# Hiking alone?



## Isuckathunting (Sep 15, 2019)

Just curious after the alone in the wilderness post, how many hike/scout/hunt alone often? I know they say not to and that it's dangerous but I do it all the time. I usually try to invite people but having to coordinate schedules and convince someone, it seems like it's either go alone or don't go at all. 
I went on a 15 mile solo scouting trip last weekend and had the thought about what would happen if I broke an ankle seven miles in. I think in part because I'm growing up and have a wife and kid at home now, I'm thinking about the dangers more. I was curious what people do to combat the possible danger in going alone, or if they don't go? I'm considering maybe getting a satellite communicator, like the Garmin inreach or a locator beacon for emergencies. I feel irresponsible going out deep into the backcountry to hunt or scout in areas I don't know well and doing it by myself but I don't really no what else to do.


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

Last season I spent a total of 22 days alone in the backcountry. I actually prefer to hunt alone most of the time. That being said, I don’t take unnecessary risks and always let my wife know the general area I’m in. I’m also getting an inreach, just in case things go sideways


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

If you want to go for a hike or do some scouting and can't find anyone to go with you then you have to go by yourself. 

The majority of my hunting partners moved away from where I live over 20 years ago and if I want to go I pack up and go. Even if I do some out of state scouting I'll plan on doing it by myself since I have learned that there is only one person that you can depend on if you want or need to do something. 

I have even met a few others that drive over a 1000 miles to go hunting by themselves. They also have learned that finding someone to make a solid commitment to do something are slim to none. Even on my coues deer hunt down in Arizona I checked with a few others that might want to go but none of them wanted to take the time to to go with me since they would not have a tag. Even a month before the hunt I planned on going by myself until a friend in another state called and said that he could get the time off of work and would be glad to tag along. Other than him I would of went by myself.


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## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

I've been hiking alone for a couple decades now. I was a solo hiker before a solo hunter.

I do consider what I do when back there. This last weekend I specifically recall this one deadfall, and I decided to go back up the mountain, and around it, instead of hoping over to the next log. It just seemed on the border of too risky. Small decisions like that. Back of my mind was wondering if id slip and twist an ankle, or get myself impaled on a branch.

Got an inReach Mini a couple years ago. It's worth it the initial cost and the monthly fee. If i didn't have it, my wife probably would have put an end to my backcountry wanderings awhile ago.


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## Slap That Quack (Mar 2, 2017)

I hunt and hike alone most of the time. It is hard to get people to commit or coordinate schedules alot of the times.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

I hunt on my own a lot, and the majority of time plan it that way because I enjoy it so much.
I only have one hand and I try my best to plan accordingly.
A few years back I was on a four day ‘survival’ trip where I only took a small amount of vegetables and my self-imposed punishment if Idid not catch fish was to have some pretty crappy meals.
While preparing a fish I set my knife down to remove some entrails and then reached over for my knife again and sliced open my finger.
By the time I retrieved a bandage and put it on a cut finger while only using one hand I made a bloody mess.
I believe if people would hunt on their own a little bit they might realize how special it is and quit filming/posting for a minute.....


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## slapwater (Jun 18, 2009)

All the time. I like to hunt and fish with other people about 30% of the time and on my own the other 70%. I just need the solitude for my sanity. I did get an InReach last year that I take with me. Honestly, my wife and I enjoy canyoneering in Southern Utah and we got the InReach more for that than my hunting and fishing but it's given my wife piece of mind. I'm going on a 9 day wilderness fishing trip in Alaska this summer and it will be nice to let her know I'm alive each day.


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## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

Slap That Quack said:


> I hunt and hike alone most of the time. It is hard to get people to commit or coordinate schedules alot of the times.


This.

Everyone I know has their own family/job commitments, their own schedules, and their own ideas on what they want to do. I've hunted with a partner, exactly twice. Aside from that, for some people, hunting season is more of a traditional family outing, and they go to the same place every year, and sit in the same trees. I'm never invited on these hunts, and I'm not sure if I'd go even if i was. I've grown too used to doing my own thing. When your by yourself, you have complete freedom do what you want, how you want, at what pace you want.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

About 40 years ago I set out to go to all the lakes in the High Uintas and the Wind River Mountains. So far I've done 647 lakes in the Uintas and 650-some in the Wind Rivers, mostly alone and many on week-long hikes....a lot of it off trail.

I'm 69 now, physically fit but have some short-term memory problems that would cause problems hiking, even in country I've been in a number of times.....It's like this; I can vividly remember all the details of the first time I solo-hiked the Wind River Mountains end-to-end 25 years ago but I can't remember where I pitched my tent, set camp, today.

I hiked 1000s of miles alone. Climbed a lot of mountains, solo. Hunted big game alone, packed a lot of elk out on my back, alone. The stories I could tell. Personally, I just don't advise it.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

Last year was the first time I had spent a good amount of time scouting and hunting solo. It was nice to be out in the woods with no distractions, no schedule and no differing opinions.

