Has anyone pursued a private pilots license for the purpose of hunting ?

[BRWNBR]

For what it will cost you to own. Operate. Maintain, insure. Fly enough to be proficient. With a super cub. You could afford 2-4 major fly out hunts a year and not have to loose sleep at night worrying about your airplane.

 

[ShadowAviator]

For what it will cost you to own. Operate. Maintain, insure. Fly enough to be proficient. With a super cub. You could afford 2-4 major fly out hunts a year and not have to loose sleep at night worrying about your airplane.

I was sleeping in the open under my wing out in Utah one night. Middle of nowhere airstrip in the canyonlands.

I awoke at midnight to a squeaking noise. A noise I knew all to well as a farm kid. There was a bull (moo cow) standin just beyond my wing tip and me. He was chewing his cud, hence the squeaking of teeth. After a while he walked off. Cows love to rub on stuff. Planes don't like to be rubbed. That was a long night.

 

[BRWNBR]

Oh man I hear ya!! Had some long nights listening to the wind and knowing my cub loves wind…but I prefer to be in it!!

 

[Geewhiz]

I am not sure I would recommend getting a license and plane just for hunting.

Cost: The license isnt cheap these days, but if you buy the plane first, you may just need to find an instructor.
Good plane might run close to $100,000. Prices have gone up alot. Insurance and annual inspection eats up a few thousand each year. Its more if the plane needs something repaired. You really should have a hangar which can be very costly depending on location. You need to fly somewhat often, even if you arent hunting which adds fuel cost.

General Aviation: Its as safe or dangerous as you want it to be. You are the pilot. If you avoid weather and make sure you have plenty of fuel, that cuts out a lot of accidents.

Some pilots fly to an airport nearby and then drive to their hunting locations with a buddy or maybe a rental. That can cut alot of time if your hunting destination is a few states away. If the airport is less than 4,000 feet in elevation, then there isn't too much extra to account for.

Backcountry/High Elevation: If you want to fly into your camp/hunting area, then thats where it gets tough.
You really need extra training beyond the license to fly into backcountry airstrips. Well, and a backcountry capable airplane.
Backcountry airstrips are usually short, and sometimes rough. There may be terrain in the way. Some airstrips are one-way in with no chance for a go-around. Some are down in canyons.

High elevation airstrips/airports are more dangerous than most realize. You know how you feel at high elevation? Well, the plane feels the same way. The engine makes less power and the aircraft has to fly faster to get the needed lift. Additionally, if its warm out, the air is even thinner. The airstrip elevation might be 8,000', but the density altitude could be over 10,000'. Less performance means you hit the mountain instead of flying over it.

Thats a bit of a wall of text, but the point is backcountry flying is way more challenging than general aviation. If you're tired after a long week of hunting, you still have to be focused for the takeoff. That's when its easy to make mistakes.

What would I do? I would probably prefer to drive. That way I can focus on the hunt. I do take big backcountry flying trips with my Cessna 172, but those trips are focused on flying. When I go on a long backpacking trip, I drive.

That said there are times I might be able to fly into go on a hunt, but that wouldn't be the norm.

Oh, or if I had tons of money I would buy a shiny new high performance backcountry plane, and fly in for hunting, hiking, or whatever.

I hate to discourage anyone from flying, but its good to be aware of what you are looking at. And if you are really serious about flying, then keep looking into it, but remember to be realistic.

Great summary. It’s not near as “romantic” as it may seam.