Estimating the rut’s end

Someone asked me today how much longer the rut would last. It's a good question, and the breeding period is moving from the chasing into the rutting phase.

Many deer researchers feel the main or primary rut will last 10-14 more days, and that seems about right. Much depends on weather, hunting pressure, available food supplies and other factors beyond the control of anyone.

Hunting pressure isn't heavy in my area, and there is an abundance of high-protein food. The weather is the major unknown factor that we must deal with from year to year. The three-day blow didn’t help anything although some bucks moved during the wind.

Hard wind storms or warm weather slow the rut.

Wind is the one major thing that can affect deer movements. A strong wind is troubling for deer under the best of circumstances, and during the rut it can limit their movement and breeding activity. The deer really began  chasing and breeding does about Oct. 23, and if researchers are correct, we may have until just before the firearm opener, although some carry-over rutting will be seen..

Unseasonably warm weather can slow the rut, and a combination of warm temperatures and strong winds are not a good omen. Cool temperature make deer move.

Two weeks ago we checked a scrape along one of our little trails, and a buck had pawed the dirt and kicked it around. It was the first time I'd seen that scrape, and it was freshly opened up each of the next three or four days, and then the buck stopped using it. Here’s why that happened.

Once bucks abandon an active scrape, it usually means the rut in full swing. Sure, a small buck may visit the scrape in hopes of lining up an unbred doe, but Big Boy knows where the estrus does are at all times.

Hunters who spend time in the woods have seen chasing-rutting bucks for about 10 days. I saw some big bucks in the distance tonight, and they were moving hard to keep up with the dwindling supply of unbred does.

The rut is better understood now than when I first began hunting, and I've studied bucks for many years. My land is about as wild as it can get, and we're starting to see a bit less activity each night. Many bucks (and does) are still holing up in standing corn fields, and why not. It provides good cover and great food. If there is a low spot with water, deer won’t leave the area.

Many corn fields remain uncut which accounts for a lack of buck signtings.

A buddy said last night he figures much of the breeding portion of the rut will wind done within 10-14 days. He is out in the field every day, and can accurately gauge rutting activity based on what he sees.

Of course, in 28 to 30 days, some of the younger does will come into estrus for the first time and will be bred. This second rut is a mere shadow of the first rut, but I've seen bucks breeding does in January and have had large bucks hold their antlers into March.

Nature has its way of regulating the rut, and the main purpose is to have most of the does bred in late October and early November so they will have their fawns once the spring's lush new growth appears. The newborn fawns will need plenty of food to eat.

On the flip side, does that are bred late in December or January have their fawns much later in the spring, and those little deer often don't get enough food  and may starve to death during their first winter.

Hunt hard the next two weeks were does and food is plentiful.

Hunters who hunt every night as I do will know when the primary rut is over. It's a widely speculated event, but it's over when it is over and there is no need for the fat lady to sing.

Until then, I'll be hunting every night for that one chance at a big buck. He's out there, and I've seen him, but hunting a trophy buck -- even during the rut -- is never easy. Success is a chancy thing.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Hunt rutting bucks

Trying to anticipate what a buck will do during the rut is like listening to a politician's promise. Both are risky ventures.

Frankly, the only predictable thing about a rutting buck is his unpredictability. They do things that make absolutely no sense to the bow hunter, but apparently, their actions make sense to them.  

The oddities of rutting bucks have been well documented. What is seldom stressed is how their mood swings influence their actions, but seldom will they be totally clueless. They do not lose their inherent fear of humans, and a buck that hears, sees or smells a hunter, will waste little time getting out of there.

Rut hunting is no time to be careless about human scent.

This means that hunters can take no liberties with being downwind of known travel routes. We also must sit still, don't move and take only high-percentage shots. Another thing to note is that bucks are seldom still, and hunters must be prepared for a quick and accurate shot.

