For several years I have been going to the same place in the North Woods of Maine to shoot grouse and woodcock. For the past few years a friend has come along - we hunt a lot together and enjoy shooting with each other. We have a fall hunt scheduled. The other day he asked about inviting another person.

We hunt with a guide and his dog and the terrain is rough and the grouse are in pretty thick stuff. There are narrow trails where we walk single file or, at best, side-by-side.

I like the guy who is being proposed but he is very new at shotguns and has never hunted before. I don't like the idea of three of us in that kind of environment and I don't like the idea of competing for birds this much.

A little voice inside tells me to somehow not agree to the third guy. I don't want to offend.

What's the consensus - am I being unreasonable?

It is sort of "my" hunt- I don't dislike the new guy but really like the way the hunt works with two of us and our guide.

I'd say it all depends on your personal reasons for hunting. If trigger pulling is very important to you (and, by the tone of your post, it seems to be), then adding a new guy doesn't seem to be your bag. And since it's your hunt, your rules.

OTOH, introducing a new guy to hunting, especially a guy that you already like might be more meaningful than killing more birds yourself. If safety is your main concern, due to the terrain, and the new guy's inexperience, then one of you could offer to sort of mentor him and allow him the first shot, while keeping him paired up with a more experienced hunter.

I can tell you that sharing my passion with others who are new to it is something I generally get more out of than just killing some birds. I have also had a very close friend get shot @ 60 yds with a 12 gauge, by an over excited 50 year old man. I've also been on a duck hunt with friends who brought along a 30 year old new hunter from work. After he swept me with his barrel multiple times, I told him next time I would return fire.

Any way it goes, enjoy your hunt, but I would hope that you could find a way to safely share our sport with another. May I suggest a round of skeet to feel it out and see how safe you'll be?

It's YOUR hunt.....call it the way you want it....

Do so politely but directly.....nuff said!

Oxon, If you are walking down the trails, two people can hunt side by side and one take shots on the left and one on the right, maybe share the middle, pretty safely. I have been with two others when grouse flush and it is hard to call shots with three side by side. In my opinion three is a little crowded to walk a trail or road. We usually split up with 10 to 25 yards between each hunter with one in the road or trail to keep up with the navigation. Like vapo said its your hunt you have the obligation to call it your way.

God Bless, Louis

quote:

Originally posted by daniel77:
I'd say it all depends on your personal reasons for hunting. If trigger pulling is very important to you (and, by the tone of your post, it seems to be), then adding a new guy doesn't seem to be your bag. And since it's your hunt, your rules.

OTOH, introducing a new guy to hunting, especially a guy that you already like might be more meaningful than killing more birds yourself. If safety is your main concern, due to the terrain, and the new guy's inexperience, then one of you could offer to sort of mentor him and allow him the first shot, while keeping him paired up with a more experienced hunter.

I can tell you that sharing my passion with others who are new to it is something I generally get more out of than just killing some birds. I have also had a very close friend get shot @ 60 yds with a 12 gauge, by an over excited 50 year old man. I've also been on a duck hunt with friends who brought along a 30 year old new hunter from work. After he swept me with his barrel multiple times, I told him next time I would return fire.

Any way it goes, enjoy your hunt, but I would hope that you could find a way to safely share our sport with another.

May I suggest a round of skeet to feel it out and see how safe you'll be?

If it makes a difference I feel this would be a great idea. As was stated, if trigger pulls are important to you, then it would be no. Me not so much. I would rather get some newby interested in the sport and possibly gain another hunting opportunity.

Who knows? Maybe sometime soon he will be inviting you to hunt on some private land he has access to...

Thank you for all that input. It is helping me sort out the issues.

What I didn't mention is that I am 70, my old hunting partner is 67 and the "newbie" is 75. He had never before shot a shotgun and I have been coaching him for the past few months.

Yes, I enjoy introducing newbies to the sport (I just gave a nephew a 12 ga SxS I no longer use)

My principal concern is the congestion of three guns in dense, narrow environment. We do already hunt sort of side-by-side along a trail and share the middle. There's no way 3 guys can be strung out 25yds apart and still use a dog.

How many guys in your groups when you hunt in a dense environment?

I do like getting my bag but at my age trigger pulls aren't the most important!

Sorry if my reply came off as smart alecky. That wasn't my intention, but after rereading it, I can see how it may appear as accusing you of being trigger happy. Hope you get it sorted out to your satisfaction and ya'll have a great time.

