Commitments during hunting season and draw strategies

[WhiteOak]

Having moved to NM last fall this was my first year having to play the draw game, which was kind of fun in itself. Although I defiantly miss getting my 2 bucks and 4 doe permits just for buying my hunting license back east.

Anyway I got so caught up in draw odds and statistics that I pretty much went blank on everything else. When the results came back I was so excited to see that I had drawn a deer tag.(struck out for elk and antelope) My wife knew how excited I was and was there when I checked and the results were finally in. I was so excited when I told her

Me: Babe I'm going on a deer hunt Nov 4-8th.
Her: that's great the girls birthdays are the 4th and 9th.

I felt so dumb. How could I have forgotten. this hunt was even my first choice, how did I not realize it was the same week as both of my daughter's birthdays.

All in all not too bad, thankfully I only live about 1.5hrs from where I plan on hunting so I will most likely only miss opening day. But man I am going to have that week on my mind during my app strategies from now on and thankfully it wasn't some stellar far away hard to draw hunt.

Thankfully it's just the one week I have to look out for. I have heard of anniversaries or multiple kids spread out across the season to people trying to plan kids around hunting season.

How man of you had made a mistake like that or have multiple commitments every year to throw a wrench in things. I get mad when we get invited to a wedding during hunting season. Don't they know this time only comes once a year!(Thank goodness September is just around the corner)

 

[Oregon]

I raised 3 kids. One has a late Oct Bday. Rifle elk in Oregon. Every other year me and my daughter celebrated her day early.
Here’s the kicker. First time I’ve ever compromised. My middle son is getting married in 2019 on Nov 3rd. Just broke it to us a month ago. Just so happens I’d already planned on being on a hunt that week. I will not apply for hunt now, go to wedding, then draw for sure in 2020.

Days are just days. My wife accepts/understands/despises?/tolerates draw hunts. She appreciates that most states give at least 3 months notice.
The joy of most hunts, I’m 95% sure when I’ll be gone 9 months in advance. A quality tag trumps any Hallmark holiday.

 

[mtnrunner260]

I have 3 boys. February, March and July.
These conflicts are avoided 9 months in advance.
But take your girls with you, they will love it. An opening daddy/daughter deer hunt date.

 

[NV HUNTER]

Last year I drew a Nevada bull elk tag . My only daughter was going off to Hawaii for college (softball scholarship). I burned most of my vacation time taking her. I would not trade that. I scouted my butt off 5 weeks in a row and was able to kill a 330 bull. Not what I dreamed of but still a good bull, and got to see my daughter off to college.

 

[Jimbob]

My wife and I are very practical. Celebrating special days do not have to be on the specific day. I just moved to BC stone sheep season opens August 1st our anniversary is August 10th, my wife understands that we will probably never celebrate our anniversary on our anniversary and if we do if will really be celebrating my sheep kill because I am home early from a successful hunt LOL.

Celebrating a day or two early or late makes no difference in our family.

 

[Fitzwho]

Thankfully, my daughter was born in late January, so that’s not really an issue. Closest things I have are my anniversary in early September and my niece’s birthday dead center of October. I live in the same town as my brother and his family, so we are really close and my niece doesn’t like for me to miss her birthday party. Though it happens, I try to plan on not missing the weekend closest to that. If I do, my wife and I just plan on taking her bowling or whatever she wants to do before I leave or when I get back.

As far as my application strategies to avoid these type of situations... I will change the unit and seasons I apply for (or just buy point instead) as things come up or I draw tags elsewhere. There’s a few things I have thought about double dipping in areas near each other with similar seasons (i.e. thinking about a week long antelope excursion next year hunting SE Montana, NE Wyoming, and South Dakota). But once I have a tag in my pocket I don’t apply for another hunt with those same season dates. I try to have 2-4 weeks between hunts in the fall. So when I draw my late rifle elk tag in AZ, I won’t be getting a rifle deer tag in Kansas that year. I just wish all the states would get together and plan out app deadlines and drawing results so that I don’t have to worry about having multiple apps out for the same dates.

 

[Btaylor]

Having moved to NM last fall this was my first year having to play the draw game, which was kind of fun in itself. Although I defiantly miss getting my 2 bucks and 4 doe permits just for buying my hunting license back east.

