Building a Hunting Lifestyle

Not an attorney but know a few, and have made hunting my way of life (closing in on the Archery NA29 and Dangerous 7 in Africa)

You have to be a partner/owner otherwise you will never control your schedule and lose over half your money.

Sure short term do what you need to to make partner or work to learn/experience but definitely consider starting your own firm sooner than later. Sacrifice time/money now to set your self up for more income later. You will live much longer than you think.

Litigation and trials (personal injury law) definitely pays more than anything else. Forget Govt work, it will never pay enough and usually ends up being a thankless job. My BIL went to law school and works for the USPTO- 15 yrs later and he still can’t afford to buy a truck he has always wanted Also took a demotion to keep some control of his schedule . My other attorney friend quit the Govt job he had and started his own firm- now makes 5-6X his Gov salary with more discretion on time and vacations!

Also hunt prices have increased way more than inflation. If you are happy hunting your family farm or public land, then time off may be more important than money… but if you ever aspire to do more or international that’s a different story.

Tell me what you think it would cost to complete the archery NA 29 today? Factor that into your idealistic family budget over the next 20 years and see what your income has to be then double it for inflation

That’s awesome! Good luck on your journey to Archery NA 29, and I really appreciate the advice


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Not gonna happen kiddo. You are going to work your ass off until you are 50, and then wonder where all that time went. The dream is free, the hustle is reality.

Well I’m gonna try to beat the odds. We’ll see I guess.


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Wait, you are mid 20's and already looking for light at the end of the tunnel? You just got into the tunnel, the very beginning. That light isn't coming for another 30 years and plan to work your ass off that entire time. Sorry, no soft gloves here....only reality. Unless you are way above average, most lawyers don't make great money and most don't end up as a partner in a great law firm. If you want lots of free time, you won't either. There's that "reality" word again. Seems young people hate that word.
 
Wait, you are mid 20's and already looking for light at the end of the tunnel? You just got into the tunnel, the very beginning. That light isn't coming for another 30 years and plan to work your ass off that entire time. Sorry, no soft gloves here....only reality. Unless you are way above average, most lawyers don't make great money and most don't end up as a partner in a great law firm. If you want lots of free time, you won't either. There's that "reality" word again. Seems young people hate that word.

I love my life and everything about it, including the hard work I have exerted and will continue to. You know nothing about me except the small snippet of info I placed at the top of this thread. Sorry I want my reality to be better than yours. Hope you can find happiness in life. I’m just trying to optimize mine.


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I’ll say this. As a very young man I was a hunting sob. Got married. Got a good job. Raised a good family that I’m proud of today. Buried a wife. Retired early going on six years ago. I have funds to hunt anywhere. Thought that I’d turn back into that hunting sob again But these days other than my son who is now raising a family I have no one to go with. I absolutely despise going by myself. So ironically I hunt less now than I did in the last twenty years of my working career.

So…. My point is enjoy that family of yours. Nothing and I mean nothing is more important. Hunting is just fluff like any other hobby or pastime. Everything will work out in the end.
 
Transactional law has no respect for personal boundaries. You are the last stop before sign and pressure is the highest at that point and often announcement is your backstop, so not much wiggle room. The only people who work harder than deal and diligence teams are legal teams (at the end of the deal.

Notable mentions: you are only as good as your last deal, stakes are the highest of all, the pay is commensurate and deal crew is seemingly the most respected across your field.

Do what brings you joy. You will spend a lot more time with your clients vs hunting. Book time off for the following year in December and stick to it. You can make it work. Best of luck.
 
I have lived a hunting and fishing lifestyle for 40 some years. It helps if you live near where you hunt and fish. I am a bachelor so easy for me to be gone for a week or two. I have a occupation that allows me to be gone but still work at 95% as if I was at home. It took some time to get to this point. You have to figure out how to get things done. I get up a few hrs early and work. I also work while in my stand on emails and texts. I call people back at lunch. Sometimes I drive up on a high hill with a great view and make calls.
It helps that I love my work. So I don't mind taking a little time each day as trade for being ablevto be out of town for these longer stretches.

I have a great deer lease 9 hrs away. In the past I had more local hunting leases in SWFL but we shot mostly hogs and turkeys not deer. Those are lost to housing and commercial development so we took up leases in Alabama. Weather is better for hunting up there as well. 4 hrs away would be better but I make the 9 hr trip work.
I keep all of my equipment and trailers up at the lease and rent a small warehouse for my atv and SXS.

