Planning an Out-of-State Hunt: "Wait! Who's going?"
Planning an Out-of-State Hunt or even group trips, from a personal perspective, can be some of the most memorable events someone can be a part of. On the flip side, they can also be a planning nightmare with scheduling, finances, coming together, and overcoming adversity. Even your best friends and family members can become hated enemies at the end of a major trip. This is why knowing “who” your trip members are before you leave and establishing the dynamics of the trip are soo important. A past hunting trip comes to mind whenever I think about this.
We had been planning an out of state hunt for a few months and we were coming down to the last few weeks until we hit the road. The location was set, equipment was ready, and we were putting together a few last-minute items when we decided to bring along an additional member to our trip. After a short phone call, we came to find out (for the sake of discretion and privacy of the individual, we’ll call him Mike) Mike had never been backcountry camping and had little to no hunting experience. Knowing the amount of physical and mental exertion needed for a trip like this, we knew there was risk Mike would end up being more of a burden than an asset on our trip, but we decided to bring him along anyway. Once we arrived on location and began our usual camp setup and hunting preparations, we could easily see Mike was a bit lost in the whole process. We knew there would be a learning curve, but after a few days of waking up early, hiking 5+ miles every day, and sleeping on the ground, things started sinking in for Mike. While he was able to keep up, for the most part, the trip had physically and mentally zapped his motivation. Was he mentally prepared for this type of trip? Was he physically prepared for the miles we were putting in? Did he really have the gear he needed to stay comfortable? These are just some of the things to consider when determining who is coming along with you on your trip
Know your members
We all like to think we can do everything, but in some instances, it just not the case. So knowing how much you can handle and how much your trip members can handle is a key component to the success of the trip. All of the members should get along well together. Is it a group of friends, or is it a collaboration of hunting groups coming together for a large trip? The cohesion of the entire group needs to be assessed before stepping off. Be sure to know “what” and “how much” each individual can handle before the trip. If you have to, conduct a “dry run” of an overnight camping trip somewhere close by to help determine whether or not they are the right person to have along for a trip 6x as long.
Another thing to consider is understanding individual roles within the group. We’ve all heard the phrase “Too many chiefs, not enough indians”. In today’s society, everyone has an opinion on things, and nothing can ruin a trip like an argument that gets out of control. After a few days of hunting and a lack of sleep and nutrition, tempers can flare and decisions can turn into heated debates. Knowing the members of your trip can help settle tensions when things chippy. It can make for a long road trip back home if left unchecked.
Establish the trips Dynamics
Our friend Mike had a rude awakening while we were on our trip even though before the trip began, we had detailed out the In’s and Outs of what a typical day would look like while on site. He had said we’ll be camping in the backcountry, it might be raining or snowing the whole time, the temperature at night could be in the single digits, we’ll be hiking 5+ miles a day, waking up early, and maybe staying up late with a few luxuries.
Having the entire party understand and agree to the dynamics of the trip is extremely important. If some members think it’s a laid back drinking trip, while the others think its a “go hard” “leave it all out there” type of trip, things aren’t going to end well, and all that time preparing and money spent might be for nothing. Be sure everyone is on the same page.
Figure out finances
Like we previously discussed, financial planning doesn’t have to be fearful. But dealing with trip members who fail to pay-up can be. Tracking expenses is easily doable via spreadsheet, but still requires a fair amount of work to properly divvy up shares and figure out who owes what.
Before committing, layout the required financial share per individual to each member and have them either verbally or physically agree to the amount. If you have to make a quick contract on the agreed amount and have both parties sign it, so be it. Although we have never had to do this, it might make sense for other parties.
Considering everything and putting it aside, an OOS hunting trip is going to be an awesome experience regardless of whether or not you or you trip members are successful. Being in the outdoors, with like-minded people, experiencing places you might not have even been to, is just one of the many reasons we hunters do what we do. So hopefully you gained some knowledge from our experience that you can use to start planning your own trip successfully and without any Mike’s.