The Solo Hunter
THE SOLO HUNTER
You have hunted for years but have never ventured out for the season alone. This is an eye-opening, exhilarating experience—are you ready? This adventure isn’t for everyone, it requires a unique drive and determination that some may not possess.
Confidence - Fear - Knowledge - Gear
You might hesitate because of a lack of experience, the absence of a trusted
partner, or simply the question of "Why?" If your hunting buddy can’t make it, do you cancel your plans or venture out alone?
If you have some experience, you may feel unprepared due to insufficient camping skills or gear. However, you might already own the essentials from previous group outings, such as a tent and sleeping bag.
When considering a solo hunt, think about your camping setup. You’ll need a manageable tent that you can set up yourself, depending on the type of hunt—whether it’s in mountainous terrain or flatlands. Hiking requires a lighter, more specialized pack, while a drive-in camp allows you to bring more comfort.
Would you hunt alone?
Your hunting drive or desire is really what will get you out alone. Or the thought of seeing a trophy bull or buck or just putting meat in the freezer. Not much fires up the drive to head to the woods every fall. From the beasts, you pursue the smell of a campfire or possibly the changing colors of fall, cooler nights, or days.
Whatever motivates you to hunt, you can’t deny that it happens yearly. Why let this year be lost because others can’t find the time? If you're backpacking, buy a tent or sleeping bag made for the season. You likely already have the rest of your gear.
Conquering Fear
Fear of being alone in the dark, the thought of a remote backpack location, or your ability to trust your navigation skills by reading a topographical map and compass. Not too long ago, this was the only way. Today, many electronic devices will allow you to navigate almost anywhere safely.
GPS Electronic
Zoleo, Spot, Garmin, and your cell phone make navigating worry-free in the
backcountry possible. Technology has made it possible to navigate, call, text, communicate for business, or even give the loved one your day-to-day or hour-to-hour experiences.
With the aid of several companies and downloadable apps, your cell phone will get you to some of the most remote locations in the deepest part of the backcountry imaginable.
What we use
We will have a satellite phone, a Garmin 64, and a cell phone for Alaska or other highly remote locations. We use cell phones simply because of the larger screen than the Inreach or the Garmin GPSMAP 64. Not all locations will have consistent
satellite access. So we will look to the Garmin 64. The SAT phone allows for direct voice-to-voice communication. Inreach allows endless text communication, exact
map locations, and progress emailed directly to your primary contacts back home.
In an emergency, the inreach® and SAT phone are vital to receiving help if needed. Both devices have a single emergency push button. This button will send out an emergency signal for help and your location. For safety, redundant devices come into play when floating Alaska rivers; satellite signals can be difficult through canyons, thick forests, or even the angle of the earth to the location of the satellite.
The lower forty-eight
Navigating the lower forty-eight is possible with your cell phone and a downloaded app, such as onxmaps® and others. We have found that as long as you download your maps onto your cell phone, a person can navigate the plains and rocky mountains with no problems.
Note: Be well-versed and educated on how to use any device you use; this is for safety and so that you can take full advantage of its capabilities. Necessary: Always mark your camp waypoint and trail marker breadcrumbs. Terrain can be challenging to navigate in reverse, so come out the way you go in.
Dark Thirty
Some may be uncomfortable when the sun sets. If you think about it, dangers lurk even during the day. It’s the limited ability to see that drives the fear. The noises you hear during the day are usually the same at night; the difference is that you are more in tune with what goes bump in the night.
Bears can be just as active during the day as at night. If you're backpacking, play it safe by hanging your food and scented items. And never cook in your tent.
In the lower forty-eight, camping next to or in your vehicle can be free of this type of bear problem. During the hunting season, hunters frequent many locations with easy access, such as roads and trails. Most game will be in fear of all the activity.
Note: Keeping a clean camp free of easy-access food items is always best. Why tempt trouble?
FEAR: is it all in your head? For the most part, I would say yes!
That's not to say that we haven’t heard some unidentifiable noises or seen carnivore predators during some of our long nights in the backcountry. But after 45 years of hunting alone, I'm pleased to say I’m still here.
Your natural-born senses
Hunting alone is an eye-opening, exhilarating experience.
From the moment you leave home, your senses and primal being take hold of your thoughts.
You think of many things, but the most prevalent is that you are alone and solely dependent on no one but yourself!
As you progress to your destination, you already feel the separation from the comforts of home and the loved ones you left back home.
As funny as this may sound, the closer you get to your destination, the more you’ve morphed your thoughts into a primal being. You begin to settle your thoughts, and you become deliberate in motion.
The positive benefits of hunting alone
You hunt at your pace and are methodical in everything you do. Your mind becomes more aware of your surroundings, from wind direction to movement and sounds. The pressure to hike your day away has slowed down to a crawl. As you venture deeper into the woods, the slow, methodical movement becomes even more acute.
As days progress, you welcome how self-reliant, aware, and comfortable you have become with your surroundings. This ease of mind and being allows you to enjoy the natural beauty of the great outdoors.
Excellent article.
When me myself and I are hunting you stop talking to your self and start listening to your self and you become the best hunter you can be.