Hunting is one of those things that can be enjoyable in a number of different ways. You can hunt with a bow, a gun, or even a drop spear or a knife in some places. Don’t go running out to the Wyoming wilderness with your atlatl and a spear, though. I’m not sure that’s legal here.
You can hunt private land if you have permission, or you can hunt on public land. You can hunt for big game, small game, waterfowl or upland birds. There are as many ways to hunt as there are hunters.
And you can go by yourself, you can go with your family, or you can go with friends. For me, sharing the hunt with other people is always more enjoyable. I still like to go hunting on my own when I have to, but if I can go with someone else, it’s just that much more fun.
It’s also usually safer. If something happens to you while you’re alone, it takes a lot longer for help to arrive. If you do go hunting alone, be sure to leave detailed notes with someone you trust back home explaining where you think you’ll be and when you’ll be there. If they have to send a search party looking, you’ll be glad you pointed out your location so they don’t have to wander half the state before they even get close.
I’ve had to hunt by myself for the last several years, because I didn’t have the time to plan a hunt with friends. But this year, I’m taking my boys with me to hunt with good friends of ours. I look forward to the hunts with my boys, and also to the evenings around the camp, swapping stories of what we saw each day with those friends.
Alone, with family or with friends, they’re right when they say a bad day hunting is better than a good day working. But it’s even better with company.
