Hunting Solo Vs. With Others

[arrow30]

im always alone, dont have any hunting buddies.
 used to go hangout with the guys at deer camp during gun season.
 but none of them were bowhunters, i would throw my 5 bucks in the big buck jar just in case i got the biggest, and i did win it once. came in second a few times.
 but some have died, and others have drifted away. as i did too ,i guess.
 i hunt mostly public, and the dangers of being alone and older is often on my mind.
 getting a deer out is not on my mind till its time to do it , most of the time.
exploring new areas is part of the fun, or places i havent been in awhile.
 its good to be alone because i never know where il be until im there.

           theres always a better spot over there  wayyy over there!

[Pointed_stick]

           theres always a better spot over there  wayyy over there!

I have been to this spot...it's nice there. Dragging the bigger game out is starting to be more of a thought for me having had some physical issues mounting over the past several years. Might have a look at the wheeled cart options. I also hunt public lands, have no options for a tractor/atv etc. to do the drag work for me.

[RIVERWOLF]

Solo adventure is a focused adventure. Solo 99.9999%;)  I have and do enjoy being joined by 1 other chasing bunnies now and then. I would enjoy a small camp with one or two other like minded bowhunting large tracts far between , and campfire talks of the events before rest and hitting it again.   but mostly I love my outdoor adventure alone to thoroughaly enjoy without thought of others ...if that can even be found anymore;^))

Life has enough distractions .

In the fields and streams  I want to realish all of the outdoors. Going it alone allows that kind of undistracted forcus and observation.......

[Tim Reese]

I run solo 99.9% of the time. I don’t have any trad buddies anymore. And the buddies I have that archery hunt only hunt behind there houses a handful of times a year. I used to have a fellow who I would hunt each year with in this big swamp and getting one out alone is not easy to do. I’d like to do some pig hunts out of state but no one will or can go. Now rifle Bear hunts I have some die hard buddies to go with but archery none anymore.

[gregg dudley]

There are major advantageous to both hunting with friends and hunting solo.  I split the two about 50-50.  I really enjoy the time I spend outdoors with my family and friends.  When I commit to that type of hunt, I often put my personal hunting success on the back-burner and focus on fellowship and the overall hunting experience.  I love coming back in to camp at night and hearing the stories and anecdotes that each person has to share.  I also love being in on a someone else's success, particularly if they are a young or new hunter.

On the other hand, part of why I hunt is for the purpose of immersing myself totally in the outdoor experience.  That feeling is most often realized from a solo perspective.  When you hunt by yourself, you don't have to worry about whether or not someone else is having a good time.  You can focus all of your senses on the outdoor world.  You can set the pace and the agenda without influence.  The success, when it comes, is sometimes more meaningful. 

I am a richer person for having quality friends to share hunting camps from.  My experience is also deepened by the time I have spent hunting alone.

[Captain*Kirk]

There are major advantageous to both hunting with friends and hunting solo.  I split the two about 50-50.  I really enjoy the time I spend outdoors with my family and friends.  When I commit to that type of hunt, I often put my personal hunting success on the back-burner and focus on fellowship and the overall hunting experience.  I love coming back in to camp at night and hearing the stories and anecdotes that each person has to share.  I also love being in on a someone else's success, particularly if they are a young or new hunter.

On the other hand, part of why I hunt is for the purpose of immersing myself totally in the outdoor experience.  That feeling is most often realized from a solo perspective.  When you hunt by yourself, you don't have to worry about whether or not someone else is having a good time.  You can focus all of your senses on the outdoor world.  You can set the pace and the agenda without influence.  The success, when it comes, is sometimes more meaningful. 

I am a richer person for having quality friends to share hunting camps from.  My experience is also deepened by the time I have spent hunting alone.

Time shared with the right people multiplies your experience, IMHO.

[GCook]

There are major advantageous to both hunting with friends and hunting solo.  I split the two about 50-50.  I really enjoy the time I spend outdoors with my family and friends.  When I commit to that type of hunt, I often put my personal hunting success on the back-burner and focus on fellowship and the overall hunting experience.  I love coming back in to camp at night and hearing the stories and anecdotes that each person has to share.  I also love being in on a someone else's success, particularly if they are a young or new hunter.

