I usually get one or more new perspectives on the events, so we all get to learn something, and have a good time doing it. I have been very fortunate to grow up with some of the best hunting buddies anywhere - maybe not the deer-slayingest guys you'll ever meet, but good-hearted, generous, intelligent, pleasant company, who share my love for hunting and the outdoors. Who could ask for more?
I have also had a few hunting partners who, to say the least, were "less than ideal". Jealousy is definitely not a desirable quality in a hunting companion, but that's exactly what I've seen, more than once. The one partner close to my own age with whom I used to hunt turned out to be bad news; suffice it to say that after I had some good luck, he took it badly, and his own bloodlust (which is what it was; this guy has killed neighbors' cats in his neighborhood for no tangible reason) led to an illegally killed, and subsequently wasted, doe.
Another so-called hunter, whom I met through that guy, always had to "one-up" everyone. No matter what odd or unusual event you had just been through, it was nothing to him, he'd seen it all, and had nothing to learn. Strange that he never got any game...
Thinking back, I realize more all the time how fortunate I am, and I wonder why I spent as much time with those guys as I did. The basic reason is, they were there. They were interested in hunting turkey, and hunting with bows, and small-game hunting, and Dad (my Favorite Hunting Buddy) wasn't too interested in these. But looking back, most of our trips were tainted somehow.
This leads me to the conclusion that I am more fortunate than most, since I have Dad and our other buddies, and the "loss" of the losers wasn't so bad. It also tells me that I should help others try to get what I've got, which is my point, I think.
What the best hunting buddies are made of is just what a best friend would be made of. You need to find someone who cares about hunting and wildlife as much as you do, someone who wants to learn from you and help you to learn at the same time. Someone who will be genuinely happy for you when you are successful, and who can rest assured that you will do the same for them.
This doesn't mean there won't be disagreements - there's always something to argue about - but you're looking for someone who shares your basic outlook on life. That way, it's a whole lot easier to overlook the little things.
One major thing is honesty. I wrote a paper on honesty once, and it forced me to take a hard look at the word. It extends much farther than simply telling the truth; it means honor, and if you find someone with honor who shares a commitment to proper conduct in the field, and with whom you can hunt, you're in good shape.
I guess what I'm getting at is, be selective in choosing with whom you will hunt. If your present or potential hunting buddy has shown himself (or herself) to be unsportsmanlike in any way, you can do better. Although it may hurt some feelings if you break off your hunting activities with him/her, you will definitely benefit from the change. "To thine own self be true" is apt in this case.
And putting your own well-being aside, if more of us stand up and let ourselves be heard within our community of hunters, I believe there will be fewer and fewer instances of unsportsmanlike behavior, which extends to grumbling over a fellow hunter's good luck, and even as far as poaching or "blind" shooting (shooting at the shaking bush, which may hold a trophy buck, or perhaps your best friend).
Let us all behave in a way which we would not be ashamed to see portrayed in print or on film. To do otherwise would be to aid the anti-hunters in ushering in the end of the "sport" that we love.
-Russ Chastain
[Author's note: Almost ten years after I wrote this, I find myself bereft. Dad is no longer with me. I'm so glad I got to spend almost thirty years hunting with him, learning the value of good friends and good hunting buddies.
Be sure to make your choices count when choosing a hunting partner. Hunting time is precious and will turn into memories before you know it, so spend it with people of value. That way you can savor the memories.
