Set Up With a Partner

[Uncle Harley]

I'll be hunting with a partner this year & wondered what's the wisdom say about how far apart we should be. We'll both be using the same decoys. Several videos I've seen has had hunters right on top of each other but one was running the video cam. No cam here just hunters.

[WillowRidgeCalls]

Back to back on the same tree is very good. You can cover a lot of area without moving much, and if you have a double come in you can talk quietly to eachother.

[air leak]

When I hunt with either of my two sons, we sit no more than 10-15 feet apart.

Close enough so we can whisper to each other, and if two birds come in, a chance at a double.

My sons have the first shot on a single.

Two years ago, my oldest son and I shot a double at 11:55. The day ends in CT at 12 noon.

[NEStrut]

I like to stay very close.

Sometimes we are on the same tree, if it works out right. Othertimes, on a VERY CLOSE tree.

One other thing to remember when picking a setup is safety. When you're on opposite trees, if you're too far apart....there's always the chance that a bird might wander between you. And, if you or your partner is looking down the barrel keeping an eye on the bird, it's possible you can be so focused in the bird you might not even notice.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you're not a safe hunter or anything like that, just something else to keep in mind when setting things up.

[Fan Club]

ORIGINAL: WillowRidgeCalls
Back to back on the same tree is very good. You can cover a lot of area without moving much, and if you have a double come in you can talk quietly to each other.

I'd like to embellish on this advice. My number # 1 rule for hunting with another person (based on safety and success rate through years of trial and error) is that both hunters MUST have the same field of view. You obviously don't have this if you are on opposite sides of a 200 year old oak that is five feet across at the base. Without the same field of view you don't know if your parter has birds in front of him, if he is going to shoot or if it is safe to for you to move. I recommend hunting as close together as possible, so you can communicate and see the same thing.

On a large tree this would mean sitting close enough that you could turn your head to whisper. If you are still going to sit on opposite sides, it going to have to be a fairly small tree with good additional cover.

[swpatrkyhunter]

There is another approach you can take Uncle Harley!
    Take turns with each setup. One hunts while the other runs calls about 15 feet or so behind the other. Sometimes it will bring the birds in closer to the shooter. My hunting buddy and I have used this tactic a few times. Works pretty nice for us sometimes.

[Cut N Run]

ORIGINAL: swpatrkyhunter

There is another approach you can take Uncle Harley!
   Take turns with each setup. One hunts while the other runs calls about 15 feet or so behind the other. Sometimes it will bring the birds in closer to the shooter. My hunting buddy and I have used this tactic a few times. Works pretty nice for us sometimes.

 
Good point, Frank. When one guy tags out, the other becomes the designated caller so there is only one shooter with us.  We start out side by side and the caller drops back if necessary (& possible).  The shooter often takes that stubborn gobbler who wants to hang up out of range from the caller.  It works!
 
Jim

[tracebusta32]

Face your buddy where you think the birds have no chance of coming from [:D]

[shaman]

The majority of situations where I've been partnered with someone else have been with my sons as yute hunters.  KY law requires I be close enough to take control of the shotgun at all times.  That, plus the fact that we hunt a lot of fence lines and tree lines, dictates that we usually set up side by side on the same tree or behind the same blind.  Alternatively, I've put my son in front of a tree and gotten behind him.  Either way, it works.  It makes for good communication with the other hunter, but it has no benefit when it comes to calling a bird in. 

[WillowRidgeCalls]

One other point on safety is that if your both hunters and you set up side by side, and one bird comes in. If your partner is given the choice of shooting the first bird, make sure you set on his *gun side*. If they are right handed and a bird comes in and spooks and runs off to the left, you may have a gun going off 6" from your face. If your on their right side they can't swing to the right without moving away from the tree somewhat and it gives you enough time to roll over on your side and get away from the gun, or say hey let him go.