That being said, the things you experience in those situations are best shared with others.


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## buck (May 27, 2020)

I prefer hunting/hiking with a partner for the shared memory aspect, but as many have pointed out, this is not always easy to pull off due to different schedules, commitments and strategies. Either way, it’s just good to get out.


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## Isuckathunting (Sep 15, 2019)

Glad to see I'm not the only one. Sounds like quite a few use the inreach as well. I'll have to look more into a beacon or inreach for emergencies and to keep my wife happy with me being out alone so much.
Goob, your experience of that many lakes and areas in both the Winds and the Uintas is incredible. I love both those areas. I wish Wyoming didn't have the wilderness hunting stipulation for non residents or I would be up there as quick as I could draw tags despite NR tag fees.


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## 7mm Reloaded (Aug 25, 2015)

Always had more luck with someone around, don't know why? And who is going to help you pack out that elk 10 miles in on a warm fall day. Others can remind you how much fun you had when you start to lose it. lol


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I wasn't sure if I want to share on this thread or not but I feel I need to.
I'm going to share a couple personal crazy stories which might save someone's life one day. 


Story #1:
I was scouting an area alone and it was the night before the opener of the rifle deer hunt. About an hour before dark, it started snowing really hard. I was bush wacking some pretty thick brush when suddenly I came to the edge of a clearing and there was small tent about 50 yards away. I could hear people talking inside the tent but couldn't understand what they were saying. I figured they were hunters set up for the next day. The moment I stepped forward to go talk to them and find out where they were planning on hunting the next morning. I heard a voice as loud as if someone was talking right in my ear. What I heard were two words " LEAVE NOW" and the hair on the back of my neck stood up and a true fear came rushing into my soul. I new that if I went and talked to whoever was in that tent, I would be killed. I quickly snuck out of there and went straight to my neighbor who was a game warden. I told him my story and that I even smelled something musky and out of place. Maybe they were poachers and had an animal already down. He was already scheduled to be somewhere the next day and couldn't check it out. So I got to a high spot about a 1/2 mile from that tent location a little after first light the next morning, two guys came out of the tent. One guy had a huge knife on his belt and had a rifle in his hand in which he went and put it up against a tree. The other guy had a handgun on his hip. From my high perch and looking through my spotting scope, I could see that these guys had cut down a lot of the tall oak trees around their tent and had stacked them up making a 5' tall wall. Anyways, after giving another report of what I saw, a team of LEO's raided the camp and found it was a pot growing operation with over 1,000 plants just cut and hanging on racks drying out. So that's the musky scent I had smelled. That voice I heard may have being a spirit or an angel or maybe some kind of crazy strong intuition. All I know is if I would have ignored that voice, I would not be typing this story right now. 
So please, if you have a bad feeling about something, don't go through with it and listen. 
Oh BTW, I received $500.00 cash from the DEA for my report.


I'll share another hunting near death experience in a day or two.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

Very cool experience, Ridgtop. Thanks for sharing that. 

I prefer hunting with a friend (or at least driving/camping with a friend even if we hunt alone). Like others, however, I end up hunting alone frequently just because schedules don't always work out. I enjoy it, but I'm much more cautious nowadays.


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## slapwater (Jun 18, 2009)

If you're looking for a Satellite communicator, the Garmin InReach SE+ which is the full sized full GPS model, is on sale right now at Sportsman's Warehouse. I use the mini and it's great but at $120 off, this is a pretty good price.


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## Isuckathunting (Sep 15, 2019)

ridgetop said:


> Anyways, after giving another report of what I saw, a team of LEO's raided the camp and found it was a pot growing operation with over 1,000 plants just cut and hanging on racks drying out. So that's the musky scent I had smelled.


Crazy story ridge. Makes me think of a Meateater podcast I heard recently. I think it's called the Weed Warden. It's all about one game warden who sort of went tactical to fight backcountry drug growers. It's pretty interesting to hear what he does to make busts and how much damage those growers do. They use tons of water and often poison animals to keep them away. A real interesting listen for anyone, but maybe especially you since you've seen it.


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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

I nearly always hunt and scout alone; I don't have any hunting friends out here. My wife and kids are starting to get into it a little, but I'm sure they'll only hunt 1/8th the number of days I do. We're both pretty comfortable going solo deep into the high backcountry. We've both spent a lot of time running around in the mountains by ourselves, high on rocky ridges, through the night, keeping and eye on the skies, etc. It's all about risk judgement calls and not taking "high consequence" risks when solo. I got a Spot 2 way messaging device last year at my wife's request, which of course is the smart thing to do.

Every year I get a little older, the more I think about the possibilities of how things can go wrong and the more cautious I become.