I decided to taylor my home to being out of town. I decided to live in a villa with a two car garage in a gated community. It looks the same when I come back as when I left. No maintenance on my part so if I am not working I am doing outdoor things. I lock up and put the garage door down and take off. I never thought this type of housing would be what I wanted and alway dreamed of a few acres house and barn/ workshop set up. That dream changed as I travelled more.

Fishing is good here so I fish locally when hunting is not in season. I work pretty hard off season to get as much business as possible done March thru October.

If you want a sporting lifestyle and you’re not independently wealthy you have to make trade offs and sacrifice things of lesser importance. I wouldn't change a thing about my life other than winning the lottery or inheriting a few million.
 
I have lived a hunting and fishing lifestyle for 40 some years. It helps if you live near where you hunt and fish. I am a bachelor so easy for me to be gone for a week or two. I have a occupation that allows me to be gone but still work at 95% as if I was at home. It took some time to get to this point. You have to figure out how to get things done. I get up a few hrs early and work. I also work while in my stand on emails and texts. I call people back at lunch. Sometimes I drive up on a high hill with a great view and make calls.
It helps that I love my work. So I don't mind taking a little time each day as trade for being ablevto be out of town for these longer stretches.

I have a great deer lease 9 hrs away. In the past I had more local hunting leases in SWFL but we shot mostly hogs and turkeys not deer. Those are lost to housing and commercial development so we took up leases in Alabama. Weather is better for hunting up there as well. 4 hrs away would be better but I make the 9 hr trip work.
I keep all of my equipment and trailers up at the lease and rent a small warehouse for my atv and SXS.

I decided to taylor my home to being out of town. I decided to live in a villa with a two car garage in a gated community. It looks the same when I come back as when I left. No maintenance on my part so if I am not working I am doing outdoor things. I lock up and put the garage door down and take off. I never thought this type of housing would be what I wanted and alway dreamed of a few acres house and barn/ workshop set up. That dream changed as I travelled more.

Fishing is good here so I fish locally when hunting is not in season. I work pretty hard off season to get as much business as possible done March thru October.

If you want a sporting lifestyle and you’re not independently wealthy you have to make trade offs and sacrifice things of lesser importance. I wouldn't change a thing about my life other than winning the lottery or inheriting a few million.

Thank you! I appreciate the insight. I also have the dream of owning a country home on some land, but I have pretty much squashed that idea for the time being. I am willing to make sacrifices for my career and family, but I just want to ensure that I can still enjoy my life outside of work. Seems like you do a good job!


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Thank you! I appreciate the insight. I also have the dream of owning a country home on some land, but I have pretty much squashed that idea for the time being. I am willing to make sacrifices for my career and family, but I just want to ensure that I can still enjoy my life outside of work. Seems like you do a good job!


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Its always a balance. I’m 62. Did the country property thing when I was in my 30s. Did the large house and pool at the country club in my 40s. Finally realized what I really needed and went that route. This down sized version works for me moving forward. It really freed up my time and money. If I had a wife and kids they and I would probably not be excited about living in the villa.
 
Attorney here. Graduated law school in '19. Two kiddos - 5 and 3.

My hobby is hunting (with some fishing), and it has been since I was young. I hunted a lot through college and prior to having kids. Undergrad and graduate degrees are in wildlife science, and I focused on administrative, environmental, and natural resources law through law school. I had a very specific path in mind, and I'm fortunate that I found room on that path. I'm currently litigating for a conservation non-profit. It pays well compared to goverment and on-par with mid-size firms. I work from home, have great flexibility, and I live in an area that doesn't have an insane cost of living. I get to talk and protect hunting, fishing, wildlife, habitat, etc. every single day.

My hunting time isn't hindered by work so much as it is by family obligations, but those family obligations are my absolute priority. I LOVE spending time with my wife and kids. Our oldest is getting old enough that he's started to come along with me, but we're still years out from it becoming true 'hunting'. And I'm okay with that. They're only this age once, and all my extra flexibility and funds go to them. I totally get the value of teaching kids to pursue their passions - you just have to find a healthy mix. And you may be surprised at how quickly they become your main passion, and hunting trips quickly aren't as exciting.

I feel a sense of obligation and guilt when I'm away hunting. I absolutely still love it and love to go, and I need to do it to make sure that my wife and kids get the best version of me. But it's always at the expense of family time. I too have dreams of bigger hunts, but at this point in life, I can't mentally justify the time or expense when the time and money could be spent on experiences with my family. I just can't imagine I'll regret pouring everything into my kids now, and focus on my passions when they're out of the house. And if I don't make it to that point, or I'm not physically able for some reason, then at least my kids had a father that was present and loved them to no end.

