How do you guys go on these cool hunts?

[Chris in TN]

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.

Oh dude. My dad had a 1985 Ford. Stepside, 4x4, 351HO/C6. Dark Canyon Red.

If it ever got 14mpg it was going downhill. But if I close my eyes right now I can hear the secondaries opening up on it.

 

[CorbLand]

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.

Man, I do miss my 79 ford but I swear that thing burned gas turned off.

 

[Hnthrdr]

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

I agree, but my brother (who doesn’t hunt or like the outdoors, or anything cool like that, so no sweet ranch or guided hunts in my future ) is very well off… the way he describes it is you get to a certain point where you just do stuff cause you want to, not cause it makes any financial sense, would be like a normal guy buying a 15k truck

 

[robby denning]

Oh dude. My dad had a 1985 Ford. Stepside, 4x4, 351HO/C6. Dark Canyon Red.

If it ever got 14mpg it was going downhill. But if I close my eyes right now I can hear the secondaries opening up on it.

UR right, but that engine had way more HP than the W. I think I was like 180 horse. Dad bought me a Carter carb that I could change the jets in. I had it so lean it ran a little hot but getting 14!

 

[CorbLand]

I agree, but my brother (who doesn’t hunt or like the outdoors, or anything cool like that, so no sweet ranch or guided hunts in my future ) is very well off… the way he describes it is you get to a certain point where you just do stuff cause you want to, not cause it makes any financial sense, would be like a normal guy buying a 15k truck

Yep, I know a couple guys like that. Add in that for many it’s a tax write off, that 140K gets cut down as well.

If you make 100K a year and buy a 15k pickup, someone that makes 500K can buy a 75K pickup and as far as percentage of income goes, it’s the same.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I agree, but my brother (who doesn’t hunt or like the outdoors, or anything cool like that, so no sweet ranch or guided hunts in my future ) is very well off… the way he describes it is you get to a certain point where you just do stuff cause you want to, not cause it makes any financial sense, would be like a normal guy buying a 15k truck

I get it. Have a handful of customers like that. Great folks to deal with, but also very obvious we are living in different worlds

For the majority of folks out there though. Dropping $100k+ on a pickup to haul the kids to soccer practice makes zero sense.

 

[DangerRanger]

The simple fact is you have to make enough money, and use not enough of it to have money left over to save

If you make enough, then cut expenses back and sacrifice in other areas.

If you don’t make enough to cut expenses back more you have to make more money. How you do that there are a few options, on the side work, second job, employer change, job change, career change.

I know multiple guys that have 800$ a month truck payments That made that choice. They could have kept their old truck and go hunting every year. If you don’t have those kinds of expenses though, then it’s an income problem

 

[Dos Perros]

**potential thread derailer coming**

I think we have a duty, much more than previous generations, to pass onto our kids capital, because the value of their labor relative to the capital is going to decrease. The capital will become entrenched where it is, and the economy is going to be a competition between people with capital. So you die, leave your kids with nothing, they are destined to never have anything ever. By that logic, the dude making $500k/year would do better to still drive that $15k truck and leave the difference to his children.

 

[CorbLand]

**potential thread derailer coming**

I think we have a duty, much more than previous generations, to pass onto our kids capital, because the value of their labor relative to the capital is going to decrease. The capital will become entrenched where it is, and the economy is going to be a competition between people with capital. So you die, leave your kids with nothing, they are destined to never have anything ever. By that logic, the dude making $500k/year would do better to still drive that $15k truck and leave the difference to his children.

Depends, most people that can truly afford the pickups we are talking about will leave their kids plenty through other means.

Take my uncle, his kids will inherit rentals, cabin, multi million dollar house, stocks, life insurance and all the other crap the dude has. His kids will be just fine without the difference between a 15K pickup and 140K.

It would be way more cost effective to carry an extra 100K in life insurance than worrying about not buying a pickup to leave more for your kids.

 

[Yaremkiv]

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!

With the intent to do just that (drive it for 20+ years) I bought my first new truck last year. I would buy my previous trucks preowned with 70-130k miles on them with the same goals but couldn't get them past 250k due to mechanical issues that could reasonably be traced back to the operation and maintainance habits of the previous owners. I bought my current rig with damn near zero miles and I'm hoping to see 500k.

 

[Cady Creek]

One reply I have not seen is networking. Networking can be a great option. Find something, and somebody in a state you want to hunt. Obviously with a relatively desirable and easy to get tag and offer something of comparable value in return.
For instance, I'm "Bob" I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Fantastic Upland bird hunting and pretty darn good bear hunting. (deer hunting is starting to suck) I love to bow hunt big bucks and Arkansas is kind of a sleeper state for those and has OTC tags. I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine kinda thing.