FWIW, hunting in a duck blind it somewhat like being confined to a trail. We generally just decide in advance who has first opportunity, (usually the least experienced hunter, or the guy on that side who has the best shot). This also helps out and gives clear license for ridicule when Joe on the end misses the easy shot. Safety trumps everything, and a shot not taken is NBD. We also have very thick woods around here, but it's all flat land, so spreading out in the woods is easier. Makes me wonder about those pointing guys who want their dogs 6-800 yds. out. Without a GPS collar, you'd never see that dog again around here.

Grouse hunting in thick cover is not the way to introduce a new shooter to bird hunting. Clay shooting and open cover hunts first to establish gun safety and rules of engagement.

Frankly, hunting for ruffed grouse {"patridge"in Maine and most of N.E.)should be a mostly solitary sport -with maybe one guy along with you - who is an absolutely trusted gun hand. Ruffs have a habit of flying every which way -and you might want to swing with the bird -which you restrain from doing if your companion is in the way -but will the newcomer? What's the "guide" for? Any experienced ruff hunter knows what to look for -and the dog should be for retrieving -if, even that. (Walking in small circles should retrieve most ruffs -If not, he got away) My opinion,anyway. In plain words, to repeat, it's a solitary sport.

quote:

Originally posted by Oxon:
For several years I have been going to the same place in the North Woods of Maine to shoot grouse and woodcock. For the past few years a friend has come along - we hunt a lot together and enjoy shooting with each other. We have a fall hunt scheduled. The other day he asked about inviting another person.
We hunt with a guide and his dog and the terrain is rough and the grouse are in pretty thick stuff. There are narrow trails where we walk single file or, at best, side-by-side.

I like the guy who is being proposed but he is very new at shotguns and has never hunted before. I don't like the idea of three of us in that kind of environment and I don't like the idea of competing for birds this much.

A little voice inside tells me to somehow not agree to the third guy. I don't want to offend.

What's the consensus - am I being unreasonable?

It is sort of "my" hunt- I don't dislike the new guy but really like the way the hunt works with two of us and our guide.

You answered your own question.I'd never take anyone I knew nothing about on a preplanned hunt.My adult son invited me on a bird hunt for my birthday but he was shooting all of the birds so I finally told him to backoff ,that I'd do my own shooting since I had years more experience than him.Haven't hunted with him since that incident !

If you have been coaching the newbie for couple of months and you have your doubts then absolutely do not go into tight dense grouse habitat.

Now if there will be social consequences (say the newbie is your friend's boss) then there are couple of ways to skin the cat.

Here is what I would suggest....you can say we are only going to hunt with 2 guns at a time for safety reason. The other guy is a newbie so I am assuming he has never been on a grouse hunt. Just put your foot down that only two guns at a time. ...that is your rule and there are no iffs and butts about it. Then you can shadow him in the field (instruct him) on proper grouse shooting etiquette. Hopefully after one season he will gain enough respect from you and hopefully you will end up with an additional hunting partner over the years.

You got to be a bit stern when it comes to safety when hunting with people you do not know. SAFETY FIRST !!!

I'd take him Pheasant hunting first, then at least you'll know when he's pointing his shotgun at you.
Grouse hunting in thick cover ain't for rookies.
The dog(S} is another consideration. I took a rookie with me once and the dumb ass shot at a Grouse from the hip which had just flushed a few feet in front of the dog. I said did you shoot from the hip?, his reply was, hell yes, as fast as they are, you don't have time to get it up to your shoulder. Later that day he wrecked one of my snowmobiles, still waiting for the check.
Another time I was rabbit hunting with another rookie when my dog jumped a rabbit that was under a piece of metal and the chase was on with my dog about 3' behind the rabbit when he shot behind the rabbit and nearly killed my dog. There was snow on the ground and I could see exactly where the shot hit. Our hunt ended right there. Shooting jumped rabbits don't cut it with me, I wonder what he thought the dog was for?

Stepchild

When I hunted with new or unknown hunters in my youth. I LISTENED to my dad look listen and stay behind them.Give the guy a fair chance and protect yourself, have fun be safe and enjoy your hunt.Talk about your rules and expectations before you go.You will have a good or bad hunt and it will be a one time thing or a wonderful memory for all of you. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullit and have faith. Good luck and may God Bless.

I think it's neat that you guys in your ripe age, are still out there beating the grouse woods.

I remember a lady that was in her 80's that her and her husband started hunting Alaska and Africa. Took some nice bears with Glacier Guides on a video.

Neat stuff, and for him to be want to get into hunting at 75 is great!