hunting alone

[45ACPKING]

I've hunted with my son's for many years and once in a while a buddy will tag along. I prefer to have someone with me, ya just never know when this old ton of bricks may come tumbling down!

I'm so jealous of guys who get to hunt with their sons. After getting married at 19 in a shotgun wedding, and divorced by 21.. My evil ex did everything under the sun and moon to make my kids despise me LOL
I did get the pleasure of 2 hunting trips, one successful, with my oldest son, a couple weeks before he crashed his jeep and suffered life changing injuries. But again, the evil ex started playing her games and it's been a while since I've seen them.
Enjoy every second of your kid's company, especially the hunting

 

[John Y Cannuck]

Be aware that hunting is a learning experience, and no matter how long you hunt, there is still more to learn. Hunting with a mentor, as long as he's not an ass, can speed that up a bit, but the ins and outs you experience, and how you decide to deal with them, will always be your choice alone.
I have hunted with a lot of guys, some, are here on this forum. Those guys were great!, but others I have hunted with were not so great. They can ruin your hunt, and your entire experience.
I have hunted alone for almost a decade now, and I prefer it that way. At first, it was spooky is the term I guess. Not knowing what to expect.
I've hunted since the late 1960's so I've seen, and done a lot. Ever walk over what appeared to be a flat area covered with coloured leaves, and suddenly find yourself up to your waist in quicksand? An overhanging branch saved my butt that time. I was with friends, but I was out of holler range, and it was before cell phones came along.
You need to keep your wits about you.

 

[kamlooky]

Yup JYC and more ammo than you think you need.
The three shot S.O.S. a couple times can eat ammo up pretty quick.
Not sure if this is tawt in CORE, but back in the day me pah told me this.
Hence the ammo belt full and a few extras in me pawkitts.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

We had a signal for moose down. I shot a calf. Funny how much ammo you can use up shooting signals the other guys can't hear because they are already back at camp waiting for supper. I don't hunt moose alone. Not that it can't be done, I'm sure I could. But i have a set of friends that I meet once a year to moose hunt.
That calf was shot in the last few minutes of legal light. I had to scare the cow off once, not sure how long she had been watching me gutting before I noticed her!
I had been "dogging" but finished the run before dark, and threw my pack in the door of the camp before going to sit for a bit. I had two mags of ammo, my GPS, compass, radio, camera and my pocket knife. NO LIGHT!
When I finished gutting, and chasing the cow, the stars were out. I found the trail by star light, and made my way towards camp. I was half way back when the troops figured out I was missing, and I met the 'rescue' party.
Yes, I have shot deer at end of legal when I'm alone, but that's different, you can drag that by yourself. We needed to cut a road through a big blow down to get that calf. In the dark, friends are a big help!

 

[John Y Cannuck]

bTW they had all shut their radios off, not that it would matter, damned FRS signal likely wouldn't reach camp at that distance.

 

[rkr]

Hmmm... very interesting thread!

I've noticed that on the "beginning to hunt threads" the good advice seems to be "get a mentor." However, most responders here are of the opinion that they do not wish to hunt with anyone, even though early on they too picked up much of their skills and knowledge by hunting alongside one or more persons. The members at game & fishing clubs have long formed their traditions and groups, and hardly ever accept new and young people into their circles if not family or friends of family. So how exactly is someone supposed to get a mentor? That is sad, considering that the number of posters that learned to hunt on their own is significantly smaller than those that used to group hunt (just based on the responses to this thread). It is sad, because people wishing to get into hunting that were never brought up in such an environment (or family for that matter) are either left to create dangerous situations, fail miserably at hunting, stop trying all together or all of the above. Probably not a problem to some, because it keeps less hunting pressure off the lands right?

It is kind of strange, in a way, because at the range people are extremely helpful and friendly, and finding a mentor for shooting sports is the opposite. At least, that has been my experience in Ontario.

your situation applies for many of us. If you find a good hunter chances are he's not gonna help you... They usually don't say anything about places, techniques etc. There are some good guys though but you have to find them as good people are a dying breed nowadays, and that applies not only for hunters.

 

[Brutus]

Read an interesting book once about a Canadian doctor of pharmicology(?) that was exploring the crazy jungle between Columbia and Brazil. Called the Darian Gap IIRC.

The local Indians warded off puma attacks by wearing a funny little cap that had mimicked a pair of eyes "looking" in the 180 degree direction. Worn right on the back of one's head.

They claim it worked pretty much 100% of the time, to fool the jungle cat into believing it was being watched by the potential human victim. Who was really just walking in the opposite direction in the Amazon jungle, and most likely, totally unaware of the stalking critter.

What a simple, yet ingenious safety practice.

 

[Arclight]

Read an interesting book once about a Canadian doctor of pharmicology(?) that was exploring the crazy jungle between Columbia and Brazil. Called the Darian Gap IIRC.

The local Indians warded off puma attacks by wearing a funny little cap that had mimicked a pair of eyes "looking" in the 180 degree direction. Worn right on the back of one's head.

They claim it worked pretty much 100% of the time, to fool the jungle cat into believing it was being watched by the potential human victim. Who was really just walking in the opposite direction in the Amazon jungle, and most likely, totally unaware of the stalking critter.

What a simple, yet ingenious safety practice.

Interesting. I have seen shows on National Geographic, that show folks working in the jungles of India doing the same thing to keep tigers away.

 

[9.3mauser]

your situation applies for many of us. If you find a good hunter chances are he's not gonna help you... They usually don't say anything about places, techniques etc. There are some good guys though but you have to find them as good people are a dying breed nowadays, and that applies not only for hunters.

I had some of my nephews up a couple of years ago for a week of moose and a week of deer. Both weeks they packed up early and went home. Whether it's the impatience of youth, the influence of modern technology, or too much WildTV, without the instant gratification and success in the first 20 minutes, they didn't have it in them to stick it out. For the deer hunt, we were buck only, and had only seen does in the first part of the week. I knew it would only be a matter of time before a buck made an appearance. But generally I had the impression that my advice and counselling was going in one ear and out the other.

By the end of the week I was back by myself doing my own thing, and had the satisfaction of emailing them the pic of the buck I shot on the last morning of the season.

 

[a j cave]

Just a couple of pointers from my solo trips, well fitting high top laced boots and a roll of tensor bandage. Go slow and watch your landmarks, both large and small. Enjoy where you are - killing something is only secondary to the hunt. Have fun, bring lots of food and be safe.

 

[MD]

I guess I was lucky. As soon as I was able to I was running around in the woods and along the beach and up the rivers near Port Hardy, BC on the Island and by 8 or 9 my friends and I were in the bush with hatchets building "log cabins." There were bears and cougars around all the time. My dad shot one there in 1955 and another right in town in 1977.

Nobody told us we were supposed to be scared.

We used to go to the dump regularly to scavenge whatever we could find, sharing the spot with the bears.
Same with the river n spawning season.
By the time I was 14 I was hunting with my dad and we'd take a skiff across a lake and it was "You go that way, and I'll go this way and unless you hear a shot, be back here at noon, " (or 2:00 or whatever time we decided.) And off I'd go with a compass, but mostly following local landmarks and keeping an eye on the local hills for directions.

It was all a training process and when I felt like doing it by myself, I didn't think anything of it.

Now I'm 62 though, and though I'm fit as a fiddle, the old lady says I should go with others "just in case" of an injury while I'm off. then at least there is someone back in camp to look for me if I fall or something.