How much time do you devote to hunting?

[Trial153]

I try to get 6 weeks of bowhunting in. 8 would make me even happier and it would make me divorced also....

 

[justinspicher]

I am out a lot, I wouldn’t say that I’m actually hunting, more like I’m taking a rifle for a walk.

 

[Ross]

To be successful and good at something like most sports sufficient time both in preparation and participation are required..if hunting where the general public is you better have ample time and be prepared if you want to notch tags every year

 

[Spiral Horn]

Probably 6-8 weeks actually hunting. Far more time in hunt prep, range time, hitting gym, gear shopping, and countless hours volunteering for hunting causes.

 

[Elkangle]

15-20 weeks a year is the goal

 

[tdhanses]

Not enough, but is that even possible?

 

[roosiebull]

I have formed my whole lifestyle around hunting, from where I live to what I do for a living. my only recreation has always been fishing and hunting, with hunting being the more consuming of the two.... don't want any other recreational activities.... the ones I have now leave no time for anything else.

I fish for a living, with the slower work months being the 3 I really care about (sept, oct, nov)

if I didn't have a supportive wife, I just wouldn't have one

you don't "have" to devote your life to hunting to enjoy it or find success, do as much as you can/want.... we're all individuals with our own priorities and opportunities, and it shouldn't be a competition of who's doing better hunting..... just do your thing.

I think some guided hunts would be fun, but if you enjoy the woods, you don't need a guide to do it effectively. a lot of my scouting is done during season..... figure things out on the fly if that's your option.

feeling you "need" a guide will probably make you feel like hunting is a hassle, but it doesn't need to be. if I hired a guide for every hunt, I probably wouldn't hunt much.... much easier to grab what you need, hop in the pickup and go.... the associated cost is a lot less too.

save that guide money and use it for time off during season, and hunt as much as your life allows

 

[Chordeiles]

^^^^^^This!

Whatever makes you happy.
I know people that only hunt 2 or 3 weekends a year and are fine with it.
Myself. I’ll say that nothing gets done around my house from October to February. I have a good wife.

Edit: Forgot about April and May. Not much work gets done in those months either.

 

[Ycc33]

I don't generally start to do anything about hunting until fall, then make whatever purchases I need for the next season over the rest of the winter after the season is closed. Between trapshooting and motorcycles, most of my time and all of my money is tied up during the spring and summer. I'm quickly getting the idea western big game hunting is pretty much a year round operation, between research, applying for tags etc. It seems like going on guided hunts is the only way to get to hunt on any kind of regular basis without devoting most of your time all year, every year. Am I wrong?

That is pretty much it, I spend more time researching and applying for tags and such than I end up hunting usually. I go on roughly 3-4 hunts a year and it takes the rest of the time preparing. I had to give up the rest of my hobbies to get into full on hunting

 

[thinhorn_AK]

A lot but as an Alaska resident there’s a lot to do.

 

[ChrisAU]

I took a massive paycut to change jobs because the job I had ruined 2 of every 3 falls and 2 of every 3 springs.

 

[WiscoHunter1998]

It all started very recently for me. My father isn't a hunter and I was never really exposed to it until late high school. Now a senior in college, everything has changed. My girlfriend's dad started taking me out more and more and with him, I was able to check a bunch of "firsts" off my list.

Unfortunately, her dad passed away unexpectedly in December and now I need to keep his legacy and his passion alive. He was a life-long outdoorsman and you wouldn't catch him indoors during a Wisconsin hunting season. I hope to be able to continue hunting at the rate I was this past year and even fit in a trip out west this year. My girlfriend's family decided to give me a few of his guns and I look forward to keeping the hunt alive in this great family.

 

[kda082]

Congrats to you. Having a mentor is great. My father didn't hunt but I'm passing the tradition on to my son, who is now 17 and graduates this year. I have no idea what the future brings, but hope that we can enjoy many more hunts. Great memories.

 

[money]

I don't generally start to do anything about hunting until fall, then make whatever purchases I need for the next season over the rest of the winter after the season is closed. Between trapshooting and motorcycles, most of my time and all of my money is tied up during the spring and summer. I'm quickly getting the idea western big game hunting is pretty much a year round operation, between research, applying for tags etc. It seems like going on guided hunts is the only way to get to hunt on any kind of regular basis without devoting most of your time all year, every year. Am I wrong?

i certainly is year round for a lot of people. the years i have tags i tend to get out a lot more throughout the whole year. but if i have no tags i have a hard time motivating myself.

 

[RichP]

I start early deer season in September. Hunt deer, ducks, goose, pheasant, bear, turkey till end of January. Hunt Pheasant pay farms till the end of March. Start fly fishing till the next September and start all over again.

 

[gleitzj]

In my opinion, the preparation is what makes something rewarding. To me it's more rewarding to risk doing something myself and fail, because failing is how you learn. Paying someone else to guide you might still be fun, but you miss half of what the chase is all about.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

Everyday I want during archery, I can hunt behind my house so I go out in the am and after work , a week off for rifle, then a long weekend and holidays in November. Ill throw in a couple sick days scattered through out if some good weather is coming. During the summer we take a few camping trips where we spend a day setting up cameras and cutting out trails, then the rest of the trip playing in the woods.

 

[hutty]

If you ask my wife too much...if you ask me not enough.

Fortunate enough to have long seasons here in Maryland. Late Sept/Early Oct are for out west. Oct- Jan whitetail, sika and waterfowl (allowed 30 does and 4 bucks). Feb is small game (squirrels and rabbits). Mid April- Mid May Striper fishing and turkey hunting (Maryland cast and blast. Summer time - every few years a trip across the pond to Africa.

 

[DLOsoft]

I wish I can devote much more time to hunting then I do, but with limited vacation days and also doing vacations with the wife, I normally only make it out west for 1 week long hunt on a normal year. Being in Florida definitely makes it tough too!

 

[4ester]

One day less then it takes for the wife to send me the divorce papers or my job to fire me.





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