Hunting Solo by choice or circumstance

[Stocker]

 

[WiTrapHuntFish]

Kind of both. I like hunting alone but I don’t mind having someone else the biggest problem for me is my friend group isn’t as passionate as I am. There not willing to by the gear or play the application game. So I usually have a lot of points were they don’t have any and I don’t want to to burn all those years of money spent to get a lesser hunt area. Now that I’ve been burning points I’ll probably go on some easier plains deer hunts with some friends.

 

[Cazador14]

When I hunt solo, it’s because I value the freedom and responsibility that comes with it. I don’t have to force anyone else to work hard, and if something goes wrong, I alone take full accountability. Hunting alone allows me to go wherever I choose without needing anyone’s approval, and that independence gives me both peace of mind and confidence in my decisions.





For me, a solo hunt isn’t just about being alone—it’s about owning my effort, my choices, and the outcome.

 

[2rocky]

I've hunted solo for a number of reasons:

1. I was new in the area and didn't know anyone
2. I didn't want anyone see me bungle opportunities or be unsure. Mostly did not want to be judged on my decisions or skills.
3. I wanted to hunt on my timeline. I grew less tolerant of people being disorganized or running late.
4. I wanted to make the most of my opportunities that I created and did not want to share.
5. I wasn't sure if it was a worthwhile area and didn't want someone else to be disappointed in it.
6. I wanted to be able to eject early if I felt overwhelmed or unsafe.
7. I needed windshield time alone to process my emotions about what was going on in my life.
8. I needed to have to concentrate fully on every aspect of the hunt. where I was going to camp, how I would find water etc to check out from my every day life. Interacting with other people didn't let me do that.
9. I had to prove to myself that I was capable of all those aspects and that I could overcome my insecurities. "Do or do not. There is no TRY" became my motto when I had something big on the ground.
10. Once I had proven to my self through practice, more or less, I became a better hunting partner. I could anticipate things, and be ready whether it was setting up for a shot. or picking a glassing spot, and i didn't wreck someone else's hunt learning from experience.

 

[Hunting Wife]

I've hunted solo for a number of reasons:

1. I was new in the area and didn't know anyone
2. I didn't want anyone see me bungle opportunities or be unsure. Mostly did not want to be judged on my decisions or skills.
3. I wanted to hunt on my timeline. I grew less tolerant of people being disorganized or running late.
4. I wanted to make the most of my opportunities that I created and did not want to share.
5. I wasn't sure if it was a worthwhile area and didn't want someone else to be disappointed in it.
6. I wanted to be able to eject early if I felt overwhelmed or unsafe.
7. I needed windshield time alone to process my emotions about what was going on in my life.
8. I needed to have to concentrate fully on every aspect of the hunt. where I was going to camp, how I would find water etc to check out from my every day life. Interacting with other people didn't let me do that.
9. I had to prove to myself that I was capable of all those aspects and that I could overcome my insecurities. "Do or do not. There is no TRY" became my motto when I had something big on the ground.
10. Once I had proven to my self through practice, more or less, I became a better hunting partner. I could anticipate things, and be ready whether it was setting up for a shot. or picking a glassing spot, and i didn't wreck someone else's hunt learning from experience.

Good list. I think I can identify with just about all of those at one time or another.

 

[HandgunHunter]

I moved to Wyoming to be around less people.

Solo hunting seems to build upon that

 

[WyoDoug]

I hunt solo a lot and part of that is many I have been with have viewed hunting as a boozing party and I don't drink mainly do to past alcoholism history and liver damage from old time drinking days in the Marine Corps. I like hunting with people I can trust explicitly and that is hard to find. I also don't like to be rushed into taking animals I don't want especially if they are small and not a lot of meat. I am a meat hunter so I prefer larger ones over rag horns or fawns.

 

[Caseknife]

Actually, out in the field, I am always solo. That is how I was raised, shared a camp and coordinated where we all were going for the day. Still hunting through the timber, we would hunt a drainage, two guys each side, one high one low, slowly working up drainage. Worked well, bump a buck from one guy to the next. Usually meet up for lunch and compare notes.

My hunting partner for the last 30 years is of the same mind set. He hunts faster than I do, but that is OK. We share a camp on our out of state hunts, we both go, even if only one of us has the tag. We are all retired now and I invited my ex boss who is a great friend on our Utah elk hunt next week. It will be a different hunt because I kind of think that I will be hunting with him in my hip pocket, he is a little directionally challenged. It will work out, just a cow hunt. We share expenses and meat at the end of the hunt. Hopefully he will get indoctrinated into packing elk

I have run into guys, two or three guys together, rifles on their shoulders and talking, but supposedly hunting, how does that work? I am of the mindset that it is me the wildlife, scenery and my own thoughts out there every day and hopefully I see and or hear my quarry before the detect me.

The only time that I have felt hunting together had a chance of working is have one guy follow a bit of a distance behind, therefore no talking, while getting a different angle of any animals pushed by the lead hunter. This is all for still hunting timber where every step the picture changes which is how I was taught to hunt 50+ years ago by a few very intelligent and successful elk hunters, my dad and uncle. I miss those two guys.

