Hunting partners

[PacificNWhunter]

I'm sure this has come up before my time here on the site but I have to complain to someone who cares, or pretends to care. I have hunted primarily alone since I got my hunting license. When I first started out I would hunt with my Dad, but several years into hunting I discovered I found more game and was more successfull hunting alone. Well this year was my first year venturing over to the east side of the mountains, I looked at the map and picked a spot and headed over for the general rifle season. Low and behold I picked a fairly good spot near bones stomping grounds. Never connected during my 2 day camping/hunting trip but saw several decent 3 pointers and made several trips back over after the season to do some scouting and saw some very respectable bucks and a ton a beautiful county. Now to my point......I showed some pictures to a friend and he was really excited about going over there to hunt with this next year and asked to go with me. I initially told him I don't hunt with other people (for the most part) but that I would think about it. Well after a couple weeks I sat him down and explained to him that I would let him go with me because I was planning a 4-5 day hunt in the wilderness and thought it would be nice to have someone out there with me. Luckily I have never told him where I hunt just over on the east side, well he swore he would not invite or tell anyone else about our trip. Well two days ago I found out from a friend of his that he has been inviting several people and that there are now 4!!! other people thinking that they are going with us. I have not called him because I am kind of steamed up and did not want to say anything while I was mad. Any ideas or suggestions?

[bobcat]

Your friend had no right to invite other people to hunt with you in your area. That's a tough one though. I think I would cancel the hunt. I mean you could just flat out tell him it's only you and him going on the hunt and give him the option of un-inviting the other four. But after he did that to me I don't think I'd trust him anymore and probably wouldn't even want to take him to my spot. That may seem a little harsh, since after all there are lots and lots of places to hunt mule deer, and most of it is public land that anyone can hunt. But still, you found that spot, and spent your time/money scouting and hunting it. Now how do you know the other four he invited aren't going to invite four more to go the following year, and before you know it, your spot will be overrun with hunters and you'll have to find a new place to hunt. I'd rather hunt alone than hunt with someone I can't trust.

[Dman]

 Bobcat's right, you can't trust him anymore, you had an agreement and he broke it. I'd cancel if you can't find anyone else to hit the wilderness, or maybe look for an outfitter.

[wackmaster]

 i agree with bobcat and dman

[Colville]

Who doesn't like to go hunting when someone has already done all the work, found game etc.

You can be diplomatic about it. Just explain that you had serious second thoughts when it was just him and when it started to open up from there you'd rather not hunt that go that way. I hope he didn't already know the location because if he did, you may have a group of 4 no matter what.

[jdb]

its hard to find a good hunting pard. I enjoy hunting with someone else for company but find few who are as dedicated as ZI am and fewer who's wives will let them go as much as mine JB

[runningboard]

I agree with bobcat, uninvite them all. Even if you explained to him that it's going to be you and him this time, what's to stop him from taking the others when you aren't with him? is that fair to you? would you do that to a buddy who showed you where to go?

[Ridinshotgun]

Tell him that the trip is off and why. If they all go with and you do well who knows how many will be there next time. You'll have to find
a new place to hunt.

[ICEMAN]

Yep. I had this occur at elk camp once, deer camp once. At deer camp, after the univited guest was gone, I made such a stink about it, no one will ever forget it. Look....this is your vacation. This is your investment, your family helps you go, you invest all year getting ready for and executing this. This is your hunt. For some inconsiderate "friend" to toss your whole vacation down the drain, even after you have mentioned the parameters of the hunt, you definitely need to part ways with this guy. The trust is gone. Besides, he just doesn't "get it". He most probably won't "get it". A hunting partner is a very difficult arrangement to make work anyway. Why try to make this one work, when the two of you have such differing thoughts about it. I would be direct, and blunt. Explain that you have invested time and effort in locating this great area. You do not believe it has the ability to support a whole bunch of guys, especially guys who have not earned the hunt. Good luck, you are not going to be real popular with those fellows.

Personally, I believe you would have better luck hooking up with someone who frequents a site like this one, someone who is thinking about the hunt each day of the year.

[billythekidrock]

I mean you could just flat out tell him it's only you and him going on the hunt and give him the option of un-inviting the other four. But after he did that to me I don't think I'd trust him anymore and probably wouldn't even want to take him to my spot.

Yep, you take him and you will never be alone, even if he doesn't show up. Cancel the trip and go alone.

Look....this is your vacation. This is your investment, your family helps you go, you invest all year getting ready for and executing this.

Exactly.

