Skeptical, but need a dedicated hunting partner...

[RadSav]

We need a new "On Call" human pack mule.  You sound like you might be the perfect candidate!

To be completely honest;
If I were your age again and in as good of shape as you appear to be...a hunting partner would be the last thing I would be looking for!!  My success is easily tripled when hunting alone.  You keep in shape and you could be racking up trophies for at least ten more years before you would benefit from a hunting partner.

[xXLojackXx]

We need a new "On Call" human pack mule.  You sound like you might be the perfect candidate!

To be completely honest;
If I were your age again and in as good of shape as you appear to be...a hunting partner would be the last thing I would be looking for!!  My success is easily tripled when hunting alone.  You keep in shape and you could be racking up trophies for at least ten more years before you would benefit from a hunting partner.

I do usually hunt alone, but have a buddy within radio distance doing his own thing as well. And I agree, I get on way more animals going solo. I just don't think it's smart to attack the backcountry alone in some nasty country.

[gotcha]

Totally disagree with killing more elk hunting solo. Deer on the other hand might be true. Will see what kind of shape he's in.

[RadSav]

I just don't think it's smart to attack the backcountry alone in some nasty country.

Worth the risk if you ask me!  Carry a SPOT or SATphone if concerned. 

I have dreams of waking up one day 20 years younger, grabbing my bow and heading for the high country alone.  Few things on earth let you know you are alive more than hunting elk, bear or muledeer solo at or above timberline!  Hunting partners probably cause more accidents than mother nature

[gotcha]

Wow. Just enjoy sharing the experience with others. Def have to have people that are just as dedicated as your self.

[xXLojackXx]

Will see what kind of shape he's in.

Careful what you wish for  I have some areas in mind for a spring/summer conditioning & scouting that'll burn out a mountain goats legs 

[gotcha]

I'm all in.

[blackveltbowhunter]

  I like your outline and wish you best of luck A couple observations from someone who has experience with both solo and hunting with excellent partners.  First off be COMPLETLY honest with yourself about your goals.  What are my goals in the field? And what is my experience level? A couple question to ask yourself.  I agree with Rad about solo hunting, and depending on your goals it may or may not be best for you. Because once you enter a partnership, your goals very well may HAVE to change for the partnership to be successful. Heres a couple observations.....

   In a nutshell, If killing the biggest bull possible is your goal. Stick to solo hunting, Period. IMO you will have less opportunities at killing a top tier bull hunting with a partner, and more opportunities for real riffs and strife. And, No, I have never killed one and Yes my partner/s are aware of my stance on the issue.   

   Finding someone who hunts just like you is counter productive. You want to be compatible, but have different ideas. Otherwise one or the other is just "going along".  Both of you will become better hunters for it.

   Like any successful relationship communication vital for it to work well. I believe that any healthy partnership WILL have disagreements on something at sometime. Its part of growing and gettting better.

 
   

[MtnMuley]

   In a nutshell, If killing the biggest bull possible is your goal. Stick to solo hunting, Period. IMO you will have less opportunities at killing a top tier bull hunting with a partner, and more opportunities for real riffs and strife.

I totally disagree. If you'd have mentioned a buck instead of a bull, I would agree.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Well the OP is talking overall hunting, so I was kind of using elk as the main animal, but yes it applies to bucks as well. I am glad your experience is different 

[xXLojackXx]

   In a nutshell, If killing the biggest bull possible is your goal. Stick to solo hunting, Period. IMO you will have less opportunities at killing a top tier bull hunting with a partner, and more opportunities for real riffs and strife.

I totally disagree. If you'd have mentioned a buck instead of a bull, I would agree.

I agree. Any animal like a buck that is largely spot and stalk, there's no reason to have more than 2 feet moving in on him. A bull that can be called in to a specific location while the shooter is on a different approach is a different ball game

[blackveltbowhunter]

I guess I shouldn't have put it in a nutshell    I am trying to convey it in terms of what an individual goal is and the best way to get there.

   My experience is that when hunting the top 1-5 percent of bulls on public land shot opportunities are rare, tough to achieve, and often employ the implementation of tactics that are often associated with big bucks. Even if you are in a great area. Will you still have opportunities at these bulls? Sure. But if your main concern is killing them consitently year in and year out possibly in multiple states, then you have to give yourself the best opportunity to do so.

