Why You Should Take Someone You Love Hunting

"The couple who hunts together stays together."

Sound familiar? Those words are posted on images and shared in statuses over and over again. 

However, when you're out hunting, it's not always with the person you're married to — or with any person at all. You're out there because you love it. 

But, when you're not alone, you're usually with someone you like and want to share a unique experience with. Ask anyone who hunts or spends time outdoors why they do it, and you shouldn't be surprised to hear "love" at any given point. 

Whether it's Valentine's Day and the season of "love" (or any hunting season while you're after your favorite game), today we dedicate this article to people who have made hunting and being outdoors a part of who they are and who they spend time with.

Stories of the Best Hunting Partners

It might be hard to find statistics confirming couples who hunt together have better odds of staying together, but the stories of couples make great headlines. 

The Grooms

The Grooms, an Ohio couple, are a great example of how hunting brings people together. With bows in hand, the pair tackles the Ohio outdoors, taking turns hunting the biggest bucks. 

Kevin introduced Lindsay to hunting while they were still dating, and as their relationship developed, so did their commitment to spending more time outdoors.

In 2012, Lindsay tagged her largest buck, a 150-class 13-pointer, to accompany her husband's 170-class buck nicknamed Corncob. The two are never in competition but hunt as a team to fill their freezers each season. 

As Lindsay sees it, "I'm not trying to get a deer bigger than Corncob in our house. Kevin can have the bigger deer, and I can cook better than him."

Bridger Card

Just as Kevin introduced his wife to hunting, hundreds — maybe thousands — of educators and trainers are working to do the same for the next generation. 

Bridger Card is one of those young people who have honed their hunting skills because of people committed to advancing outdoor sports. One conversation with him is all you need to figure out that Bridger loves hunting, and there isn't much that keeps him from being outdoors. 

Not even the numerous brain tumors, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and surgeries that Bridger has had since childhood can remove the passion he has for hunting. His dedication inspires expert hunters to come to his aid whenever he needs them. 

Earlier this year, Bridger and his dad were on a hunt in Wyoming but were running out of time to fill his deer tag. His dad called in help from Adam Eakle of KSL Outdoors, who brought in his friends to track down a 4x4 buck for Bridger. 

After firing a shot that wounded the buck, Bridger and his seven-person team tracked him until they found him the afternoon of the next day. The crew's expertise and persistence helped fill his deer tag, but this story speaks more importantly to what it means to be a part of the outdoors community.

A Canine Hunting Partner Could Be the Best Partner

However, not everyone needs a team or even a person to understand a love for hunting. Sometimes, it's a four-legged family member that's at your side. 

Some people believe that dogs are simply tools for humans, but that can't be farther from the truth for others. 

What tool gets excited before dawn and is ready to go with very little effort? What tool sits patiently and quietly at attention, waiting for the call to retrieve the day's prize? What tool is content sitting in the woods for hours and isn't disappointed returning to the truck without any tags filled? 

What tool loves to hunt? No "tools" come to mind.

Hunting with your dog is a rewarding experience on its own. They spend hours on end training and improving their skills with you. They're consistently eager to please, and when the season arrives, you know exactly what they're capable of doing. 

They just might be the best hunting partner you'll ever have.

Keep Your Hunting Partners Safe with a Hunter Safety Course

Whether you hunt with a spouse, a child, your dad, or a best friend – as long as you take someone you love hunting, you'll get the most out of your time in the field or woods. In the end, a community that hunts together will grow together!

As you build your community or hone in on your favorite hunting partner, make sure safety is a priority. You and your partners should take a hunter safety course before heading out into the field for the next hunt. 

When everyone you hunt with understands firearm safety, how to stay within the safe zone of fire, essential survival tips, and other hunting safety essentials, you get to enjoy more hunts with them! Plus, most states require hunters to pass a hunter education course before purchasing a license. 

So, make sure the hunting partners you love stay safe with an online Hunter-Ed course! Find the course for your state and start learning.

Originally published February 14, 2014. Content updated February 14, 2024.