Please reach out - I talk to young attorneys and law students frequently who are interested in the path I've taken. There's no set path to your 'perfect' life, but your faith in the Lord is certainly the beginning. Accept his blessings and favor.
 
Attorney here. Graduated law school in '19. Two kiddos - 5 and 3.

My hobby is hunting (with some fishing), and it has been since I was young. I hunted a lot through college and prior to having kids. Undergrad and graduate degrees are in wildlife science, and I focused on administrative, environmental, and natural resources law through law school. I had a very specific path in mind, and I'm fortunate that I found room on that path. I'm currently litigating for a conservation non-profit. It pays well compared to goverment and on-par with mid-size firms. I work from home, have great flexibility, and I live in an area that doesn't have an insane cost of living. I get to talk and protect hunting, fishing, wildlife, habitat, etc. every single day.

My hunting time isn't hindered by work so much as it is by family obligations, but those family obligations are my absolute priority. I LOVE spending time with my wife and kids. Our oldest is getting old enough that he's started to come along with me, but we're still years out from it becoming true 'hunting'. And I'm okay with that. They're only this age once, and all my extra flexibility and funds go to them. I totally get the value of teaching kids to pursue their passions - you just have to find a healthy mix. And you may be surprised at how quickly they become your main passion, and hunting trips quickly aren't as exciting.

I feel a sense of obligation and guilt when I'm away hunting. I absolutely still love it and love to go, and I need to do it to make sure that my wife and kids get the best version of me. But it's always at the expense of family time. I too have dreams of bigger hunts, but at this point in life, I can't mentally justify the time or expense when the time and money could be spent on experiences with my family. I just can't imagine I'll regret pouring everything into my kids now, and focus on my passions when they're out of the house. And if I don't make it to that point, or I'm not physically able for some reason, then at least my kids had a father that was present and loved them to no end.

Please reach out - I talk to young attorneys and law students frequently who are interested in the path I've taken. There's no set path to your 'perfect' life, but your faith in the Lord is certainly the beginning. Accept his blessings and favor.

Man, this is great! I would love to reach out, I’ll send a PM. Definitely gotta check out opportunities in your area of practice, that sounds great! Thank you


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Not an attorney. I live in an area that has pretty nice hunting opportunities. I think you should consider living somewhere decent but where you can make a lot of money. And hunt how you want later in life. Also as a fairly young and recent empty nester I wouldn’t put off having kids too long. Not gonna lie and I love my kids but being relatively young in good shape and the kids out of the house is really cool. 😀
 
Not an attorney. I live in an area that has pretty nice hunting opportunities. I think you should consider living somewhere decent but where you can make a lot of money. And hunt how you want later in life. Also as a fairly young and recent empty nester I wouldn’t put off having kids too long. Not gonna lie and I love my kids but being relatively young in good shape and the kids out of the house is really cool.

Thanks! That’s a very good piece of advice. I really appreciate it!


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Man, you opened some big doors and a lot could be said here.

Your post indicates that you're a Christian. I'll challenge you: Go through Scripture and build a theology of hunting. I mean, literally, find everything you can about when it's appropriate to go out and do recreational things and what the point of such things might be. And while you're at it work out a set of boundaries to help you distinguish between an enjoyable and worthy activity, and an idol. Because I can absolutely assure you with certainty that there's a whole world of people out there who make their hobbies into idols and it hurts their families and it's wrong and they'd be better off staying home.

I love to hunt. But I can tell you that I had years when I didn't get to do it much, then years that I got a week per year spent at 'home' with my dad, then years that dad and I did trips together, then the kids began to age into it. We live on a farm now and we hunt here a good bit and my daughter is going on her first public land elk hunt this fall and I am looking forward to it, but if she hadn't wanted to do it, I wouldn't be going. I don't even have a tag this year.

The day my daughter killed her first turkey was one of the best days of my life. God's creation is wonderful, literally amazing, and getting to show it to my kids is a great thing. Seeing her walk into a nest of Woodcock chicks or watching my youngest kill his first squirrel....man, you live for those days. But they exist in a larger context and it sounds like you know that, at least in theory.

My wife snapped this. It means more to me than any elk or deer I've ever shot:
 

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Oh another thing! I’m very fortunate to blessed with a super successful hardworking wife, and it has afforded us a pretty comfortable lifestyle. We live in suburbia with a mountain place a few hours away. We get there pretty often but it’s tough with kids and schedules, if I was to do it again I would shoot for some acreage close to town, in Co this is insanely expensive, but it would 10x my hunting opportunities if I could run out to the back 40 in the evening vs, having to drive an hour or more, and I live at the base of the mountains. Not sure what part of the country you are in but with little ones, if you can have a spot out back or around the corner that will be a giant help, way easier to pop in and out, vs 5-6 hours of round trip driving, these opportunities are abundant in rural communities but can be tough next to major metro centers where often pay is much better. Just a thought
 
Man, you opened some big doors and a lot could be said here.