[Idabooner]

Get out of this situation while you can if you ever want to have a good hunt, him or his friends will hound you for years.  For several years I had a ground hog honey hole, I could go shoot a couple hours several times a summer, nobody knew about it. I sort of farmed it, never shooting until the young were out and on their own in the spring, not shooting the real close ones etc. that way I had good shooting year after year, it was great. UNTIL I told my best closest friend about it, the next time I went there was no more ground hogs, ever.  He had taken his friends and family and just wiped them out. Good Hunting partners are hard to come by, I only have one or I hunt alone.

[Webfoot]

I would tell the S.O.B. that you are going over early and that him and the others are going to have to meet you there. Then I would go hunting on my own somewhere else.

John

[nw_bowhunter]

Guys like that are idiots. I can understand why you would be pissed. It is hard to find someone you can trust that is reliable and does not pull this type of stuff.

[jae]

I have been there and know how you feel. Some people do not understand the importance of a secret spot. That is because most of them do not invest the tremendous amount of time and effort it takes people, that are passionate about Hunting to find these spots. Tell him what ever you want but, if you take him you will regret it. Your spot will be ruined forever and you will not be able to look at him with out getting mad for a long time.
Good luck, John

[Ridgerunner]

I concur, cancel the trip or your spot will be ruined.  Perhaps try to find a guy on a site like this if you want to go with someone.  Good hunting spots are too hard to find, same with good hunting partners, heck they are probably harder to find than a spouse....

[MikeWalking]

I kinda like the idea of telling them to meet you over there and giving them bad, wrong, way off directions....put'em in another county... unless he already has a good idea from the pictures where you're going if so, Dump Him.  This is too serious an issue to include people you can't trust.

[Head-shot]

I agree with a lot of the guys here that say to cancel on him and the rest of the horde.  The spot if it is good WILL be ruined. You get a good idea what kind of character this person posses just by the fact that he opened it up to all comers. Just think if you went out just with him and you were sucessful and next year he told all his buddies exactly where the honey hole was...I'd be Pissed You guys would be reading about me being a freak out in the weeds.
It might end up looking like Colokum or the Teanaway during deer and elk seasons. Man the population in those areas is more than in town!
I think I would maybe do in interview type hujnt for other things and see what you come up with. You know, go out for cats or fall bear, yotes etc, and see if the people can keep there mouth shut. I've hunted with people in the past , elk hunt ruined, deer hunts ruined, so I don't hunt with very many people.

I have to give props to my newest hunting partner.  It was planned to just be 2 people and stayed as such, I enjoyed it even if we did get skunked.

So yeah, I'd say cut out and start over...IMO

[huntinhick]

Well I have to admit I have it made if my hunting partner invites someone else I will just ground her!!  thought really besided my dad my soon to be 12 year old daughter is the best hunting partner I have had in 10 years!!  I agree total cancel it and don't invite him again.  I have had that happen twice when planning trips and ended up going by my self instead.

Carl

[Redmist]

Tell your pal that you are gay and was really planning on it just being the two of you together. 

[Skyvalhunter]

Sounds to me like you don't trust him now even if it were just the two of you. As you knowif you went this year and were successful next year he would have everyone and their mother over there and totally ruin all your time and effort put in. Tell him your not going and just go alone or find someone you can trust. I had a guy I knew when I was younger that asked me later if I needed a hunting partner I said I already had one after finding out how he was when only grouse hunting. I went with my gut feelings as he seemed to be the type to just ride my coattails.

[ICEMAN]

Tell your pal that you are gay and was really planning on it just being the two of you together. 

Be careful of what you ask for.....

[steeleywhopper]

Sounds to me like he is the kind of guy that swears never to tell anyone about the "secret spot" then turns around and draws a map for fishing and hunting news. Just uninvite him and take me along instead.

[actionshooter]

About 10 years ago I took my brother to a bear spot I had scouted out and I ended up taking a nice colored bear. Then the next year he took some of his friends  and it ruined that spot BIG TIME. I severly chewed his ass and didn't take him anywhere for at least 6-7 years. We hunt together again but I am still careful about where we go and I think he gets it now. If he wasn't my brother we would have never hunted together again.   

Get out while you can.

[Coasthunterjay]

sounds like he's not going now and it's back to just you.

[bobcat]

PacificNorthwestHunter,  so...did you ever say anything to your friend?

