Getting Invited Back

By Denny L. Vasquez

How many times have you been invited to hunt someone else’s property, such as a family farm or private lease? Or how many times have you been invited along on a nice hunting trip, say to Colorado for elk, Maine for black bear or Texas for whitetails? Now, how many times have you been invited back?

In today’s increasingly urbanized world, good hunting spots are getting harder to come by. For example, that little creek bottom where I grew up hunting squirrels is now a county park and the only recreation going on there now is the kid’s soccer and baseball games. And the old 350-acre Millsap place where I learned how to hunt deer, raccoon and rabbits is now a victim of the growing urban sprawl that is engulfing the countryside.

This continual decrease in the territory available for hunting and changes in how landowners view hunters and hunting makes it critical that we as hunters mind our manners when the opportunity arises for us to hunt someone else’s property. I recently passed out a survey to over 600 landowners, outfitters and lease managers here in my native state of Texas. In this survey I asked them what they looked for in a hunter when deciding whether to ask them back or to exclude them from hunting with them in the future. I have listed the top concerns below. It might be helpful to review them and keep them in mind the next time you are invited hunting by a friend.

These guidelines apply to all types of hunting, whether it is a waterfowl hunting day trip, an over night deer hunt on a friend’s farm or bear hunting in Canada. Use them to make your stay a pleasant one and your host will remember you fondly.

One of the simplest things to overlook is how your host prefers for you to get your gear to camp. Do they want you to ship it in beforehand or will you only be allowed to bring a limited amount with you when you come? If you are driving, will you be allowed to bring more along then you would otherwise? These decisions are usually based upon the kind of equipment you will need during your hunt and the type of hunt you will be going on.

Back in 1993 I was able to go on a “once in a lifetime” pronghorn hunt on a private 120,000 acre ranch near Moorcroft, Wyoming. The ranch had the reputation of producing monster pronghorns and had an intensive game management plan in place which allowed them to only take 20 super trophy bucks a year. For example, on my first hunt I took an 18-½ inch monster.

Because I would be flying, the amount of gear I could take on the plane would be limited. Upon contacting my guide he recommended that I bring clothes for both winter and spring like conditions because the weather conditions in October can range from an Indian summer to severe winter blizzards. Thus we agreed that I would ship my hunting equipment to him ahead of time via UPS. This way I would have what I needed, no matter how the weather turned out. This decision proved to be a hunt saver.

Opening morning proved to be rather pleasant with a high in the 50’s, but by lunch time the temperature had dropped into the 20’s. And by nightfall, we were in the middle of a full-blown blizzard with temperatures well below zero.

The next morning, when our guides showed up to take us hunting, I was the only one who wanted to go because I was the only one who had the right equipment available. Needless to say I was the only hunter in camp who stuck it out and got his buck. Because my guide knew from experience that I knew how to properly plan my hunts, I have been invited back to hunt this exclusive property 2 more times. The smallest buck I have taken there was 16 ¾ inches long with 7 ½ inch prongs.

Hunters also seem to overlook communicating with their host about any special medical or dietary needs that they may have. You don’t have to make a big issue out of this, but be sure that your host knows about any special medical requirements or dietary needs that you may have. By not informing your host of these needs you could needlessly jeopardize yourself and others. Conversely, by notifying your host in advance, you are allowing them to make the necessary arrangements to handle any emergencies that might arise during your hunt.

In 1979 I had the opportunity of hunting elk for the first time. This was a backcountry packhorse style hunt. One of my hunting partners was an elderly gentleman from up state New York who had never hunted outside of the Great Lakes area and certainly not at the 7,500+ plus foot elevation that we were hunting at.

The New Yorker had neglected to inform our outfitter that he had a very severe heart condition. On the second day of our hunt, while following his guide up a very steep mountainside, he had a heart attack and expired on the spot. Consequently, our hunt ended there and then. The authorities required all of us in camp to come into town for questioning. Because it took a day to get off of the mountain and a day for questioning, we had used up 4 days of a 6-day hunt. All we could do was board the planes for home.

Just like any special medical conditions that you have, it is important to notify your guide of any physical limitations you may have. And I don’t mean just if you are handicapped or otherwise physically challenged. Let your guide know if you are overweight, have arthritis or some other physically limiting condition.

You have to know what your limitations are. If you are going into a hunting situation that is different from those that you are accustomed to, you may find yourself in situations that you simply are not up to handling physically. For example, if you normally hunt the coastal regions that are 50 foot above sea level and have booked a high country hunt at 7,500+ feet, your lungs will not be able to handle this difference until you have acclimated yourself to the change.

It is important that you set realistic goals for yourself and your hunt. Don’t try to do it all on one hunt. For example, don’t go to Colorado with the intent of taking a pronghorn, an elk, a mule deer, a cougar and a black bear, all on one hunt. Not only are the time restraints practically impossible, but also you will be running yourself into the ground physically.

