What Do You Value Most In Your Elk Hunting Partners?

[jstone]

A hunting partner who keeps there mouth shut about where you go and is tough. i have had people tell of my spots and they cant figure out why i was mad?? And i also like to get far from the roads.

[jrebel]

1) Dependability - Don't deviate from the plan days prior to a trip.
2) Similar goals - Mature animals.
3) Maturity - Nothing ruins a hunt quicker.
4) Physical conditioning - Better be in great shape.
5) Attitude - Goes without saying.
6) Cost - Reasonably equally shared.

So, for the most part I hunt alone

Very well said.  I will add one thing to this...even if you have the above qualities you also have to be a great friend.  I refuse to hunt with someone that otherwise I would not hang out during the off season.  I have had hunting partners like this in the past (ones you only see during hunting season) and it is no good.  Never fails...when they find a better opportunity they will bail w/o consideration of their previous hunting partner.  The old grass is greener on the other side.   

Cheers

[JPhelps]

Willing to do what it takes to be successful.  After that all of the other things don't seem to matter as much

Really though just willing to work hard and get along (all my hunting partners are good friends so we get along).

[DoubleJ]

Willing to do what it takes to be successful.  After that all of the other things don't seem to matter as much

Really though just willing to work hard and get along (all my hunting partners are good friends so we get along).

Can I be your good friend?

[JPhelps]

Sure 

[bobcat]

The most important trait for my partner- must be as out of shape as I am, so I can keep up.   

[Maligator]

Honesty, dependability, NOT ADHD, not a whiner, willing to pay their fair share & put in the time. They should also be a "good guy" that I would like to hang out with during the off season.
The first elk hunt I went on I met a guy who said he lived for elk & bear hunting & that he'd show me around since I was new to the state. That equated to me driving all the back roads near the winston unit. His idea of hunting was drive & hope you see some. He also slept in until about 6am-ish.
Finally we did a little scouting & I found a great place to set up & sure enough I had a spiker walk 20 feet right into me. It was really cool to see him so close. He stopped from crossing the creek & kinda slowly quartered away as if he knew something wasn't quite right but was sure if there was something wrong either so he just continued down a path opposite the creek from me.
When I told my partner he got pissed off because I didn't shoot it. He said we could have skinned & quartered that thing & no on would have known. Welp, never hunted with that guuy again!
The next year I asked someone else I knew to go along with me. Really great guy, honest, super nice & yes I ilke to hang out with him. Unfortunatley he is the ADHD guy. I wasn't. In my spot for more than 45 mins and I see him walking down one of my shooting lanes about 100 meters downrange. This happend a few different times! I did mention it to him nicely because he's such a nice guy but he just didn't get it. So, can't hunt with him any more.
Last year I had the whole 2 weeeks of gun season off of work & just ended up canceling my trip because I didn't want 2 have to hunt alone. This year if I have to go alone then so be it. I've been kicking myself in the butt for letting last year go to waste.
I have never shot an elk yet but I will, although I'm thinking I may switch to archery, haven't decided yet. Shot plent of deer with a bow 

[206]

She stays in the truck when I go on the long walks.

[D-Rock425]

Partners have to be willing to pack out my elk because I'm the only one in camp that kills anything 

[fillthefreezer]

good optics 

[DoubleJ]

Sure 

Let me know when and where to show up.  I'll be there a half hour early.

[Watimberghost]

Silver, I liked your post.

My biggest criteria in a hunting partner is passion. If he/she is passionate enough then other criteria gets met, like being in shape and keeping their mouths shut.

Honestly though, its hard to find people that match my passion expectations. Luckily, I've been blessed with great hunting buddies.

[whackmaster]

A back to haul my meat 

[HoofsandWings]

Like others said, honesty and integrity and willing to pitch in.
One poster said that he wanted someone who he could hang with in the off season.
In the 25 years of hunting with my partners, we met at the same place each year, I knew their first names, but no phone numbers or addresses. We talked hunting not politics as from one quick comment from one of them about 20 years ago suggested a pretty strange political philosphy. We continued to hunt together until they said they were retiring from hunting due to health and age. Have you ever tried elk hunting pulling an oxygen bottle behind you?

[Mr Mykiss]

1) Dependability - Don't deviate from the plan days prior to a trip.
2) Similar goals - Mature animals.
3) Maturity - Nothing ruins a hunt quicker.
4) Physical conditioning - Better be in great shape.
5) Attitude - Goes without saying.
6) Cost - Reasonably equally shared.

So, for the most part I hunt alone

That sums it up. However now that I have a family I think that I NEED a hunting partner always (almost always) because it would be selfish to die in the wilderness because I didn't have a partner to go for help