Your post indicates that you're a Christian. I'll challenge you: Go through Scripture and build a theology of hunting. I mean, literally, find everything you can about when it's appropriate to go out and do recreational things and what the point of such things might be. And while you're at it work out a set of boundaries to help you distinguish between an enjoyable and worthy activity, and an idol. Because I can absolutely assure you with certainty that there's a whole world of people out there who make their hobbies into idols and it hurts their families and it's wrong and they'd be better off staying home.

I love to hunt. But I can tell you that I had years when I didn't get to do it much, then years that I got a week per year spent at 'home' with my dad, then years that dad and I did trips together, then the kids began to age into it. We live on a farm now and we hunt here a good bit and my daughter is going on her first public land elk hunt this fall and I am looking forward to it, but if she hadn't wanted to do it, I wouldn't be going. I don't even have a tag this year.

The day my daughter killed her first turkey was one of the best days of my life. God's creation is wonderful, literally amazing, and getting to show it to my kids is a great thing. Seeing her walk into a nest of Woodcock chicks or watching my youngest kill his first squirrel....man, you live for those days. But they exist in a larger context and it sounds like you know that, at least in theory.

My wife snapped this. It means more to me than any elk or deer I've ever shot:

Wow, that’s awesome! Yeah, it’s a constant struggle for me and I have to regularly remind myself that I love to hunt because I love to spend time with the Lord in his creation, and I have to battle my inclinations to turn it into an idol. From time to time, it certainly becomes one in my life, but thankfully I do believe that if the good Lord took it away, I would be distraught but I would still praise Him. You’ve given me lots to think about and work on, and I really appreciate you taking the time!


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Oh another thing! I’m very fortunate to blessed with a super successful hardworking wife, and it has afforded us a pretty comfortable lifestyle. We live in suburbia with a mountain place a few hours away. We get there pretty often but it’s tough with kids and schedules, if I was to do it again I would shoot for some acreage close to town, in Co this is insanely expensive, but it would 10x my hunting opportunities if I could run out to the back 40 in the evening vs, having to drive an hour or more, and I live at the base of the mountains. Not sure what part of the country you are in but with little ones, if you can have a spot out back or around the corner that will be a giant help, way easier to pop in and out, vs 5-6 hours of round trip driving, these opportunities are abundant in rural communities but can be tough next to major metro centers where often pay is much better. Just a thought

Very true! That’s is one of the major issues I’m battling right now is geographic location. More opportunity in a bigger city, but less access. Less pay in a rural area, but more land availability. Thanks for the advice, that’s certainly something to think about!


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My friends who are most successful at an outdoor hunting lifestyle take advantage of hunting opportunities locally, but are all highly mobile. Buy a nice reliable pickup, get a shell and set it up for basic sleeping and camping, and keep it set up. Being outdoors is something kids love - they will enjoy the many short trip and it prepares them for longer trips and hunting across the country. One friend’s wife won’t camp out so they bought a mini winny and they drive the wheels off it hunting coyotes and prairie dogs all summer, antelope and mulies in the fall, Texas hogs in the winter, salmon runs in the spring. They are both highly educated professionals with busy professional schedules and high expectations, so they take advantage of any break in their schedules.

I learned a great deal from Scandinavian friends with respect to travel in the US, with or without young kids - an American will plan out a trip to a neighboring state a month in advance, get everything ready, make plans at work to shift a project, get excited the week prior to the trip, and finally do it. A European is always ready travel, calls a friend to help drive that weekend left work at 4:00, drove until after midnight, and spends all weekend enjoying it and drives back home in the dark and makes it to work Monday morning. Goes to another state the next weekend, and another state the weekend after that. Finally the week the American is traveling one state over, my Scandinavian friend will catch a sale on plane tickets last minute and fly across country for the week and see 4 different states while there. They grow up highly mobile with good traveling skills and it carries over into adulthood.

If I mentioned a farmer named Doug in western South Dakota, 5 miles past the Piggly Wiggly on country road 58 had a ton of prairie dogs he wish someone would shoot, he’d call farmer Doug right then saying Taper thought he had too many prairie dogs and offer to shoot at 1,000 of them that weekend if he’d be interested in letting them camp on his property. Before the first day farmer Doug would be putting them up at the house and at midnight the farmer would be singing drunken Norwegian drinking songs, then making them breakfast before heading out to show them the best fields.