The most predictable thing about a rutting buck is he will never be far from his latest squeeze. Of course, as soon as he's had his way with her, he is off on a continuing search for other estrus does to breed.

Remember the buck will always be near the does. He may hang back in heavy cover near a food source, but once she moves, the buck is on her trail again. It's one reason why hunters often set up a stand in the heavy cover near a food source.

A buck will cruise back and forth as the doe feeds, and will check other does to determine how close they are to estrus, but he'll be keeping a close watch on his current lady friend.

Bucks will often be seen crossing open fields as they course a doe. He will go where she goes, and if she is almost in estrus, he will be everncloser. If she goes left or right, he will cut her off, and if she head-fakes him into going one way while she goes the other, he will soon catch up with the wayward doe.

Hunting rutting bucks can be easy or difficult, depending on the animal.

Hunting these animals can be great fun, and almost every hunter will say; "So close and yet so far away" at one time or another. The bucks and does often travel just out of bow range, and it's not a deliberate thing. The hunter makes a mistake by setting up just out of effective bow range.

It's difficult to go wrong by hunting fairly close to fields where does will feed. Choose one of the corners, and especially the field-edge corner with the heaviest nearby cover. That is where bucks will hang out to watch the does, and it’s here they often pace back and forth.

That doesn't mean the buck won't enter a feeding field, and often by luck or design, a doe will lead an amorous buck past a ground blind or tree stand, but it's not something to bet the homestead on.

Tending bucks are vocal bucks, and a buck about to breed a doe will be grunting with almost every step it takes. This tending grunt is low and guttural, and sometimes it can be heard for 100 yards and at other times the buck may only be 20 yards away when the sound is heard. In some cases the sound is like a ventriloquist "throwing" his voice; it's almost impossible to tell where the sound comes from in heavy fog.

Bucks will sometimes still check ground scrapes, but once the rut really kicks offs, they stop opening up and freshening scrapes. They have used those scrapes over the past 10-14 days to locate estrus and soon to be ready does, and every buck in the area knows which does will soon be bred.

Learn about rutting bucks by hunting them, and learn from your mistakes.

This is when young bucks try to mount the does, but most does will not stand for a lesser deer unless the big buck has been killed. Few 1 1/2-year-old bucks do any breeding. Their day will come in two or three years unless they get shot by a hunter.

Hunting the rut is entirely different than hunting bucks at other times. Hunters must start thinking like a buck, and once they figure out where the does are, and where the thickest cover is (where much of the breeding takes place), it becomes a bit easier... but not much easier.

Rut hunting is never easy, but it stimulates your brain and makes hunters think. And that is always a good thing at this time of year.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Old stomping grounds

Deer hunters are creatures of habit. Many staunchly resist any change.

Many will sit, year after year,  on the same stump along the same runway, as they did 10, 15 or 20 years ago. It's difficult for many sportsmen to break this old habits, and some deer hunters never try. It becomes a tradition to again hunt where a buck was killed sometime in the far distant past.

They often feel: If it was good 20 years ago, it will be a good spot now. Won't it?

That seldom is the correct answer.

Maybe yes and maybe no. That tradition of returning, year after year, to the same spot has probably saved the lives of more bucks than poor shooting or a lack of preseason scouting.

Sadly, clinging to a traditional spot, even when it no longer is hot, is a lesson in frustration. It also leads to fiery claims by skunked hunters that the Department of Natural Resources' reports of abundant whitetails are inflated or based on little or no knowledge.

Perhaps this season is the time to cast aside the traditional old haunts, and think about trying a new area. Too many people never realize that food and habitat conditions can and do change, and if the landowner doesn't do something to make the land produce more food and offer more cover, the deer will move on. It's as simple as that.

Deer are animals of farmland and woodland. Granted, some deer live in deep forest and many live on farms, and that's a fact of life in this state.

If you agree that a new hunting location should be tried, where should hunters start in their search for a new spot to test their luck or skill?