 

[Duckhunter14]

Some great feedback here. I think a burning desire for adventure is inside most men and I feel like a better husband, father and employee when I’m able to scratch that itch each season. But I don’t do so at the neglect of my family as others have mentioned. Each person has to determine the extent of their budget for such activities. But I will say that most people who I’ve had a serious conversation with about this topic, realize very quickly they have room in their budget, they just don’t prioritize it. If money is tight, don’t get a $10 coffee at a coffee shop every day, don’t spend several hundred dollars a week eating out, give up energy drinks, tobacco, and alcohol. That may seem insane to people, but if money is tight, calculate out how much you spend on those items for the year. You’ll quickly realize if you look at your spending you’re able to free up a few thousand dollars a year to buy a tag out west and do a diy adventure and have no problem funding it. If you’re talking about knocking out a sheep slam in a year or two or buying gov tags then you’re talking about a whole different tax bracket and I’m no help with that one. Win the lottery.

 

[bighornbor]

One reply I have not seen is networking. Networking can be a great option. Find something, and somebody in a state you want to hunt. Obviously with a relatively desirable and easy to get tag and offer something of comparable value in return.
For instance, I'm "Bob" I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Fantastic Upland bird hunting and pretty darn good bear hunting. (deer hunting is starting to suck) I love to bow hunt big bucks and Arkansas is kind of a sleeper state for those and has OTC tags. I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine kinda thing.

This is a great way. Also great if you can find a friend that's willing to split costs, fuel, plane etc. I'm working with a buddy I met at school years ago to trade deer hunts in his backyard for mountain goats in mine.

 

[ColoradoV]

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.

Oh I get it… Got a friend - grew up with who comes into town in his personal (not rented) g4 he is going to upgrade to a g6 soon ….

Gets right out and into an old truck to get around.. Most times when I catch up w him he is hanging on his river property chillin w a 50/50 and a yellow can as a lot of folks ask for his time. I mention they could stop sponsoring the national spelling bee ….

My man got well more than several of the “B” level of zeros laying around and drives an old Chevy 4 door

Legend in my book……..

 

[william schmaltz]

1. Comparison is the thief of joy.

It can’t be overstated. “Mind your own trough” as my Mom would say. My wife is a DrPT and drives a nice (for us) 11 year old rig. Probably the oldest in her parking lot. I have a great career as an office jockey in O&G and still drive my 21 year old pickup I paid cash for 13 years ago. Easily the oldest in my work parking lot. It’s a badge of honor. This weekend we’re going to a boat show and I’ll be giving my number to several dealers to snipe a trade in of the suckers buying off the lot. We live extremely modest.

2. The best things in life aren’t things.

Most people on this site would laugh at me at the trailhead if they saw me there in my gear. I’ve killed a zoo worth of animals with savage rifles, vortex binos/spotters, and outdoor research/REI gear bought on 50% discount. I have an old Apls freighter pack that’s probably hauled close to10000 lbs of meat (it’s been mostly retired for a while). I’ve updated most stuff over the years, but never choose upgrading to top of the line gear over a hunt. It all sorta goes back to #1. For us, we decided saving for a chunk of land that locks in hunting opportunities for my kids and grandkids is more important than any guided hunt, fancy house, or new vehicle.

3. Get priorities straight.

You choose a wife and with that choose her as top priority. Same if you choose kids. The easy answer everyone gives is work extra hours. That’s not a great sustainable solution IMO. Working OT every week to keep the 4 walls up and lights on or wife home is honorable. Working OT a few weeks a year to hunt seems reasonable. Skipping out on being a Dad for 5-10 hours a week because you want to go on a hunt is insane in my book. Before kids I averaged about 50-60 hours a week and traveled all over AK for work. We paid off all our debt, I went hunting, and we did a few trips together; and we still had plenty time together. I left that job within months of our firstborn arriving. My current role requires OT of 14-28 straight 12-hour days every 18 months or so. A portion will go towards a trip to make up lost family time and a smaller portion towards hunting. Other than that, I do a few hours here and there as needed of OT and that’s it. Move jobs/careers before making OT a huge part of life IMO.

