Hunt Camp Rules - Sharing Game

[338winmag]

Well this has come down to a troubling question for this year's hunting camp. In previous camps, game was not divided up among the whole camp. Other than a few steaks given to each of the people in camp. the hunter that shot the game, kept the game for his household.

This year we have brought on a new camp hunter that believes that the hunter who shoots the game gets 1/2 the game meat, and the remaining other halve gets divided among the others in the camp,. In our case 3. The thought behind this is that there was help in setting up camp and also help in bringing the game back to camp so it is right to do it this way.

I don't want to sound mean or uncaring so ....? I wanted to give meat to needy friends and such and this now starts to limit my ability and desired giving.

Can I hear how others approach this in their camp please. I don't want to be selfish and I don't want to be mean so I am open to how you work your hunting camp.

Thanks
338winmag

 

[Oldtrader3]

Sounds fair to me. Everybody should get some share of the spoils, that is what friends are for! Back in the old days, the skilled guys party hunted and everybody got who wanted one, got a deer carceass to take home

 

[FOTIS]

We always pitch in to set up hunt and once an elk is down we all help. There is no set rule that the elk is divided. That said we do not divide it in equal shares but we throw a steak here to whomever wants it. Not all do.

 

[DrMike]

I've hunted under different rules. What I do insist is that there is full agreement before the hunt. Otherwise, there are sure to be bruised feelings.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Keeping half and dividing the rest is fair. It was that persons tags and they harvested the animal so they should be able to fill their freezer first. Everyone still gets some. I don't usually hunt with more than one person and we split it up 50/50. If I hunted with more than one person I probably wouldn't give up more than half unless I had meat from the previous year still. In return if a second animals was harvested and I had enough already to fill my freezer I wouldn't expect more, the remaining people would split it up.

 

[JD338]

I have always offered meat to the rest of my hunting party.
Best to get it settled before you hunt.

JD338

 

[6mm Remington]

I hunt with a couple guys and whether I am there with them or not when they get an animal,I always would come help get a critter out at a drop of a hat. That's what you do for friends. I don't expect anything from them, but if they wanted to give me a couple steaks or something that's fine. If I get my elk and my buddy doesn't by the end of the season, I'll give him some of mine if he wants. I also like to share with friends who don't hunt and I'll give them a package or two just to share. If I know someone who is struggling to put food on the table, I'll gladly help them if I can also. I had an extra tag one year I filled just to help this guy and his family out. He was tickled with the nice fat doe I gave him. Heck maybe they'll realize what they are missing when they taste a great steak cooked up or some of my awesome jerky. Might convert someone to be a new hunter !
David

 

[PJGunner]

The last "group" hunt I did as a few years back but there were 4 of us. Two were successful on elk and when we got home, each elk was cut right down the middle if the spine and everyone had half an elk. Seemed the fair way to go.
Most of the time when I've hunted I've either been alone or with my wife so that prolem has never come up.
Paul B.

 

[FOTIS]

As Doc said...


"What I do insist is that there is full agreement before the hunt."

If he or she does not like the way things are laid out then they can hit the road, or never hunt with them again.

I work too hard all year to put up with heartaches in my camp. That is my vacation.

 

[SJB358]

Yeah, for us, we have three hunters together in our camp. I am not sure if we have ever come up with a meat splitting plan, as all three of us are great friends. Matter of fact, last year when we hunted together, we didn't get anything, but the one hunter had already taken an elk earlier, so he gave us a goodly amount of it.

I am with the others, figure it out before camp. 1/2 does sound fair to me, an elk is alot of meat.

 

[OU812]

Regardless of how you do things make dam sure everyone is OK with what ever decision is made. It's not worth hard feelings or loosing a friendship over. For elk we divide all the meat up as even as possible once it's all cut and wrapped. Once an elk is down is when the real work beings so we all converge to help get it disassembled and off the mountain, usually 2-4 guys. That is just how we do it and it works for us.


Bill

 

[2shaky]

+1 on what OU812 said.
In our circle, with deer the shooter keeps it, but generally shares a few steaks.

 

[OU812]

+1 on what OU812 said.
In our circle, with deer the shooter keeps it, but generally shares a few steaks.

We do the same for deer. Blacktail are too small to divide up and easy enough for all to get their deer.


Bill

 

[Dr. Vette]

We all help each other whe we get an animal, and there may be a bit of meat that moves from one member to another but I've never heard of the "half" rule.

If you give away half then it sure decreases the incentive for everyone...
Someone won't think pulling the trigger is worth giving away half.
Some won't think that it's worth hunting hard if they're going to get meat from someone else anyway.

The half rule seems to be what the government is trying to do to us now. :mrgreen:

However, all must agree as has been said. My thought is that if the new guy doesn't like the rules he might have to be replaces as the rest of you "old timers" already have an understanding.

 

[Gm weatherby man]

I agree keep first half, then share rest of spoils with the rest, if you don't like sharing then don't hunt with other as fare as I'm concerned, but if nothing else make sure all agree.in the old days of my dad and grandfather any animal was share with all that naubours and family.

 

[CatskillCrawler]

I'm asking the same question prior to leaving for camp and I'm getting a shoulder shrug from my hunting bud whose family I'm going with. I don't like unknowns...

 

[russ808]

Because we hunt in a group of 5-10. Everybody gets a share. We can hunt year round (private land) so keeping the freezer full is not a big problem. Sometimes you shoot more then one, sometimes you get nothing, but you always get meat. Plus the gang on the outer islands hunt on weekends as the deer are out of control on three of the islands so we can always raid their freezer with a trade for something we have here.
Russ

 

[FOTIS]

I'm asking the same question prior to leaving for camp and I'm getting a shoulder shrug from my hunting bud whose family I'm going with. I don't like unknowns...

Do not like that....

 

[DrMike]

I'm getting a shoulder shrug from my hunting bud whose family I'm going with.

That response indicates trouble in the making. Unspoken expectations and an absence of understanding beforehand mean disagreement and the loudest voice prevailing. Ultimately, that will mean bruised feelings, anger and disappointment.

 

[CatskillCrawler]

I'm not expecting any probs as I've hunted with all of them previously for WT and BB and they're all top notch. We just never had to share as WTs are plentiful. Whatever their rule is, I'll be fine with it> I know if someone helps me pack out 400+ lbs of meat, I'm certainly going to offer up some vittles.

There just has been too many unanswered questions from my bud. He's a minimalist-type and doesn't understand my angst when I ask about what gear is available? What is needed? Exactly where are we hunting? Is their a weight limit? What is expected of me? How are we pooling gas/food/supply money? Do we share meat or is it offered based upon assistance provided? I'm a gear nut and have been camping my whole life so I have enough crap to outfit a Boy Scout troop in the boonies. I just want to know more. I finally got the organizers phone # and will be calling him shortly.