my wife asked me why at my age do i hunt alone??, so my question is why do others hun

woodchopper said:
I have been thinking more about hunting alone and as I get older I have come to accept that there is a possibility that I might go hunting and not come home.

I know I helped with my dad so that he could keep hunting into his mid 80's and I think he only missed one hunting season before he passed.

And I know of several places in the woods where there are little signs saying that this place was where a hunter was last seen or that this marks where a hunter passed away.

There are a lot of worse ways to go. I do send my wife updates as to where I am going hunting and at the end of the day I send a message that I'm on my way home.

I'll take my chances :)
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I made sure my Dad was able to hunt as much or as little as he wanted when he got older; he would stay with us on our property for a week or two during turkey and deer seasons. He would sometimes get up early and sit with me for the day or the morning. Other days he would get up later and have a nice breakfast, then radio me if he wanted to come out and I would come in to get him. I also had a beautiful little blind built in a tiny clearing in the woods close to the house, probably only 100 yards or so from the back door but completely invisible through the fairly dense trees. It was accessed by going down a gentle slope through the trees, across a little creek over which I had built a tiny bridge complete with handrails, and then up the other side of the ravine; one could step right into the back of the blind without ever being visible to anything that might be in the clearing.

We liked to sit together, always in other spots that were further from the house and to which I sometimes transported him via ATV if he didn't feel up to a long walk; he got his last deer (at well past 80), on his last-ever day hunting, while sitting with me in such a spot and I am forever thankful that we were together for that occasion. But he also enjoyed hunting alone from "his" little blind near the house; I think it was good for him to feel that he could still take care of things himself. I never hunted there myself, as I wanted to keep that spot as fresh as possible for him.

I'm still a ways off...I hope!...from my last hunt, but I am at the point where I can be sitting in a blind, or creeping along a trail or whatever, and am struck by the notion that this wouldn't be a bad way to go when the time comes. Last year's deer was an ordeal to get back to the house; ATV problems made it a drag...literally...out of a rough, brushy patch close to the far end of my land so I was pretty winded when it was done. I have read that the majority of older hunters who die while hunting succumb to heart failure while dragging or carrying a deer. I wonder how many of them, while huffing and puffing as I was, find themselves thinking "There are much, much worse ways to die than this..."
 
I often hunt alone, my Wife and I have been going to the same spot every fall for about ten years usually staying for two to three weeks, mostly moose hunting with a chance for elk and deer. We used to go with another couple but the other Wife made it known She didn't enjoy it anymore. So my Wife loves the camping and we make it our goal to stay out for three weeks without coming back to a town for supplies. I leave my Wife in camp and go out for a few hours by myself often with a dog, either in a boat, canoe or quad. I used to walk a lot but carrying a moose any distance is tough by yourself. We are aiming for four weeks this fall. When I was younger I used to use a canoe to get away by myself hunting moose, again often with a dog. We have often met people that are hunting and camping in the same areas and have made arrangements to help one another if required. Even when I hunted with a partner it was our habit to split up.
 
Last fall was the first in a number of years I hunted with more than 2 other people on a hunt and suffice it to say it will likely be the last time I do that again unless some hard and fast ground rules are established. It had its fun moments but it also had its pull your hair out moments and more of them than fun moments. I am at the point I really enjoy hunting solo or with my wife for the most part or with a friend. I enjoy my time alone in the blind or calling and flagging and watching my wife crumple birds with her 20ga. Last fall we did not get to hunt alone as often as we would have liked and due to her work schedule she had to forgo some good hunts. I made it a point when she joined the group of us to hunt that singles, pairs and small flocks up to 4 birds were to be left to her to shoot. One guy decided to jump up one day and open fire at a small flock of three after she smashed a bird with her first shot shooting the remaining two out from under her. I handled it as "tactfully" as I could and it didn't happen again. My wife doesn't enjoy shooting in a large group as she says she cannot tell who is hitting what and as happens in that style of hunting often birds fold just as you are about to shoot at them. Left to her own on the small flocks she hammers them down no problem at all. It was definitely an eye opener for a few of my buddies when they saw her making doubles and triples out to 45 yards with her "little 20ga" as one fellow called it. Lol
 
