Hunt planning blues

Sorry to hear about your bail outs. Seems to always happen though. I've been guilty of it myself a couple of times, even after having drawn a tag. Deployment to a War, with 5 days notice; a baby due date exactly during the planned week; a Divorce.......

So, when making this years plan I only organized the hunt to include those guys I knew were 100% reliable and I could count on to 'Be There'........ME.

Anyone else is just a bonus.

What units did you apply for ? Maybe we can semi-assist on some of the logistics.

As everyone has said, it happens. I was fortunate to go in someone else's place last year to Montana because of someone bailing out. The guy I went with only wanted one person to go with him on the DIY elk hunt, and I was able to fill the spot with only a two month notice.
This year, I ended up being "the guy" who had to bail out on a group antelope hunt. Although I have hundreds of hours of vacation time that I can take, the way the dates lined up for the hunt, it fell on one particular weekend out of the year that I have to work, and I have a very lenient schedule. All worked out for my buddy and three others, but it does make me sick and I feel like I won't be the reliable guy in the group from here on out.

2010 I went on my first western big game hunt. A drop camp elk hunt in CO with 3 other guys.

2014 I Weston my second. A completely DIY elk hunt in CO. Nobody wanted to go with my until a few weeks before I left. One of my employees wanted to tag along only as an observer. He couldn't afford a tag. I also knew he couldn't afford to split the fuel. I was going anyway so I didn't ask him to contribute. The only thing I expected him to pay for was his share of the food. We left home on a Thursday morning and drove all day and got into Pagosa Springs that evening. I picked up my tag and we went to eat some dinner before grabbing groceries and heading to the hunting area to set up camp. We got done eating and he paid his tab and says "Well, that was all of my money." He bought his breakfast, lunch and dinner and a $20 coffee cup and was broke. I had to buy all the food for the week and a couple meals on the way home. I know one guy that won't go with me again.

This year I plan on going again. I have one guy who may go with me from our 2010 group but he isn't sure he's going to be able to make it. His availability will have zero effect on me going or not.

My old football coach always said, "you can't depend on the undependable". Man was that true!

I hunt alone.

Eastern Tenderfoots are funny!

Dinkshooter said:

Eastern Tenderfoots are funny!

Click to expand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpzqQst-Sg8

noharleyyet said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpzqQst-Sg8

Click to expand...

LMFAOL ,That's my old theme song.................

I have a cousin that tells me every time I see him he wants to go hunting. I constantly bugged him about sales on gear and camo but he never acts on it. I've showed him trail cam pictures but he won't come set them up or check them.

I've giving up on trying to help... But I guarantee that if I have success this fall he'll talk about wanting to go.

A similar thing happened to me this year. Back in January I had 4 guys committed to go, come the week to submit applications they all backed out on me. I applied anyway and I will find out tomorrow if I got lucky to draw a tag. The way I look at it is that I am tired of waiting for others for me to enjoy my life so I will just go without them.

I hope you got to use "their points" to get into a good unit

On a side note: I always plan on going alone.... even if someone else says that they are coming along.

good luck to all
the dog

IMHO, finding a serious Hunting partners is hard, a lot of hunters talk a good story, and say they want to make a hunting trip out west, but in my experience, about 99% back out.
I start planning my next trip out west as soon as I get home from one.
My somewhat regular partner retired, so he isn't going anymore, and finding someone to commit to yearly trips like I do, is challenging to say the least.
Or you end up with a guy like I did last year, and they don't understand what DIY means, and they can't go hunt on there own, and want to stay with you all the time to hold there hand because they are afraid of the dark or something.

When you live back east, like some of us do, it is very hard to get someone to commit to a 10 day to 2 week DIY hunting trip out west.
and at my age, going on a hunting trip 1700 miles from home, isn't a very smart option anymore.

Kevin

I have always hunted alone. No one to ask if it is okay, no one to say lets go here today, no one to complain about cooking or doing dishes, no one to cry its too early to get up or its to far to hike. I can arrive when I want and depart when I want. If some thing happens to me I am doing what I wanted to do !!!!!!

It's normal. I try to make a conscious effort to get new people into the sport. A lot express interest. A few actually go. A select few take to it like a fish to water.

1. Leave em home. The weak can sit in tree stands, play on their iphones and shoot slick heads all day. Check a trail cam or 3. There are plenty of reliable partners / hunters and new ones on the way looking to go. My 10 year old is working hard as he readies for his first elk hunt this year. He is 10, passed his hunter safety which makes me very proud, and when he turns 14, he will hunt good. You can plan your hunt with him? He is an old soul and golden.
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2. I am 42, and life is teaching me people suck. And it is getting worse. I have had business partners pull the same BS - pull out early, never come through, back-out and steal. A best friend pretty much did the same thing. So one learns to not make new friends. Not trying to keep the old ones either. Life is a little quid pro quo, and I get nothing from these so-called hunting partners of mine??? Call me stupid. Unfortunately, I spoiled the current group that goes with me and so they wont back out. Do they ever ask Aaron to go hunt anywhere? Nope. Clean the wall tent and send me my meat. Thank you drive through. Their hunts are too easy and always successful so who would not want to go? Now he is bringing his 16 year old on his 1st elk hunt too. Not a situation of backing out, but just - take, take
, take.
I planned a turkey hunt to SD this year. It turned out to be me and my son plus a newbie who just got his hunter safety. My elk hunting buddies all backed out???? ( I was not successful - feel shame - and so I did not post a thread of decoys or Mt Rushmore or our sweet camp, but it was a super DIY trip)