Hunters can start with the DNR. They keep track of deer trends, and know which counties have the highest deer numbers and which ones produce the largest deer. The county extension agent often deals with farmers and other landowners, and they also can help.

The southern half of the Lower Peninsula is the best place to start looking.

Determine if you want to hunt the Upper or Lower Peninsula, but if you've read hunting reports elsewhere about deer hunting prospects, the U.P. is not the place to go. The area with the most deer is south of an east-west line from Bay City to Grand Rapids.

Start asking questions. Learn which counties produce big bucks and lots of deer, and learn why deer numbers are high in such areas. Determine the availability of state or federal lands nearby, but both state and federal land is quite sparse and is overhunted in the southern Lower Peninsula.

Spend time scouting two or three different areas. Determine which ones offer the best combination of land, cover, deer foods, bedding cover and access. Walk around the land, and check for well-used deer trails leading from bedding to feeding areas and back.

Look for buck rubs and deer scrapes in late October. Check barbed wire fences for bits of hair that indicate deer passing through the area. Talk to the farmers.

Talk with nearby landowners to determine their idea of hunting pressure. Often, in agricultural areas, the major hunting pressure is from the landowner and his or her family and close friends.

Think about leasing land. It’s expensive but the best way to find great hunting.

Consider the possibility of leasing hunting rights. Fees vary depending on length of the lease, property size, whether it is ideal or marginal deer habitat, and what it offers the hunter.

No one owes today's sportsman anything in terms of hunting private property. Farmers manage their land to produce big bucks, and crop lands are rotated and some timber is cut. Doing so helps maintain good hunting, but it's a never-ending learning process to keep up with where whitetails travel after crop rotation and timbering takes place.

Hunters spend countless hours scouting their land. Deer habits change, food supplies change, and hunting pressure can make deer seek quieter areas. A hunter doesn't know these things unless they spend time in the field on a regular basis and wear off some boot leather.

Public lands feature too many hunters in narrowly confined areas, and the hunting pressure is far too high. Food supplies are far better on private land than state or federal lands. Private property holds deer, and, in many areas, it supports more whitetails than public land. For this reason it's easy to understand why more people lease hunting land even though the price of leasing acreage is rising.

Whether a hunter leases private land, hunts on public land, or manages to wangle an invitation from a landowner, scouting is a never-ending process. Hunters who don't scout old land or new land run a major risk of not being successful.

Knowing what lies over the next ridge and why deer travel one trail and not another is why some sportsmen bag whitetail bucks year after year, and why others never tie their tag to the rack of a good buck.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Study the does & shoot a rutting buck

The doe was acting a bit shaky last fall. She would stop, start, and move a bit, but from my elevated stand, my attention was riveted on the late-October whitetail doe.

Her actions were keeping me informed on where the buck was standing, out of sight. I couldn't see the antlered buck from my vantage point downwind of the doe and buck, but the antlerless deer was some agitated. The buck was nearby, of that there was little question, and her sides were heaving from being chased.

The buck had apparently bird-dogged the doe across the field and through the woods, but this was the chasing stage, one of my favorite times to hunt. She was close to estrus, but she wasn't quite ready for breeding. It primes the pump, so to speak.

Panting does have been chased a long distance.

The buck knew that, and there seems to be a direct correlation between the chasing phase and the beginning of the rut. Biologists feel a buck chasing the doe gets both animals  ready for the breeding period.

My bow was ready, and although I suspected a big buck was chasing this doe, I had yet to see the animal. The doe, by her actions, told me where the buck was, and whether he was standing still or moving.

She kept peering back into the heavy brush, and try as I may, the buck was impossible to see although there was no doubt in my mind that he wasn't there. The doe was twitchy; moving, stopping, switching her tail, and turning to face the brush before turning and facing her body away from the buck but looking back over her shoulder.

She was sending body language signals to the buck, and he was moving slightly. Her ears would twitch up, swivel toward some sound unheard by me, and then the buck would apparently stop. I was beginning to think these two deer would carry on like this for hours.

