Great hunting partner

My favorite hunting partners are the ones that answer the text message I send at 4:00 a.m.

I've enjoyed hunting with pretty much everyone I've gone with. Can't honestly say that there's anything about someone, as long as I don't think they're an idiot anyway, That makes them out good or bad choice to be a hunting partner.

Anyone you wont have to babysit or worry about is fine with me. Last fall my boss and I went on a float trip in a tin rowboat down Tyone river. He forgot his sleeping bag at the cabin 10 miles upstream. There was no going back for it at night, and it got well below freezing that night. He never complained, just rolled up in a tarp with all his clothes on. I never offered to share my mummy bag with him, and luckily he never asked lol.

My best partner had 4 paws, even if he couldn't sit still in a blind.

As AK Ironworker put it, attitude is almost everything. I think another piece of it is physical fitness. A lot of people are just too out of shape. Hunting, even from a 4-wheeler is a strenuous activity that is sustained for several days. I think this is why the road system is so heavily hunted.

Personal habits are important, too. I can't/won't be around, especially in close proximity, people who smoke, drink, use drugs, etc.

You could probably throw work ethic in there, too.

Alaskan Ironworker said:

Anyone you wont have to babysit or worry about is fine with me. Last fall my boss and I went on a float trip in a tin rowboat down Tyone river. He forgot his sleeping bag at the cabin 10 miles upstream. There was no going back for it at night, and it got well below freezing that night. He never complained, just rolled up in a tarp with all his clothes on. I never offered to share my mummy bag with him, and luckily he never asked lol.

Click to expand...

Is that Tyone the flows out of Lake Louise into the MacLaren? I thought that was an out and back (i.e. must have outboard) because of the Devil's canyon rapids downstream of the confluence.

Yeah you have to motor back up, though I have heard tales of a guy in a mini jet boat making through devil’s canyon to the other side. Its a tricky creek to motor on, as there is tons of weeds and also big rocks hidden all over the place, hence too weedy for a jet and too rocky for a prop. Neither option is ideal, air-boat would probably be ideal. We had a 9.9 prop and went pretty slow, but still trashed the prop pretty good.

My hunting partners are My Brother and Brother In-law.
We all have similar styles and similar points of view/beliefs.
And they are just people I trust to be in the woods with while carrying a firearm.

Agree with the above and will add - can sit still (but kids get a pass) and take direction (kids get a little bit of a break). I took a friend deer hunting for his first time a few years ago. He was nearly 60 and hadn't bought his first gun until a couple years before. I helped him get his deer rifle sighted in and invited him to my camp for opening weekend of gun season. We sat in a blind together and I had him facing a trail that my cameras indicated a couple big bucks were using while I faced the other way. About 9 am I had a doe at 10 yards and I passed on the shot because I didn't want to blow his opening day. 45 minutes later we were out of the blind because he couldn't sit still! So he lasted about three hours. How do you get to be 60 and not learn any patience?

We ended up going to a treestand in the afternoon. I knew from prior years that the deer would come from over his right shoulder and told him to be prepared. At 4pm I spotted a deer right where I told him to look. I tried to coach him into position for a shot, but we spooked the deer. I told him, really pay attention to that area because we had 45 minutes of good hunting left. He looked that way for about 5 minutes and then he's looking forward again. 10 minutes later, I spot another deer right where I told him to look. I managed to coach him into position without spooking the deer and he got that one. I was very happy for him, but that was the first opening weekend that I left camp with no venison for the freezer.

My best hunting partners was my father, brother ,cousin and son-in-law. ! I have tried many friends but they just don't have the perseverance to stay out all day or think hunting is a vacation.
My father stopped hunting with us 10 years ago and I have been trying to get him back in the woods ever since. My brother stopped 2 years ago due to a shoulder injury with surgery.
My cousin and I still hunt but he has cut back on going out substantially. So now it is my son-in-law and I but with his work schedule it is limited to weekends. Still I enjoy it.