On the other hand, part of why I hunt is for the purpose of immersing myself totally in the outdoor experience.  That feeling is most often realized from a solo perspective.  When you hunt by yourself, you don't have to worry about whether or not someone else is having a good time.  You can focus all of your senses on the outdoor world.  You can set the pace and the agenda without influence.  The success, when it comes, is sometimes more meaningful. 

I am a richer person for having quality friends to share hunting camps from.  My experience is also deepened by the time I have spent hunting alone.

Time shared with the right people multiplies your experience, IMHO.

I agree.  But finding the right people can be a challenge.  But when you do . . .

[Wild Bill MCP 808]

I'm like many on here, solo 95% of the time. WE have some trad shooters in our club and sometimes we hook up and do a hunt. I just enjoy the woods and the hunt. I will do it as long as I can.

[Trenton G.]

I do the vast majority of my deer hunting on my own. I just enjoy the solitude and at the same time feel that my odds for success are much much higher without another person along. I'll hunt with my dad and my brother a bit during gun season, but even that we're either set up several ridges apart or doing small pushes to each other. A buddy and I would go still hunt through the swamps together a bit during muzzleloader season up at school but again we were just on our own and would meet back at the truck after dark.
Small game and bird hunting is a totally different story. I love sitting out in the swamp with a couple of buddies waiting for the ducks to start flying. All depends on what I'm doing I guess.

[Bowwild]

My first couple of years (1970-1971) I bowhunter out of a camp with some veteran bowhunters and serious target archers.

Then I hunted with a couple of friends and a brother. I was the serious bowhunter in that group.

Then I hunted solo for the next 15 years or so. After that, and now I hunt a lot with my son, who is also my neighbor.  Mostly local hunting on our farm.  I have a great friend I've bowhunter with a lot out-of-state (elk, mulies, antelope, and black bear) but our health and $ means are no longer similar. I screwed up and let almost a decade of those adventures (my 40's) escape me as I moved within 4 states to advance my career.

Now my son is more eager and able to do out-of-state hunts we've hunted mulies and bear, together.

Most of the time now I feel guilty when hunting solo because I have lots of mentoring "duties" with my grandchildren, a daughter, and son-in-law which are high priorities.

[kopfjaeger]

I prefer to bow hunt alone. I like the solitude.

[Walt Francis]

There are major advantageous to both hunting with friends and hunting solo.  I split the two about 50-50.  I really enjoy the time I spend outdoors with my family and friends.  When I commit to that type of hunt, I often put my personal hunting success on the back-burner and focus on fellowship and the overall hunting experience.  I love coming back in to camp at night and hearing the stories and anecdotes that each person has to share.  I also love being in on a someone else's success, particularly if they are a young or new hunter.

On the other hand, part of why I hunt is for the purpose of immersing myself totally in the outdoor experience.  That feeling is most often realized from a solo perspective.  When you hunt by yourself, you don't have to worry about whether or not someone else is having a good time.  You can focus all of your senses on the outdoor world.  You can set the pace and the agenda without influence.  The success, when it comes, is sometimes more meaningful. 

I am a richer person for having quality friends to share hunting camps from.  My experience is also deepened by the time I have spent hunting alone.

Well said Greg.

[Wilderlife]

I hunt by myself at least 60% of the time. The other (close to) 40% would be an even split between hunting with friends/family and hunting with my wife.

I enjoy all of them for different reasons. Being out bush by myself is what I feel like I prefer the most but I'm always torn between hunting hard and taking pictures (I love photography as well). I do like the idea of just pleasing myself.

When I'm with my wife we're very laid back and always have a great time and she's a much nicer photographic subject than I am. 

When I'm with my dad, he takes over all the photography because he's a master, so it's cool to be able to focus entirely on hunting in that sense, but he is getting older so he can't keep up with me as much as he used to. That's fine. Any time spent with my dad is the best.

With friends is always good and my involvement varies between just being the bloke with the camera, or being the bloke leading everyone around, depending on the skill levels of everyone else involved.

