How do you guys go on these cool hunts?

[Steve300xcw]

. My friend just bought a truck that went N. of a $100K!!

Unless its making money, I will never understand that kinda money on a rig

 

[fatlander]

Yeah the vehicle thing is a common thread.

Of the three guys I hunt out west with every year, we all have one thing in common; not a single one of us has a vehicle that’s financed.

It’s pretty easy to afford a 2500 dollar hunt when you don’t have 500-1500+ a month going out to car notes.


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[Dos Perros]

Did your parents teach you how to do this?

I was in college driving 6 hours one way routinely to fish in the Ozarks, sleeping in my car, eating tuna and ramen. Once I got a real job I took my vacation time to do dirtbag fishing trips. Got a dog, then another, applied myself at work and got a promotions here and there, and started going to more exotic places like Montana and Texas to hunt. Didn't do my first out of state big game hunt until I was 33 I think, but have been doing that consistently for 10 years. Starting to add international fishing trips.

Between my wife and I we save something like 23% of our income (that includes employer contributions) for retirement, live frugally. We both drive '08 vehicles as an example. Lucky to have bought a house that will do back in 2013, with a low interest rate.

I think my answer to your question is it takes time. Make smart decisions. Make good investments (and what I mean there is...buy stuff that will last, take care of it, don't chase flashy stuff). Know that people around you with new cars and nice houses are leveraged to their teeth, have parents supporting them, etc. You can't compare yourself to them.

When it's all said an done an out of state elk or deer hunt probably costs about $2000 (including tag) to execute on the cheap. Any of us can come up with that most years if you really wanted to. Just depends how bad you want it.

 

[180ls1]

Keep investing in your earning potential/career. Be ruthless about it.

If immigrants come here and make six or multiple six figures you can also.

 

[robby denning]

Unless its making money, I will never understand that kinda money on a rig

it's his daily driver

 

[ColoradoV]

My uncles daily driver is a top model Raptor R. That’s only a 140K plus.

I really made some wrong choices in life somewhere.

140k+ is a 1/3 of villa in Northern Italy for me not a truck …

Or 3 more silver mines here in Co..

Crazy what folks do to have a “cool” vehicle. My tundra will turn 200k on the way to 300k while I am still wonderin….

 

[Dos Perros]

it's his daily driver

Bro my $3k Honda Accord gets me there and back very reliably. Pipes the Bad Bunny just fine. Tinted windows to hide my embarassment.

 

[Geewhiz]

I spent +50 days hunting OTC sheep, elk and deer this past fall, the trade off is I live in a city-folk run province and my bank account is on the knife’s edge of being red. On my birthdays I don’t wish for hunting days I wish for my truck to not break down and financial stability in my future !

Well, did you kill a ram?

 

[TheCougar]

I need some help and I don’t know who better to ask than the guys doing it so here goes. How do you guys achieve the time freedom and the financial freedom to go on these cool hunts. I’m in Arkansas working at a factory I have no kids but I have a wife and a mortgage and I pretty much only get to hunt what’s local to me like whitetail and ducks. I’m looking for adventure.

My wife always says that "comparison is the thief of joy". There are guys (particularly on the internet) who do awesome hunts and their lives suck otherwise - debt, divorces, etc. I also know great people that are filthy rich and buy governor's tags and auction hunts and literally kill multiple 400" bulls and 200" bucks every year. It's hard not to envy them, to be sure. I certainly have bouts of envy at times when they have a garage full of racks that I would be lucky to get one in my lifetime. Instead I am thankful for the great opportunities and hunting buddies I have, and the adventures I have been able to go on. On my death bed, I think I am much more likely to regret letting envy ruin the appreciation and gratitude for what I do have, rather than regretting not getting more IG-worthy animals or hunts. Realize that hunting adventures are great and all, but they aren't some existential experiences that are going to fulfill you or make you happy. It certainly isn't worth going into debt or causing financial or marital stress. If your current occupation doesn't allow you to live within your means and do the things you want to do, then start looking how to improve your means via training, education, etc.

