How do you guys go on these cool hunts?

[eamyrick]

Look up every major city law enforcement agency and pay scales. Get in shape. Apply and get accepted. Go through the academy. Get tazed, maced, and spend 8 months listening to some idiot yell in your ear. Graduate Academy. Go work evening or night shift for 3 years. Get spit on by homeless people and clean human shit off your boots every few weeks. Join a specialized unit. Work 65 hours a week. Always on call. Get promoted. Review a couple 1000 child porn images every day and kick in doors at 5a instead of going to kids basketball game. Get promoted again and do it all over again but make sure you have all your guys wives numbers so you can call them at 2a when they get shot or rear ended by a drunk. Promote again.

Save 20% of everything you make and empower your spouse to do the same. Stay fit. Join a good church.

By your late 30s go hunt anywhere you want. Chase tarpon in Belize. Hunt Grizzly in Alaska. Go to Colorado every elk season.

I think that might work.

 

[Poser]

Uproot your life, move somewhere "cool" and hunt locally.

 

[MallardSX2]

Viable model though... right? Work hard and have a well paying career. Specialized trade or white collar professional job is one of the proven ways to get it done. Owning a successful business seems to be another way. All these take a lot of work.

Make no mistake, I am not denying that at all.

 

[Fullfan]

Go the DYI route. I spent the entire month of Sept in Idaho last year chasing bull. Even when I was working, I would spend 2.5-3 weeks there. No need to pay a guide for what you can do on your own.

It cost me 2500 ish last year.

I also spend 16-20 days chasing spring gobblers in the Midwest, have for the last 34 years. Again DIY, which cost less than 1k for everything.

 

[FLS]

Figure out how to make more money or move out west and become a resident. You’re just getting started, and If you weren’t born into money, it’s gonna take a while. Don’t get complacent, and always be looking at how to move foreward.
Also realize the grass isn’t always greener. Most western states have strict limits, short seasons, and long miserable winters. I know AR has a long deer season with multiple tags, turkeys, hogs, waterfowl, lots of small game, great fishing, and it’s all as accessible as going to Wal Mart and buying a license.

 

[Jack321]

A lot of it’s just where you are in life too. As a lot of guys get into their late 30’s and 40’s+ they have a lot more disposable income. Dropping 5-10k on a hunt is a lot different for them than if they were in their 20’a still climbing the career ladder.

Is it selfish? Maybe, but at the same time my wife knows it makes me happy and likes to do things for me and I would do the same thing for her talents/hobby’s/interests. Do your homework, talk to your spouse, set a goal, and start setting some money aside each month until it becomes a reality.

This.

This is exactly me. About 15 years ago, my brother and I decided to make a "bucket list" of hunting excursions to do. And I began to save and use $ from that to do my hunts. Every present for bday, anniversary, Xmas, fathers day, etc, I just ask for $. And it goes into a savings account. Thats my hunting trip $$.

I also got lucky that when I was in college, I worked at a big-box Outdoor store and basicslly did what any College student would do--blow my paycheck on huntjng gear and guns! I always joke my paycheck had "negative numbers."

But I was able to slowly build my guns and gear kit. Little bit here, little bit there.

The thread "Cheap stuff that works" that has over 2k posts is AMAZING!

Hunting doesn't have to be "expensive."

I mean, tag, gun, gas, meals and maybe a hotel to/from. But being able to camp out, drive instead of fly, and hunt public land can be successful!

You dont need any high dollar Swarovski, or Sitka/Kuiu/FL camo with Kenetrek boots with a Seek Precision rifle that will shoot a fly off an elks ass at 1,000yds with a Nightforce NX8. Nor be sitting in a premo lodge with 100k acres of private land for $15k!

You can easily kill game with a Savage Axis 30-06 a 3-9x Vortex scope/bino a TideWe rangefinder with Wrangler ATG pants, brown/forest green Eddie Bauer puffy, a $5 blaze orange ball cap/beanie/vest combo from Walmart, Hinking Boots, Costco wool socks, hot hands and a bit of effort. Bring food prepared from home, a Coleman Stove, cole meat, chips and apples for lunch each day. Cot/sleeping bag.

Yrs ago I read an article about how to elk hunt for under $1k every year. After your fixed costs of gun and gear--stuff you can use every year. Its just tags, gas and a hotel ir two out and back.

That and a week away from the family--always get permission from the wife.

Its doable!

 

[go_deep]

There's no adventure I've ever been on that's better than my family at the end of the day.

 

[Cactus kid]

I graduated high school with the goal to go on as many adventurous hunts as i possibly could. I chose a career that would give me enough time off and enough disposable income to achieve that.

@MallardSX2 claims that guys who do these hunts are either selfish, wealthy, or both. Some truth to that. But what hobby or passion isn't selfish? Hell just being on this forum is taking time away from your job, wife, kids, dog, mother in law, the local church, volunteering at homeless shelters, ect.

If you are not wealthy (I sure as all am not), it takes intention to make these hunts happen. Its not impossible by any stretch.

 

[Choupique]

financial freedom

I can help with this part. A tag for an elk or mule deer is under $1000 most places. Fuel to get there and back is variable but usually $1000-$1500 with a big truck and a trailer full of crap. No reason you couldnt do it from a camry if you wanted to for $200 fuel bill. Other than that, all the expenses are optional for a western DIY non resident hunt.

If youre an adult with a real job, and you REALLY want to do it, you can do it.

 

[Tod osier]

There's no adventure I've ever been on that's better than my family at the end of the day.

Take em and don't forget the dogs!