In reality, as the sun headed toward the western horizon, the doe moved slightly toward the buck, and then wheeled and ran off 20 yards before stopping to look back. She was getting this old boy fired up, and her message apparently was getting through to him.

Her head movements pinpointed the buck’s location, and it took 10 minutes of probing the alder brush before my binoculars picked out the white bone of an antler tine. The buck was standing stock still, not moving, and contently letting the doe lead the show.

I knew this wouldn't last forever, and sooner or later the buck would make his move. The doe would let me know when that was about to happen.

Her ears perked up again, her head changed positions, and I knew the buck had moved again. The binoculars scanned the area where the buck had stood, and sure enough, he was gone. I followed the direction of her head, and after five minutes of looking, found the buck again.

Watch the doe & she’ll lead you to the buck.

He was getting closer to the edge of cover, and by now, the sun had set. There was less than 30 minutes of shooting time left, and I knew he would soon take up the chase again. The big question was whether he would offer a shot or choose to circle the doe, and force her into running off with him in hot pursuit.

Ten minutes of shooting time remained when the action started. The doe whirled at the sound of his first tending grunt, and she cut a lick for the open field, running hard. The buck was patient, and he slowly moved toward the edge of cover on a wooded ridge, and watched her go. He knew he could track her down.

He had only to move 10 yards in my direction, and it would be possible for a shot. He moved half that distance, stopped, and my bow was up and ready. When he moved, he exploded from cover like a ruffed grouse taking wing, and was at an instant gallop.

He offered me no opportunity for a shot, even though I was ready, and as he began moving, it was easy to tell he was a high and wide 10-point with good mass. He crashed off through the brush, and there is no doubt that he caught and bred that doe that night.

The lesson behind this anecdote is to study does during the pre-rut and rut seasons. They can, by their head and body language, tell the hunter where the buck is and what he is doing.

Be patient & play the waiting game.

There are many times when this leads to a shot, and there are times when luck is riding along with the buck. However, study this body language as often as possible, and learn more about hunting bucks. The does can teach hunters this important lesson, and bow hunters who don't spook does but study their actions will often take a nice buck.

You can bet on it.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

What is an archery deer hunter?

The above title is a question that has been asked of me many times, and it's always a very difficult  one to answer. A true bow hunter is a combination of many things, all of which are upstanding and good.

*A bow hunter is ...

*A person who revels in nature, loves the outdoors, seeks a difficult challenge,  equals the odds between hunted and hunter as much as possible, and who is finely tuned to the ways of the game we seek.

We know why we hunt and never have to justify it.

*One who seeks his or her game on a one-on-one basis, and who strives to get close enough to deliver a quick and certain death from a well-placed arrow.

*A person who masters accurate arrow placement, and one who spends long hours testing personal mettle against a whitetail buck that is more attuned to its surroundings than we are. This person shrugs off rain, forgets about windy weather, and laughs at a snowstorm. Deer hunters hunt deer, and weather conditions are meaningless. We become one with the weather, and use it whenever possible, to our advantage.

*A hunter who thrills at the small things, and takes brief moments each day to savor the wildness of the animal being hunted and the land where such game lives. We don't live for the kill; we live to have had the opportunity in this free society to hunt in a well regulated manner.

*Someone who knows that getting close to game means knowing and playing the wind, studying the habits of deer, knowing how and when to move, and being one with his bow and the land. He or she finds more love in the act of hunting than in the act of killing although the two are ever-entwined and a respect for the game we hunt is most important.

*One who enjoys the fine feel of a smooth bow, the effortless drawing of the string, the smooth feel of a carbon arrow shaft, and the "whisst" of an arrow leaving the bow. It's the silent but straight flight of a well-tuned arrow, and seeing the broadhead hit where we aim.

We practice shooting hard and hunt even harder.

