The hunt that wasn't...

[Kingsnake]

Not really sure why I feel compelled to post.  Don't need sympathy or validation that I made the right choice . . .just need to vent. So . ..

I managed to get enough honey-do's done on a recent Saturday morning to justify an afternoon hunt.  Contacted a hunting buddy and said, "It's on!"  We met at a property he had access to . .. I brought along a new hang on stand and a handful of treesteps . . .not quite enough, as it turns out.

Anyhow, I showed some concern when my friend pointed out the tree he had in mind for me. To accomodate my fears, he screwed in the steps, hung the stand, and made the climb. It was a good spot and the stand was solid, but the steps were a REALLY long distance apart, illogically spaced (demanding a hop-from-left-foot-to-right-on-the-same-step maneuver to get into the stand), and generally "challenging" for me...an acrophobic 50 year-old.  (yea .. my "buddy" is a 'whippersnapper').

Anyhow, I made it about half way up, decided I was uncomfortable, and told my buddy I couldn't hunt the stand.  He took offense, stormed off without a word, and went to his stand.  I stared for a moment, did my 180, and headed to my truck to drive 1 1/2 hours back to my house (in DC traffic).

The climb up was uncomfortable.  I knew the climb down .. in the dark . . .possibly with the added adrenaline of a recently-released arrow, would have been even more challenging.  Either way, the step spacing on the steps and the attitude I received about my decision to not hunt the stand made me feel uncomfortable. Not the discomfort that we all learn to tolerate as hunters, but the discomfort of being judged by a 'kid' with both the agility and the win-at-all-cost attitude that didn't fit with MY hunting needs.

Again, not sure why I'm writing, but I just wanna' hunt MY way.  OK?  :confused:  

Kingsnake

[Sam McMichael]

You are right not to hunt the stand if you don't feel safe. I hope your young friend gets over being upset. I'm sure he thought he was giving you the royal treatment, but unfortunately, young guys have not yet learned their limitations, and they sure as hell have not learned the limitations of us older guys.

I would suggest finding a more compatible hunting partner.

[DennyK]

Time for a new hunting buddy.

[Kingsnake]

sensing a theme here  ...

Thanks, guys.  Just trying not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, as they say . ..  

[buckeye_hunter]

Hang in there. I wouldn't have hunted that stand either and I am only 38. I have a general dislike for heights, but am okay with my climber since I am strapped to the tree the whole climb. He will get over it and hopefully you can help him understand the issue for you.

Best of luck,
Charlie

[moleman]

Good on you, in the workplace or in the field, looking out for yourself is number one.
Hopefully your young buddy will understand, and you can patch things up, if not, maybe its time to find another hunting partner.
Being near 50 i can still do the things i did at 20, but it sure is a lot harder these days, so i totally understand.

[Kingsnake]

Thanks, all . . .and, moleman, I CAN still do the things I did at 20, but I like to think that I have learned not to.....


Kingsnake  

[WidowEater]

"win-at-all-cost attitude"

Yeah, I been there a few years back.  Im a whippersnapper BTW.

Learned that attitude sucks when the game shoots back at you.

There is no shame in keeping things safe for number one.

[subsonic]

How silly!

I wonder how he would have felt if he would have needed to carry you out with a broken leg?

You should never jeopardize someone's safety over such a trivial pursuit as deer hunting :-)

You have probably already figured out he is not a buddy at all.

[buckeye_hunter]

I suspect he felt that he went out of his way to give his friend a great spot to hunt. His feelings were likely hurt and people do stupid things when that happens. I do not believe you did anything wrong Doug, but I think he might not see it that way. Let him cool off and take the high road if given the chance.

[Cherokee Scout]

Good decision.

[reddogge]

He's a butthead.

I'm older, way older than you, and my younger friends go out of their way in the opposite direction. They make sure I can find the stand, get up safely before they move off to their stand. If not they will stay there and help me. In other words, they have respect for their elders because they were raised right.

Get a new partner.

[Turkhunter]

People tend to act crazy when their feelings are hurt. Dont give up on this young guy. You are the older and more expierenced person here. Be the mentor. Give him time to cool off then explain to him that you really appreciate him going out of his way to fix you up. Then tell him that you just didnt feel safe making that climb and that you are not as young and agile as he is. Surely if he has a rational bone in his body he can understand that no deer is worth a broken neck.

[Duncan]

Reminds me of setting a loc on for my uncle who had the same problem plus I liked my stands at least 15' high back then. He didn't say anything as I showed it to him in the pre-dawn light and ahded him a saftey harness and took off to my stand. When I returned about noon he admitted not climbing into it and found a spot to sit on the ground which was OK for that ridge top anyway. I was not offended but I learned that I might be alot more limber than others and should consider spacing the steps closer together. That happened naturally as I got older, not by choice though. But you should try to talk with him about it unless the friendship is now over.

[DayTripper]

Let me start out by saying that either one of you were wrong.

I don't know how well you know your hunting partner. But take a look at the situation from his point of view for a moment. He spend the time to hang the stand, screwed in the steps and ... I wished I have friends that will do that for me!!!

I hope you guys will make up. Good friends are hard to come by. Just saying.

[SKITCH]

I agree with turkhunter....take the high road as the "older" guy and maybe take the time to explain to him why it didn't work out for you.  He can learn from it and in that become a better hunting buddy for you or someone else in the future!

[Panzer]

Correct me if I,m wrong, but I got the impression that you were present while your friend hung the stand? If so why didn't you tell him that you were uncomfortable with the step spacing before he finished setting it up for you?

[Tom]

Better safe than sorry. I have long legs and a buddy of mine won't use my stands for the same reason you wouldn't use the stand your friend set. Maybe if the friend had set the steps closer you would have had a good hunt but again safety is #1. Hope things work out for you.

[GRINCH]

I agree you should tell him why it wouldn't work for you,he went to some trouble to set it up for you which seems to me you should at least thank him for his efforts but be honest with him.

[Killdeer]

You will HAVE to make up if your stand is still in his tree.    
 
This is a small thing to lose a friendship over. If his fit of pique is a rare thing, it can be overlooked. If it is a common theme, then you need to balance his good traits and see if it is worth tippytoeing around him.

I think I would have hunted the ground. I usually do that anyway.
Killdeer