Best occupation for outdoorsman

[WyoElk]

Just wondering what you guys feel is the best occupation for folks like us, and why? I like my job but am always looking just in case. Thanks in advance for the replies.

 

[TEmbry]

Whatever pays well and you enjoy doing. Time off is more important than money however.

No right answer as every person is different in intelligence, skills, work ethic, and interests.

 

[charvey9]

I run into the Oregon Department of Forestry guys out in the state forest often. They always have a few minutes to stop and chat, tell me where they've seen some elk, and bs about the outdoors. From what I can tell, they are just out there monitoring and hiking the replanted clear cuts on a regular basis. Not sure what they get paid, but seems like a good gig. Guiding or being an outfitter would be fun too if you could pay the bills.

 

[JWP58]

Fire Fighter (city or forest). Because the Forest guys get to scout while at work, and the city guys get to rest up and play video games at work (ok ok that last one is a joke).

 

[Moe.JKU]

My friend is a logging surveyor and he is always in the bush flagging trees, looking for new cuts etc and he scouts areas at the same time for hunting, and his boss lets him bring his rifle along when he goes out town during hunting season. He is always sucessful getting usually a couple deer, and either a moose or elk a year, so if your in the pacific northwest its a good gig.
I am a project manager for a telecom company, wouldnt be the best but at 24 its not bad and pays the bills. I get 4 weeks holidays a year so thats lots of time hunting, and some scouting in the summer for me.

 

[AZ Vince]

If you like to hunt desert species then Border Patrol Agent is a good gig.

 

[ffparamedic]

FF/Paramedic. I love my 24/48 schedule and spend a lot of time in the woods. After 7 yrs at my current spot I have to take off at least 10 shifts a year or lose the time so that's over a month off.

 

[squeekieslayer]

I like my job... I would say I am an optometrist, but more accurately, I am a small business owner. I set my own hours and can take all the days off I want.

Joe

 

[Tony Trietch]

Goals:

Hunting time -(more is good)
$ for hunting STUFF. -(Kifaru is not cheap and I like new bows!)
Respect from wife as partner. -(you know)
Happy to get out of bed in the morning. -(just two more days till I leave to go shed hunting)

Not sure if there is a right answer for every body. For me being my own boss was the ONLY answer. I am a carpenter by trade and paid my dues under a master carpenter. When I was ready to go out and start my company, I started working for the best boss around! ME!
Having great employees is a must but I do enjoy aprox _____ days off every year. (It is blank because I am the boss and will change if I need more)

 

[Shrek]

Self employed whatever you want to do that can be left and picked back up at any time and pays well. I personally own and drive a semi tractor. I can take any time off I can pay myself for whenever I want to take it. Unfortunately it doesn't pay as well as I'd like but I haven't starved and I've taken over thirty days off in a block the last two years and plenty of days spread throughout the year. I just couldn't imagine me ever working for someone in a regular job again. Worrying about if an employer will allow me to take vacation when I want or how many sick days I could take just makes my skin crawl thinking about it. In fact , I blew off working today because a customer pissed me off late yesterday and I didn't feel like seeing them again today. I'm in a comfortable rut where I'm at but I'm planning on blowing it up and moving west to the Cheyenne Wyoming - Denver Colorado area if the economy in the corridor doesn't get too bad with the oil going bust. I lost a secure job and everything I owned going through the last recession and it shattered any illusion of security. Working for someone in a job just insures that you will never see the best of the good times because you are paid salary or hourly and will be unemployed when the employers business slows or goes bust. All of the risk without all the reward. Working for someone else just robs you of dignity and opportunity.

 

[Slim Jim]

As a teacher with summers off and being an archery hunter isn't too bad. I can scout all summer and hunt here in NV starting August 1st for cow elk then mule deer August 10th. Then I have winter break off so I head to AZ for an archery deer rut hunt. I've also been looking into an early June bear hunt. Teaching has been a pretty good gig for me

 

[AMann]

Student all the way... Pick up two majors and turn a two year graduate degree into three. That's what I did/am doing at least. I spent 26 days in the elk woods last September and still carried a 3.0. Stay in school as long as you can

 

[danarnold]

Self employed Harley mechanic, got a huge shop at my house and feel very fortunate having a great word of mouth business,
when I'm busy I start 6:30-7 am then go to the gym for a couple hours before lunch, work as late as needed and take off all the time hunting I want

worked at the big Harley dealers for 20 years before going solo in 09 and couldn't imagine working for anyone ever again

 

[SethH]

X2 for firefighter paramedic. I absolutely love my job!! 1 day on 1 day off 1 day on 5 days off. When my kids get older I'll be in the woods every minute I have off of work. Never mind I have great amount of vaca and my pay isn't too bad either.

 

[bobhunts]

After 21 years at UPS I will say I have no problem with time off with vacation time. Only problem is If I do draw another dream tag I have to pick my vacation weeks in November for the following year. I have 6 weeks now and will get my last week in 4 years. 7 weeks is pretty good at 25 years. The job in itself just sucks.More forced overtime than anyone wants! I mean that! But I march on and am able to take all of archery season off if I want. Love the people at work but hate the mentality of the job since they went public many years ago. It used to be about productivity and now they bust your arse over anything. But I could be way less off. Glad I have the job I have! Bob.

 

[kparrott]

I'm a commercial pilot, I have 12-15 days off a month, 3 weeks of vacation in my first year. I think that's pretty good.

 

[elkbowkevin]

Im a real estate appraiser, self employed, can take time of when i want but the money does not come in if I dont work. Im the bread winner. I took two weeks off in 2013 to hunt and it cost me about $5K in lost biz. I make up for any time I want to take off by working my butt off long hours 7days a week in the summer and when its busy to take time off during hunting season.
Last year I took 1.5 weeks off for the birth of out baby girl. It was nice to be able to do that and still work a bit and not leave the house.
If I had this gig as a bachelor, OH MY would i be a hunting FOOL!

 

[Ian]

Helicopter mechanic 28 days on 28 days off. I like it well enough, I always say its a lucky man who can say he loves his job. Essentially I have six months off a year, however at this time with a 2, and 4 year old 90% of my time off is devoted to family. Got my boy out for some hikes in the pack this fall though so it is soon to gloves off.

 

[djsmith46]

None of the firefighters have bothered to mention the fact that we can perform "shift swaps" throughout the year. Meaning if I work "x" amount of shifts early in the year then my swapping buddy can work the same amount of shifts I worked for him, lets say in September. I worked with a guy who would routinely, just between shift swaps and vacation time take over 70 days off in a row between July and the middle of September. My current schedule is 48 hours on/96 hours off. Every 6 weeks I get a "kelly" day that provides me 10 days off in a row every 6 weeks, guaranteed. On top of the shift swap scenario you can also perform "kelly swaps". The manipulation is endless

 

[Beastmode]

Journeyman lineman. I can take as much time off as I want a year. It isn't paid time off but we make good enough money that if you are smart you can usually take 3 months off a year.