*Having the knowledge of deer habits that allow us to defeat the most important senses that deer possess: the sense of a deer hearing the faint whisper of clothing against rough bark; a flicker of movement as a hunter comes to full draw prior to a shot; or the deer's sense of smell that allow them to pinpoint a careless human presence.

*More than just someone who takes but gives nothing back to nature. A bow hunter is more than a person dressed in camo clothing with a hunting license in his pocket. We are caring, giving folks, who pursue deer with a passion. We are superb hunters because we must be to get close shots at 15 to 20 yards. We are the supreme two-legged hunting predator, and we take pride in our accomplishments without having to brag or gloat.

Part of bow hunting is passing along the tradition to our children.

*It is teaching our children, and our grandchildren, this ancient art of hunting. What we do is a time-honored tradition, and it is a way of life for us and for others who will follow the bow hunter's creed.

We, as avid bow hunters, are above-average in our hunting skills. We rely less on luck, and work hard to elevate those hunting skills that allow us to succeed. We hunt, not because our friends do, but because we must. We need to hunt and we must hunt in order to achieve these skills, and it is through long hours of practice that we become proficient.

We are bow hunters, and we are very proud of it.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Hunt during mid-day now

My wife Kay shot this 12-point in Alabama during the January rut with these tactics.

The buck was banging its antlers against a tree, and I listened to him working a scrape for 30 minutes late last October. The buck was within 20 yards of me but was screened by thick brush and invisible.

I sat in my tree stand and listened. He was close enough to hear the urine hitting the scrape, and he was upwind and the pungent ammonia odor was strong. He worked that tree over, yanked at the overhead licking branch, and for all the noise and commotion he made, the buck was impossible to see.

I checked the spot the next day. He'd been working two scrapes, and one was eight inches deep and as big around as two large turkey platters. The buck had pulled the old licking branch down, and I replaced it. It suited him just fine because the scrape had antler tine marks and a hoof print in it, and the new licking branch looked pretty ragged. The second scrape was opened up, and the licking branch was chewed to a frazzle.

That buck had chewed the licking branch to a frazzle & punished the scrape.

What was even more interesting was that the buck had opened up a third scrape. Huge clots of wet earth was piled at the north end of the scrape, and he had made it the night before. How do I know?

Buck scrapes have dirt and debris piled at one end or another, and if the dirt is piled at the end closest to thick cover, it generally means the deer is tending that scrape in the evening as he leaves the bedding area for a night of chasing cute little does.

This told me several things: One is the rut had not started but the chasing phase had set in. This chasing phase lasts several days before the full rut starts. As long as fresh activity is seen at the scrape, and it is being tended one or more times daily, the rut has not begun. Once the scrapes show no sign of activity, that means the rut is underway.

One thing few hunters realize is that the mid-day hours just before and during the rut can produce a fine buck. A person just needs to be there at the right time/

This buck may have had other nearby scrapes it had been working, but once a buck is shot and is taken out of the woods, another buck will usually take its place. Nature abhors a vacuum, and when a big brown trout or a big whitetail buck is removed, another moves in and takes over.

Hunting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. works well during the chasing stage and the rut. If possible, be in your stand by 9 a.m., and sit patiently. The bucks will move during the mid-day hours.

I first learned of this phenomenon many years ago while hunting ruffed grouse. Two days in a row a buck was seen darting away from me in the same area. I checked the area, found his scrapes, and went back and set up a stand 30 yards downwind of it. The buck came by that first day at about noon, wind-checked the scrape from downwind, and offered me a 12-yard shot.

Hunting the pre-rut and the rut during mid-day hours can pay off. Sure, many can't take time off work to hunt those hours, but keep it in mind for weekends. Hunt near natural funnels between bedding and feeding areas, and once the rut kicks in, start hunting the heavier cover.

Hunt the heaviest cover near feeding areas.

