I was interested in giving hunter a try because I liked them so much back in classic, but looking at the lone wolf talent, it makes one feel pigeonholed into taking it, does anyone here that plays marksman run with a pet still?
Maybe it’s just me but it’s hard to separate hunter from pet when playing WoW. It’s what I have always associated with the class.
I feel the same way. I like how powerful marksman’s abilities feel, but I don’t think it’ll be fun to play solo without a pet. I’m thinking of trying it out with a pet out while leveling and see if it still feels as strong.
You can do either or. Lone Wolf gives 10% Damage and a Pet roughly does 10% damage on ST fights with heavy uptime. Remember that it is leveling and it really doesn’t matter.
I have been leveling as SV and enjoying it. If I did level as MM I would most likely kite everything and not really use a pet. By the time something got to me it would be dead. BUT if I had a difficult mob or a group quest that I needed to solo I would call out a pet just for the Misdirects and buy me a few seconds. There isn’t a wrong way to level as long as you are enjoying it.
Ya man for open world content he is always with me. (He matches my mount so i like the look of it)
I dismiss in dungeons though but its nice because you can have the best of both worlds. 
I always have a pet unless I’m in content where they just die repeatedly. Pocket tanks make me.happy.
its an either or thing. when you want to maximize dmg and dont need a tank leave them at home. when you are out in the world questing its best to have them out so that you can just mass pull with no problems. its honestly the best of both worlds. unless youre in a mythic progression raid 10% damage nerf wont even be seen
Leveling and WQ, use a pet… Mythics and raids don’t. its really that simple.
I run without a pet where able, but I have macros to call one out for emergencies (Master’s Call, Roar of Sacrifice, etc.) and depending on the content I also keep them out. ST its not much of a dps change (or was the case prior to SL) and having a pet hasn’t hurt me while leveling.
Its personal preference honestly. Do what works best for you.
Lone Wolf isn’t a talent anymore. The difference between LW and your pet is going to be about 1% in ST. In AoE your pet is going to be significant DPS loss, but the only time that is going to matter is in higher end content.
If your goal is just leveling, open world content, the survivability of having your pet is going to outweigh the difference in DPS.
I’m still running around with my pet. I ran around with a pet all the time, even when Lone Wolf ruled the day in WoD and Legion.
Then again, I don’t raid. So there’s that. 
Yeah I use a bear. I can’t stand BM and survival is okay but not to main.
In PvE, open world, I use it occasionally, to tank elite mobs and harder world quests. Not having to use the pet as a major part of the class is a huge thing to me. I’ve always felt that WoW needed an “Archer” archetype, and never had it. They added all the skill shot traps and evasive maneuvers that you need to pilot to make it a successful class, and I love the new design, I hope they keep it relevant. It’s the most fun I’ve had on hunter. I would go BM if you want to play role that relies on a trusty sidekick.
I only ever use my pet in pvp situations where it’s cat and mouse (healer LoSing/another hunter trying to LoS me *with reso arrow down).
Not to mention if it’s a pet that has both access to mortal wound and bloodlust. Spider forever.
I use a turtle all the time for questing and a ferocity pet for leech in dungeons, rarely do I need the extra dps from lone wolf
For all Blizzard’s blunders in class design, I’m thankful that MM pets is one area they’ve found a good model and have stuck with it. I think Lone Wolf/pet tradeoff is in a good place right now and hope they don’t significantly mess with it.
I always play with a pet. That’s always been part of the class to me.
I always break out my pet on ST fights but in aoe I tuck it away. In solo content I always use a pet. I used a mechanical pet while leveling or when im in the maw and it never dies.
Always a pet for soloing unless I’m aoe farming skins on mobs with low enough health that a 10% buff to my AoE makes it substantially faster.
While pet tanks are great, the awesomeness of Fetch cannot be overstated.
If only they would re-introduce Mother’s Skinning Knife…
For my mm I grabbed the windserpent in Bastion and blasted to 60 with it…it was the same pet they give u in beta…actually always use a pet except in instances…however it’s handy in arena too
Hello, I was web-browsing and your post popped up. Yes, yes, necro… I know…
Well, if I’d seen it sooner, I would have replied sooner, but as it is, better late than never.
You’re asking if any MM Hunters still run with a pet? Excuse me, but Hell yes!
The Lone Wolf pseudo Talent provides a 10% increase to a MM Hunters damage when running w/o a pet. I think the point was to put a petless MM on an even footing as compared to the traditional MM+pet team, as a pet roughly does 10% of a MM Hunter’s damage. In actuality, on paper, a Lone Wolf pulls ahead in damage, due to travel time affecting the pet and aoe damage, as the MM pet has no cleave abilities.
It’s a small difference, but it exists. It shouldn’t, but oh well… crap…
I think the point was, with the 10% buff, peeps could play out their fantasy, on an even footing, of being a Ranger, akin to Aragorn, alias Strider, of Middle Earth fame? or possibly Sylvanus, infamous, undead, and definitely a solo .
So goes the story. There were people who played w/o a pet just to embrace this play-style, before there was a buff, true believers. There were others that played petless cause they kept pulling crap, not knowing how to manage their pet…
Upon arrival of the buff, the number of MM wishing to be “Lone Wolves” was large…
dungeon runners and Raiders I think, foremost. They didn’t see a need for a pet, most probably saw it as a relief from a nuisance, and there was an actual DPS increase, win win WIN!
LoL, they got a point. In a group, MM don’t NEED a pet. Funny, it just now occured to me, a group don’t need a MM either.
A MM, sooner or later, will need a Tank, or one hell of a Healer. The Hunter’s pet can fulfill BOTH roles, provided the Hunter knows their business.
The combination of a MM hunters’ powerful ranged damage capabilities and their pets’ aggro management makes hunters an excellent soloing class, essentially a two-man team capable of tackling enemies far beyond the abilities of many other classes. A potent damage dealer with enviable abilities in kiting and crowd control, the MM hunter is a class that is easy to learn, but difficult to master.
Still true.
Some people don’t see it, but our pets are what keeps us free, tied to no one but ourselves, capable of going anywhere, AND coming back, as well as, or better than any other Class/spec.
So, yeah, some MM still roll with a pet most times, and I’ve met very few that are willing to give up the pet altogether.