How do you guys go on these cool hunts?

[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.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

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

Adventures with your family.

 

[Roddyscott]

I hunted very cheaply until my kids were grown and gone. I also had a side hustle and a wife that worked. I went to Africa last Aug and headed to Alaska the end of Aug this year.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

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.

It's been good enough that he was able to quit his attorney job several years ago. I know him somewhat as we worked together briefly on a Carp and Catfish rod promotion for his signature Whisker Seeker fishing rod. He had a huge following on his fishing channel as well as the Outdoor Boys channel.

As an aside, I'm family friends with the founder of Whisker Seeker and used to do a fair amount of writing for his website. Great guy and poster child for entrepaneurship (sp?).

The youtube thing isn't near as sweet as it once was. Regardless, the channels with hundreds of thousands of followers or more have several things in common. Consistent delivery of tons of high quality content created through massive amounts of editing. This takes a ton of time, and many hours go into a 20 minute video. Most people simply don't have the time to do it unless they go all in...

 

[Jimmy]

You could go the Jake Paul route and fight old people on TV.

 

[woods89]

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

You aren't going to like this, but I wouldn't be surprised if you'd be much better off spending the time you're spending on your channel thinking about and working toward advancing the career you have. We have way too many Youtubers, and not nearly enough people with real skills. Those skills can be techinical, or managerial, just work on becoming way better than average. I can tell you as someone who's run a business for the last 12 years that if you become highly skilled in your industry, opportunity will come, either in the form of promotion at your current employer or from someone outside noticing.

Also, on forums or social media, it can seem like people are hunting more than they are. Kind of the nature of the platforms.

 

[Hnthrdr]

You could go the Jake Paul route and fight old people on TV.

I respect that more than the constant pimping of our wild lands and animals …. Tbh

 

[coyotekilla]

Sometimes in like you can't see the forest for the trees... my that I mean every hunt is special. To the Alaskan that hunts caribou to survive winter, a Pennsylvanian ground hog hunt sounds amazing. I think alot of times we that live in the mountains to go to the beach on vacation while the beach people go to the mountains...

Doing something new is exciting yes, but you don't need to spend thousands to do it. Take a hike, bring a camera, if you can take its Pic, you could of taken its life... im by no means an anti hunter, just a pro outdoors person.

Just a pic I snapped for my local game warden who wanted to know if ive seen turkey lately.

 

[Huntndog]

I served in the ministry for 35 years . We started with nothing . I made 15,000 and housing my first year. That was 1986. Since then I have hunted Africa twice , New Zealand once and elk hunted six or eight times. Mule deer this year , Newfoundland moose next year. I also fly fish Belize ,Chile etc. and intend to keep it all up until I give out.
There are three things that have made this possible.

1. Work with your wife .Plan and dream together . She may not go on all the adventures and you may be staying home when she goes places with her friends ,but she will be essential in getting where you want to go.

2. Get out of debt. We put our house on 15 years and saved $100,000 in interest.Every penny you waste on interest can be saved and work FOR you in the long run.

3.As many have suggested ,get a side hustle. We began a boarding and training kennel for dogs ,over twenty years ago. It started with keeping a couple of dogs in the basement and training ONE dog the first year. Over time while both keeping full time jobs
we grew the business without debt. Just prior to Covid I was training over 300 dogs a year and we were kenneling thousands. We still kennel as many as 60 plus ,at times.
We do not have employees.
It has been a gold mine, and we worked very hard for a very long time to make it that way.

Maybe you are allergic to dogs . Who knows? The point is ,as many have said, if you want something badly enough , this is America , go out there and grab it.

 

[Maverick1]

True, if I only had a lighter, stronger, more tricked out, more custom rifle! I would have for sure killed that BOAL!!!

Why shoot it when you can steal it? Isn’t that the WKR way?!?!?!…….

 

[Jimmy]

I respect that more than the constant pimping of our wild lands and animals …. Tbh

There are more youtube channels and podcasts than people could ever listen to. I shake my head when someone comes out with the same exact content as 10,000 other people. Be original! Creative!

 

[Maverick1]

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

So you started this thread to have YouTube video clicks fund your hunts? Or you started this thread because your YouTube channel wasn’t getting enough clicks?

 

[tboltz34]

I figure about a $1000 per trip out west, a little more for elk and a little less for deer. Plenty of fun can be had with only the tag and gas money. Assuming you have all the gear to camp. I slept in my truck for four years and did two (even three) trips per year.

Not everyone is in the same situation but most people I know tell me "I wish I could go on those hunts" and then mention money. Every one of these people have thousands into their Mathews bows, Sitka clothing, etc. In my mind, if they are buying a $2,000 bow every 4 years, it's not a money thing. It's a priority thing and the priority is having the equipment over using the equipment.

A lot of times, the hardest part is deciding to go.

 

[Jimmy]

It's amazing what people will watch though. There's a guy that streams himself running a hot dog cart and he gets tens of thousands of views lol

 

[TimberRunner]

Not sure if you are looking for career advice, spending advice, prioritization advice or other.

Maybe all of the above. Here's my brief story.

I came out all right at the end, but through my 20, 30, and early 40's I worked way to much, and got in a few hunts now and then, but not as much as I wanted. As my business grew, I realized I needed more time and less money, so just started taking a bunch of time off.

I'm not sure I should be giving advice because I'm not sure I did anything right. But, now. I can take multiple out of state trips every year and spend time hunting ducks and deer locally pretty much as often as I want. Spend a lot of time dog training and fixing my hunting crap (duck hunting is brutal on gear). So decide what you want your life to look like? And then go chase it with an intentional plan.

 

[Ophert]

Don't have kids, work a job that pays well and lets me be employed in the NWT, have a cool wife willing to live in the NWT

 

[Live_weighT34]

You could go the Jake Paul route and fight old people on TV.

Hey I’d step into the ring with Evander Holyfield for a stone sheep or Cape buffalo hunt

 

[Jimmy]

Hey I’d step into the ring with Evander Holyfield for a stone sheep or Cape buffalo hunt

^ see now there is an original youtube content idea

 

[Gseith]

You pay for half of your buddies elk tag?

Yes. It’s both of our hunts. I guess I’m not completely worried about being the one to make the shot. I get 7 deer almost every year and plenty of other small game.
We both plan the trip. Im looking for elk just as much as him. And we split it.
We both have limited time off work and this keeps the cost down. If we shot two on the last day we would be up a creek. It’s a 25 hour drive for us, and we push it to the last minute. Maybe it doesn’t make sense for everyone but it gets me to the mountains and chasing elk every year. If I was a better shot with a bow we would actually be alternating. Maybe next year, I have to keep practicing. We talk about switching to a rifle season for me, but haven’t made the switch.

 

[mtnbiker208]

one way to go about making a bunch of money, is to be really, really good at what you do. Be so good at what you do, people pay you a lot of money to do it.