My only real problem with hunting the mid-day hours is a personal one. I'm good for three hours maximum in a tree before everything gets sore. I'll stick it out until about 2:30 p.m., grab a bite to eat, and then hunt from 4 p.m. until legal shooting time ends. It means spending long hours in a tree, but it can pay big dividends with a husky whitetail buck.

This method has worked for me, and can work for you regardless of where you hunt. Try it this fall and see if it doesn't produce action at a time when no one is hunting. It's rut hunting's biggest secret, and now only you, me and several hundred thousand other people also will know it.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

The big-buck hunter

Shooting a big whitetail buck with a bow isn't easy. If it was, everyone would be doing it.

First of all, unless a person hunts on a trophy deer ranch like many of those found around the state, it's difficult to shoot trophy bucks with any consistency on private property or state land. People who are purported to shoot huge bucks in the open range, year after year, are subjected to some close scrutiny.

There are a few really good deer hunters who hunt land where no one else can gain access, and such spots can produce really big bucks. Hunters who have such areas to hunt, and hunt them often for trophy bucks, have one thing in common.

Their desire is simple: to hunt only a big buck.

They have a particular mindset that allows them to focus only on a trophy buck. They never make a movement unless they know what the consequences of that action will be.

Almost every one of them know their bow better than they know the neighborhood they live in. They also know the country they hunt every bit as well as the bucks they hunt.

They know the early season can be a good time to waylay a big buck. They are long on preseason scouting, and are careful not to spook does or big bucks. They approach their scouting with the same degree of caution  and skill as they do when actually hunting.

They know where big bucks travel, and often have them pinpointed so well they know exactly what time the deer will move in specific areas. This mindset of theirs has no time for studying habits of small basket-rack bucks. They ignore the small bucks.

A big-buck hunter is almost always a loner. He is as silent as a ghost in the field, is never heard talking about his little honey-hole, and his mind is always thinking about a big buck. He doesn't allow himself to think about little bucks, does or fawns.

It's not that he ignores other deer but uses them and their actions to alert him to the presence of a larger animal. He knows that big bucks often do most of their chasing of does, and most of their breeding, in thick cover so that is where he will often hunt.

These hunters usually have one to three ways into and out of the area.

Early in the rut these sportsmen may hunt field edges because bucks are moving through such areas, eternally on the lookout for an estrus doe. He goes where the bucks will eventually come: to wherever the largest number of adult does are found. And that is usually near food sources.

The big-buck hunter eliminates those areas where mostly smaller bucks are found. These hunters are always looking for an edge, something that will tip the odds slightly in their favor.

They hunt with their eyes and ears, and often hear a big buck coming before it gets within bow range. They listen intently for a soft twig snap or any sound that could possibly be made by a trophy buck. Rather than looking at the cover, they try to look through it to spot a big rack.

They don't burden themselves with unnecessary equipment, and know where a buck will travel. They don't cut huge shooting lanes in several directions; instead they set up with one primary place to shoot, and they study the area for anything that could deflect an arrow.

They know they may, if very lucky, have only one shot at a trophy buck. They know that in order to succeed, they must be vigilant and ready for a shot at any time. Hanging a bow on a limb has saved many bucks lives.

They shoot once, shoot straight and never miss.

They’ve trained themselves to control their emotions. They don't get rattled when a trophy buck shows up; they come to full draw, aim carefully and shoot accurately. There are no excuses with big bucks; you shoot and kill them cleanly or grieve in silence.

Most big-buck hunters are loners. They don't need a crowd nearby, and they try to keep their hotspot hidden from others. They may walk a mile to enter the woods to be downwind of deer, and they travel noiselessly. They can erect a stand in absolute silence, and if that area doesn't feel right, they give up a night of hunting to keep from spooking a buck.

They are like secret lovers. They don't discuss the deer they shoot, never reveal their hunting locations, and are on red alert whenever they prepare for a hunt. Some watch for cars that may follow them, and will deliberately lead them astray.

