Solitude versus camaraderie

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Surly

Not everyone is a gregarious extrovert. The longest that I've gone without any human contact is 9 days. I loved every second of that period of time.

I did get a good scare one night as a result of a frisky porcupine wondering through my camp. I swear that it sounded like the Bigfoot himself.

I never really do get lonely, but left alone to my thoughts I start to think about my kids. Then any failings, real or imagined, that I might have as a parent or a spouse... and eventually I feel guilty that my family is stuck with a dad that needs to leave a perfectly good life behind and hang out in the wilderness by himself to be happy. At that point I'm not really enjoying the hunt anymore, I think if I was single I could stay out all season.

[raab]

Originally Posted by Surly

Not everyone is a gregarious extrovert. The longest that I've gone without any human contact is 9 days. I loved every second of that period of time.

I did get a good scare one night as a result of a frisky porcupine wondering through my camp. I swear that it sounded like the Bigfoot himself.

Theres obviously some exceptions to the rule like Dick Proenneke, but for the most part people do better with some social interaction.

9 days is alright doing it once as its exciting. Try doing it repeatedly with maybe 1 day at home in between sets of 9 days for more then 12 months. I think the novelty will wear off. If you can do it, then you should become a trucker as I see a lot of similarities between solo backcountry hunts, and trucking in terms of the mental aspects.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by raab

Theres obviously some exceptions to the rule like Dick Proenneke, but for the most part people do better with some social interaction.

9 days is alright doing it once as its exciting. Try doing it repeatedly with maybe 1 day at home in between sets of 9 days for more then 12 months. I think the novelty will wear off. If you can do it, then you should become a trucker as I see a lot of similarities between solo backcountry hunts, and trucking in terms of the mental aspects.

See, one year I did this, and I nearly hit the point where it felt normal. Like back in my service rigging days where we would spend 21 days in camp and only get 3 days off, and eventually you sort of forgot what a normal life is supposed to be like.

[raab]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

See, one year I did this, and I nearly hit the point where it felt normal. Like back in my service rigging days where we would spend 21 days in camp and only get 3 days off, and eventually you sort of forgot what a normal life is supposed to be like.

Yep, it happens. No way to live your life. At least on a service rig you got a close knit crew and can joke around and banter. Being alone theres no one. No jokes, no bantering, no discussion, just you. Until a person has lived it, I don't think they can honestly say whether they'd like it or not. Most people won't be able to hack it as shown on the show "Alone".

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by raab

Yep, it happens. No way to live your life. At least on a service rig you got a close knit crew and can joke around and banter. Being alone theres no one. No jokes, no bantering, no discussion, just you. Until a person has lived it, I don't think they can honestly say whether they'd like it or not. Most people won't be able to hack it as shown on the show "Alone".

I'd take being stuck alone for 21 days, anywhere you want to name, over the company of most of the rig crews I've worked with.

[OL_JR]

Originally Posted by raab

People who say they enjoy solitude, have never had it for any length of time. We're social creatures meant to be in community.

In saying that, I enjoy going out for a few days by myself with the Inreach so I can text back home. If going for longer then that, I'd like a sat phone with a few minutes to talk to people. These devices will help a ton on solo hunts.

Also try to recognize that most of the time what you think is a bear, is actually the wind, or squirrel's. Very few people have bear problems in the back country outside provincial/national parks. If you're sleeping in a tent, it acts like a ground blind and will confuse the bear. If you're not making noise, have no scent, and they didn't see you go in, then they don't know you're there.

I think you are trying to justify your own mental barriers. There are plenty of people out there that can handle solitude.

It is funny however that you bring the bear thing up as imho things that go bump in the night is the biggest no go for people out in the bush. If I have a comfortable set up I sleep like a baby. If a bear comes in I'll wake up and deal with it I guess. That's as far as the thought process goes, only one going to be having a bad night is the critter trying to interrupt my beauty sleep lol.

Everyone is different and have their own set of fears. Talking to a coworker one day that rides bulls for fun I stated how much that would petrify me while he couldn't understand how a person could head out into the bush and get any sleep at night.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by OL_JR

I think you are trying to justify your own mental barriers. There are plenty of people out there that can handle solitude.

It is funny however that you bring the bear thing up as imho things that go bump in the night is the biggest no go for people out in the bush. If I have a comfortable set up I sleep like a baby. If a bear comes in I'll wake up and deal with it I guess. That's as far as the thought process goes, only one going to be having a bad night is the critter trying to interrupt my beauty sleep lol.

Everyone is different and have their own set of fears. Talking to a coworker one day that rides bulls for fun I stated how much that would petrify me while he couldn't understand how a person could head out into the bush and get any sleep at night.

Exactly, the only context that I ever really worry about bears, is them bothering my camp when I'm out hunting. Fortunately, I've found that bears in a backcountry setting want nothing to do with people, I've come to feel that there is actually more to fear from bears when staying in a campground.

Either way, when I hear something make noise at night, it is never my first inclination to suspect it is a bear. Generally I just think "Darn it! That was my moose!"

[raab]

Originally Posted by OL_JR

I think you are trying to justify your own mental barriers. There are plenty of people out there that can handle solitude.

It is funny however that you bring the bear thing up as imho things that go bump in the night is the biggest no go for people out in the bush. If I have a comfortable set up I sleep like a baby. If a bear comes in I'll wake up and deal with it I guess. That's as far as the thought process goes, only one going to be having a bad night is the critter trying to interrupt my beauty sleep lol.

Everyone is different and have their own set of fears. Talking to a coworker one day that rides bulls for fun I stated how much that would petrify me while he couldn't understand how a person could head out into the bush and get any sleep at night.

I don't think its my own mental barriers. As I said theres exceptions to the rule, but for the most part people need interaction. I spent 75% of my time by myself for a few years. It was exciting for a little while, but eventually it gets lonely. And I think most people would have that, as I'm an introvert. I wouldn't be surprised if most people can't stand 7 days of isolation.

[raab]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Exactly, the only context that I ever really worry about bears, is them bothering my camp when I'm out hunting. Fortunately, I've found that bears in a backcountry setting want nothing to do with people, I've come to feel that there is actually more to fear from bears when staying in a campground.

Either way, when I hear something make noise at night, it is never my first inclination to suspect it is a bear. Generally I just think "Darn it! That was my moose!"

Just don't camp in the middle of a Buffalo Berry patch in July... And thats exactly it, most backcountry bears want nothing to do with humans, especially in places they're hunted.