Both families above love to socialize with other hunters and that is contagious and results in many hunting opportunities from the people they meet.

Everyone’s different and defines a happy outdoor/hunting lifestyle differently, but you may find pulling a trigger is just one part of it. I’ve never pulled the trigger on a bear on Kodiak, but I’ve been 50 yards from one on the upper end of big and it’s a great memory. Same with finding elk and mulies in Colorado - I haven’t pulled the trigger on one, but finding them late in the summer doesn’t require a tag and a glorified backpacking trip into amazing country can be as rewarding as pulling the trigger in an average spot. It’s the same hunting, it just doesn’t involve punching the tag. I’m getting old enough to notice eye sight isn’t what it was, arthritis makes every hurt a little more every year, definitely past my prime, and of all the game I’ve taken and good hunting memories the best memory was an amazing deer found during a scouting trip that I was able to watch 200 yards away for a half hour. Still makes my heart race just telling the story.
 
My friends who are most successful at an outdoor hunting lifestyle take advantage of hunting opportunities locally, but are all highly mobile. Buy a nice reliable pickup, get a shell and set it up for basic sleeping and camping, and keep it set up. Being outdoors is something kids love - they will enjoy the many short trip and it prepares them for longer trips and hunting across the country. One friend’s wife won’t camp out so they bought a mini winny and they drive the wheels off it hunting coyotes and prairie dogs all summer, antelope and mulies in the fall, Texas hogs in the winter, salmon runs in the spring. They are both highly educated professionals with busy professional schedules and high expectations, so they take advantage of any break in their schedules.

I learned a great deal from Scandinavian friends with respect to travel in the US, with or without young kids - an American will plan out a trip to a neighboring state a month in advance, get everything ready, make plans at work to shift a project, get excited the week prior to the trip, and finally do it. A European is always ready travel, calls a friend to help drive that weekend left work at 4:00, drove until after midnight, and spends all weekend enjoying it and drives back home in the dark and makes it to work Monday morning. Goes to another state the next weekend, and another state the weekend after that. Finally the week the American is traveling one state over, my Scandinavian friend will catch a sale on plane tickets last minute and fly across country for the week and see 4 different states while there. They grow up highly mobile with good traveling skills and it carries over into adulthood.

If I mentioned a farmer named Doug in western South Dakota, 5 miles past the Piggly Wiggly on country road 58 had a ton of prairie dogs he wish someone would shoot, he’d call farmer Doug right then saying Taper thought he had too many prairie dogs and offer to shoot at 1,000 of them that weekend if he’d be interested in letting them camp on his property. Before the first day farmer Doug would be putting them up at the house and at midnight the farmer would be singing drunken Norwegian drinking songs, then making them breakfast before heading out to show them the best fields.

Both families above love to socialize with other hunters and that is contagious and results in many hunting opportunities from the people they meet.

Everyone’s different and defines a happy outdoor/hunting lifestyle differently, but you may find pulling a trigger is just one part of it. I’ve never pulled the trigger on a bear on Kodiak, but I’ve been 50 yards from one on the upper end of big and it’s a great memory. Same with finding elk and mulies in Colorado - I haven’t pulled the trigger on one, but finding them late in the summer doesn’t require a tag and a glorified backpacking trip into amazing country can be as rewarding as pulling the trigger in an average spot. It’s the same hunting, it just doesn’t involve punching the tag. I’m getting old enough to notice eye sight isn’t what it was, arthritis makes every hurt a little more every year, definitely past my prime, and of all the game I’ve taken and good hunting memories the best memory was an amazing deer found during a scouting trip that I was able to watch 200 yards away for a half hour. Still makes my heart race just telling the story.

That’s awesome! Yeah, I think I could learn something from your Scandinavian friends. Just gotta go do it! I really appreciate the insight


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I’m not an attorney, so my perspective on your chosen career is from the outside looking in (cop 23 years).

Job wise, consider becoming a deputy prosecuting attorney for a few years before deciding if you want to get into criminal defense, personal injury, etc. Even famed criminal defense and plaintiff’s attorney Gerry Spence was a prosecutor for about five years (I believe he likes it when people don’t remember that).

Location wise, from my perspective there’s Alaska and the Lower 48 and in the Lower 48 there’s Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, and then there’s everyplace else.

I suppose you will find plenty of lawyers in Dallas that love their job and their big deer and Aoudad hunting leases in West Texas but it wouldn’t interest me.
 
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