The Solo Traditionalist Hunter

[JLeMieux]

Never really thought this was for me but reading this thread has me wondering if I could do it. Which in turn makes me want to prove it to myself that I can.

[Michael Pfander]

I do my best hunting solo.  The best elk, coues, and muley I have taken were solo hunts.  For me, my soul is larger, my understanding deeper, my awe at God's wonders greater, and the peace of the mountains seeps deep into my heart.
MAP

[twitchstick]

I love to hunt solo but it has become tough to do lately. Getting enough time of work to do it and I keep getting people into archery and inviting them along. It makes base camp fun and packing chores a lot easier but my heart is by myself. This last weekend I scouted out some world class mule deer in a wilderness area. I know the best way I can really hunt these bucks will be solo but I have a whole camp of family and friends showing up in a few weeks. It's a love hate thing having a big base camp. I have been feeling the calling of a solo hunt bad! I just might have to sneak out for a few days by myself and hope everyone understands.

[centaur]

I hunt solo most of the time. Last season, I spent 24 days elk hunting alone, and though no elk were harmed, I had a great time. Something about the solitude that is good for the soul, and makes for appreciation of home when you get back.
In the past, I have been packed in and drop camped in wilderness areas for several days. You must be self sufficient in situations where everything depends on you; another good reason to do it. When you are miles from anything and grizzly tracks are fresh on the trail you are hiking, your senses are definitely enhanced.
Enjoy your solo hunts, and stay safe.

[longbowman]

I lived in Montana for 4 years and did many solo hunts.  The one I remember the most was when I found a good looking area on my topo and decided to hike into it alone.  I was 3 miles back in and making my way along a ridge top with the morning thermals coming up into my face when I spotted a bull bedded below me.  I made a good stalk, a good shot and when I found it was when I realized how alone I really was!  The elk and I made it out but it taught me a lot of things about solo hunting and about myself.

[Kevin Dill]

Great thoughts. One of the things I have always liked about wilderness hunting is that it entails far more than 'just' hunting skills. Self-reliance, bush-craft, woodsmanship, problem solving...the list is long. From mundane camp maintenance to weather judgment to personal safety; it's part of the daily experience. It's one thing to locate and kill an animal, but quite another to butcher it, pack it, care for the meat, cape it out completely, flesh and salt...etc. Then there's the mental challenge of simply doing it 100% without a partner or backup. No one to discuss a decision with. Nobody to reflect on the day with. It pares down to one man and what he does while hunting alone for several days...sometimes in hazardous country. I think the most daunting part of it for many is the perceived risk (danger?) and the degree of effort required to pull it off.

And if you kill, walking up to a large animal... especially one of these boys... is a lesson in reality!

 

[mark land]

Do alot of solo hunts and planning out a 2 week + hunt for elk and mule deer in CO this year.  Enjoy my time alone and love doing everything myself, but having someone nearby is helpful especially when the work starts, but I worry about that after the animal is down.

[wooddamon1]

Great thread. Some of you guys are living the dream.

 I've always been happy to chase the whitetails around home here in Michigan, but the three years I lived and worked in Colorado showed me that I have the capacity to be self sufficient. Spending almost every three-day weekend in the mountains hiking and camping off the beaten path even when not hunting elk was life changing. I know I appreciate things more now.

 When my daughters are a little older a yearly wilderness trip will definitely be planned.

[Duckbutt]

This is where I camped the very first evening of my very first solo hunt out west.  High country mulies and I learned a lot on that trip.  Beyond the lessons, though, a fire was started down deep in my soul that probably won't go out until I'm pushing daisies.

 

[ESP]

Kevin,  what stops me is my job.  I have June, July and first half of August off.  There is not much you can hunt during those times.  I have been told that Sitka deer on Kodiak is open in early August.  I have been trying to confirm.  That would be my only chance to hunt solo.

[Mike Vines]

Thank you for starting this thread Kevin.  Beautiful pictures, and words of motivation by many of the posters here.

