Hunting Alone

[SAJ-99]

I like to hunt with friends, but often I hunt alone due to scheduling conflicts. I often find it ends up being a battle versus myself more than versus the elk. Most would agree that finding elk can be tough and maintaining a positive attitude and high level of optimism is difficult. Anyone else hunt alone and encounter the same problem. Any pointers?

SJ

 

[LopeHunter]

I have hunted alone though rarely now other than pronghorn hunts. I have no burning desire to pack out elk or deer on my own. Been there, done that. Was never fun. Less so now.

I find if I eat plenty of calories with some warm food each day, have appropriate clothing for the conditions and get 6 or more hours sleep that my mental outlook stays focused and I wake up thinking this will be the day I fill the tag. As for sleep, I keep warm if cold out. Usually did not have a tent stove so I had a warm sleeping bag, at times placed all my dry clothing on top of the bag, wore a stocking cap, wore sleep mask and ear plugs. Would take Tylenol PM if was spun up and play some slow songs on my iPod for a few minutes. Used a Ziploc to whiz so did not have to waddle out in the cold at 2am.

I also go into a hunt with plans for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 etc for where I will be when the sun comes up that day. Plans change but having a plan that may need modified is better for me than no firm plan as start. My meals and snacks are planned for each day before I leave for the hunt. I double check my gear list and my gear. I want to arrive and not be missing something that screws me over because I forgot to bring spare batteries or whatever.

I plan the work the work the plan. And, get good sleep and plenty of calories plus plenty of water. Works for me.

 

[Guy]

I happily hunt alone. Although I prefer the company of an old friend or my son, I am quite content hunting alone. I can handle a mule deer alone okay. An elk would be tougher. I'd just make more trips.

I usually take mid-day off. Nap. Read. Lunch. Maybe even listen to the radio a bit. Perhaps a little photography. Then back at it until dark. I've always enjoyed getting away from everyone else though and have had some wonderful camping, fishing, hunting trips without anyone else around.

Drawback is that there's no one else to share the work tasks, but that's fine. There's often less work.

Regards, Guy

 

[Deleted member 20812]

I hunt by myself all the time. I find that having a way to warm up and dry out each night, coupled with good food goes a long way towards keeping a better mental edge.

 

[TOGIE]

I've done one backpack hunt alone, some other day outings alone along and a multi day elk hunt from a hotel alone.

I, and I think quite a few others, will agree that it is far more a battle with yourself than anything else. Depends on the person though. I even found elk on my multi day from the hotel trip. But I looked out across the ravine and the ridge and looked at all the snow i would have to hike through, and I couldn't even convince myself to make the hike to get set up for the evening. I hated myself for not doing that. I found elk, patterned the elk, and couldn't even convince my lonely self to hike to the elk.

Every idea seems like a bad idea when you're alone.

I'm planning several trips alone this fall and I'm trying to mentally prepare myself to not go down the same mental swirl. There are reasons I'm choosing do do these trips alone, and I'm hoping to not shoot myself in the foot for doing so. Even my successful pronghorn buck hunt last year in Wyoming - the hour of hiking preceding the kill (the first couple of hours I even hunted the tag at all!) I was mentally trying to convince myself that no, this doesn't suck, you will find antelope, you're not wasting your time, this is fun. That was tough because it was tough unit and it was snowing sideways and terrible weather and I had trouble finding a camp site in the dark the night before in an iffy area.

Hunting alone has upsides, but it's mentally challenging, you're not alone.

 

[BDH]

I love hunting alone, as stated before the first few nights are always a little nerve racking, but you get use to the sounds of the woods at night pretty quick. Staying positive is what will keep you going, there are really no bad days in the woods. Hunting alone allows me to do what I what when I want. There is nobody there to talk me in or out of something. If I want to sleep in cool, if I want to night bugle, perfect If I want to walk back to the truck at 11 pm to get a burger even better.
RLTW

 

[406LIFE]

Can't beat an afternoon nap on the mountainside. Also get an InReach. Then you can just message people to come help pack out.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I f

 

[Deleted member 20812]

I sometimes backpack hunt with my dog, he’s pretty much the perfect partner.

As long as they don't spill the whiskey or shit in the tent, all is good.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

As long as they don't spill the whiskey or shit in the tent, all is good.

I let him sleep in my bag with me until he Dutch ovened me one night. Never again.

 

[----]

As long as they don't spill the whiskey or shit in the tent, all is good.

Same rules apply to @Schaaf

 

[Jape]

I like hunting alone sometimes, while other times I like the company, so I try to mix it up. If I hunt with buddies who have a similar style, we split up in the morning and then can help if someone gets something. That is often the best of both worlds.

As for motivation, I always have a treat in my food for that day. Nothing like a little pick-me-up.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Same rules apply to @Schaaf

Probably less likely to happen with Finn.

 

[Schaaf]

Probably less likely to happen with Finn.

I told you that in confidence.

 

[Irrelevant]

I've found hunting from a basecamp at the truck to be pretty easy alone. But on a backpacker, it was really hard to keep myself out there and not puss out. I never found a real way to make it better other than do it more. Just force yourself to stay focused for another X(pick a time frame) then don't allow yourself to back out. It gets better with time.

 

[WyoDoug]

I like to hunt with friends, but often I hunt alone due to scheduling conflicts. I often find it ends up being a battle versus myself more than versus the elk. Most would agree that finding elk can be tough and maintaining a positive attitude and high level of optimism is difficult. Anyone else hunt alone and encounter the same problem. Any pointers?

SJ

I hunt alone a quite a bit. The strategy is different. You do not want to be calling elk as much. When you do, you want to move up wind of where you called from because the elk are going to zero in to where you was. You want to look like you are on the move then. I also play off of hunting pressure. If I know where the elk move through, I set and do still hunts. I have been know to build blinds out of logs and branches and wait and watch. Elk also tend to circle you to try and get up wind of where you called from if they come in at all, so be prepared for that. They survived and become big elk by learning to sniff out danger and that. So be parepared for that.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I hunt alone about 95% of the time and I almost always over do it. I'm super excited and I hike too fast, too far, too long. The mental fortitude starts to crack around day 5 of hunting hard from dark to dark. Days 5-7 I'm not hunting smart any more. I'm dragging myself along, pushing through fatigue, disappointment, and a growing knot in my stomach that my tag might go unfilled. On the last day or two of the hunt I am so tired and not having fun any more, and I end up quitting early. When I was successful on a hunt it was nearly always in the first 4 days because I was mentally still in the game. On the later days I am physically out there, but mentally I am not. I've blown many good opportunities on animals. I take shortcuts and am too loud, move when I shouldn't, don't honor the wind/thermals, or don't take my time when making shots.

The one exception I can think of was in 2013 when I went on a 10-day archery WT hunt. I had patterned a monster buck and hunted him conservatively. I paced myself. I took naps. I even took a few hours here or there to go on a low-intensity small game hunt to get my mind off the big target. In the last hour of shooting on day 10 I got within 15 yards of that big bruiser with my recurve. I could not contain my exhilaration and sailed my arrow a few inches over his back. I still count it a success to get right where I wanted to be, despite not sealing the deal.

My goal this year is to pace myself, take breaks, hunt smart, slow down, and be OK with not hunting every legal minute of shooting time.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

My goal this year is to pace myself, take breaks, hunt smart, slow down, and be OK with not hunting every legal minute of shooting time.

This has been my approach, and it works well. A good burger and beer can really pick one up.

 

[elkhnter]

Keeping a positive attitude can be tough on your own. You have to look deep to find the drive to move forward. One step at a time, just take that next step. Don’t worry about the second one, just the next one.
You also don’t have anyone else to blame. You screw up, you own it.
Second the inReach and a good first aid kit, and know how to use it. Some basic outdoor skills help. Don’t just think you know how to start a fire, go out during the next rain and start that fire. Might save your life.
Have confidence in your abilities.

 

[Werty]

Like anything new, your most likely not going to be confident in yourself. So keep pushing yourself too go further than you did yesterday. Good luck