How do you guys go on these cool hunts?

[CorbLand]

@Trapperkid another thing that I learnt over the past couple years is that once you get some extra money laying around, you get to take advantage of good deals when they come. I never understood how some people always seemed to get good deals on things until I got to the point that I could take advantage of some that came along.

I had always wanted a fishing/duck hunting boat and one day a buddy called me said he was moving and couldn’t take his with him. Gave it to me for about half of what it was worth. If he had called me 6 months earlier I wouldn’t have been able to because I didn’t even have the money for what I got it for.

Some of the hunts people do are cancelation hunts that they get better deals on and get to take advantage of.

Goes back to my first post about the building phase of life. That’s a hard time but hold on, you will make it.

 

[Steve300xcw]

once you get some extra money laying around, you get to take advantage of good deals when they come. I never understood how some people always seemed to get good deals on things until I got to the point that I could take advantage of some that came along.

Flip side of that. Having that extra $10k or whatever laying there waiting for good deals, means you are looking for good deals. All of a sudden, browsing marketplace and the forums becomes dangerous...

 

[Jpsmith1]

@Trapperkid another thing that I learnt over the past couple years is that once you get some extra money laying around, you get to take advantage of good deals when they come. I never understood how some people always seemed to get good deals on things until I got to the point that I could take advantage of some that came along.

I had always wanted a fishing/duck hunting boat and one day a buddy called me said he was moving and couldn’t take his with him. Gave it to me for about half of what it was worth. If he had called me 6 months earlier I wouldn’t have been able to because I didn’t even have the money for what I got it for.

Some of the hunts people do are cancelation hunts that they get better deals on and get to take advantage of.

Goes back to my first post about the building phase of life. That’s a hard time but hold on, you will make it.

I've seen those cancellation things. That's legit?

Always skeptical of a deal that seems too good to be true.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Oh yea self employment.. All the free time in the world that way


I know a handful of folks that hit the fires hard, and then pretty much screw off the rest of the year. Maybe build another water truck or flip a car or two. Just stay busy. Doesnt sound all that bad

Haha yeah self employment for sure can be pretty time consuming but my brother is a business owner and so is the wife and lots of stress can equal lots of reward/ time off when you actually want it…

 

[CorbLand]

Flip side of that. Having that extra $10k or whatever laying there waiting for good deals, means you are looking for good deals. All of a sudden, browsing marketplace and the forums becomes dangerous...

Gotta learn that thing called self control my man.

I've seen those cancellation things. That's legit?

Always skeptical of a deal that seems too good to be true.

I am sure some are legit and some aren’t. Honestly, guided hunts are so far out of the realm of my ability, I couldn’t tell you a thing about them. Just know a few guys that have gotten in on some cancellations for good prices.

When I say I got a good deal on a duck/fishing boat, I am not talking I got a 40K boat for 20K. It was a 4K boat for 2.2K. I ain’t working with much.

 

[Trapperkid]

Time and money is all that it takes. Anymore, time is the hardest one to come up with.

I will say that I wish I had learned sooner in life, just how much money there was to be made. Dont let yourself get stuck working somewhere just because its comfy.


Guess what I'm trying to say. You need a gopro, some cool tattoos, and a few followers to influence. That alone should pave the road to your hunting adventures across the country

I actually have a YouTube channel which is the reason for asking the question I was hoping the channel would pay for trips but what I realized is I need the trips first so the channel can have videos and I need money and time for the trips

 

[Steve300xcw]

Haha yeah self employment for sure can be pretty time consuming but my brother is a business owner and so is the wife and lots of stress can equal lots of reward/ time off when you actually want it…

I'll just say that taking time off is a very different thing when you know that business isnt making a dime while you are gone. Still worth doing your own thing if you can though.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Gotta learn that thing called self control my man.

I'm a lot better these days. Get a decent sized nest egg and its harder to spend than if it was just $100 layin there. Still end up with random stuff that was a smokin deal from time to time though

 

[Truck24hr]

I actually have a YouTube channel which is the reason for asking the question I was hoping the channel would pay for trips but what I realized is I need the trips first so the channel can have videos and I need money and time for the trips

Shift your content then. Keep it outdoor adventure related. Not all hunts needs to be big game either. Folks still like small game hunting, and the Ozarks are overrun with hogs.

Get after it. How about a 3 night backpacking hog hunt?

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Here's the thing, if you went on one of these trips and your wife found out how much it cost, the divorce thing would take care of itself.

 

[CorbLand]

I actually have a YouTube channel which is the reason for asking the question I was hoping the channel would pay for trips but what I realized is I need the trips first so the channel can have videos and I need money and time for the trips

I agree with the guy saying shift your content to what you’re capable of doing.

If this is a route you want to go, I would be doing a deep dive on “Outdoor Boys.” That dudes ROI had to be insane.

