How do you guys go on these cool hunts?

[Trial153]

Early on I
knew bow hunting was a priority in my life and I was going to find a way to make it happen as often as could.
I used to sit on a train going to HS in NYC and read Petersen’s bowhunting or Bowhunter magazine, dreaming of putting myself in those far off places.
Freshmen year of collage,
I bought a new truck, filled it with gas’s , a bow and some maps… drove 1700 miles to go kill an elk after ditching a week and half of classes. The next sept I found myself bow in hand on the tundra hunting caribou.
It wasnt hard to me to conclude that the things i wanted to do in life would take three things, effort, time and money.
I was fortunate enough grow up with a family, and in environment that making money wasn’t a big deal, was it easy no? But it wasn’t a mystery and I Never saw it as an obstacle. It was there it make, all you had to go was go after it.
Had my own business as well a working for my family’s business all through college.
Got degree in wildlife biology. Had a job offer soon after graduation.
I remember going to the second interview the following day; and listening to the offer i got… and when they offered me a yearly salary that i was making for myself in couple months ..I knew right then that just because i was interested in something didn’t make a good way to earn a living, bow hunt or have the time and money to live a life that wanted to live.

Since then the choices i have made, good and bad have mostly stemmed from what i wanted for myself and my family. I also realized that the safe road isn’t for me, I am willing to stretch and be uncomfortable to achieve some of the things I want.
For my part i am acutely aware that I have one life. I am beholden to myself first, my family and be decent human being to everyone around me. After those three things I have but one life to live. And when it’s done, it’s done. I am going to squeeze the most I can out it.

 

[Jpsmith1]

I doubt ill ever have the funds to go on a super expensive hunt. Mainly due to im the primary bread winner. But with that said, id take the life that my wife and I have over anything. Even with all of our very very dark low spots we've dealt with, id rather have this then a 50k Sheep hunt.


Now, if I can get my business to work and I make some good money. Ill send my wife to the Florida white sandy beaches so I can go and abuse myself up in the Yukon or the NWT because I thought Sheep hunting would be cool.

I think we're in the same boat. My wife never needed to hold a job because my income was enough and having her to raise the kids was more important.

 

[Rich M]

I’d take my wife over any hunt ive been on or could plan. Good wife trumps the rest, money or no money.

 

[bigry26]

I will save up about 1k and use that for a deposit. Set your date for a year out and budget for that over the year. I hve been to South Africa and Spain. My wife and I are headed back to South Africa in May. Then we will be starting to save for a hunt in Scotland in 2-3 years

 

[buffybr]

Gotta be a big chunk of us who live in elk country and get to go yearly.
Don’t try and compare yourself to that. Our resident tags are cheap, self guided is cheap.

I resemble that remark.

I've chosen to live and work in elk country. I now live on 10 acres that are about 5 miles outside of Bozeman. (My annual property tax on that land is almost 1/2 of what I paid for that land 48 years ago.) I've killed 3 of my 35 elk on that land that only cost me a $10-15 resident tag. I killed all of my other elk witnin 100 miles of from where I've lived in Colorado and Montana for just the cost of a resident license and a tank of gas for my pickup.

I've lived in Montana now for 51 years. I was lucky enough to come here when there hunting pressure was only a fraction of what it is now. In the late '70s and threw the '80s I drew a bighorn ram tag, 2 mountain goat tags and 2 moose tags. I didn't fill one of the goat tags, but I did fill all of the others along with a couple of Montana Unlimited bighorn ram tags like the elk tags I mentioned above for the cost of a $25 resident tag and a tank of gas, and all on DIY hunts.

I was able to get 8 of the animals required for the GSCO Super Ten on DIY hunts with 7 of them on solo DIY hunts here in Montana. My only guided hunts for that award were a $3K mountain lion hunt in western Colorado and $10K Muskox hunt in northern Northwest Territory. My 1st caribou was group DIY hunt in Alaska in 1980 where our biggest expense was the cost of the flights.

In 2000 I divorced a woman that had just married me to support her and her 2 kids. I almost immediately went from living paycheck to paycheck and no savings account to paying off my house and actually having a little extra $$ at the end of each month.

I went on my 1st African hunt with some friends who had bought the trip at a Safari Club auction. My cost for that trip including airfare, 10 days hunting, and bringing home 9 animals was less than $10K.

I, like others have mentioned here, am a DIY guy. I'm able to do many things myself instead of paying someone else to do it for me. For example 35 years ago when I added a 2000 sf addition onto my house, it cost me $50K for materials and some help labor instead of paying $250K for a local builder to do it. I mow my lawn myself, plow the snow on my 150 yd driveway myself, and I change the oil in my vehicles for less than $50 a change instead of paying a local shop $100 plus per change. I don't buy a new vehicle every year, but I do have 3 vehicles that all run great, and the newest one is my 2018 Subaru.