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## buck (May 27, 2020)

7MM RELOADED said:


> Always had more luck with someone around, don't know why? And who is going to help you pack out that elk 10 miles in on a warm fall day. Others can remind you how much fun you had when you start to lose it. lol


I agree about the pack out! I was always told packing out an elk is a team sport haha.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

I think it is easier to find a spouse than to find a great hunting companion/friend (human).

The dependency on technology and instant communication have caused so many people to doubt their abilities- and rightfully so if they have not developed their abilities. Start slow, pay attention, don't press one's luck or push beyond one's abilities. Don't not go because it is a solo trip, just be more careful and more aware of the situations and circumstances. And don't depend on safety tech- I've known of 2 different people whose locators failed while they were fine- causing more worries for those at home and even search and rescue operations.

I spent many days traveling out of state or into wilderness areas with 2 great friends- my horses. Sure, I could have been hurt or had some devastating experience. I could also get hit by a car on the walk to see a neighbor. Now, I still go alone at times- have a CO deer hunt this Fall and will be there alone- but I like to share the memories, so I'm just not that excited about it. Glad I have memories of the past, though. Seems like the safety issue isn't a problem, but the solo issue isn't as much fun any more.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Packout, what unit in Colorado did you draw?


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## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

Packout said:


> I think it is easier to find a spouse than to find a great hunting companion/friend (human).


I think your right. Which is why some time ago I found myself mulling over getting a dog as a hunting buddy. For awhile, it bothered me being by myself all the time, but I just got used to it, and I'm over it. Maybe even prefer it, not sure.

I also think A LOT of hunters go solo. I used to think i was amongst a small subset of hunters in that regard, because everyone I know hunts with a partner every season, and conventional outdoor wisdom is always "don't go alone". I pretty much hunt in a bubble, so I had no reason to think otherwise. That said, i've learned there are a lot more solo hunters then I had originally thought.


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

I'm either with my little brother or solo. Finding a good reliable hunting partner if you don't have a little brother is tough haha. Even if i'm solo I have someone that will drop everything to pack something out


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

I've been hiking and hunting solo for decades. Somebody always knows where I'm going and when I'll be back. I tend to be overly cautious and choose a longer route over one that is less safe. Most importantly, I'm always prepared to spend the night even if it's a short hike - fire kit, a couple flashlights, survival blanket, paracord, water and my .44 mag. The side arm is a signal device, although I'm not sure how many people know the 3 shot signal these days.

There's only been one time when I was really worried. Hunting elk, I was 3 miles from my ATV and in the bottom of a draw when I got stung by a bee. It burned like mad, but I wasn't concerned until I had an allergic reaction about 15 minutes later. I started to have a hard time breathing and I could actually feel my heart pounding. I knew I needed to get to high ground if I wanted help, but also knew that was a bad idea with my symptoms. I'm not one to panic, but I started to panic as the symptoms got worse. I had enough presence of mind to just plant my butt. Fortunately, the symptoms began to subside after an hour or so and I then (very slowly) made my way back to the ATV and back to camp. I've since added an epipen to my pack.

As for a packout, I have an agreement with a group of friends that if one of us needs a hand, we'll all do our best to assist. I've been called numerous times to help haul out animals, but my turn hasn't come yet. Still, I strongly advise setting up your own network like that.


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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

That really would be scary! a couple of years ago during the Wasatch 100 race, somebody died on the trail, I think in the bountiful area. I cannot remember the details, but I think they determine the most likely cause of death was bee sting induced heart attack.

I've only had one someone scary situation in the mountains. I was running alone and made it up to the top of a peak about 3,000 ft vertical and 3 miles away from the trailhead. It was cold and drizzly so everything was wet. I had planned to do a larger loop so I went down the other side of the peak, which I had been on before, and I knew I had to be extremely careful going down because the trail is basically extremely steep hardpan dirt with marble-sized pebbles and scattered with razor-sharp limestone boulders. 

Even though I was being really careful, I slipped and fell right onto one of the razor sharp limestone rocks. I hit between my hip and my ass cheek. I could feel that it was pretty bad when I hit. I took a look under my shorts and it was a 4 inch long, 2 or 3 inch deep gash. It wasn't bleeding profusely, because I think it was mostly within fatty tissue. I was alone, and had nothing but my t-shirt and shorts. I knew I had to stay calm so that I didn't go into shock, so I made sure my breathing was slow and kept my wits about me. After a couple of minutes, I got a bit light headed and felt like everything was about to go dark. So I bent over grabbed a rock and tried breathing very slowly and deeply. I was starting to feel better, so I stood up and started making my way back to the trailhead. Luckily, right after I started back I ran into a couple of girls that were hiking and they had loaded packs so I begged a packet of cheese crackers off of them. After eating that started on my way and made it back to my car without any further trouble.

The funny part is, it was only grandeur peak above Mill Creek. But, it just as easily could have been North thunder above Little cottonwood.

The lesson here, is to always make sure you have some sort of calories and a painkiller with you when out in the woods. Those two things can help prevent going into shock if something happens.


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