[dklug]

I'm like Orion, in fact he and I shared a camp on a Utah elk trip. We hunted solo, but it's nice to come back to camp and share experiences with a partner. Evening meal time is a good time to relate your days adventure, share opinions and advice, and just plain have a little fun. Having a partner in camp is also a good safety measure in case one gets injured. But as far as the hunting, bowhunting is pretty much a solo endeavor, you and the prey.

[PrimitivePete]

100% solo. After going on hunts with friends, let's just say some friends are better off staying home. I've been through the friends who show up only wanting to drink and play cards, friends who have no right to shoot an animal because their shooting was awful, the friend who says their broadheads are sharp because that is what it said on the package. I've learned the experience of being reliant only on myself for the overall success more than makes up for the comradery I can get at the ballpark.

[Pointed_stick]

Gotta say...am not that surprised by the numbers here who choose to hunt solo. I kind of feel like my welcoming of the opportunity to hunt with others may be from not really ever doing it based on some of the replies. I am glad you guys are willing to share your experience though. I will continue to enjoy things as I always have. If the occasion should still arise for me to try a hunt with co. I will still pursue it to say I have had the experience.

[GCook]

100% solo. After going on hunts with friends, let's just say some friends are better off staying home. I've been through the friends who show up only wanting to drink and play cards, friends who have no right to shoot an animal because their shooting was awful, the friend who says their broadheads are sharp because that is what it said on the package. I've learned the experience of being reliant only on myself for the overall success more than makes up for the comradery I can get at the ballpark.

Pete done met some of the guys I use to hunt on a lease with back in the 90s.😃

[Brokearcher]

Other than the older gentleman who taught me how to hunt and shoot a bow I’ve been solo my entire hunting career. I have friends who hunt but none of them are into hunting the way I do it. They all like the idea of hunting but to them hunting is going out opening morning of firearms season to hunt a stand their dad hung 20 years ago and shooting one from hundreds of yards away to not return to the woods until the next year. Nothing wrong with that if that’s their thing but that’s just not my style and to me they miss out on 99% of the joys of hunting. The few people I know that do bow hunt don’t shoot traditional and will shoot their bows one time a week before season to make sure they’re sighted in and that’s about it. I have yet to meet someone my age who is committed to traditional bow hunting. I like being able to do what I want to do when I want to do it. If something goes wrong or I mess something up then it’s my fault and my fault alone. First time I ever hunted with someone was last fall when a buddy met me in Colorado for a 5 day elk hunt. Second day and about 7 miles in he gets a hernia at about 9500 feet and it took us a solid two days to get out of there. I know it’s not his fault and he’s a tough dude so I know if he’s saying he’s hurt then he really is but I can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened had I gone to hunt out there alone like I had originally planned. Safety is really the only downside to solo hunting, I’m in my late twenties and am in better shape than I was 10 years ago but something as simple as a twisted ankle in the areas that I hunt can turn ugly in a hurry. If I could find a partner with the same drive that I have for it then I’d be happy to hunt with them but I’m not willing to give up my solitude unless I know it’ll be more of a benefit than a burden.

[Red Beastmaster]

I am very fortunate to be part of a group of like minded friends who all shoot trad bows. We have no problem getting several to go to shoots, as well as hog, squirrel, and deer camp. Hunting with the tribe is a blast!

Most of my local deer hunting is with my son in law and his bro in law. Both also shoot trad. There's quite an advantage to sitting planned spots on our evening hunts after work. Or maybe a deer drive through the woodlot. Saturday morning still hunting is about the only time I hunt solo.

I prefer hunting with others but they must be ethical, fun loving, traditional bowhunters.

[Pointed_stick]

I’m in my late twenties and am in better shape than I was 10 years ago but something as simple as a twisted ankle in the areas that I hunt can turn ugly in a hurry.

This may be true...I expect it will be different another 20 years from where you are now. My safety concerns with hunting solo are based on the idea that I have physical issues before I walk into the woods, and more if something happens,lol. Not gonna stop me from going mind you. Just weighs a bit more on my mind every year.