backing out

[Skinnyman]

I always plan on hunting by myself and if i have company that is ok. But always plan on my own. Too many flaky people.

I always plan on hunting alone. I invite some people to join me, but I know that they will flake out on me. Not sure why, but thats the way it always ends up. I always go deer hunting with the same people, but elk is a different story - no one goes. 

So I just hunt alone, much easier to plan too!!! No one else to accomodate.

I do understand why the landowner only wants people he knows to hunt it, and only wants a limited # of people there. There are a lot of unethical and unsafe hunters out there. Not saying any of you are that way, but the owner has no way of knowing that.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Im with skinny and allot of others. I plan my hunt, invite my hunting buds and if they make it fine. I still hunt alone. So really there just camping friends.

[Todd_ID]

I get friends backing out quite a bit, but it's the other way around.  I always take a ton of time off for hunting, but everybody else just tries to fit it in when they can get off work or when the wife will let them go.  For this reason I am the one setting when and where the hunting will take place.  If somebody decides the wife takes priority, then I'm not up a creek.

[BlackRidge]

LAME! If it was my good friend/hunting partner (or anyone for that matter) I would expect them to come to me when they heard about the private and say, "Hey, I have this great opportunity that just came up to hunt some private where there are tons of  big bulls.... is it going to screw you up if I hunt there and you aren't allowed to?"

At which point I would tell him, "hell no, go for it"..

But, if it went down like you just explained...I wouldn't talk to him much anymore.

Well put, couldn't agree more

[markts]

LAME! If it was my good friend/hunting partner (or anyone for that matter) I would expect them to come to me when they heard about the private and say, "Hey, I have this great opportunity that just came up to hunt some private where there are tons of  big bulls.... is it going to screw you up if I hunt there and you aren't allowed to?"

At which point I would tell him, "hell no, go for it"..

But, if it went down like you just explained...I wouldn't talk to him much anymore.

My thoughts exactly-I was set to hunt with one of my buddies a couple of years ago and got a call afew days before the opener from another bud who just got some private land to hunt. Went and talked with buddy #one and he said go for it-I got a bull and all was good

[Widgeondeke]

Not cool at all. Just like many others have said. 1 good friend, my brother & kids; thats all I plan on. Any extras are just that extra company. Can live without them if they flake.

[turkeydancer]

Been there ... done that ... got the t-shirt.  

I just would let it slide as far as everyday at work, but to any of his future inquiries my response to him would be "Sorry got other plans" (or " got my own opportunity this year") !  

It's sort of like the buddy that always wants to hunt with you, but only when he finds out you got drawn for that very special "sure thing" permit hunt ... nope, sorry, too late, too bad, so sad.  

[rasbo]

good partners are hard to find,sounds like ya need to keep looking..I have met a few on here,and have been quite happy they will hunt with me..Met some that are negatory..there is always some disappointments with everyone, sometimes things come up,myself included.Shat happens...weigh it out and decide..I wouldn't breakup with him over the phone though..face to face

[Bean Counter]

I just would let it slide as far as everyday at work, but to any of his future inquiries my response to him would be "Sorry got other plans" (or " got my own opportunity this year") !  

  Take the high road and don't turn it into bitchy gossip. In some professional settings this goes without saying but I don't know what type of environment you work in (and don't need to know). I'm can endorse "I got other plans" but don't lie or make excuses. In fact, if he presses and wants to know why he no longer has a shooting buddy, tell him gently but firmly how much you were disappointed. Everything you wrote in your OP makes sense to any decent person.  

[Little Fish]

I think your buddy is a loser....probably better that you don't have him around as a hunting partner. What happens if you are way back and in deep and you break a leg and you don't meet up at the designated time and place. Do you want to be relying on someone like that? I'd drop him as a hunting partner and leave it as he's a casual friend. Life is too short to waste time on flakes.

[Wile E. Hunter]

I had a similar situation. Year before last a hunting partner of mine canceled at the last minute for our elk hunt. He'd flaked out on me on several upland game, varmint, and waterfowl hunts, but the elk hunt was the last straw. Thing about elk hunting is that given where it takes place, and what it is, it can get dangerous, not to mention the work of getting an animal out should you get one. I found myself "kind of hoping" I wouldn't score in some of the holes I hunted by myself because of how hellish it would've been getting an animal out by myself (what the hell kind of elk hunt is it that you hope you WON'T score!?!?). By the way, this was and Idaho Elk hunt, and I'd already bought my license and tag ($600) so I was pretty well committed.

Since then he still mentions hunting together but I'll have no part of it. Hunting partners form an important part of our lives because for one thing we may come to rely on them for our lives, but mostly because they share in something that's very deeply important to us. He broke the bond, and I'll not hunt with him again. I no longer respect him. I have to respect someone to consider them a friend, even more so a hunting partner. I'm much tighter with my hunting partners than other friends.

Wile E.

[Tony 270]

That's messed up to just bail on you last moment, especially after getting a rifle tag when you otherwise would have gone bow - just so you two could hunt together. When was he going to tell you, the night before opening day?

[k_rex]

I'd be setting up plans solo from now on.  If a worthy partner comes along then thats great.


I have very few issues with this since I hunt with family or by myself.

[bankwalker]

same thing happened to me last year. my own uncle was the one who backed out on me. he talked me into hunting modern firearm elk for the first time, then backed out the week before the season
i tried to get something setup with a forum member but never could get a solid plan set with my money situation at the time keeping me from going.

i hunt alone aswell. it is just far easier that way

[Mossy]

funny...he called me this morning and apologized, maybe he found this site.   Looks like it's a done deal on his end but I might be able to scrounge something up with my future father in law even though he wasn't planning on hunting this year.