I have grown very fond of hunting alone as with my time off schedule it was difficult to arrange to meet up with people and hell I enjoy my dogs company more than some people.Think that being able to do and work birds the way you want saves some stress with others.Even now being retired has only increased my "alone" time although hunting in general has increased as well and does include others now.Last couple times deer hunting have been great although no deer for me enjoyed the long hikes in the back country .Wing shooting is were I really enjoy my time working the dogs and setting my view on how dekes should be spread..02 worth
 
2 of the 4 I hunt with have passed away this year, both under 60.
I'm not bothering to fly out to Manitoba this year and the remaining group member and I have dissolved the group and cashed out what we had in the kitty.

This year I'll be doing a shotgun hunt with my daughter on her farm in South Western Ontario and I'll be doing a Deer rifle hunt with my son in here on the East Coast.

I've also been invited to join a Moose group this year here in the East.

I can understand why some would solo hunt, but hunting with your kids has a very special place.
 
I have always liked hunting alone. Hunting camp with 2-3 guys is fun in the evenings and handy if you need help to recover an animal but we hunt alone.

We have maybe another 5 years we can keep going on week long big game hunts together, God willing. After that it will be day hunts and birds for some few more years.

I've been hunting with the same group of men for over 45 years, it's been some of the best times of my life. Our adult sons also come with us some, which is pretty cool.
 
Well said. I would add to your list of people who are not welcome in my camp: a) bellyachers; b) those who don't pull their weight; and c) beginners who have be told something 3 times.
 
I am lucky enough that my wife is super excited about deer hunting so we use it as date night lol I prefer if I'm stalk hunting to be on my own but up in a stand or blind we have done well together
 
37 here and first year hunting and so far it looks like I'll be doing it alone. Trial by fire. None of my buddies hunt. A few shoot but don't have their hunting license or aren't interested in hunting at all. Knocked on several doors in the last few weeks with no luck for permission. "I'm too new of a hunter". I have my small game, migratory stamp, OFAH Membership. So I'm going to be on public land and see how it goes. Time away from the everyday work grind and food on the table is the plan.
 
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Walking alone a couple km into the bush, with a headlamp, in the snow, to get to your spot 30min. before first light is a sacred event.

Hunting with a buddy is fun, but a totally different experience.
 
kamlooky said:
In my younger years I dint like hunting and fishing alone.
Now I come to realize that when by meself there is no, "can we go home now"?
Met a local that likes to hunt and fish too.
Took him to a nearby lake and fishing wasn't oaribly exciting.
After a couple hours he wished to go.
Fruck............me penses.
I have no problem sitting in a boat all day listening to the lewns, oar the eagle sweeping
by when the lewns make lewn noises.
Nor wartch'n the deer come down to the waters edge to have a drink.
Hunting is great as I don't have a time table to go by when by myself.
Wifie asks what would happen if I injure myself?
Dunno, I'll deal with it if the time comes.

Yeeeeeee-up, me, meself & eye.
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I don't like fish, and I don't know much about fishing, but the idea of sitting out on a boat in the wilderness hanging out with a bud and soaking in the beauty, maybe enjoying a frosty ale or two in the course of the day, man it sounds like a little slice of heaven! I don't get someone who would want to leave that after only a couple hours.

Same goes for hunting. I never had a family member to mentor me, as nobody in my family hunts, but being into guns I got the CORE training, got my license, etc. I've been out a few times hunting now, maybe five or six times in my life so far, and even though I've never bagged a deer and I've bagged maybe a dozen grouse or so, I always, always have an awesome time hunting. I've often said, a day spent in the woods is never wasted.

I'm thinking I'll go out this year for deer, and if none of my friends who hunt want to go, I'll just go alone.
 
I agree totally with you Spank ,used to be about the numbers now its just drinking in this beauty land, hunted quite a bit alone when I was younger (fighter for a dog) now don't have to but prefer to...
 
I mostly hunt upland birds, which nobody does here, and I like walking for miles. Also something nobody does. Foot access public land is my jam, never see another soul. Woods feel different when you are by yourself, like they are watching you. I don't get that feeling when I have someone with me, and I kind of like it.
 
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