choosing a hunting partner

ok on this one Im not talking about your run of the mill hunt..

Im talking about an adventure..

say 30 days stuck with one another in the same tent with no food no contact to the real world..

finding the right man or woman to be your buddy for that trip..

Im the kinda guy that can fix anything. do whatever work is necessary and research and get as much info on what I may encounter on the hunt..

I probably could do modt of these hunts alone but its much more fun to share with a equal partner..

For me I need someone that is fit enough to do the task at hand,, I look for the guy that can function while under pressure.. If i fall in the river and get hung up on a sweeper or something I want someone that will think and react fast.. My life is on the line.. I would do it for you!

Ive been on a few of these type hunt where with the wrong hunting partner you could literally die..

sure we got to get along good and have the same expectations of the hunt.. be able to agree on who may shoot first or who has certain rolls on a daily basis.. but beyond that.. what things would rule someone out as a hunting partner on such a trip for yoU????

I would definitely want someone with a CLEAR head and an obvious level of intelligence. When “thinking fast”, knee-jerk reaction/solutions lead to further risk and/or complications so they have to be smart enough to see the snares while finding a correct solution. To summarize, almost an instinctive accuracy in thought processing. They just “know” what to do inside of a 2-3 second assessment window.

Also, someone with medical/first aid knowledge would be a bonus consideration as well. Someone that can save us both if necessary would get an extra nod from me.

Detail oriented. Someone who’s great at focusing on a result and not easily discouraged and notices “clues” well. Also, in their mannerism, details are important enough to study back up plans b, c, and d when A doesn’t go right. Smart enough to be confident, but not stupid.

These are just a couple thoughts I had……..

ability to make snap judgments that could change the course of the trip.. definatly something a good hunting partner should be able to do!

never been in the situation on a hunt where mine or a hunting partners lif was on the line. But I know some people just dont have the mentality to be completely disconnected with civilization and be able to make those call on the drop of a hat..

been oh hunts where a member of the group had just lost it.. was sure we were never going to make it home or die.. was a complete wreck and took a few days for him to settle his nerves… this was someone I thought would be cool as a cat on the hunt.. picking a good hunting partner on such hunts is critical for a enjoyable hunt..

thought I would throw this out there for others planning off the beaten path type hunts..

For me, what would rule someone “out” would be anyone who I didn’t know over the long-haul and hadn’t done many smaller trips with before. A long “adventure” such as you’re describing is NOT, IMO, the place to find out if a given partner is compatable or not. I would want to know that going in.

Also, I would consider what are your weaknesses or areas where you lack experinece? I would look for a partner who fills in these gaps in your own skill set.

Grouse

I don’t know that I’ve got a comment on “who” would make a good partner. However, this is a very interesting question. I like the suggestion of someone who has been on multiple backwoods extended hunts. For me, not much beats experience.

I can’t ever see myself completely losing it out in the woods. No GPS, pull out the compass and map. That seems odd. Did you ever figure out what triggered his panic attack?

The main characteristics I would be looking for would be a guy who is a natural problem solver, rational thinker and has a positive personality. There are so many parts of ones character to think about but in the end, it would be best if you could find someone that doesn’t drive you crazy !

The trigger! Ya it was a flat tire on top of the atigun pass// combined with the realization he would be sleeping in a tent and it was snowing out..

The guy is still a good friend just not a hunting partner..

The worst part of all of that hunt is thre was 6 of us.. we were hunting the haul road so it wasnt like there was no one around that could render help if needed.. I had hears stories about finding a good hunting partner and saw first hand.. He was terrified and wanted to turn around and go home before we even started hunting.. nervous wreck for days… The rest of us made a bang of a hunt out of it regardless….

now me and another buddy are planning a moose hunt and it is what got me thinking about it!

we will be on a river that is according to the area biologist only hunted by two people n the last 12 years its a class 1 river but has lots of bears due to the salmon runs..

This is a time of year guys are planning this type of hunt there are a lot of things to get put in order to make a trip like this happen when you doing it all yourself without any guides..

definitely some good input from you guys.. someone should put together a top 20 reasons to pick a partner and top 20 not to pick that partner…

Please take lots of pics and a journal of your hunt. A backwood moose hunt in Alaska is a dream trip for me. I’m a bit addicted to bear attack books so the combination of bear country and moose hunting is something I hope to notch someday.

So knowing this, I’d find a way to practice drawing and shooting under pressure situations. Not that you can ever be prepared for a bear charge in close quarters, but it’s something I’d definitely want to be “mentally” prepared for.

My biggest fear of a hunt like this would be letting my guard down at the wrong time. I tend to be a watch the shiny object, oh wait another. I can just see myself watching some birds buzz over or something and miss the grizzly charging.

kooty thats is a good idea.. I planned on shooting a lot with my 44mag before the hunt at various ranges but the idea of practice under pressure?? how do you go about that??

my first thought is to go over in your mind of what you would need to do and like you say keep aware.. thanx for the tip.. I will make a point while practicing to do a lot of it from a draw with the holster ill be wearing..

we plan on taking some notes and filming a bunch of the hunt.. then have someone put it all together on a dvd for us.. we are no means professional hunters but sure would make one heck of a journal at the end!

Now if i could just talk the wife into moving up to alaska! I keep working on her every day.. we got a couple years till the kids are strong enough then we are taking a family bou float hunt. That is something we will do weather we can afford it or not!

I watched a show that Bob Foulkrod did a couple years back. He setup some sort of a pulley system in his yard with a 3D target. He was able to simulate a moving animal in a bit of a rudimentary manner. It was pretty cool.

I did a quick search on youtube and didn’t find what I was looking for. You might be able to contact him direct.

http://www.bobfoulkrod.com/

If I lived on the farm, I’d definitely have something like this just for fun. Alaska is a wonderful place. Only been there twice on fishing trips, but I can always feel that draw to return.