Best option, IMO, is to plan on hunting alone.
Lots of reasons for that...and I'll list a bunch.
1. Its really tough for people to commit. Many want to go, but make up every excuse they can to not go when it comes down to it.
2. If you're applying and drawing tags that arent OTC, it can take years to draw them. When you do, its tough enough to find ONE quality animal, let alone 2, 3, 4 of them.
3. When you finally find some areas, they will be YOUR areas. Its pretty rare to find a hunting partner that will keep their yap shut about your spots. Even worse, many will horn right into spots you've shown them and not even feel bad about it when they do. Some even get upset when you call them on their bullchit.
4. When you hunt alone...you make all your own decisions. If you feel like waking up at 3 a.m. and hiking 4 hours in the dark you can. If you feel like sleeping in until noon and just do an evening hunt you can. YOU control the outcome of your hunt and how you go about it.
Take it from someone who has been there and done that, you'll never hunt more effectively on a serious hunt than when you hunt alone. I spent wayyyy too much of my time in the past worrying about hunting with others and making sure they filled their tags. It wears you down...and I felt exactly like a guide. I put pressure on myself to make sure they were successful. Rarely was that reciprocated.
Dont get me wrong, I still enjoy helping out some friends and tagging along on their hunts. I just dont make any hunting plans revolving around someone elses old lady, schedule, kids, money issues, etc. When I apply for tags, I plan on doing all those hunts solo. If a friend is available and wants to go...great. If not, no big deal either.
My 2 cents.
