How much do you all actually hunt?

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

Over the past year I've probably had about 20 days dedicated to hunting and the traveling that comes with it.

15-20 days is pretty typical for me. All of those days fall between October-December.

 

[JayTx]

OP do you have kids yet? If she's questioning things already it'll get worse after kids. I don't hunt as much as I'd like at the moment probably get 20 days or so this past year. My daughter has gotten old enough to start scouting with me and is interested in camping and hunting so that will help. As far as the wife she would just as soon me be hunting.

 

[Slugz]

Been there. Asking the wrong question....I suggest changing it to "what do I like more, hunting or my wife?" Turns out I like hunting more...

Lot easier to plan things when you are by your self.

 

[Oregon]

There’s roughly 45 days a year I don’t hunt or fish. It’s a terrible problem. I’m typing this at 0454 sitting on the crapper listening to the rain pound on my roof thinking to myself “self, it would be so easy to just go back to bed!”
Nah, a cold wet boat ride to go shoot ducks sounds way better than sleep.

 

[Drenalin]

This year was a little light - 15 days of scouting, 19 days of hunting. That's whitetails here in the east, and I didn't hunt the last month of the season because I had filled all the tags I cared to fill.

 

[LongWayAround]

This year, I hunted turkeys maybe 5 days. A few weekends of summer scouting, 10 days. 17 days of archery elk. Two weekends and several of day trips for ducks and pheasants, one day of which I killed a whitetail, two if you count one I got with the truck... And two days of rifle elk.

So I'm probably around 40 days now. We were talking about how I have been home more this year.

 

[LongWayAround]

My lady doesn't complain about me being gone, I'm home far more than I could possibly be away. If it's ever toed the line of being an issue, I've told her to find something she likes to do...

 

[KurtR]

I start with geese in august then end with snow geese in April. Filled in between with elk in Idaho and then everything else right out my back door

 

[S.Clancy]

More than most, less than some.

 

[grfox92]

With the exception of the years my kids were born and last year when I was selling my house about 30 to 40 days a year hunting whitetails. A 14 day rut vacations and every Saturday and Sunday every week from September till the end of December.

I always get perplexed by guys wives who give them a hard time about hunting alot. My wife understands how important it is to me and would never want to deprive me of what I love to do. I also have always been able to hunt within 5 minutes to an hour of my front door, so coming home every night probably makes a big difference.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[Trial153]

I shoot for an honest 30 to 40 days of bowhunting a season, I tell her travel doesn't count....

 

[Northpark]

OP do you have kids yet? If she's questioning things already it'll get worse after kids. I don't hunt as much as I'd like at the moment probably get 20 days or so this past year. My daughter has gotten old enough to start scouting with me and is interested in camping and hunting so that will help. As far as the wife she would just as soon me be hunting.

Ya we two. Daughter is 7 going on 16 it seems like and little man is 6. Both dabble in shooting and hunting and like to camp so we and the wife likes to camp so we do lots of family outdoors time. I think it was just doing three major out of state hunts in 2020 that sort of spurred the conversation.

When the kids were little I hunted probably 3-4 days a year just to kill an elk for meat and that was it.

2021 I’m hunting every AZ tag I can get so January deer and javelina, spring bear, whatever I draw for fall, February 4 day Texas trip for axis deer and hogs (tend not to count the Texas trips because my wife is from Texas and we’re going anyway to visit family), then a trip to kodiak for blacktails

 

[30338]

I'm older, kids are raised, financially in good shape, wife is fine with me hunting 35-40 days a year. When I was in my late 20s and 30s, had 2 kids, mortgage, limited vacation time, hunting 15 days would have created issues.

All depends on your life situation and family. Kids take a lot of time and wives need help when they are young. For me it worked great cause both kids got hooked on hunting and that immediately helped get more time in the field. In the end, we all make our own path. I liked mine, but everyone figures it out.

 

[Laramie]

Anytime I see threads like this I am very thankful to have a wife that understands and supports hunting. My answer is I hunt as many days as it takes. This year for elk, 14 days. Deer was 6. Upland and waterfowl- hard to say- at least 20 days. Throw fishing into the mix and I am well over 60 days a year. My wife probably spent 15-20 days in the field with me and on average is along for 1/3 to 1/2 of my days in the field.

 

[Jbxl20]

This past year I would turkey hunt a few mornings in the spring. I Mostly archery hunt Whitetails here in PA. I can hunt close to my house so I’m out every chance i get. (3-4 times a week, mornings, evenings or both) Killed my buck the week before I left for a 7 day archery OTC public land hunt in Ohio. Killed a buck day 5 in Ohio. Took my 5 year old son out a few times during Pa rifle season. We saw some doe but the freezer was full so the experience was good enough.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Approximately 30-40 days a year.Not total days,may hunt morning,evening or all day.A few trips included.
Very supportive wife!

 

[Northpark]

Normally my wife is very supportive of my hunting something about this weekend just struck a nerve I guess.

 

[The Ri Guy]

I'd guess 15-20 in the last few years due to work, that's for Deer, Elk, and Waterfowl combined.

Mostly due to work limitations (family business) that I haven't been able to get out more, we used to go for 15 days of deer, 10-12 of elk, a week trip for Geese, dozen or more duck days, etc.

Fortunately for me the soon-to-be Wife complains to me that we don't spend ENOUGH time in the woods. So I'm hoping to double that 15-20 number in the next few years!

 

[2five7]

I average about 4-5 days a week from mid August through mid November most years. Took many years for the Wife to be OK with it, definitely easier now that the kids are older.

 

[WCB]

Looking back at calendars from the past three years about 80days...I hunt big game in (4) different states, do some upland and waterfowl hunting and I do some fishing on top of that. Have a "normal" 9-5 job but have good PTO and can work 4-10s and not take PTO for long weekends. Can also work remote so if I buckle down mid day I can nock out a bunch of work and hunt mornings and evenings or majority of the day really. Also, try to do a bunch of Predator hunting Jan-Mar. If I counted scouting days it would add a couple weeks to that.

This year was kind of a fluke. First out of state tag I had I shot a buck first evening. Usually hunt that state 3 or 4 times for at least 4 days each time. Also, here at home shot my buck 2nd sit and didn't even start hunting until Nov. Usually hunt every weekend and a bunch of weeknights after work.

I am married with 1 kid and another on the way. Wife hunts 20-30 days a year also. We know August- December we are running crazy. My wife and I planned the birth of our kids to be opposite of hunting season. Both will be May birthdays so that won't be an issue. Having a wife that hunts a bunch and comes from a hunting family helps a ton. But I also hunted more when we met and was a guide so it is just normal.