I used to be perfectly happy hunting with all the masses here in Michigan, then I joined the Professional Bowhunters Society (PBS).  I've learned that the guys who we all read about, online and in magazines, are normal guys like ourselves.

In the PBS Publication, I read about hunting on Kauai, Hawaii then booked a trip to do it myself.  I read about hunting mule deer, and spent a good part of a year setting up an awesome trip out west in Wyoming.  I kept reading about bear hunting in Manitoba, and booked the hunt.  Currently, I'm planning a 2 week DIY moose hunt for this September with another PBS member.  I have plans of making this one a yearly hunt.  My thoughts are that I should do these while I'm physically and somewhat financially able to do it.  I don't want to be sitting in the nursing home (hopefully it's a really nice one that my boys put me in) saying I wish I had done that when I was younger.  

My only regret was not having my priorities right till I was 40.  I missed a ton of great opportunities by not involving myself in a national Bowhunting organization that does nothing but promote Bowhunting.  If anybody has questions about the PBS, or would like to sign up, please contact me.

I'm rich by no stretch of the meaning, but I also have no vices.  I gave up drinking and smoking years ago and haven't been to the movie theater in years.  

I know your thread is about the "solo" guy, but I just want everyone to know that everything is doable, you just need to figure out your priorities.

I'm a firm believer there are only 3 types of people in this world: 1- those that make things happen; 2-those that watch things happen; 3-those that wonder what the heck just happened.  A guy just needs to figure out which one he is.

The hunt that started it all...

     

[Herdbull]

I am hunting solo for moose in Alaska again this year. So I will be up there with you so-to-speak.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I find it fascinating to read the thoughts of those who have been lucky enough to hunt the far-flung places, and do it alone. Hunting in the true wilderness...however you get there the first time...tends to infect a guy. For some, it's enough just to be there once. For others like myself, the call never seems to end. I can't imagine a year of my life without some time in the remote places.

 

But the face of a very hard trip can look like this:

 

[Biathlonman]

That's my favorite way to hunt but I've had little opportunity to do it.  It's very difficult to find places wild enough anymore to get far enough away from other folks.

[DarkTimber]

Great post Kevin! I love your pictures. It's  beautiful country and also lonely looking country!

I've hunted wilderness areas out west solo multiple times but nothing that can compare to an Alaskan adventure alone.  I've always had the luxury of being able to make a 6 or 8 mile hike if things went wrong and I needed to come out.

I like hunting with a partner but there's something special about doing it all on your own.   When I did my first trip I expected to have a bunch of free time to think about things.  What I found was the opposite.  While I was hunting my thoughts were focused solely on the task at hand. The rest of the time my thoughts seemed to revolve around food, sleep, and shelter (survival).  Its one of the things I like most about hunting solo, you seem to forget about the things in life you thought were problems and your problems become much more simple and basic.

While it's true, if things go wrong while hunting solo the pain is all yours to bear, if you plan carefully and do everything right the enjoyment is all yours as well.

 

Best of luck Kevin. Can't wait to read about your hunt!

[Whitetail Addict]

As much as I'd like to, I've never been fortunate enough to be able to hunt the big country of Canada, or Alaska.

I'm not sure that this qualifies, but between the ages of 18 and 26, I spent a week each year, sometimes a little more, or less if I filled my tag sooner, camping and deer hunting in the Adirondacks here in NY.

I never set up camp more than a mile from the road, sometimes less, but I was in an area with a little over 50 square miles between roads, and the only signs of civilization I saw was an occasional airplane.

From as early as I can remember I've always loved being in the outdoors, but those solo trips brought the realization that it was where I was meant to be. It's who I am. Rain, shine, snow or wind, I've never felt more at home than I do when I'm in the woods.

That was quite a while ago, and I've made a lot of good memories since, but some of my favorite memories are of those times I spent alone in the woods.

Back then, I thought killing deer was what made my trips a success, but looking back on it now, I realize that just being there, and experiencing it all was the important thing.

Good luck on your hunt Kevin. I hope you have the time of your life.

Bob