There are few deer hunters with the necessary time available to invest in hunting one specific big buck. Those that do are close-mouthed about their hunting prowess, and that enables them to move among other hunters, listen to the gossip, and locate big bucks that other people have overlooked.

Hunting trophy bucks isn't easy. One must learn to pass up a nice buck, knowing it will be even bigger next year. They also know that to shoot a trophy whitetail buck is an accomplishment, and it's what makes them skilled at what they do.

They also know they may go a year or two or three between big bucks, but that is OK. The skill required and the chance to arrow a trophy buck doesn't come often, but when it does, they are ready. They know they will rarely get a second chance.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

The solitary sportsman

Fishing or hunting alone isn’t popular these days. Let’s face it: most sportsmen are gregarious by nature, not by necessity. They like other people around them. It’s like having friendly neighbors at home.

Most sportsmen love the camaraderie of being with other like-minded people, the sharing of nearby campsites or putting a canoe sneak on a bunch of bedded bluegills. Two or more sportsmen enjoy planning their next deer hunt, bear hunt or trout fishing trip … together.

There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it is the preferred fishing or hunting method for most sportsmen. Many would feel lost if their friend or friends were not there to share in the excitement of a grand outdoor adventure.

Many would feel lonely by themselves but not me.

They enjoy sitting at a table, mapping out strategies, discussing who’ll do what and when it will occur, and everyone involved in the planning has a voice in how it will happen. It’s democracy at its finest.

Or perhaps, at its worst, depending on one’s  point of view. There are some bold sportsmen who feel joint fishing or hunting breeds outdoor mediocrity, which may be true. Who can’t argue the fact that the more voices raised in discussion or disagreement over who will fish which trout-stream hole can do nothing except create even more indecision?

I’ve spent 44 years writing outdoor copy for books, magazines and newspapers, and have hop-scotched across North America alone. Often  I’d be the only English-speaking bear, caribou or moose hunter in some remote Canadian hunting camp.

Years were spent driving or flying here or there to fish or hunt. There might be other sportsmen at the end of the trail, but when it came time to fish or hunt, I’d go it alone or go with a guide whenonet was necessary.

Going it alone can be a wonderful experience.

Camp people often asked if I wanted someone to come along, and the answer was always a polite refusal. Going alone was a habit and also something to look forward to. Being alone never bothered me, and being self-reliant was great fun. I knew I could count on myself.

The long hours on the road allowed me to write stories in my head. Stories would later be fleshed out on paper, but people often asked how I could write so many stories.

“I write while driving,” I’d say. “I also write things in my mind while glassing distant alpine meadows for elk or rocky tundra for caribou. If a good fish is caught, its memory is captured by my mental camera, and recorded on paper later for a magazine or newspaper article.”

What benefits exist for solitary anglers and hunters? The benefits far outweigh the disadvantages of spending time with another person. Mind you, cutting up and packing out a moose isn’t any fun alone.

The benefits of going it along can outweigh the disadvantages.

The advantages of being alone are many. Solitary sportsmen never must consider another’s opinion when making vital decisions. They just act on a whim. If they err, it’s their fault. It wasn’t a two-person mistake.

If we fish Michigan’s AuSable River, one of us goes upstream and fishes down while the other fishes downstream and walks back up. I’m not selfish, but what happens if both people want to fish down or upstream?

A decision must be made. One person may be miffed. Of course, both anglers could fish together but to what purpose? Doing so makes no sense.

One person moves quieter, picks his spots with greater patience and wisdom, and never must argue or defer to the wishes of others. Two people means both must make a decision, and that requires time and discussion. Three people confuse the issue even more. Joint decisions create headaches for everyone involved.

The solitary sportsman doesn’t have this foolishness to contend with. He reaches a fork in the trail, and doesn’t have to discuss whether to go left or right. Taking the high or low road is a solitary decision, and one easily made. It becomes mentally easier to travel the path least traveled.

Making decisions is easy when you are alone.