I've been lucky enough to have found some cancellation hunts, like my Northwest Territory 39" Dall ram, mountain caribou, and wolverine hunt that cost about $10K. But then a year later I had to turn down an $11K BC Stone ram hunt.

I guess it all comes down to choices and priorities. If you want something bad enough you can usually find a way to get of do it.

 

[Boarmaster]

I travel out of state to hunt five or six times a year. These are not super adventure hunts for exotic species.
I have been able to do this for many years. I have always had a career that allows me to be away. More now due to technology. I always lived well below my means thus allowing the financial freedom to fund these trips and leases. This meant sacrificing a dream house and a cowboy cadillac. I never was a ultra high income guy but I designed my life around a sporting lifestyle. I coukdnt figure out how to have it all so I sacrificed a lot of things to be able to do what I felt I really wanted. That meant not much time off in the off season. Not many other vacations if any most years. I remained single which was ok with me but for those that want a family I wouldn't sacrifice that for hunting trips. I guess until I am on my death bed I wont know if it was the right way to go. I am happy and content and excited for the next season. I do fish locally.

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

Depending on where you live in Arkansas, you've got a shorter drive to CO than I do. Depending on gear you might need/not need, I bet you could do it with an OTC rifle tag for around $2k, 1500 if you really scrounge.

If you don't have any children OP, you should be able to save a lot more money than me.

 

[Brushcreekbill]

I was born and raised in the ozarks.
Don’t miss out on some of the possibilities you have close by….have you at least tried for a local elk tag?
Alligator?

Hunt deer with a spear….that ought to make a cool video

 

[Touchdown88]

Start rat-holing all the money you can. Homemade coffee and lunches instead of going out with the crew. Small side jobs. And start chasing those dreams.

I recently booked my forst safari for next summer. It's taken more than a decade of saving, but the dream has finally come true.

 

[Blake C]

Prioritize!!! Stop wasting money and sick days on bullshit. Stop buying meat at the grocery store.

 

[Holski]

Similar to what some others have said. I went on my first Safari this past summer. Killed 8 animals getting it all mounted and sent back to the US. All in it will cost around $12K, so not cheap but also not crazy expensive (shop the deals and cancelled hunts). I am 33 and have never done a guided hunt prior to that. Also its about being content with what life gives you. Took me a decade to save enough to go hunt Africa. I love to hunt ducks and its a bucket list for me is an Arkansas timber hunt. Something you do somewhat regularly it sounds like. The ducks in Colorado are still fun and I have no complaints but your normal day is someone else's dream hunt, so just be present in that and enjoy what you have close to you as you save for whatever you dream to hunt.

 

[WMR]

For most folks, time will be at least as big an obstacle as money. Every adventure takes some of each. Public land elk hunting can still be done for under $2k. I spend less for great duck hunting each year in an undisclosed location.
DIY hunts are great fun when done with family or close friends. With some careful planning, they can be budget friendly.

With the kids grown, I’m able to travel more. Up in years now, I’ll likely run out of time before I run out of money. I’m getting in all the hunting now while my health is still good. The clock is ticking though, and Father Time never takes a day off.

FWIW, my advice would be to enjoy whatever season of life you’re in. Given the choice today, I’d trade an elk hunt for one more pajama party with the kids. Joy can be found in a multitude of ways.

 

[WMR]

I forgot to add, feel free to message me with any tips on those Arkansas greenheads. That looks like a great adventure too.

 

[WMR]

Since I’m already being long winded, Be sure you and the Mrs both max out your 401k accounts at work. That will open a LOT of doors for you in the future.

 

[North of 60]

We moved and retired. Like you, I could not fathom taking off two weeks, going across the country to hunt, nevermind pay for a guide. So at age 54 we said screw it, Massachusetts blows, the people there blow and the hunting and fishing blows. Life is too short, we are getting old and only have so many years left where our bodies will be able take the physical abuse.

Best decision of our lives. Even our kids came out here. I have lived a lifetime during the past five years. And it's practically free. I had a spectacular year this past season. Beautiful bull elk on bow opener. My first antelope buck. My first bear. I could drop dead tomorrow and have zero regrets

We are also in the best health of our lives. We are much happier together. Ya, we earn much less, but we also require much less. You need to get to a certain point in life to make a major change but the tradeoffs are worth it. Well being trumps everything. And for us hunting is a huge part of that. I'm actually amazed at what a huge part of our lives it is today. We are not hard core backcountry, it's gotta hurt, trophy hunters. We are meat hunters so it's become part of our daily life. We now hunt year round. Just got a rabbit the other night. I will be chasing coyote tonight.

Funny thing. My wife never hunted. Then wanted to try it three years ago. She had been shooting for years though. First time out she was hooked. This year she came on every single hunt, except archery. She got the largest deer this household has ever seen this year!

You made some good choices and are fortunate to have a wife that likes hunting. Good for you being happy with those choices

Horns are nice, but inedible and like you consider meat hunting the priority.