How many days per year do you hunt?

[jwatts]

I am married and have a 1st grader. I work a 14 day on/14 day off schedule and get 11 days vacation a year. I usually make 1 trip out west each year plus hunt around here. So far this year I hunted 10 days during January for whitetail and around 25 days for turkey. I also made a few squirrel and quail hunting trips. I may go for dove one or twice a year. I will be gone 11 days for elk and deer in Montana in September. When our deer season rolls around in October I will likely be in the woods another 20 to 30 days before the end of the year. Conservative answer is 70 to 75 days.

Most of my hunting is done alone during the week. I hunt while my son is at school. Usually by the time I come out of the woods in the morning during turkey and deer season my wife has finished her normal daily routine and we can do whatever is needed around the house. I hunt afternoons a lot during deer season, but during the week I hunt property that is about a 5 minute drive from my house. My son likes to go when the weather is good so I will take him to sit a blind with me some afternoons. On the weekends I hunt Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. My son is to the age now that he loves going on Friday afternoon and staying at the camp Friday night and hunt all day Saturday with me.

 

[mdfanatic]

Good thread. I have two young boys, age 4 and 7. I hunt around the house with no overnight trips about 15-20 days. I usually make 1 out of state trip per year. This year, I plan on making my out of state trip to be about 10 days out and then another 6-10 nights out hunting here local.

 

[chippewawarrior]

I'm married with 2 kids (10&5), and I'll hunt wildlife 27 full days this year. In reality, I hunt people every working day as I'm a police officer with the fugitive apprehension unit...

 

[fort fireman]

Not enough!!!! My wife and I have two little ones.2 and 4. Since they cam along my hunting time has plummeted. It doesnt help that I work 24 hour shifts as a fireman and my wife is a cop on shift work. There is alot of schedule juggling going on and the first thing to go is hunting time. Daddy daycare is a big portion of my time now. I am not complaining at all, but it would just be nice to have some me time. If I do have a bit of time I am trying to keep up our 11 acres and horses or spend quality family time. Hopefully as the girls get a bit older and in school I will havve a bit more time to do stuff. Also my 4 year old is a trail machine when we go hiking , so thats a good thing. She was wanting togo hiking yesterday bit we didn't make it. Riding horses took to long.

 

[charvey9]

I'm married, but no kids. It is still a struggle, that sometimes leads to argument, to spend as much time in the woods as I do. Fortunately my wife is just as passionate about riding her horse, which is something she gets to do just about every day after work. I can normally get a pass by comparing her love for horses to mine for hunting. However, there will still be a few big blow-ups a year about how we don't spend enough time together. It is also in my favor that my "regular" days off are Tues-Wed when she has to work, and then I end up working a 10 on 4 off schedule about once a month which leaves a nice block for longer trips.

I've never added up the numbers, but here is 2015 so far and to come:

Jan/Feb - 10 days. Bird and predator hunting. All just day hunts or morning/evening.

April/May - 10 days total for spring bear and turkey. Did a 4 day trip for turkey and a 4 day trip for bear, with another weekend in there somewhere.

August - 10 days. Been out 2 days so far for fall bear, will head out for 2 more next week, then a 6 day Mountain Goat hunt at the end of the month.

September - 11 days. One weekend and a 9 day vacation planned for elk/deer.

October - 11 days. 6 day trip to Alberta for moose, then a Rooster road trip to South Dakota. It may end up being a few more if I go up to Alberta early for some Goose hunting. That's just hunting, add another 8 days in for driving on either side of those hunts that I'll be away from home.

Nov/Dec - 10 days. It gets a little sketchy here, but I'll either late season blacktail or bird hunt just about every day off.

That adds up to 62 days, and does not include the days I went out scouting (2 in march for spring bear, and about 4 in June and 4 in July). It also could end up being a little less if I get lucky and notch some tags early on some of these hunts. I'd wager about 40 of that total will be away from home.

 

[El Gavilan]

I'm married, no kids, 2 dogs, 4 cats and some fish. I'm retired but she is still working so she only goes about half the time.

Elk 14 days
Javelina 4 days
Deer 4 - 8 days
Quail 5 - 6 days
Dove 5 days,walk from house


Total 33 - 38 days

Scouting 30 days.

Love being retired.

 

[GOnDEEP]

As a lot of guys on here, I have a very understanding wife who when not out with me, knows I live for everything outdoors related and is very giving when it comes to time spent out in the fall. She gives me the look every so often but I make the best of the summer months, catering to her enjoyments (usually a vacation someplace). We don't have any kids yet and the two dogs we have are more spoiled than most kids and typically go everywhere with me. That said I bet I am in the woods hunting on typical years (OTC DIY PL) ~30 days a year, scouting another 15 and shed hunting another 30. Take for granted I live minutes away from being in the woods so I am able to get many quick trips in after work.

 

[Huntthefront]

My wife is super cool and understanding of my obsession, we have an 8 month old.

This year scheduled: 15-25 depending on how I fill my tags
Last year: 32
Next year (if I draw my LE Elk here in Utah): probably 40-50

I see myself as lucky as I have friends that have "contracts" with their wives of how many days they can hunt - Yeah seriously....

 

[IdyllwildArcher]

Married with 2 kids ages 8 and 11.

I hunt about 65-70 days a year.

Local hunting is about 15 of those days, the rest being out of state.

 

[NorthT]

Oh how I really hate this conversation with my wife lol. We started the every other week talk when i started checking trail cams 2 weeks ago. My wife also hates hunting season. Im married with a 2 yr old so things have slowed way down. Right now I have one 5 day hunt in MO, 10 in Wy, and 7 in Kansas for the year. I will have another 10-20 days of "home hunting."Local" If i could spend every day I Wwould. Cant wait for him to be old enough to go with me. On the other hand my wife actually said yes to going hunting with me for this year so this may be the best\worst yr ever. Just got to find her a cheap bow so she can spend some range time with me ha.

 

[DEHusker]

Crazy the number of responses, and the variety of answers here. It seems like there is a trend. Those with kids a little less time, those without a little more. The other trend I see is the INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE SPEND AS HUNTERS pursuing our passion...but that is a whole other thread!!! LOL
DEH

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

Single no kids. I'll put in 60 or so days this year.

 

[_RJ_]

Married with a kid. I'll hunt every hour of every day of the season if necessary. But I usually can get an elk and mulie in two days. Last year was the same day. I called it the Grand Slam day. Elk, deer, and a bear in one day.

 

[hobbes]

Roughly 60 days. I'll put in 35 to 40 this fall/winter for elk, deer, and upland. I put in 20 to 25 last spring chasing turkeys in 4 states. Some of those aren't full days but day hunts.