 

[sodaksooner]

I've seen those cancellation things. That's legit?

Always skeptical of a deal that seems too good to be true.

Guy I know picked up a Kodiak Island brown bear hunt for just over $3k and his travel. Buddy had won it at auction and had something come up last minute and couldn't go. The mount cost significantly more than the hunt did....lol. That said, he does really well in real estate and can pretty much afford to go on any hunt he wants.

As far as me, I go the cheap route. Self guided, camp. I can do Elk in CO for less than $2k and that includes the tag.

 

[Kurts86]

Please tell me which industries do I can start looking

Tech, Finance, Consulting and dentistry have better work life balance with high income potential. Manufacturing and medicine have horrible work life balance even if they can be lucrative.

 

[rkcdvm]

TD/LR: Keep your family first. Communicate well. Don't make a down payment on a hunt that also puts a down payment on a future ass chewing by your wife.

I don't go on many cool hunts but the ones I have been on involved long forethought , planning, working extra (major help ) , and making sure my wife is aware of what I am planning. Sometimes she wants to come along and that will obviously increase cost. When I work extra, some of that goes into the "hunt pot" and some of it goes into the "couples pot."

One of the most important things I didn't think about when I would be working extra for these trips is that not only am I away for the trip, I am also away while I'm working extra so I can take these trips. So we both lose quality time with each other twice. Making her THE priority has definitely made it easier to say I want to go hunt Alaska and she be ok with it.. Now she comes along and those are the best hunts ever.

A friend of mine also guides hunts and helps as a packer for outfitters sometimes. Part of his payment is that he can go hunt with them. Being in Alaska, that may be something you can do. I've had a lot of ranchers let me hunt on their property because I walked up to them and asked if I could help out around the ranch in exchange for the ability to hunt. Some of those relationships can go a long way too. My current whitetail gig costs me about a day helping plow a wheat field . In exchange I get to hunt about 2 square miles of property. I've had that gig for more than a decade now. No bottle of Crown Royal required.

 

[LCguy]

Every hunt is a cool hunt. My fiancée likes to travel, so it's not realistic for me to use all of my vacation time to hunt because I enjoy the trips we take together. You have to decide what's important to you and then make the best of what you have. I'm lucky that I can draw, at the very least, a muzzleloader cow tag, and muzzleloader mule deer virtually every year. Could I apply in more states/places? Sure. But I would've missed out on great trips with someone I love. Also, stop comparing yourself to dentists, doctors and other wealthy folks, which this site is full of.

To me, hunting in different places isn't important but if it is to you, make a plan. Maybe offer to take your wife and spend a week with her doing tourist stuff in the state of your choice and another week hunting after she goes back home. My advice, as someone who isn't rich but makes a good living, is open a HYSA at a local credit union and put as much as you can spare ever check. It will compound quickly with no risk.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I actually have a YouTube channel which is the reason for asking the question I was hoping the channel would pay for trips but what I realized is I need the trips first so the channel can have videos and I need money and time for the trips

gopro comment was kinda a joke. Theres too much of that shit out there as is IMO

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I actually have a YouTube channel which is the reason for asking the question I was hoping the channel would pay for trips but what I realized is I need the trips first so the channel can have videos and I need money and time for the trips

This makes me feel a bit disgusted. The last thing this world needs is another monetized channel for hunting. But that’s just my opinion. It’s your choice as to how to sell your time, your soul, etc. I personally wouldn’t want to turn something I view as quasi-sacred into a job or side hustle.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I guess I'm not one of the cool kids. I hunt as much as I want here in WA, hunt my place in MO every year and every so often my home state, WI. Could I afford some of these exotic hunts? Yes. Do I want to spend that much money to kill an animal? No. I'm just waiting to draw a sheep or moose or elk or mule deer rut permit here in WA or a CO elk permit. Any of those would be "cool" to me.

 

[MuleyFever]

I actually have a YouTube channel which is the reason for asking the question I was hoping the channel would pay for trips but what I realized is I need the trips first so the channel can have videos and I need money and time for the trips

Oh boy

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

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 right here

Also, I wouldn't get too hung up the DIY vs. guided debate. Here's the reality... As a NR, if a guided hunt with higher probability for success costs me $5-6k once every few years, that's essentially the same cost as unsuccessful DIY hunts every year. It's also less wear and tear on your vehicle and the relationship with your wife.

If you can find a guided shoulder season hunt for a cow elk (they are out there) that doesn't cost you points you're accumulating for a BOAL hunt, and you can get into it for less than say $5k all-in, it may be worth it.

Another option is to set a budget, and once you've achieved the savings, start applying to every unit you've ever wanted to hunt in the random. As long as you can live with the non-refundable portion of these applications, you're chances of being drawn are stil better than had you never applied at all.