solo or with a buddy?

[CAMPMEAT]

Buy a PLB, personal locator beacon, if you hunt alone. I hunt alone all the time and I decided I need one.

[Ridgeratt]

Buy a PLB, personal locator beacon, if you hunt alone. I hunt alone all the time and I decided I need one.

Ferry County locator?

[CAMPMEAT]

Buy a PLB, personal locator beacon, if you hunt alone. I hunt alone all the time and I decided I need one.

Ferry County locator?

That's baiting and that's illegal.................

[throttlejocky20]

I have been trying to get a buddy to do this for a couple years now. I finally found an area that hold the kind of buck i want go after and im over it. I have decided that if i dont draw my late mule deer tag i will be spending a week in the wilderness alone. Like you i have tossed it around in my head and i finally came to the conclusion if i wait for other people it may be to late. Just make sure you do your work in the gym because if the hunt works out you will be coming out heavier than you went in!!

[Hunter mike]

I really enjoy being solo.  I don't really have any lonliness issues and I found that by the third day I was in a groove and felt like I could stay out forever.  I do miss my wife and kids and feel a bit bad about being away.  I think taking the me time makes me a better dad and husband by letting me recharge a bit.  My wife generally agrees.

As soon as I told my wife about personal locator beacons, she pretty much said you're getting one!  We discussed it and decided the PLB was the way to go over the SPOT.  Due to reviews I had read with SPOT, I didn't want her to be waiting for me to send a message and not be able to get one out.  I really didn't like the "check-in" aspect of it.  It felt like I'd be out there checking my Facebook or something and that's what I'm getting away from.

I love solo or with a buddy but they're different trips for me!

[Skyvalhunter]

Thats why with SPOT you put several people on the e-mail list that way she isn't waiting. I will send out a check in once a day that way they know where I am. It's really helpful if like me you are on a 100 mile hike on the PCT and need a pickup. I have been banged up a few times going off trail but didn't need the call 911 portion of SPOT.  I think its worth the investment but thats just me.

[Wanttohuntmore]

My dad just re-affirmed the reason why we carry SPOT's and use them.  2 days ago, while out elk hunting, he found this hole in the ground, from an old washed out bridge.  The hole was 3 ft by 4 ft wide, and roughly 6 ft deep.  He peeked over into it, and found an ELK!  It was dead, happened to be there for a week or 2.  He said if we would have fell into it, it would have been very tough for even a human to get out of it.  The SPOT keeps peace of mind for these instances.  I've probably used my SPOT on over 50 "sends", either "OK" or "HELP", and never had a problem with it not sending.  Yes, you do have to wait some time for it to send, and it stops blinking once the message is sent.  I'm wondering if those with problems are just not waiting the 10-15 minutes for a send?

Oh, my dad says he has a picture of the elk, he returned today from the hunt, so I'll get a copy and post it.  He said it didn't turn out well do to being awful wet, but I'm sure it'll look better on a computer.

[actionshooter]

Instead of a SPOT, we are going to use the Delorme InReach this coming year. Its an Iridium based add-on for smart phones that allows people to text by satlites.
 It will show the senders exact location on a google map via e-mail, and the person you send the message to can respond.
 Looks like one step below a Sat. phone.
 
 My buddy was in Kodiak a couple of weeks ago hunting blacktails and he was giving me a play by play via e-mail.

http://www.inreachdelorme.com/

anyone try this yet?

[actionshooter]

I'm going to make this its own thread.....

[jstone]

thats cool

[sneakyjake]

I hunted with my dad and guys his age for a long time.  I always knew I wanted to go further into the wilderness, but the camp kind of prevented me from doing this.  As they got older I finally made it happen.  I hunted with a group of friends and had fun.  I kept pushing to hunt further and that eventually cut a few of them out.   Soon it was just two of us.  Those hunts are great, but he is not always available to go so I started my solo hunts.  You become aware of your weaknesses very quickly.  Together we were able to make our decisions very efficiently, alone you have to recognize those areas and concentrate on making the best decisions possible.  Like any relationship, you take that time alone and better yourself, bringing more experience back to the whole.  It is easy to fall into roles when hunting with a partner not allowing personal growth as a woodsman.  I have always enjoyed reflecting on my mistakes and their outcomes and trying to improve upon them on my next outing.  I look forward to both hunts.  I think they both offer me a different experience that I need in my life.   Everyone here makes excellent points that I would support.  I did a solo hunt that tested my ability this fall.   I made some bad choices.  I just hope that if presented with the same circumstances I will have grown as a hunter and make smarter decisions with better outcomes. 

[JackOfAllTrades]

I hunt alone a lot. But I'll also hunt with certain friends and especially my boys. Most of my back country excursions have been alone though. I haven't really thought much about a PLB or Spot though. Money I don't really want to spend. If I die out there, then I'll die where I like to be. The only reason for a PLB or Spot would be so the family doesn't endanger too many people looking for my body. (I'm sure they'll want closure. -and the life insurance)
 
-Steve

[throttlejocky20]

A broken leg alone is not a life threatening injury but a broken leg in the wilderness with no help getting out is. I believe we all tend to get a little selfish when it comes to our hunting but we have to remember our decisions effect more than use alone.  When i head in alone i will have a PLB and hope to never use it. If 300 dollars means i get to spend 1 more day with my boys its money well spent.

[ICEMAN]

I hunted with my dad and guys his age for a long time.  I always knew I wanted to go further into the wilderness, but the camp kind of prevented me from doing this.  As they got older I finally made it happen.  I hunted with a group of friends and had fun.  I kept pushing to hunt further and that eventually cut a few of them out.   Soon it was just two of us.  Those hunts are great, but he is not always available to go so I started my solo hunts.  You become aware of your weaknesses very quickly.  Together we were able to make our decisions very efficiently, alone you have to recognize those areas and concentrate on making the best decisions possible.   Like any relationship, you take that time alone and better yourself, bringing more experience back to the whole.  It is easy to fall into roles when hunting with a partner not allowing personal growth as a woodsman.  I have always enjoyed reflecting on my mistakes and their outcomes and trying to improve upon them on my next outing.  I look forward to both hunts.  I think they both offer me a different experience that I need in my life.   Everyone here makes excellent points that I would support.  I did a solo hunt that tested my ability this fall.   I made some bad choices.  I just hope that if presented with the same circumstances I will have grown as a hunter and make smarter decisions with better outcomes. 

Excellent point sneakyjake. Something to definitely consider...

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Maybe just me but the way I would look at it is if you have a family that depends on you, then I wouldn't risk going solo. All kinds of things can go wrong. Having a partner could be the difference between coming out alive or not.

On the other hand, there's no better feeling of being alive than putting it all on the line without a safety net. Your senses become more sharp, you pay attention to things you wouldn't notice normally, you really weigh the cost/benefit factor, and you choose your routes judiciously.

I love sharing a good hunt with a friend or two, but I've probably spent over half my time in the woods hunting solo, here in Washington and over 30 years in Alaska. Much of it very remote.  No radios, or cell phones or even telling anyone where I was going, because most of the time, I didn't know until I got there.  You'd be surprised what you learn about yourself on a remote solo hunt.