[cohoho]

Bail, had a very similar experience, mine was on a Black Bear station, a very productive one, I might add.  A friend I was doing it with, had first brought a couple folks (relatives) from the lower 48 to hunt the sites.  Not a problem, cause we already selected the bear we wanted for the year and besides they'd never be able to find it or even be able to utilize it without us later on.  Then I learn at different times a couple other guys mentioned they got bears, sounded like like a similar spot that I have been using for years.  Come to find out my old partner was taken folks from his work on separate trips, under the pretenses to me, he was stocking the barrel.  Well need less to say, the area was pretty well shoot out and had I move my locations and kept it very secretive of who went.  I severed my ties with him right then and there and do not communicate at all.  Don't get me wrong, I had stations where we would always take friends, kids, etc... anytime, but not to the "Honey Hole", that we agreed only our kids and us were going to be the ones that hunted it........  Again Bail on the guy....  or take him somewhere else. 

[PacificNWhunter]

Sorry it has taken so long to get back. First off thanks for all the advice and help. We took a trip down to the sportsmans show this last weekend and had a good talk. I basicly explained where I was coming from and how I felt about what had happend. He seemed to think it was not that big of a deal and that he was not serious about inviting all those people. Needless to say he wont be going with me this year, he seem's bummed but I think it's better then me losing a good hunting spot.

[Skyvalhunter]

I think you did the right thing. Its not worth all the headaches in the long run!!

[6 Point]

My  hunting partner of 30 years and I let a guy go with us to a "good" place about 20 years ago after he begged and promised it would never be shown.  The next year we drove into our camp spot after scouting to find 3 trailers, and 4 guys setting up tents.  He says hi and hoped we didn't mind if He brought a few family and friends up there( 9 total) plus Me and partner.  Luckily, we were in a camper and knew of other places in the unit.  Haven't talked to the guy since.  Best move You can make is tell Him NO GO

[Ironhead]

Good hunting partners don't ask if they can go, they get invited.

[MikeWalking]

Good hunting partners don't ask if they can go they get invited

 

[Head-shot]

Good hunting partners don't ask if they can go they get invited.

Well stated Ironhead!

[ICEMAN]

6 point, you are kidding!!! What the heck did you say to them? I would have been really pissed....

[Skyvalhunter]

Well said Iron!! If they think you are worth a hill of beans they will ask you to go.

[KillBilly]

Keep in mind that whether you hunt alone or with a partner you may encounter others that think it is their Honey Hole also. Your first impression of it being your Honey Hole and not seeing other hunters in the area can be strictly a coincidence.  No matter how careful or secretive you are it is hard to believe that as many other hunters as there are hitting the woods every day that your spot is not a known spot. I have left home well before can see in order to get to a spot, park, walk a half mile, and then find someone sitting in their rig with the motor running. They ruined their own hunt.

[Drop Tine]

He would definitely be off my Christmas gift list or any other list for that matter.   

[lemondog]

It is wise to take someone else with you into the backcountry......but not that guy. Keep looking.

[huntnphool]

"Personally, I believe you would have better luck hooking up with someone who frequents a site like this one, someone who is thinking about the hunt each day of the year."

I think Iceman hit this nail right on the head. Over the years, and there have been a few Ive found that finding a "good hunting/fishing partner" is about the hardest partner to find, no disrespect intended towards anyones spouses. I suppose it all comes down to your method of hunting/fishing. Obviously finding someone to sit beside you while your driving down the dirt roads isnt the qualifier here either, Im talking about "hunting". There are a few on this site that I can tell are your "hard core" hunters, and there are several that think they are but the odds of these "hard core" guys meeting by chance is higher than winning the lottery, that is until the advent of the internet. Lets face it, there arent any "bars, clubs, raves" etc for us to go and "pick up" hunting partners like there are for meeting a mate, this being my point on it being the hardest partner to find. Your more likely to find a good partner now that sites like this have come along, I just wish it had been about 30 years ago Oh ya, if you are one of those guys that hunts from the seat of his pants in your 73 Chev PU here is a site for you to find your partner, and, or your mate.

http://www.monstermuleys.com/

[Dman]

 My best and favorite hunting partner, even if she is noisy.

Kayaking the Columbia this Summer with the mini-mom.

[hogsniper]

Thats awesome dman....My girlfriend is gonna try the whole hunting thing with me this year. She loves grouse hunting and fishign but is gonna be tagging along for a few big game hunts...take care  Justin

[Dman]

 Cool deal, can't beat it. We never see much hunting, but she has the knack for fishing. Now that she's "mastered" salmon, I'm getting her into fly fishing.
 Darrel