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Old 01-17-2023, 11:28 AM
Joes Joes is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2021
Posts: 146
Default Hunting Group Dynamics

Last hunting season I was invited to join a new hunting group for the first time. I happily said yes! I am almost 50 as are the guys in that group. I was shocked at the difference from my other group who are also in their 50’s. The hunting trip etiquette was so vastly different!

It was a 6 day/7 night trip.

Some of the routine seemed pretty standard. Wake up - hunt in the AM. nap /visit/scout game in the early PM - then evening hunt, then supper and visiting. What blew my mind was how these guys spent evenings up till all hours consuming not just a social drink or two - but multiple BOTTLES. And not mickeys or 26’s.more like 40’s. The amount of booze brought was shocking. I’m all for a casual night cap or two but Downing half and half drinks in 5 min and immediately pouring another is not my idea of a good evening. Social drinking took on a whole new meaning. Some of the guys would crack a beer or pour a shot in the morning even.

one guy in particular would come back from the evening hunt and watch movies on his phone while We cooked supper. He would occasionally get up - bud in and stir something lol And then retreat back to his movie. he would toss out complaints like how a person wouldn’t have to clean the table top bbq as often if We weren’t so messy when We cooked or that a person wouldn’t have to do as many dishes if We didn’t dirty as many. Quick to complain but never actually cooked, bbq’Ed or did dishes lol. One of those guys who pipes up about how to do things “right” aka - his way lol, preaches precautionary measures but never steps up and does anything himself. Maybe this is normal hunting etiquette for some but it was sure new to me! Boozing it up all the time and Complaining while letting everyone else do the work? (Is this how he behaves at home?! Is this why he is recently divorced lol?!)

As you can guess - I declined when at the end of the trip, I was asked to join again next year lol. I thought I was over it but just ran into one of the guys up town and suddenly I felt all the frustration all over again. Hence the venting here lol. Not trying criticize or judge their Methods or dynamics. Was just a shock to me and not something I would not choose to surround myself with again is all. Maybe some of you can relate to my frustration or maybe some of you feel my thoughts are old and outdated lol. Either way, maybe it will start a thread of sharing some interesting camp stories or tips/advice on how to survive a group hunting trip and still maintain healthy relations with the people afterwards lol!
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