bad luck or bad judgement?

Turn that frown upside down! I'm sure everyone has had their fair share of awkward situations when hunting w new and different folks... They could be different than you AND their dogs may hunt different than yours, ie different style, not honor bays... Etc... Which is a recipe for a frustrating hunt. You just have to keep in mind everyones different-aint nothing wrong w it- its what makes the world go round! IMO it's bound to happen first few hunts w new folks... Not exactly sure what you mean by "bad experiences," but it may be a good idea to meet potential new hunting buddies more than once outside of hunting- get a feel for y'all's styles and how y'all hunt. Take turns dropping dogs rather than combining them. Just like the post in general discussion- there are good folks out there!