Posted on 08/03/2016 6:41:22 AM PDT by w1n1
FINDING THE RIGHT HUNTING partner isn’t something new. Guys and gals have been doing it for years, and when you do find one you usually want to try and keep them around as long as possible. Here in the Arctic I have had several over the years who have brought out all kinds of emotions in me. Some I hated to lose, while others I couldn’t get away from fast enough. So, I have created what I consider to be a checklist to see if you and your partner are compatible when it comes to getting along in the wilds of Alaska or anywhere else, for that matter.
PASSION OR OBSESSION: First and foremost, you need to associate yourself with like-minded people. This will depend greatly on the task ahead and what you truly love to do. Whether it’s hunting hardcore for wild sheep or mountain goats or maybe chasing caribou for days, crossing miles and miles of tundra before taking a break, you will need somebody who cares enough to stay in shape and not bow out when things get really tough.
SHARING THE LOAD: This comes in many forms and is probably one of the biggest when it comes to forming and ultimately ending a hunting partnership. Great hunting partners are just that, and it doesn’t always have to do with the hunting part. For the most part it begins long before the hunt begins.
CAMP ETIQUETTE: Speaking of camps, this part of the hunt may sound trivial but it isn’t – for me, it’s one of the biggest factors when it comes to choosing the right person to hunt with. Here in Alaska, most if not all hunting is done from a camp (though in best-case scenarios, maybe a lodge or cabin of some kind). It doesn’t matter whether you fly out and do a DIY camp, where you will be living on the tundra for seven days with nothing but a tent or two, or boat upriver to stay in a rundown shack buried in the spruce trees along the bank for the weekend, how you conduct yourself in camp will tell everyone there what kind of person you are.
GEAR JUNKIES: This type of hunting partner is special and it’s always good to have someone in camp who shares his or her passion when it comes to the latest and greatest. I'm not one of those but consider myself more of a “what has worked for me in the past will usually work this time” kind of guy.
MR. PHOTOGENIC: Photos are an important part of any hunt. I know they are to me and not just because I’m a writer. Being able to recapture the day or days in the field are big parts of any adventure. The idea of looking at a photo and remembering a particular camp or sight that many will never see is truly special to most of us. See the rest of the story here.
I married my hunting partner!
A:
How about Dick Cheney? ;-)
I prefer my younger nephew, a AF PJ who can easily pack any moose, great shot, and super cool patriotic individual; even got a silver star and two bronze stars in his resume: just too many deployments for so much hunting. I have subsistence tags here along the Yukon, so nephew gets some shooting too.
I’m pretty sure those are “C’s”.. d;^p
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