 

[LongWayAround]

Get a better job, divorce your wife, and throw your financial reservations to the wind.

It’s literally almost that simple.

You should go check out that thread about taking a reverse mortgage on your house to go sheep hunting. Lots of stupidity on display there. Lol

Haven't you done multiple moose hunts? You also seem to pretty regularly be hunting western states despite being from Georgia, if I'm not mistaken.

So are you selfish, wealthy, or stupid?

 

[Muleyczy]

I’m still working on it, but started by doing every DIY hunt I could do for as many species as possible. Continued doing that, while then booking hunts several years out for those I couldn’t DIY hunt, giving me the ability to secure a hunt, with the time to pay/save.

 

[Kurts86]

What are the relative levels at your factory? How do you go from production to maintenance? How do you become a supervisor? How do you become a manager? How do you become the plant manager? Generally it’s a combination of skills, hardworking, ambition and a little luck. It will also take 2x as long if you aren’t willing to move for promotions. The maintenance guys at my factory make a ton of money but they work 12 days on 2 days off.

It’s already been mentioned but a well compensated white collar career or a well paying trade is a reliable way to a certain level of wealth. You just have to be ready to move, make sacrifices, maybe live in some places with horrible hunting to build up your skills. Wealth is not linear, it’s more exponential. There are way more guys doing the guided high dollar hunts at 50-60 than at 30.

 

[LookinforDirt]

Look up every major city law enforcement agency and pay scales. Get in shape. Apply and get accepted. Go through the academy. Get tazed, maced, and spend 8 months listening to some idiot yell in your ear. Graduate Academy. Go work evening or night shift for 3 years. Get spit on by homeless people and clean human shit off your boots every few weeks. Join a specialized unit. Work 65 hours a week. Always on call. Get promoted. Review a couple 1000 child porn images every day and kick in doors at 5a instead of going to kids basketball game. Get promoted again and do it all over again but make sure you have all your guys wives numbers so you can call them at 2a when they get shot or rear ended by a drunk. Promote again.

Save 20% of everything you make and empower your spouse to do the same. Stay fit. Join a good church.

By your late 30s go hunt anywhere you want. Chase tarpon in Belize. Hunt Grizzly in Alaska. Go to Colorado every elk season.

I think that might work.

The Dentist route isn’t looking to bad now.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

I’m the same situation in Oklahoma.A lot comes down to were you live.
I get to kill as many a 6 deer a year for virtually nothing and some guys in western states would love that.
I would love to live in Idaho and get to do what they do.
I’m turning 50 this year,middle class,raised three kids(almost done in 5 years) and had two health scares in the last decade.
Im starting this year and every year after going on a hunt.May do diy one year and a guided hunt the next but I can’t take all my savings with me.
It’s hard to cough up the money when you worked hard and been frugal your whole life but why do all that if you can’t enjoy it.
My biggest problem is my buddy’s just don’t want it as bad as me.They like sitting around deer camp drinking.

 

[MallardSX2]

Haven't you done multiple moose hunts? You also seem to pretty regularly be hunting western states despite being from Georgia, if I'm not mistaken.

So are you selfish, wealthy, or stupid?

If you knew me you could know that I am not selfish or "wealthy" so I guess that narrows it down. lol

For the record, I have been moose hunting 6 times. All DIY and I did ALL 6 hunts for less than what 1 guided moose hunt in Alaska would have cost (10 years ago dollars).

My yearly Western DIY trip cost me, my wife, and my daughter less than $4,000 a year combined. That's door to door.

Hunting is expensive but I'm not in the Elk hunting in New Mexico on a private ranch dentist/doctor money league. Never will be.

 

[MuleyFever]

Its like most things in life: you have to want it bad enough to find a way to make it happen.

 

[Wrench]

I hunt out of state a lot and in state a lot. In the off season I work all the time. I work my day job and have a side hustle. I have a stay at home wife that runs the house which helps a lot. I have a little better than average job, but 100% blue collar and was born with zero dollars and received zero generational handout. To be successful you need to prioritize your desires and make a plan to get there. I don't drink or smoke and drive paid for cars and trucks. I paid my house off within 5 years of purchasing it by buying a project house and working my ass off.

Learn to budget and pay cash for your day to day life. Once you can do that you will be disciplined enough to use a card to do the same. I made over a grand last year from my bank on the rewards from their credit card and paid zero dollars in interest. It's an ounces make pounds approach.

Lastly, don't compare yourself to what you see here. You are in the presence of a niche group and there are some very well off folks here and there's a bunch who are two missing paychecks from bankruptcy.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I didn't start hunting out west till I was in my early 40s, although is something I was wanted to since I was kid. Why did I wait so long... My oldest boy was in HS and my youngest mid elementary so my wife wasn't going crazy qhile I was gone and took a while to save up resources. I coached kids sports, ram taxi for practices, and had to pay for braces 1st..Also had to build up some seniority at work for more vacation days...

Now I have all the gear I need and have building up PP in multiply states...all it takes now is gas and tag money.

 

[Cactus kid]

If you knew me you could know that I am not selfish or "wealthy" so I guess that narrows it down. lol

For the record, I have been moose hunting 6 times. All DIY and I did ALL 6 hunts for less than what 1 guided moose hunt in Alaska would have cost (10 years ago dollars).

My yearly Western DIY trip cost me, my wife, and my daughter less than $4,000 a year combined. That's door to door.

Hunting is expensive but I'm not in the Elk hunting in New Mexico on a private ranch dentist/doctor money league. Never will be.

Six moose hunts and yearly western hunts is my definition of wealthy!