I have great difficulty sleeping when someone nearby snores loudly. I’m tired daily from too little sleep. If it costs extra for a private room, I’ll hit the hip to avoid this problem. I’ve tried wearing ear plugs but they are uncomfortable and disturb my sleep.

How long one man hunts or fishes is a matter of  personal desire or stamina. There’s no reason another person should cut a trip short just so the other person can go home early. Is this petty or selfish? Not really. It’s being honest about personal desires and being realistic about our expectations and how we choose to spend our leisure time afield.

Modern sportsmen have only so much free time. If it is shared with others, and another person places constraints on our mutual time, it becomes necessary to decide the issue. Is it easier to give in to a buddy’s needs or go about our outdoor activities alone? I prefer the latter.

I suspect the solitary sportsman concept will become more common in future years. Many who truly love the outdoors will decide whether to fish or hunt with someone or not. Conversely, if one fishes or hunts with others, and cuts a day short for personal reasons, how will friends feel about giving up some of their valuable leisure time? Not well, I suspect.

I hate riding with others because if they decide to quit early, you are stuck.

A common thing with me now is to always drive my own car. If the other person thinks they must leave early, it’s so long, have a good day. If you ride together in his vehicle, your personal trip is ruined.

My early travels were always alone. I could barely afford the travel myself, let alone take someone along. It became easy to spend nights in camp, after dinner, writing notes about the day. I would always take a mystery or spy novel along, and pass idle hours reading. Rather than watching television, my choice is to entertain my brain with a book.

There are too many decisions to be made on fishing or hunting trips, and discussing which end of the lake to fish first is an example of wasted time. Two anglers spend 30 minutes arguing the merits of fishing the north or south ends. It’s senseless. A solitary angler goes where he wants, and thereby has more productive time on the water.

Two hunters share a blind during goose season, and one talks a big honker out of the sky with pleading tones. Who takes the shot? Will the caller be a nice guy and toll in the bird for his buddy to shoot or does he believe he did the work and deserves the initial shot?

A brown trout rises with the regularity of a big fish. Every 30 seconds he tips up, rises, drifts downstream under the natural, and once his suspicions disappear, he sips the spinner off the surface with a head-to-tail rise that shows golden-brown flanks with big black spots.

Who gets the first cast to this beautiful trout? Do we flip a coin or will one or the other of the two anglers push the brim of his cap back, look fondly at his buddy, and says “Go get him.”

Sometimes it plays out that way but more often it doesn’t. All too often one angler or hunter has a wealth of natural angling or hunting skills while the other does not. This calls for some diplomacy, generosity and good will. The solitary sportsman is never faced with such vexing problems to solve. He heads off alone.

Note that this is not written about taking children along. This is about two or more adults. I strongly believe adults should always take children fishing or hunting. The loner role does not apply to kids.

I played the solitary sportsman for many years, without ever feeling selfish, and enjoyed myself. In recent years, as glaucoma robs me of ever more vision, I find pleasure in being Mr. Nice Guy, and have a friend along.

One reason is that 10 years of guiding salmon and trout fishermen plus deer and bear hunters meant I’d done it all many times before. Once a person shoots several black bears, it’s much more fun to be generous and help a first-time hunter bag a nice bruin. Or a big buck or trout.

It’s fun putting an angler into his first steelhead, a 20-pound Chinook or a nice 10-pound brown trout. There is something fulfilling about the light flickering in their eyes, the smile on their face, a warm handshake that makes fishing or hunting together a memorable event.

Solitary anglers or hunters can have a fine time alone.

My wife and I hunt deer together. She goes to her spot and I go to mine, but I go to pick her up. It’s a hoot for me to take some of the things I’ve been good at, and put them to work for someone else. It’s part of why Kay shoots a nice buck every year.

The solitary sportsman is still a big part of my mental make-up, and even though in recent years more time is spent with others, there are days when being alone and experiencing things anew provides me with the same visceral thrills I first experienced many decades ago.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors