How Much of Your Income do You Spend on Hunting?

[Pelagic]

....do want to include hunt leases/club fees as well?

Oh yeah!!

 

[Scottyboy]

I spend enough to keep me (and my family) happy. Fluctuates year to year depending on what tags I draw, some years is ramen noodles other years is steak and lobster tails...

 

[mj23polaris]

Almost all of it, hunting is a year round thing, once bear ends it's scouting for the fall/winter hunts.

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[Downeaster]

I don't even think I want to know what the answer is to this one.

No joke brother. Ive pointed my entire lifes trajectory on living in a place where my dreams meet reality every day. My GF shares most of my passion (the rest she supports) and Im in the position now to spend on what's important to me. Kinda falls back on what a recent thread asked about being young and where to focus your career and passion...I cant say enough about paying dues for what it will take to make your dreams a reality.
Ymmv

 

[Rsully661]

I mean legitimately I consider most of life ie groceries for my kid, mortgage on my house just kind of like incidentals along the way. Essentially just additional expenses that crop up while I’m on my way to a trip. like I bought this item for that person in order to curry favor or maintain a relationship etc basically 100% of my income is diverted to hunting in one form or fashion. I buy a new stove and dishwasher and refrigerator some new cabinets and granite counters etc- in order to secure access to time in October etc. it is all going to hunting. When I’m completely honest. The money that looks like it’s not spent on hunting is spent making sure nothing interferes with hunting. When i look at how much expense the rest of life can generate it makes me really feel like I need to double down on my direct to hunting $$ and make sure to properly take advantage of all the hunting enabling dollars I e spent.

Aahhhhaaa, peas in a pod we are!!!!


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[MTElk1987]

One winter I tried to figure out what a pound of elk meat really costs. I got terrified and gave up when I started to factor in a portion of my land and equipment payments because of horses and mules! Some things are better left untouched!

 

[ChrisAU]

I mean legitimately I consider most of life ie groceries for my kid, mortgage on my house just kind of like incidentals along the way. Essentially just additional expenses that crop up while I’m on my way to a trip. like I bought this item for that person in order to curry favor or maintain a relationship etc basically 100% of my income is diverted to hunting in one form or fashion. I buy a new stove and dishwasher and refrigerator some new cabinets and granite counters etc- in order to secure access to time in October etc. it is all going to hunting. When I’m completely honest. The money that looks like it’s not spent on hunting is spent making sure nothing interferes with hunting. When i look at how much expense the rest of life can generate it makes me really feel like I need to double down on my direct to hunting $$ and make sure to properly take advantage of all the hunting enabling dollars I e spent.

This. I'm spending $2-3k on a trip to New York in February for me and the wife. Have I ever been? Nope. Would I like to go? Sure. What's the primary driver? Having that as the equitable return for leaving for a couple weeks in the fall and spending every weekend in the whitetail woods. And it seems like a big deal, airplanes, big city, whew. Its 3% of the time and 8% of the money compared to my hunting hobby.

 

[Dos Perros]

I spend an amount significant to me and my family, that's for sure. But the real cost is the time. If I got more time off work I'd hunt more with shittier gear. So I spend what I can spend money wise and time wise. But I'm also frugal. I'll sleep in the bed of my truck in single digits to save $40 on a motel.

 

[Unclemoe]

I know im well above the 5% mark, but my wife just got into hunting 2 years ago so we went cheap on all her gear so its always upgrading it for northern wisc cold weather and new stuff she wants, plus my two boys are at the age they can start hunting so new camo every year and new gear they want. Plus now we need more stands more blinds add in the costs for food plots and the money i spend on building points....

And this year is much higher then any other because i drew a bear tag for northern wisco and am driving up there once or twice a week to bait 4.5 hrs each way adds up in gas.....

Lets just say when the wife asks me to do somthing for her im on it right away so she doesnt get mad and ask questions about where all our money goes

 

[Jon Boy]

I'm much like Juan, in that every financial and professional decision I make money and time for hunting is the number one driving factor. Pretty wild when I look at it that way. I work all summer long and dont work a day in October, november, and very little in December. Hopefully next year I'll be able to start taking large chunks of time in september again. When I factor that time not worked and income not coming in I'm probably around 20-25% a year. Make wise financial decisions and live frugally. You can't buy time or youth, and you're not getting any younger!

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[bradb]

If we want to talk this years hunt as a % of this years income, holy crap you better add a lot more options. Of course a lot of this has been saved for years for this hunt

 

[Elcy]

Amount of $ spent depends on if I was drawn or not. Even years I don't get a tag, I'm trying to upgrade gear

 

[Iamjigs]

It's just money... they print more of it everyday!

 

[cmush]

It’s a lot easier to not think about all the cost when you can use a lot of the gear for other things like hiking/backpacking/camping/competitive shooting. But I’m an extremely budget conscious person most of the time so I keep it less than 10% for those combined hobbies.

 

[Pelagic]

Well....looks like I need to spend more of my money on hunting! I did not expect such a large portion of folks spend over 5%, and waay over 5 in many cases.

I spend an amount significant to me and my family, that's for sure. But the real cost is the time.

This too. Time cost should definitely also be factored in. ie, time away from family and work obligations. Would be interesting to do another poll on how many days in a given year, on average, are spent away from home, hunting.

 

[jfs82]

I'm new to hunting, so, a lot (15%?). Theoretically, and what I tell the gf, it will be less going forward as I spent on several guns, a bow, clothing, lifetime license, optics, cooler etc that I'll just need mild add-ons year by year. But, I'm already planning the budget for a new rifle when I do out of state elk next year.

 

[Dos Perros]

Newbs: with some very specific exceptions, don’t acquire gear in magnitudes such that you then can’t afford to go hunting. No amount of gear can make up for experience. Run with what you got, hunt as much as you can.

 

[jsb]

I spend almost nothing on hunting except on gas. Don't bow hunt so that helps keep things real simple. I am fortunate to live in elk country so it's pretty much just grab the rifle and a PBJ and go.

 

[JP100]

Wheres the 80%+ category at?

 

[Ph&s3]

It’s a lot easier to not think about all the cost when you can use a lot of the gear for other things like hiking/backpacking/camping/competitive shooting. But I’m an extremely budget conscious person most of the time so I keep it less than 10% for those combined hobbies.

Absolutely