Hunting Solo by choice or circumstance

[Buschy]

By choice. Outside of hunting with my wife and kids I hunt solo 95% of the time. I absolutely see no value being other people’s schedule. Additionally, one of the big reasons I hunt is to get away from people.

 

[hank4elk]

Pretty much solo my whole life.
Recently with one or two friends here at home, because I can.
This year my bro is out.

 

[TrapperJ]

I have no one in my family who hunts anymore and I have no one around that would wanna go hunt and those that are around would just go to see what you have on you're place so solo hunter I am

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I primarily hunt solo because I don't have a large group of friends and/or family that hunt. I would have loved to have a group that could have brought me along when I first got into hunting, but for the most part I had to just figure it out on my own.

I do have a few buddies that I try to go out hunting with, but it is hard to match up schedules and I definitely want to hunt more often than any of my buddies.

I do have a bit of an open door policy that if I meet someone who is interested in hunting, I will put in the time to get them started. I try to be that person I wish I had run into back in the day for new hunters.

Part of that is paying it forward, but part of it is trying to build a group of hunting buddies that I can potentially share hunts with.

That being said, most of these new hunters are slow to commit and very limited in the amount of time they can spend on learning to hunt.

I do enjoy sharing a hunt, but since I have hunted solo so much I think I would probably prefer that. It's just so easy for me to make my plans and go. Trying to coordinate with someone can be almost impossible and then I end up just going on my own.

 

[TheDudeAbides]

I do both.

I prefer to at least have a camp to come back to with other people and then hunt solo from the base camp.

 

[Treeshark]

Same here.

I “hunt” big game solo most of the time, but it sure is fun to come back to camp or the cabin and share the days events with my dad and buddies. WI rifle especially, that is 90% about the social aspect for me- if I had to do that solo, I’m not sure I’d even enjoy it.

Waterfowl/grouse I much prefer to do it with someone else, just more fun.

 

[brymoore]

I hunt a lot. I hunt solo, I hunt with one son, I hunt with both sons, sometimes my wife tags along and I have a few buddies I hunt with too.

Solo week long backpack hunts are manly.

 

[406dn]

For most of the last fifty plus years, I have hunted solo far more often than with a partner, or group. I like still hunting thru timber, and that's best done alone. I enjoy making decisions and not having to say anything to anyone.

As I have gotten old, I most often hunt with my much younger brother, when elk hunting. I suspect that I could still dress out an elk and pack it out on a horse, but it's nice to have his help. I told him that elk hunting is a gift we give each other. I have horses and all of the gear. He has residual amounts of youthful vigor.

I have hunted birds with partners, but now most hunts are a solo affair. Big running pointing dogs are not everyone's cup of tea, but they are mine. It's even better when I am on a horse.

 

[Dan O]

I started hunting with my Dad and brother. As the years rolled by my brother stopped hunting and never took it up later in life. My Dad went with me until he couldn't. Through the years friends were part of every year's duck hunt or elk hunts. Sadly, they have all passed. Each one stopped hunting a few years prior to passing. So I have been hunting solo for a number of years now. It makes all the mistakes mine and no one is disappointed when I screw up or just sleep in. I think as we get older many of us will have to face this transition whether we like it or not. So now I try to use one of the firearms that were a part of the earlier hunts with friends or family. With that in my mind they are still hunting with me and that's good with me.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

I just listened to a podcast about elk calling and the guys advice when asked what he would give to new elk hunters and he said to hunt solo. He said most guys feel they “need” a hunting partner. I kinda disagree, I think you should hunt with someone until you or they kill something so you can understand the process. But once you got it then I agree with where he was coming from.

I hunt solo prly 80% of the time and greatly enjoy it. I’m not intimidated by the size of an elk or packing out anymore but am also realistic that a pack out is easier with 2 and even if I’m not the shooter I’d rather start at the kill site than get a call and have to drive and hike in. Only a handful of folks I hunt with anymore, none are family.

 

[kansasdad]

If I hold the tag (big game) I’ve only hunted solo or with family. Kansas opening day of pheasant/quail is a much different affair with groups of up to a dozen cruising a CRP field is more standard. “Duck camp” to kick off the waterfowl season is fun whether the ducks show up or not. A couple of families worth of guys to hunt the opening moments of teal season and share a night time fireplace holds lots of special memories.

I also really look forward to mentoring with Outdoormentors.org which helps get kids afield. That will mean the youth hunter, their trusted chaperone /family member and myself will be hidden away (mostly in a blind) or still hunting I’ve had the entire gamut of experiences from both the youth hunter and the accompanying adult. Most of the kids are out for their first ever big game, but some are very experienced. Ethics, safety and meat care are always discussed with these young hunters.