I had a good job, but not amazing pay, for 20 years. Definitely comfortable, but I couldn't afford guided hunts or anything crazy. First off, I lived within my means - meaning I saved properly, gave liberally, and lived debt-free (except a mortgage). Any money left over was funny money without misgivings. I did a ton of DIY, OTC, or otherwise "cheap" hunts. Wyoming antelope, NM Aoudad, AZ Archery deer, OTC elk, etc. There are a lot of opportunities to do it "cheaply", although the tag increases for NR in pretty much every state have increased the price substantially. At the end of the day, you can get an elk tag in CO/MT/WY with decent odds if you know how. The tag will cost you about $1k. Add in another $1k for food, gas, and lodging. If you have the gear, that's about all you need. I did plenty of hunts that looked like this: Drive 24 hours from somewhere to somewhere else, sleep in the bed of my truck, get permission from a friend of a friend of a friend to access public through private ground, or just pick a few spots on a map or meet someone at a gas station or talk to a wildlife biologist and get an idea of where to go, hunt public land DIY for a week, pack out elk for miles and miles, drive back home and do the euro and meat processing myself. The other thing I learned is to stop buying gear and start buying experiences. I've got good gear. It works, but I can always buy more. Now I just spend my money on experiences. My second career provides with a lot more disposable income to go on hunts, including a guided one, but I still primarily hunt DIY because I can get more hunts in that way. I wish I had a hunt to trade you so I could bring my lab down to duck hunt in Arkansas!

 

[MountainTracker]

Lots of good advice in here. Having a plan is going to help guide you, stay out of unnecessary debt, keep growing on your knowledge which will open up opportunities.

Decide what type of hunt/species you want to do, then start looking at all of the states that offer that. There is going to be a cost associated to all of them but some are much less than others. I’d start by Looking at some of the states that would be within a day or two max drive. I try to have a multiple year outlook, this year, three years from now, and 5+ years from now.


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[Ucsdryder]

Don’t ever forget that rokslide is a form of social media, just like Facebook and instagram, where people try to portray themselves in a way to make others envious.

 

[Mr.Ktm]

Save $100 a month in a special spot just for hunting. Eat out less/pack your lunch and pocket the extra. Pick up extra hrs for just hunting funds. Do odd end jobs and save save save.

Running a household budget is a good idea too. It’s very eye opening how much we spend without even realizing what it adds up to.

I am currently doing all these to save for these cool hunts too. Hoping to do something big every 5ish years?

Another thing is look into the cheap(ish) adventures. An example of that would be a Kodiak boat deer hunt ~5k. Still a expensive but manageable compared to other hunts

 

[Michiganmuzzy]

I had a second job just to buy a couple of high end rifles. Now I use them to shoot whitetails on a farm lease here in southern Michigan. I drive a 2006 jeep and have almost paid off my house. No kids. Just entered my 60s and can just now afford an out of state hunt in Ohio for whitetails on my nieces property. It's all I can afford so it's all I need.

 

[robby denning]

Bro my $3k Honda Accord gets me there and back very reliably. Pipes the Bad Bunny just fine. Tinted windows to hide my embarassment.

you're speaking my language

Bought my Toyota 2W truck when I was 18 and drove until I was 48. Had to sit on a piece of foam for the last 10 years to see over the dash.

Laughed all the way to the bank but the wife was so embarrassed for me.

& "...Pipes the Bad Bunny just fine" < lol!

 

[Steve300xcw]

it's his daily driver

My favorite is when they try to justify it by how much better fuel mileage they get. Just STFU bro

 

[robby denning]

My favorite is when they try to justify it by how much better fuel mileage they get. Just STFU bro

Yip, they can put that 10% mpg saved to payments ahahah.

My 1985 ford with 351W got 14 mpg empty on the highway, my 2015 with 6.2 gas gets 15. Way more power though, and wouldnt go back.

 

[bighornbor]

Well, did you kill a ram?

Not this year. I was on a stalk 200 yards from a ram that was 1 1/2” legal that got interrupted by a clueless deer hunter, the ram slipped away into the timber… think about that one every day lol

 

[Steve300xcw]

Yip, they can put that 10% mpg saved to payments ahahah.

My 1985 ford with 351W got 14 mpg empty on the highway, my 2015 with 6.2 gas gets 15. Way more power though, and wouldnt go back.

I will never get good fuel mileage. Hell I can get worse than that in my 4cyl tacoma if I'm feeling spunky.

I've been on the hunt for the right 6.2. The 'ol v10 does fine, but the rig is a lil rough for my needs these days.

 

[Geewhiz]

Not this year. I was on a stalk 200 yards from a ram that was 1 1/2” legal that got interrupted by a clueless deer hunter, the ram slipped away into the timber… think about that one every day lol

Still awesome that you can hunt sheep every year.

 

[CorbLand]

140k+ is a 1/3 of villa in Northern Italy for me not a truck …

Or 3 more silver mines here in Co..

Crazy what folks do to have a “cool” vehicle. My tundra will turn 200k on the way to 300k while I am still wonderin….

He already has his cabin and plenty of investments. Dude owns double digit rentals and it doesn’t start with a 1.

Sometimes people get to the point that it’s no longer necessary or desirable to continue adding to their portfolio and it’s time to spend it.