In today’s health conscience world smoking is no longer as well received as it was in the past. If you smoke make sure that you are cognizant of the feelings of those around you. Unless you are given permission to do so, do not smoke inside of your host’s tent, lodge or hunting cabin. Many hunters today are more attuned to being one with nature and this goes for how they smell when they go into the field. Therefore, they will object to being saturated with someone else’s tobacco smoke.

Gun safety is always a top concern at any event where shooting is involved. It is even more so in hunting camp where loaded firearms are carried into the field with the intent of being used to harvest game animals. Probably the best way to show your host that you are a good choice for a hunting partner is the manner in which you handle your firearms and ammo. It is imperative that you practice safe gun handling techniques at all times, not just in the field but also at camp.

In 1990 I was a guest on a whitetail deer hunt in Alabama. Also along on this trip was a loud-mouthed, obnoxious gentleman from California. Not only did he know everything about everything, but he also could do it better than anyone else. One evening after coming in from the late hunt, we were all setting around in the camp house waiting for this knowledgeable fellow to come in from his hunt so we could begin the evening meal.

One of the first things we had all done before being allowed to participate in the hunt was to sign a copy of the hunting operation’s rules and regulations. Number one rule on this list was that all guns had to be unloaded in the field, and they stayed unloaded while in camp.

Because he considered himself immune to such unimportant things as rules and regulations, Mr. Knowledgeable comes in from the evening hunt and sits down at the supper table, gun in hand. When our outfitter protested this breech of firearm etiquette he stated that the rules were rubbish and to emphasize his point he slammed the butt of his rifle stock down on the floor. To the surprise of us all, his rifle discharged itself into the roof of the dining room, right through an empty bed in the bedroom overhead. If it had not been such a serious matter, it would have been comical to see all of these fit and hardy hunters scrambling to exit the house through any exit they could find, doors, windows, etc. Needless to say, that very night Mr. Knowledgeable was escorted to the airport and to his airplane home.

Another common complaint is that outfitters like hunters who stay put on their stand and didn’t go wondering around. Not only is this important for safety’s sake, it also makes it easier for the guide to work with his hunters. For example if an unexpected emergency should arise he would know exactly where everyone was which would be helpful in responding to the event.

Last year a guest on my lease almost got shot because didn’t stay in his assigned stand. Because he wasn’t seeing any deer from his stand he had decided to “try and walk some up”. He proceeded to get lost and wandered into another hunter’s area. The other hunter, being unaware of his unwanted guest, took a shot at a doe about 300 yards away. Unfortunately, the wandering hunter was slightly uphill and directly behind the doe. At the shot the wandering hunter started screaming at the top of his lungs for the second hunter not to shoot again. Not only was this a very dangerous situation, it created hard feelings between the two hunters and the lease member who originally invited the wandering hunter to our lease.

Now I know that telling you not to be helpful around camp sounds sacrilegious, but listen to me when I tell you to stay out of the kitchen! Regardless of the type of hunting that you are enjoying, primitive camp, lodge or private home; ask before you just jump in to help. Some cooks will appreciate your offer and assign you certain duties to help them with, but most, especially those experienced in cooking for a hunting camp, have their own routine for getting the job done and your well intentioned offer to help will only serve to disrupt them and will not be appreciated.

Just as I mentioned the obnoxious gentleman from California above, do not come into camp trying to be a know-it-all because you will never know more than your guide about the area and species you are hunting. After all, isn’t that why you hired him in the first place? You will not make many friends by acting as though you are the Super Hunter and everyone should look up to you. All this will accomplish is the alienation of your host and fellow hunters.

At the same time don’t ignore your own personal experiences. Work them into the natural flow of conversation without going out of your way to make a big deal of them and don’t ever try to out guide your guide.

Finally, don’t you like being appreciated when you do something for someone else? Like maybe inviting them to hunt on your property or lease? Of course you do and so does everyone else. That is why when you are invited to hunt with someone else it is best to try and reciprocate the favor whenever possible. This applies anytime that you have been invited to be the guest of a friend or guide and have been given the opportunity to hunt their lease or private property. Do something in return. If you have the resources available to you invite them to hunt with you the next time. If you don’t have a hunting lease or property available to you then a nice small gift will be greatly appreciated. At the very least be sure to send a thank you letter to your host. This type of recognition of their offer shows that you appreciate their efforts and will be remembered in the future.

Now I don’t want you to think that this is an all-inclusive listing of the dos and don’ts of how to conduct yourself while in hunting camp. There is a lot that we have not covered, such hunter ethics, land owner rights, game laws, etc.. But if you apply these guidelines to the next hunt that you are invited on, you will be sure to get asked back to enjoy the hunt with your host again.