Friends seem to come and go, but lately it seems as if hunting has renewed old friendships and made existing friendships stronger. Hunting is a way of life for some people but not to others. Some of this is by choice, but I also think some of it is born into us. We all hunt for different reasons which could be many; like for relaxation or peace and quiet in God’s country, food for the dinner table, trophies for the wall, or the camaraderie between friends and family.

Over the years I have met many people through high school, college, work, and travels. Many of these people are acquaintances but others have become good friends, mostly because we share the same passion for hunting. We all can relate to it so when we run out of things to talk about, we talk about things that happen in the woods or the fields. Granted, some of these tales may be stretched a little, but it always keeps things interesting.

My good friend "Boone" with his best buck, which I was fortunate enough to be with him on this hunt.

Another good friend Jim with a nice Antelope whom I was also with on this trip.

In my travels, I have also been fortunate to be reunited with old friends I had lost touch with. We now talk again, and mostly about hunting or family. Friends last a lifetime if you treat them right and sometimes the ones that turn out to be good friends are the ones you least expected. Times spent in hunting camp or talking about hunting camp can be some of the best times.

Take friends with you and share your passion for the outdoors with them, or take family, as this sport is at its best when it’s family- or friend-oriented. The tradition of hunting is slowly diminishing over time as hunter numbers decline and seasons are radically changed due to CWD and other issues; and with that so could some friendships. We as hunters need to unite and keep the sport alive by teaching others.

Family is great especially when they are all friends as well. The first picture is me and my 13 year old. The next is of my wife with her best Antelope. The last is my Dad who is probably one of my best friend's with a mule deer on one of our South Dakota hunts.

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I have renewed some old college friendships thanks to hunting. There are a couple I am especially glad I have renewed but one of the greatest is that with my very good friend, Eric. He and I played on the same college football team and were more acquaintances and social friends than good friends. Our senior year of college Eric was in a mountain biking accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. I couldn’t find the strength to visit him in the hospital (I am not sure why, but I couldn’t) I finally went to see him and they informed me he had been released and sent home.

Our friendship disappeared and I didn’t see Eric for about 7 years. I then ran into him at the All Canadian show in Madison, Wisconsin, where we began talking about hunting. One thing led to another and soon we were making plans to go hunting the next year. We are now better friends than we were in college and remain that way due to our passion for hunting. We have hunted turkey and antelope together and plan on whitetails shortly.

The above are pictures of Eric with a few of his trophy we have hunted together.

An example of a new friend found through hunting is that with an outfitter, named Eldon, I met a few years ago while hunting in North Dakota. He runs 2 River Outfitters and has become a very good friend over the past few years.

Eldon and I with an early season North Dakota whitetail

Yet another renewed friendship was also a college football teammate. Scotty Mac, as we call him, actually found me through this site and contacted me last fall. Since then we have talked via phone and e-mail. Scotty also came to a show in Minnesota to visit and catch up. We are now trying to plan a turkey hunt together next spring.

Scotty Mac and I catching up on old times at the Minnesota Deer Classic

All these friendships, either new or old, have stayed strong or are becoming stronger due, in part, to that love for the outdoors. So take some time to introduce new people to the outdoors and make new friendships that last a lifetime.