Probably around 2014 I was on a local forum and noticed a picture of a guy who worked at the local Rural King. I went in there for ammo and asked if he was on the forum and he replied, yes. We began chatting at the store and a few weeks later I went into the store for ammo and he asked if I wanted to squirrel hunt sometime. We met at the store and I squirrel hunted with him and his mountain cur. We kept in touch and the next season he found out I didnt have any private land to hunt so he introduced me to a few farmers and the following year invited me to hunt his deer lease with him. He told me whatever walks in front of me shoot it. He has several bucks in the 160-180 and even a 208'' non typical he took off the lease. Only having shot 1 deer prior to this I didnt want to look like an idiot. The very first time there I shot a basket 8pt quartering away with my bow and he ran into the neighbors land. The next day we looked and didnt find it. I figured the guy wouldn't talk to me after that but now we are good friends now and getting ready to head out of town this weekend to hunt for 3 days. Every weekend he deer hunts his lease I get a text saying if I want to go I am more than welcome. 2017 I shot a 123'' 8pt and 2018 a 150'' 12pt on his lease. He's always told me that he would be more pissed at me for not shooting a big deer than if I passed it so him or his brother could get it. He's helped me track and drag a few deer over the years. I take vacation during our gun week and he usually works and says the ATV is in the garage if you need it. We both hunt alike, joke around with each other, our girlfriend and wife get along great and when we arent hunting together we are fishing together, double dates, range time, etc. I didnt know much about deer hunting before I met him and he took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. He's got about 12yrs on me and way more time in the woods. I just listen and its worked out every since.

9x56MS said:

What makes a great hunting partner?

Click to expand...

I will have been married to her for 50 years come June.

I've narrowed it down to just a couple things:

Sense of humor.
Serious enough to put effort into it.
Not so serious that coming up empty handed spoils the hunt.

My least liked trait is "having" to shoot a limit at the expense of others. I hunted with a guy like that a couple times and now do my damdest to avoid him.

.308 Norma said:

I will have been married to her for 50 years come June.

Click to expand...

Congratulations!

Chuck R. said:

I've narrowed it down to just a couple things:

Sense of humor.
Serious enough to put effort into it.
Not so serious that coming up empty handed spoils the hunt.

My least liked trait is "having" to shoot a limit at the expense of others. I hunted with a guy like that a couple times and now do my damdest to avoid him.

Click to expand...

Solid criteria.

The same qualities that make someone a good friend. Trust competence values standards and respect.

One quality would be the guy who won't give you a hard time about helping you find a deer or hog in the dark in the swamp and help with dragging it out, no matter how long it takes, since he knows at some point you will probably be doing the same for him.

I have been so fortunate to have had many great hunting partners.
They all had a few common traits:
Respect for nature
Love of the outdoors
Sportsmanship
Safe gun handling skills

Along with the attributes you fellas have mentioned.......

A sense of humor with the ability to talk sh_ _ as well as take it. If you're a sensitive type with a thin skin, best for you to stay home with the women folk

I like to hunt alone.
My wife says I am “human aggressive”.

My typical hunting partner has a massive hunt pack and brings out the snacks to our box blind. That alone earns him a doe off my land each year since he hunts with me almost every time I go whether or not he can shoot.

Offer to do something and bring some stuff for everyone to eat and drink. I used to be the camp cook for 30 years. Nothing special, bacon and eggs, blueberry flap jacks, oatmeal,. toast with home made rhubarb jam and venison Sloppy Joe. I 'm also a Vintner( hobby wine maker). Lately, I've been replaced, now I'm just the camp reloader and wine maker: .270 Win., 30.06, and .303 British, Pinot Noire, Malbec and a concord sweet wine for the farmer's wife. LOL

My best hunting buddies have been kids. Adults seem to have trouble letting go of normal life for a morning or an afternoon and them worrying about this and that bothers me because I’m there to relax. Kids get it. They are along for the fun of the trip and generally have no worries other than not screwing up bad enough to not be invited back. I took a young man from church when I lived in KY and it was easily the most fun hunting I have ever had. Sitting back and watching him get excited as a doe came by got us both fired up. A misfired muzzleloader meant that we didn’t bring the doe home, but when we got back to the truck he got to shoot my 44 mag and he bragged about hitting a water bottle for months to the other guys at church. The excitement mixed with carefree attitude was huge, and made for a great afternoon.

I have 2 favorites:
The first time hunter, especially a young relative. It's just so satisfying to see their excitement, teach them the pointers and safety, and hoping they want to come back for more.
Second is sort of described in other posts. The person that sees the hunt, regardless of species, as an honor, a chance to get out into the wild whether or not successful, and best of all, someone I want to invite out again.

-jb

Someone you can trust and count on.
Someone with SOME KIND of standards and SELF respect.
Someone who doesn't quit.
Someone who WANTS TO HUNT.

If all they want to do is shoot their gun, we can go to the target range.

My favorite hunting partners enjoy the full experience. They are also ready to grab onto the rope and help!