4. Don’t be afraid to move. (towns, jobs, states)

We moved to AK in our late 20s. As stated, I’ve got to kill a zoo worth of Animals I would’ve never hunted otherwise. Made relationships with friends with all kinds of transportation and split costs. I’ve done near 20 fly out trips for a fraction of the cost. Same with boat trips. I’ve killed Dall Sheep and Mountain Goats by borrowing ATVs from buddies for a couple weeks for $500. The proximity principle is real. There is likely great opportunity for you closer to experience you desire. It will no doubt come with trade offs. We recently moved back to within a couple hours of grandparents and life sure is WAY easier when we can call on them from time to time. We also have a lot more vacation time for hobbies now that we don’t have to spend it flying to two different states to visit family. If you choose to move, think long term. I started building PP before we moved to AK 12 years ago. I kept buying them knowing that maybe it would’ve been lost money. But we recently moved for a great opportunity back in the L48. So I’ll miss the AK hunting but I’m set with a whole pile of 10+ PP ready to deploy! (Sorry I’m the point creep guy, but just playing by the rules!)

The best way to get a raise is switching jobs/companies. Staying in a job 30 years for the benefits and pension is rarely worth it these days. The lost wages likely would be orders of magnitude more than the pension anyways. I’m on my 4th position in 7 years. I believe I should be paid what I’m worth or for my “loyalty.” I’ve more than 3x my wages in that time.

 

[Dos Perros]

Depends, most people that can truly afford the pickups we are talking about will leave their kids plenty through other means.

You're not thinking long term enough.

 

[Theringworm]

**potential thread derailer coming**

I think we have a duty, much more than previous generations, to pass onto our kids capital, because the value of their labor relative to the capital is going to decrease. The capital will become entrenched where it is, and the economy is going to be a competition between people with capital. So you die, leave your kids with nothing, they are destined to never have anything ever. By that logic, the dude making $500k/year would do better to still drive that $15k truck and leave the difference to his children.

Who wouldn't want to be born with money? However, you don't get to pick and choose who your parents are. This logic does not work in most scenarios. It would have to be grandparents or great grandparents passing the capital on early enough in their life for it to be of significant benefit, not the kid's parents. My parents are in their late 70s. I am 50. I'd be up the creek without a paddle if I was waiting on my parents to pass me capital to help stabilize my financials to where it would be of great benefit. I'll be 70+ years old before they pass anything on to me. Not really beneficial. The caveat being if my parents had "stupid money". So much that they could afford to start to divide it up early. That's a very very small percentage of the population.

I would argue that the better item a parent can pass on to their children is the importance of an education or skilled trade that will be of value to them and their own family. Something that generates financial stability. The importance of hard work, sacrifice and dedication. My parents are lower middle class at best. I had all I ever needed and got a lot of what I wanted but I learned as I got older, it was often because my parents put themselves in financial situations, they shouldn't have just to make me and my siblings happy. That really bothered me. I knew I did not want to be in the same financial situation they were in when I was older. I set goals, sacrificed a lot of my free time in high school and college. My parents encouraged me the entire way. They were instrumental in helping me achieve my education goals. They didn't pay a dime, they couldn't afford to. But they loved and supported me.

With my own kids, all teenagers currently, I am doing the same with them. My two boys have high ambitions for careers because they have seen what those careers can provide to them. They see the reward and are willing to make the sacrifice. My daughters, not so much as of yet. When I ask them what career choices they are currently considering, they mention an interest in this or that. I then ask them about their foreseeable lifestyle, things they want to have or do. Then I mentioned the possibility of being single for a long time, possibility of having a spouse that may tragically die down the road. I try to cover all the scenarios. Then I asked, does your career path 1) make you happy most importantly 2) will it provide for you/family given these scenarios or your lifestyle. If it doesn't, I don't have to tell them it won't. They immediately realize whether it will or will not. This has created ongoing conversations initiated by my daughters with me on multiple occasions now over the past several years about this career or that career. This is a conversation that never gets had in my opinion. Kids just do whatever, with no interest or input from their parents. We are failing them. While I will never tell them what they can or cannot do, I will point out the pros and cons of each career. It's my job to educate them. Their view of reality has greatly changed with our conversations.

The only thing each and every one of us can give our children no matter our circumstances is 1) Love and 2) Education (not in the sense of paying for college.....but in the sense of teaching them life skills).

As to the OP, Duckhunter14 hit the easy button...... stop the daily vices that add up significantly (Starbucks, Energy Drinks, Sodas, Alcohol, Tobacco, eating out, etc etc.) An OTC tag in many states isn't that expensive. I bet if you looked at your finances and focused on saving you could easily swing a out of state hunt every 2-3 years.

 

[Conrad101st]

This simple answer these day is two prong:

1. Start your own business and then work like a dog.

Or

2. Go to grad school and get a real degree in something like law, engineering, MBA, finance, accounting, construction science, architecture, and then work like a dog.

 

[TN_Rose]

Trying to sell some of my old handguns to save up for a nice rifle!

 

[CorbLand]

You're not thinking long term enough.

?