Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Hunting Solo

I’m thinking along those same lines. We have grays and fox squirrels. Some of the fox squirrels almost qualify as Big Game. My yard is full of grays, all full of the peanuts, sunflower seeds, and corn I set out every day, and those are off limits course. May or may not shoot the wild ones; I never know until the opportunity arises, but the fox squirrels better watch out.

There are a few days between the close of the buck season and the doe season, so I just might grab my new .22 mg AR and give it a go.

Hunt alone 95% of the time or more. Occasionally get with a small gang and put on deer drives, and while I can't knock it because there were yrs that's the only way I got my deer, it's not my preferred method. Usually the only skill involved is the shot, and sometimes not even that as a deer might run right to you.

I prefer to hunt alone and hunt the wind and try to set up a plan. Doesn't always work out of course, but when it does I get more of sense of accomplishment by myself. Dragging out sucks.

Thanks! Gavin and I are old friends and I enjoy working with him. Did you know that there's a written article to accompany almost all of our videos? Just go to the UR website to read them. Sometimes there's a lot more detail in the articles.

Regards, Guy

Nicely done, Guy!

I’m likely 60/40 partner(s)/solo. Really depends where and when but I enjoy facets to each.

Yes. I enjoy hunting alone. I also enjoy hunting with family and/or friends.

Guy

I hunt alone most of the time. Sometimes I get to go with my buddy, but not often. I pretty much do the same thing whether with him or alone. Sit still and wait for a deer to come into range for a shot.

I usually hunt alone. My Dad aged/health issued out quite a few years ago, and my brother never really got into it.

I do have a hunting partner for deer season, but we're basically just a backup call for each other if a tracking or drag out job turns into a rodeo. We hunt separate properties about 90% of the time.

I almost always hunt alone anymore. Most of my deer hunting down here is on a friend’s place where the few of us who hunt there all have our own stands so if I’m out there, everyone knows where. I hunt WMA’s alone. When I go North I hunt with my brothers and friends on the farm, but that’s all elevated stands, so after a few days of that, I go back to the big woods and hunt alone. They no longer go back and do that, having aged out of it. (I’m the oldest of the group at 75, but in a lot better shape.) I passed on a big 8 or 10 point last day I hunted up there, too far back. I’m going to get a deer cart for next year to take back with my climber, looking forward to it already.

I hunt primarily alone- used to go to a camp that could have one other guy in it or 5-6 others and it was nice, but I prefer hunting big woods and none of my friends seem too interested in it.

One year, I found a piece of public land where I found 3 really good bucks for the area, and the best spot I found was about 2 miles from the parking area- and of course the parking area was the highest point of the property (all uphill dragging). The first day of the season I was in my spot before it got light and by 8AM I had one of the 3 bucks gutted and my deer drag tied on. Started dragging and the first 3/8 of a mile was so steep I couldn’t walk with the deer drag up the hill so I had to pull the deer to my chest, step backwards a step or two and repeat a few thousand times (it seemed at the time, anyway). Finally got to the spot where it wasn’t so steep and was able to walk with the deer drag on, but still uphill. I started worrying about getting the deer into my truck because my arms felt like jello after pulling it. I got to the truck at 3:40 PM, and was never so happy to get to the truck.

Unfortunately though, there wasn’t anyone in the parking area to ask for help loading the deer into the bed of my truck. I looked around and there was nowhere to back the truck up to where I could drag the buck into it, my arms were still jello-ish, and when I grabbed the deer, it was pretty stiff, so I was able to lean it up against the tailgate, and pole vault it into the back. If someone was there to watch, I think they would have gotten a chuckle out of it. I remember sitting in the truck and never feeling more comfortable in my life, cracked a Mountain Dew open that I had in the truck and felt pretty accomplished.


The next year I talked my best friend (25 years older than me, in his defense) into going there with me, sat him in the same spot I killed that buck at. Went out to check on him at 11AM and asked him if he saw anything and he did see some deer- “Why didn’t you shoot one?” I asked him. He said, “You’re crazy if you think I’m shooting one back here!” He still had fun being in the woods and seeing deer, so it was worth it.

This is an interesting topic. I have been hunting deer for 30 years and almost all of it has been done alone. There are frequently friends hunting from the same cabin but I have barely ever actually hunted deer along-side someone else. The more I read about some of the remote big woods hunts, the more I see stories of guys hunting in pairs or threes. This makes sense but it was never part of what we did down where I learned to hunt. A big part of it is probably because most people stand hunt in my area. I suspect a lot of difference in hunting styles are based on the region.

Most of my hunting has been alone, but my Son is my go to partner if he can make it. He go's his way and I mine, its great to have help getting something out of the bush, but it is all in the planning, I don't kill anything just before dark that is going to take all night to get out, if that happens, and it has....I look at options.

For me the big advantage to hunting alone is....I don't have to worry about anyone else ie: getting lost, this has happened to me at least 3 times I can think of where I had to drop everything and go looking for them. The one guy would be dead if I didn't find him.

You never are truly alone in the bush.

IME a magnum roll-up toboggan or one of the JetSleds is much easier than a cart. I’ve used them all, and the big downsides of the carts is their weight, the spoked wheels, and the need to balance the load pretty well. The JetSleds are handy around the yard too. I use mine to move bags of mulch and soil, leaves, and wood/tree trimmings, towed behind my Cub Cadet.

Both are also cheaper than all but the cheapest carts, and trust me, you don’t want the cheap ones!

Thanks for the advice Pappy. I’ve been going back and forth over what to get. I’m using my friend’s cart down here currently, but it’s pretty clear path taking them out. I used a sled up north a few weeks ago and have used them up there before. I may well go with some sort of skidder which would be a lot better off the trails and in areas where logging has taken place.

I prefer it. At 25 I took my first ram, solo, 20 miles from the road, across ridge-tops and game trails. Been hooked ever since.

Taken dozens of caribou and at least 10 moose, hunting solo - usually a lot of back-packing from well "back-in".

Getting old now-not as much "fun", but planning it for moose next year again. Bastids ain't near the road, either!

On the trip from where I’ve been taking my deer this year back to the truck, there are a number of logs of varying sizes to go over, and one 24” or so fallen poplar that you have to go under, or drag up a 3’ slippery bank. The JetSleds went right under, as would a toboggan. One sled weighs 11 pounds, the other 6, and a mag toboggan weighs maybe 4. My fancy cart with independent two-wheel carriages on each side goes IIRC 47, but it was on sale!

I must be pretty antisocial, I don't really even enjoy hunting with people. 2x the noise (and that's only for the ones that know how to be quiet), 2× scent, 2x the movement, 1/2 the speed and 1/2 the success. Much rather be solo (except my dog is usually with me).

I hunt alone much of the time. Now that I am older. I am more cautious about climbing up in deer stands and am more careful. Cleaning a deer by myself. Had to do one last week holding a penlight in my mouth to see after dark. I really need to get a good headlamp. I enjoy hunting by myself. It doesn't have to be a social event for me to enjoy it. But I do enjoy hunting with other people.

I have a cart that the jet sled fits perfectly in/on, lots of options if conditions dictate

I usually hunt alone but prefer that someone I know or my son be elsewhere on the property to help out or retrieve me, if necessary. I can’t recall the last time I sat in a blind or other situation with someone else.

The majority of my hunting is done alone now that I'm retired. Most of my friends don't have as much time to hunt as I do. Or can't afford trips out west.
I'm 66 now and plan to keep going as long as I can.