Well my hunting buddy don't work with me anymore and we hunted and fished together all the time. I've tried to get him to fish with me bet he won't telk to me much anymore. He hasn't found a job yet so having a new job isn't the reason. I guess I'll be solo this year or won't hunt as much. This kinda sucks. O well just had to say something about it.
Jim, although this may be hard for you, it may be a blessing in disguise. Hunt solo and enjoy it. I have a buddy I have hunted with over the past 8-9 years. We hunt maybe 3-4 times a month together. About 3 years ago he found a "bigger and better" hunting partner as compared to me. The guy put down some big bucks for sure.....but then my friend came to realize the guy was one horrible, illegal hunting piece of trash that acted like a nice guy on the exterior, but on the inside was a huge poacher. My buddy is a great guy, but not one for words. He never really told me sorry for the way he treated me that year, but in so many words he has apologized. I actually like hunting by myself most of the time.
True hunting buddies are hard to come by. It's tough to re-adjust to a different approach, but as VA said it can be a benefit.
Sorry to hear that. I really only hunt solo with the exception of my father. Most of my friends who "hunt," do so in a way that I don't really agree with (not poaching or illegal activity, just their stance on the sport I suppose). Enjoy the solo opportunity, though. I really do enjoy being out there by myself, because I hunt for myself and no one else. With that being said, I agree with Ben. Hopefully he and I can get a hunt in this year.
We pretty much hunted the same way. Its hard to find someone that has the same ideas and beliefes that you do. He would usually field dress our deer with me watching and I would butcher them up for us. He actually didn't know how to field dress untill I showed him. He even drug the deer to where we could load them on my 4-wheeler or to where we could load them up in a truck. If we hunted in the same area we would always fight over who would shoot the deer. always wanted the other to take the shots. lol That was a good arguement. Hopefully he wil come out of it and want to hunt again. If not I solo hunted before he hunted with me.
Maybe he's feeling a little less than what he was now that he is jobless. Try reaching out a little, let him know that even though you don't work together that you appreciate him for all of the things you are telling us here. It would be tough to be out of work.
I have tried. It was his decision to take a severance package and quit. He had 17 years in and wanted the package they offered.
Yes, hunting buds are hard to find. I have been in Illinois for 9 years and have not found a bow hunter that I want to hunt with. We hunted for 20 years all over North America. Maybe I am just too picky.
I am lucky in the sense that I have 3 hunting buddies who I will share the woods with everyday. I still take a week everyyear and go solo, but that is more of a relaxation, rut type of thing.
Your hunting success will improve now. One door closes and another opens. 2 guys equals twice as much scent, noise, and movement. Hunting partners have no place in the woods with me unless she is in a groundblind and it is turkey season. Gotta have something to do when the birds arent cooperating.
i hope i never lose my huntin buddy, my 8yr old... sometimes I head in alone with the bow, but when he can wake up early enough its rifle season... for now!!!
im kinda goign through the same situation, he never wants to do anything....at least i have the True hunting buddies by my side. jim, friends wil come and go..but true buddies will be there when nobody else is. "a friend will bail you out of jail....but a TRUE friend would be right in there with ya"
I am different I guess, I have about a half dozen guys I would share a hunt with at a moments notice...but I suppose filming really influences that. I enjoy hunting by myself just as much though, and NEVER hunt with someone else if there isn't a camcorder involved.
I prefer to work together as a team member, but as a bow hunter, I understand the necessity to travel solo while hunting. There is nothing like sharing camp...sharing memories. Sounds like your friend is going through a little mid-life crisis Jim. How old is he? Is he married? I wouldn't take it personal
Jim, Give him some time. Not having a job is a stressful thing, and I'm sure hunting and fishing are the last couple of things on his mind if he's got to be worrying about paying bills and such. I know I've lost a lot of hunting buddies over the years, most of them just got to the point they didn't want to put the effort into it. Sad, but that's just the way it crumbles some times. One of my protege's (I say that because both his family and mine say that) will be be in Alaska this summer on fishing/crabbing boats, and he still has the desire and energy to put in it, but he's a college student going to school 5hrs. from here, and is likely to end up moving to KY or MO when he finishes school this winter as he has good job leads in both states. Maybe then we'll get some time in the woods again. I took him on his first gun and bowhunts. I was the second person to hear about his first kill, his dad was with him, and he called me after putting a muzzleloader ball through a big old doe just a few short years ago. I taught him how to butcher deer, and how to cape them out, how to tune a bow, etc. His older brother on the other hand hunted good and hard for a few years before he got married, and now he has to ask if he's even allowed going to the bathroom let alone hunting. I mostly hunt solo now, but I did hunt with a few guys this past year, including the "protege," a buddy that I put in the woods for the first time in his life with a crossbow, my nephew, cousin, and a brother-in-law, and I was able to get 3 of them shot opportunities though only one actually took a shot, and he connected 1 of the 2 times he had an opportunity, but that kill wss his "MOST EXCITING KILL EVER" also. Hunting alone ain't so bad, and you may still have a chance to get him back into it, but he may just need a little time right now. Good Luck with it!!!
I'm sorry about your friend. It shows that hunting really can be more about the time with friends and family and the sharing. Wanna invigorate yourself for a season - teach somebody new to the sport and sit a few mornings with them. You'll get hooked all over again.
I went hunting with a buddy once this past season, we got in a good hour or so before dawn and we had agreed to stay in until noon. We had our bows and we were about 80-90 yards apart, but being rifle season and having to wear the orange he was visible from my stand. I noticed about 8:30 that he is climbing down . He gave me some excuse about needing to use the bathroom. So ok nature calls instead of packing up and heading to the truck after finishing his business he decides to come towards me. Needless to say that's the last time I'll go hunting with him. So my buddy went from hunting buddy to just buddy.
