. Not that I wouldn't like some company once in a while but it's just hard to find those willing to put in the sweat equity and time to plan trips like this. Bush planes, boats, logistics of moving equipment and supplies, meat care and processing, make most not all want to smack the easy button and hire an outfitter. I don't have that kind of money but manage to hunt every year.

I look at it this way, I am going on an expedition and If I have done my homework well enough and find what I'm looking for I've done good. It's not all about the kill for me. Since I was a kid I have had this bug inside me to go places not many others have not, and to find a true wilderness experience. You realize once the bushplane leaves how small you are in this world. It's hard to explain sometimes to others what is like when to see moose grunting, a brown bear silently slipping out of nowhere unexpectedly, wolves howling, a slap of a beavertail on the water, trout feeding on May flies, 150 lb tuna jumping boat side, hundreds if not thousands of caribou migrating, elk bugleing, a mountain goat at 20 yards. Finding someone that shares those passions and is willing to put in the effort is something hard to find where I'm from. I wish you luck and don't miss an opportunity because you couldn't find anyone to go. Be smart, be safe, plan ahead and think ahead.

 

[dtrkyman]

I am primarily solo anymore, kinda sucks and is boring but it is hard to rely on others.

I had a few guys roll up on me duck hunting this fall, they were late. Instead of being pissed I invited them to hunt, we killed some ducks and shot the shit all morning, talk to one of them on the regular.

Big game wise I only archery hunt, so I like being solo then, but sharing camp with others would be nice.

 

[Roguer53]

Good dependable people are hard to find. It doesn't matter if you are just looking to expand your friendship base or are looking for hunting buddies, good dependable people are hard to find. Aside from family, who are all gone now, I have only had two people who have been there for a hunting trip on short notice or, I was able to make plans with and have them follow through, almost without fail. They have now retired and moved and we are finding it harder to get together. Rather than a dozen times a season we are down to maybe three. I am now bringing my 13 year old grandson along on hunting and fishing trips as much as possible. He has been on lots of fresh water fishing trips with me but, I just recently in the last year, have taken him out for yellow tail and tuna. He enjoys the fishing but he is really more into hunting. I hope to take him with me for Elk this Nov. but I'm having a hard time talking my daughter into letting me take him out of school for better than a week. That's a WIP. The guy I am going Elk hunting with is a good guy but as I mentioned in previous post, trips for him are more of a social event than a hunting experience. Yes good dependable people are had to find.

I can understand how difficult this is. My hunting buddy and I the only ones left it seems. Even though we are in Idaho, and there's a fair amount of hunting folks about, its not a given you can find a group to invite you in.

 

[IDShane]

I have still been trying to figure out the local hunting friends deal. I just really do not get out that much but i will continue to look it definitely makes the hunting experience better in my opinion.

 

[dylanvb]

I just moved out to northern Colorado and already have a buddy who lives out here who hunts but he is a bit older then me (I’m 28) and because of his work schedule he isn’t sure if he will get out much. I haven’t been able to get to the local bow shop to hang out or talk to the locals much but other then meeting people at the gym and seeing what they like to do it’s hard to meet “new” people. Including as men we tend to stick to ourselves but I’m trying to get out and start shooting at the local Wednesday night league to meet people.