I won't argue that percentage of available setups and shot opportunities can be increased when hunting with a great partner. But are they doubled? If not then you are behind the curve already. Also you have twice the room for error. That is all ASSUMING you and your partner are completly on the same page. ( which it sound like you are looking for  )

Scenario 1) You and your partner have been religiously scouting an area. It has everything you have been trying to find.... Remote, rugged, rut sign and plenty of elk. You scout consistently and hang some cams locating several bulls in the basin some rags, some nice 5's a couple small 6's and one dandy a nice 300 frame 6 with a cheater on the left side. You monitor thermals, got wind patterns dialed and locate several wallows. These elk are as good as tied up. 2 weeks before the season you head up to the mountain to pull cards and check for sign. Your partner got called in for overtime but no biggie he has been up solo a couple times as well. On a whim you decide to check out a different basin in the afternoon in an area that looked great on GE and just might be overlooked by most hunters. Working your way into the area you are greeted by several wallows in a tucked away shelf, and a big stand of north facing timber with fresh elks sign. As you set up to glass the area, you notice 4 cows feeding with a spike bull in a pocket. You continue glassing and gasp as a stud 7x7 bull feeds out 150 to 250 yards downhill from the cows. This bull is all of 330 and you know by far one of the biggest bulls in the area.
   
   What do you do? Do you even hunt this bull? This decision alone is made vastly easier when solo. If your GOAL is a trophy bull, then he is your target and killing him or die trying is the only option. Will your partner understand if you tell him you want to forgo the better odds of killing an elk in the "gimme" spot so you can chase YOUR big bull. Will he call for you? Will you flip for it? If he pulls first shooter straw, are you going to be good with him getting first chance? What if he blows it? Thats all just for picking option A. We are going after Toad on the opener? That doesnt even factor in the other options. These are very real questions that if you are a good partner are easy to answer.

   Scenario 2: Continuation of scenario one. You decide your going after Toad. Your partner is  great dude and graciously turns down your offer of drawing for first shooter, offering the response of " you found him, you kill him". Opening day is clear and cool, not typical but perfect. You had located the bull the evening before and no one was at the trailhead when you came in. The bull had been bugling at dusk, and had obviously laid claim to the harem of resident cows in the area, but was not overly worked up. After settling into position your partner lets out a locator and the response from the bull is immediate. Game on. Perfect wind, you cover 400 yards quick and are in position where you think he may be holed up. A couple cow calls later and you hear him bugle again closer and obviously enrout to round up his missing cows. You see his antlers rushing through the trees ahead of you and he is even better than you thought sweeping mains with dark chocolate color and ivory polished tips. Your looking for a hole any hole to shoot through none are there. He is closing fast and in a panic you draw your bow back, in anticipation of the shot. He locks em up..... A stare down follows at 15 yards and he wins as he quickly bolts and crashes away. Dejected you tell the story to your partner, who encourages you and gets you back on your feet. We will get him tomorrow. Ahhh.... but you wont. The next week is a series of frustrating encounters. Locator bugle go unanswered, challenge bugles are met with a half hearted responses, cow talk, calf talk, herd talk, rattling, breaking sticks all in vain. You have watched him in three encounters with other small bulls and everytime he circles downwind until he catches wind and cofirmation of his threat and then descends on them like seal team 6 on bin laden. But no matter how close you get he is always out of range. At this point your partner is wondering why he is there, the only time the bull plays along is inside of 80 - 100 yards, you may as well be calling for yourself. The jungles he has pushed his cows into are more conducive for it anyway. A week of his season has flown by and he hasn't even touched his bow. What now?

   The guys who consistently kill the biggest bulls for a given area typically do so solo. Chuck Adams, Dan Evans, Cam, Randy Ulmer, etc mostly hunt solo. And with limited calling. The old adage "its lonely at the top" holds true in the elk woods as well. Big old bulls, are wary. One shot may be all you get in a season. Once they herd up they may be plenty visible, but very tough to intercept. And if you do its very likely what you did together you could have done alone in my experience.

[coachcw]

I agree ., i,very killed most animals while hunting alone. But now that I'm  fUllman grown it's nice to have buddy's to help pack out . Plus RT always has snickers and Karl  brings a sweet pack Martin always has it mapped out. I guess I just gotta kill.good luck  finding your match.

[Boss .300 winmag]

I agree ., i,very killed most animals while hunting alone. But now that I'm  fUllman grown it's nice to have buddy's to help pack out . Plus RT always has snickers and Karl  brings a sweet pack Martin always has it mapped out. I guess I just gotta kill.good luck  finding your match.

Just like one of those big rich hunter types! 

[coachcw]

You got the big part right