How many days per year do you hunt?

[DEHusker]

Here's an interesting question, to me anyway. I'm curious to see how many days per year everyone (at least that reads this forum) hunts? I'm especially interested in the guys (or gals) that are married with kids. I'm in a constant "dialogue"  with my wife about how many days per year is "reasonable" all the while making it clear that this is not only my hobby, but my passion/obsession. So...What say you all married with kid folk? How many days are you away from home per year for hunting activities? BE HONEST!! 

 

[Brock A]

Well I'm not married or have kids but I have a girlfriend and a dog. Does that count? Haha.

I'm on pace for about 40 days this year.

 

[topher89]

Married but no kids.

Because of how tags played out this year (I ended up with a 4th season deer tag and a 4th season elk tag) I will hunt all of 4th season- 6 days
3 days for rifle antelope
2 or 3 days dove and fall turkey
2 or 3 days grouse
2 or 3 days pheasant/quail/rabbit/coyote/etc...

So all in all 15-18 days. Most of the small game days are single day hunts though, so I am back home in the evening.

 

[Hoyts n Mulies]

I'll get in between 15-20 this year if I count predator hunting. Pretty fortunate to get that as I've got a 3 year old and a 4 month old. My wife is my person and understands what those days in the woods does for my soul.

 

[RamDreamer]

That's like asking how many days I breathe

 

[TEmbry]

20-60. It ranges a LOT year to year. I hunted 7 weeks straight last fall and probably totaled 70+ days afield for the entire calendar year. This year I got out for Alabama Whitetails some in January, and a week of Bear hunting Alaska over baits in June... Doubt I get out at all this fall except for some weekend duck hunts due to my new job.

2016 should have a Musk Ox, Brown Bear, Dall Sheep, and Mountain Goat hunt lined up all about a week a piece.

 

[mt100gr.]

I'm married with two daughters, 3 and 5.

My wife is beyond understanding and let's me get away with about 40 days from mid August to the end of November. A few more if winter wolf hunts must be carried out to soothe my itch. Of those, I would guess about 15-20 nights are included in the absences.

That said, I fund 99% of my hunting with side work and only hunt in state. (It's a big state, I know) I am very fortunate to have found someone that puts up with me and appreciate her every day.

 

[dotman]

I'm married with a 1 year old and 4 year old.

I hunt between 16 - 20 days a year on avg where I'm gone for an extended period (this year I'll be gone on two trips one for 10 days an another for 12) and then I'll do another 10 - 12 days of day hunting where I'm home at night.

My wife hates hunting season.

 

[Ross]

Chose the right Wonderful elkwidow 32 yrs ago...sept-nov avg 20-35 days each fall away and another 10 in the spring for shed hunting...she is more than understanding and lucky I am!

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Timely thread, just had that discussion last week......married w/ 1 & 5 yr old.

With spring bear, archery season and fall rifle I log about 20-25 days. The only weekday hunts I do are backcountry archery after elk, going for 6 days one week and 5 the next this year.

Tough to do more with 2 weeks of vacation - can't spend the whole thing away from the family. My wife actually said that last week to make sure I knew We're discussing a reasonable schedule for this year.

 

[dotman]

Timely thread, just had that discussion last week......married w/ 1 & 5 yr old.

With spring bear, archery season and fall rifle I log about 20-25 days. The only weekday hunts I do are backcountry archery after elk, going for 6 days one week and 5 the next this year.

Tough to do more with 2 weeks of vacation - can't spend the whole thing away from the family. My wife actually said that last week to make sure I knew We're discussing a reasonable schedule for this year.

Haha, my wife reminds me each year to save some vacation for family .

 

[tttoadman]

I only hunt deer and elk. I am usually gone 15-20 days hunting. I would say about 15-20 scouting in the spring and summer also.

We have been married for 26 yrs. I have 2 boys out of school. As long as I make time for us and get my work done at home, I can be gone as much as I can afford to be.

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

I'm in the same boat as many. I am married with 2 kids one gone and one at home. I am very blessed and this year I will have spent almost as many days in the woods as at work. Not all hunting but all leading to hunting weather it be scouting, packing, or playing.

 

[Ceby7]

I'll preface this by saying I'm a single guy with a dog and full-time job.

I spent 7 days turkey hunting and 11 after bear this spring. This fall I've got a 17 day archery mule deer hunt planned, 14 day archery elk, 7 day antelope, and 7-10 days for rifle mule deer in Nov. Add to that 15-20 day hunts for upland birds and waterfowl with my dog from Sep.-Feb. All told I've got the potential for 80+ days afield actually hunting this year!

 

[IanF.]

Married 18yrs with a 13yr old...

Away days planned this year 15
Local days big game and ducks 20-30

Lucky to live where we have seasons most of the year....

Forgot spring bear add 5-10

Ian

 

[DEHusker]

Wow, ton of responses so far. Interesting. My wife hates hunting season too... LOL!! I used to live in Europe where we had some kind of big game season open year round. Back then, with 3 little kids, I'd log 30-40 days per year, easy. I'd only be gone overnight for 5 or 6 of those days with the rest day/night hunts. I had a great hunting lease 10 min from home with deer and pigs. She didn't care one bit back then. Now, I'm lucky to get 15-20 total/year (>14 only if I get a "good" tag) almost all overnight away from home. She now thinks I'm deserting the family in the fall! God bless you guys with more understanding wives. Most don't understand that archery elk or whatever require a substantial time commitment of multiple days...and that's just one species per hunt usually. Man I'm in real trouble if I ever draw a sheep tag!!

 

[tipsntails7]

I have no one who cares for me.
14 days for elk, I'd say another 10-25 for deer and bear( depending on tags punched) another 5-10 for spring Turkey. So probably 40 days give or take. Add another 40 for waterfowl season but that's really just mornings till 11am.

 

[Bughalli]

I'm looking at 20 days this year, but thats a good year. I also do a lot of fishing, so that influences what I can get away with for hunting as well. But yes, it's a regular debate and with a 2yr old and another one on the way it's getting harder.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Married 2 kids aged 4 and 6.
It varies year to year and I used to keep track, one year it was around 70 days in the field, while others were few as 5. Last year I was around 50 and this year I should be between 50-60 depending... My wife is super understanding and now actually goes with me a lot! We are leaving on a 9 day antelope hunt at the end of the month and almost the whole month of October is booked with the first part of November if I haven't filled my tag.

Sometimes we get in disagreements (she usually wins) over me wanting to spend my days off scouting or day trips shed hunting . I have to put it in perspective sometimes and remind myself how lucky I am to spend so many days away from home.

 

[gmajor]

I'm at about 20 days hunting + 20 days backpacking/scouting. If I can manage to find a way to get landowner permission for wild pig and turkeys out here, I could really up that #.