 

[grizzly63]

I hunt solo because:
I like to
No interference
Easier to learn from your own unaffected errors
The landowners know I will not bring others along that will then show up later or start asking permission for their buddies
Most people do not want to spend the same amount of vacation time as I do on hunting (differing priorities)
There is no timetable now that I am retired

I do a rifle group hunt but we divide the public up into quads and everybody gets one. Its a mule deer hunt and we are usually 3/4 mile from the nearest other person. We enjoy a camp every day and help each other out as needed.

 

[GTwolfer]

For those of you that hunt solo is it by choice or circumstance?

I grew up hunting with my Dad and we hunted together constantly up until his health started to fail. At that point we even did a fair amount of road hunting which neither of us were accustomed to but nevertheless still had fun.

Other than my Dad the other great hunting partners have been my wife on the the rare occasion she's able to go and my Saint Bernard ( yes you read that right...lol) Cooper whom I lost some years ago.

So for probably the past 15 plus years I hunt 99% of the time solo. I've come to enjoy the solitude and time to reflect on memories gone by and soak in some wild country while I can. I've tried hunting with a few other guys but for one reason or another it doesn't stick.

Seems when I meet other hunters and the subject comes up many seem to think it's because I am trying to prove something but the reality is that if I could have had any of my great hunting partners with me on all of my solo hunts it would have been a welcome treat.

So what's your reason for hunting solo?

Time and money have made it almost impossible. Im dreaming of moving to Idaho, Wyoming or maybe Arkansas. Somewhere affordable with opportunities for hunting. Texas is for the Shamelessly rich. Public hunting with 31million people pretty skechy.

 

[MTGunner]

Many of my hunting friends have passed away. Some merely got old and stopped going afield. Have hunted with some I choose not to hunt a second time. Hate to wait for late arrivals. Have mentored a few that have gone on to hunt solo or have families and no time. This I understand. So, I hunt upland game with my dogs. Never late, always good and always happy. Yes, this does stink at times. But, to continue to hunt keeps me going…hunt alone or otherwise.
I will say this, wife does not like it now that I am in my late 70’s. Oh well. Gotta keep going. MTG

 

[FlyingEagle]

I hunt with my kids, son 15 and daughter 11. They go with me about half the time. I could not ask for anything more. They love the outdoors and have really been getting into hunting. They are my hunting partners. Now if they don't want to go, I'm solo. I enjoy the quietness and peace. If there is somewhere I want to explore, a ridge, trail, it's nice being able to just go for it, no questions asked. I did go once with a coworker and it did not work out. He had different opinions on trails...To talkative, not focused, did not take it as serious as I did. Soo it's solo or with my kids for now.

 

[Islander]

I'm my favorite person to hunt with. Solitude. Reflection. I love going into stealth killer zen mode, with the pure concentration on getting that food.

I’ve got Native roots, and when I’m hunting, I feel something ancient stir inside me (real or not} — a connection to those who came before. It’s as if those primal instincts have been passed down through time, still alive in me. We’re all children of countless generations of successful hunters. For me, going solo is the purest way to reach back and shake the hands of those ancestors.

 

[Walkathon]

I enjoy hunting by myself. I hunt with friends sometimes as well, but when I hunt alone, I can show up when I want, hunt until I feel like leaving and don't have to work around anyone's schedule but my own.

 

[the nikster]

My dad passed away, my brother moved away, one daughter started hugging trees and the other got married to her best hunting buddy.
Now, if I want to be around people I go camping. If I want to be alone, I hunt.
I always had trouble maintaining partners because I chose to hunt hard in hard places.

 

[SilentBirdHunter]

I hunt solo, even if I'm hunting with someone else.
Moose hunting, we would share a camp, but each go to a different area.
At least then if someone shot a bull, there was help packing, but otherwise all the benefits of solo hunting.

Bird hunting, it is just me and one of my labs 99% of the time.
If I hunt with a partner, I drop him off with his lab a couple miles away and
we hunt towards each other. On the way back to the truck, we hunt
at least 200 yards away from each other.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Both by choice and by circumstance. Years ago hunted with buddies, but after one fired three shots at birds before I could even shoulder my shotgun, I did not hunt with him. Then another of the elk hunting "buddies" would fire rapidly with his Browning semi-auto, thinking quantity of shots is better than quality of accurate shooting. Thereafter I opted to hunt solo and deal with elk by myself. Then era of hunting with son, then grandsons slowly evolved into solo hunting, as they have their own hunting buddies ... and I grew to not enjoying hunting with a crowd. So now for this old guy, it's hunting with my pack, my 7 mag, and the Mini Garmin at the ready. (Wife's Mini-Garmin in case she needs to come save me.)

 

[3006Sprng]

By circumstance and choice. 95% of my hunting time is solo.

I work 7 days on, 7 days off. So on my 7 off I can hunt hard. But my closest hunting partner works Monday to Friday, so schedules don’t always line up.

I also dont like to wait around too much for time to line up with others. If it’s time to chase game, I’m going. I don’t like missing sunrises in the field.

Hopefully as my daughters get older they will want to learn and hunt with me. I take my 2 year old weekly to check trail cameras and hike around.

For now, solo.