Love in the Backcountry: What Hunting Has Taught Us About Each Other
Let’s just be real for a second:
Hunting together isn’t all picture-perfect moments and snuggles in the blind. It’s a test of patience, communication, and how well you really know your partner when the stakes are high, the weather’s rough, and the snacks are gone.
Sometimes he swears he knows the way. He’s got that confident stride, the “trust me” tone, and a strong grip on the GPS…Until we’re two miles off course and I’m questioning all my life decisions.
Sometimes I leave him at a tree. Like, literally park him there with a huff and keep walking. Because I’m mad, he’s being a butthead, and I just need a second (or ten thousand steps) to cool off.
And then there’s OnX, which usually has our back until it randomly decides to spin us in circles and gaslight… wait, no confuse us both into thinking we’re headed north when we’re clearly not. (Side note: It’s fine. Everything’s fine.)
But even in the chaos, something beautiful happens. We figure it out. Together.
We laugh at the mistakes (eventually). We take turns leading (even if we don’t always want to). We say “I’m sorry” with coffee, snacks, or the last piece of jerky. And when we make it back to camp, muddy and worn out, there’s a kind of closeness that comes from doing hard things side by side.
Backcountry love isn’t about the romantic gestures. It’s about stubborn teamwork, knowing when to shut up, when to speak up, and when to hand over the last granola bar and say “you were right” (even if it hurts a little).
We’ve argued over directions, laughed at ridiculous mistakes, and carried each other emotionally and literally through long hikes, missed shots, and miserable weather.
And the truth is? Love out here is raw. It’s rugged. It’s real.
It’s in the side-eyes, the inside jokes, and the quiet moments when we just get each other. So no, it’s not perfect. But it’s ours. And that’s what makes it worth every wild mile.
Have a story of your own about love in the wild? Share it with us on Instagram @raisedinthewild.co and tag #BackcountryLove — because behind every great hunt is a partner who stayed even when OnX was wrong.