Anyway I got so caught up in draw odds and statistics that I pretty much went blank on everything else. When the results came back I was so excited to see that I had drawn a deer tag.(struck out for elk and antelope) My wife knew how excited I was and was there when I checked and the results were finally in. I was so excited when I told her

Me: Babe I'm going on a deer hunt Nov 4-8th.
Her: that's great the girls birthdays are the 4th and 9th.

I felt so dumb. How could I have forgotten. this hunt was even my first choice, how did I not realize it was the same week as both of my daughter's birthdays.

All in all not too bad, thankfully I only live about 1.5hrs from where I plan on hunting so I will most likely only miss opening day. But man I am going to have that week on my mind during my app strategies from now on and thankfully it wasn't some stellar far away hard to draw hunt.

Thankfully it's just the one week I have to look out for. I have heard of anniversaries or multiple kids spread out across the season to people trying to plan kids around hunting season.

How man of you had made a mistake like that or have multiple commitments every year to throw a wrench in things. I get mad when we get invited to a wedding during hunting season. Don't they know this time only comes once a year!(Thank goodness September is just around the corner)

Might be time to spring for a mani, pedi and massage day for mom and the girls. Better throw in a couple of gift cards to the girls favorite stores too. That should wipe out their day and they wont miss you not being there.

 

[5MilesBack]

My wife and I are very practical. Celebrating special days do not have to be on the specific day.

Yep.

 

[fishpredator07]

I'm sitting here trying to work scouting and hunting week around 3 weddings, daughter birthday, anniversary (10/22-idiot) and other things. Elk tag dates are extremely long so that's going to save me but working deer season around this year's 30th anniversary may not be clean. The struggle is real.

 

[rileybassman]

Yup - I play this balancing game every year... wife's birthday is September 25th... anniversary is November 11th... both are in the middle of elk seasons (archery and rifle)... one kid is October 26... I'm on our church worship team, coach softball... it's a busy time of year lol...

My answer has been to get my family into hunting... kid's are too young but wife wants to hunt on her birthday

 

[tlowell02]

I am kind of running into the same situation. I drew an archery deer tag for southern NM but planned on skipping the Sept portion to focus on January. Well yesterday I got the dates for my fiance's family Christmas plans in Illinois and it runs pretty much the whole week and up to the 30th. That in conjunction with applying for (and hopefully getting offered) a job in northern NM might mean I just have to eat that tag.

Did I mention I can't stand Christmas and Illinois? lol

It is the one huge downside to draw hunts, especially in New Mexico where seasons are so dang short for most hunts. I don't see how people can hunt NM with jobs that are not flexible in scheduling.

 

[Molon Labe]

I was asked to stand up in a buddies wedding that conflicted with opening day. I told him no. We are not friends anymore. I am fine with that.

What is the deal with people getting married in the fall? I have three weddings between august 25th and oct 13th this year.
Still going on 3 western hunts and a Canadian fishing trip plus my hunting back here...but holy smokes has it been a hassle scheduling everything!

Do the kids birthday party on a different weekend...they don't care about the day it happens...that is only momma that cares about the actual date.

I could care less about missing a "birthday"...what I really miss is my kids. Every moment I spend with them is special.

 

[idelkslayer]

Actual dates don't matter pick a different day to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.

If you aren't already married keep this in mind and don't change your habits or hunting plans while dating or engaged it will set an unreasonable expectation that you will be expected to comply with for the rest of your life. It will become a point of contention annually that you do not need.

 

[camping1601]

Last season myself and the wife were packing my Elk out in the middle of the night and it hit me. Yesterday was our anniversary!
She had forgotten also and I got to remind her she forgot.
Point is to try and not get too hung up on the date itself.

 

[WhiteOak]

We don't worry too much about the actual dates in fact we will probably have the "party" the following weekend. I do however want to at least have a nice meal with my family on the 4th. I just couldn't believe I had forgot those dates when I was doing my apps.

As for taking my daughter hunting she will just be turning 2 and I do get her outdoors as much as I can they both love it. It wouldn't so much be a hunt as just taking her to my hunting area and goofing around which does sound like a blast but not this year.

I've never had a 4 day season before now 3 but I am determined to make it happen. it's only a hour and a half away, at least where I'm starting but I'm not coming home until I have a deer or seasons over. I am ready to hunt hard. I've never had to do that before for deer but I'm ready to see what it's all about.