Nothing beats the elation moments for a successful new hunter getting their first deer or turkey

 

[44hunter45]

Solo by choice with rare exceptions. With g'daughter Miss T of course. With my sons even if they don't carry a rifle anymore. I would give anything to go out with my dad again. Praying for at least one more outing, even if it is a day in a blind.

I've had a few hunting partners over the years, but I've sabotaged some of them. Either I didn't feel safe around them, or I put mustard on their sandwich. That's a true story!

 

[Bicyclerips]

I'd say all of the average reasons but mostly because my friend group doesn't hunt. I grew up in a hunting culture but my profession through my 20's and into my mid 30's was to ride/race a bicycle for a living...and generally all the things that go with hunting isn't something that my peers really entertained. I did have a GWP hunting buddy(My best friend) and we(My wife and pup) chased birds all over for 10 years but he passed away in 2024. I still have hunting buddies back in my hometown but I don't really foresee us being able to line a hunt up.

I still go out and run beagles on rabbits with my dad when I'm back home for a visit...but outside of that...solo all the time. I generally enjoy hunting solo, takes me back to being a young kid, by myself, exploring the big woods behind my house with nothing holding me back or dictating my direction.

 

[SaskHunter]

By choice.

Came from a non-hunting family and started hunting with one one of my sisters' BFs at the time. Hunted with his group/camp and quite frankly hated it.

Learned enough to go out on my own my second season and never looked back. Been burned by a few people over the years and eventually decided to do my own thing and only focus energy on family and close friends, haven't looked back since.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

i do both,,family and freinds when we all draw the same tags,,most of the time my out of state hunts are solo depending on what i draw in several states of applications and points,,once in a while i can partner up,,but80% out of state is solo,,kinda sucks once that big bull is down though.

 

[MS 9x56]

I am a still hunter of big game so strictly a solo mission. For small game I prefer hunting with a partner. I hunt a lot with my son. My Dad taught me the art of stillhunting. Since my Dad passed I think of him every time I go stillhunting. He still guides me.

 

[Boarmaster]

I like to hunt alone but enjoy being in camp with all the other hunters. The comroderie the chatter and the camp food are all a huge part of what
I enjoy. But I like being in the woods by myself. Until I have one down then I want my buddies around again to help get it out.

 

[Keep'er Movin]

My experience may be a bit different than most. I grew up hunting the wetlands, marshes, and swamps of Southern Wisconsin. My dad and my uncle were both quite the alcoholics and there was really no exception when guns were involved. It was very common to do a deer drive, and after a part of the property was driven, a can of beer would get handed out to everyone who participated in the drive. The guys would sit around and BS, have a beer, talk a bit, then drive the next property. Then the next drive and the next beer, and so on. By the end of the day, quite a few in our party would be considered easily intoxicated if they were ever asked to take a breathalyzer. The whole experience was dangerous and really turned me off to hunting with my own dad. I never participated in this "tradition" of drinking while hunting with my family. It actually caused a lot of tension when gun season rolled around. It is a big reason why both my brother and I don't drink. 4 years ago, both my dad and my uncle suffered some pretty serious health complications which pretty much ended their hunting careers. I became a public land hunter at that point and started creating my own memories which have been a hell of a lot more fun than it ever was hunting with my family. I also bought my first bird dog and trained it myself, not having any experience with that as well. I'm not afraid to say it...my dad was an awful influence on me when it came to hunting. At the time, as a 12 year old boy, you didn't know any other way and thought that these practices were normal. I've learned more about what makes a good hunter and woodsmanship in the last 4 years than I ever learned in the entire time I hunted with my dad and my uncle. I had to figure a lot of this out on my own and quite honestly, I don't want another person holding me back from my hobby ever again, which is why I prefer to hunt solo. I just turned 50, my best years are probably behind me when it comes to my ability to walk, hike, drag, and endure so I do not want nor will I allow anyone else to slow me down and not let me enjoy what good years I have left out in the woods.

 

[Redmt]

By both, and too many reasons to list.
1. If you like the place you hunt, do not take anyone there you do not trust 100%!
2. All of my trusted hunting buds have either passed on or in no shape to hunt.

My best hunting partner passed on nearly 2 years ago. I've hunted with a couple other guy but their heart doesn't seem to be in it. I almost think they came with me as a mercy hunt just to keep me company. Notice the bipod on the dash while Garry used his ice tea bottle for a rest shooting squirrels. Damn I miss that guy

 

[mdcrossbow]

Started out as kid with a friend hunting upland game. After the Army I chose to hunt alone. Occasionally I'd hunt with friends but primarily 99% I hunt alone.