Taking Equity out of Home to Go on Guided Hunts

[RdRdrFan]

Someone who cannot see a difference between only hunting locally because it is cheap, and spending $60K on a guided hunt is missing quite a bit. It is like saying because someone plays low stakes poker with friends they cannot tell someone not to mortgage their house to go play in Vegas. It is a false dichotomy. I guess this is where I say "You don't have to like it. But that's a fact."

It’s actually nothing at all like your gambling analogy. “Someone who cannot see a difference between” hunting and gambling……not much need to finish that sentence.

I get it. Nobody likes looking into the mirror and realizing that they are being a hypocrite. But not liking it doesn’t change the facts.

 

[Marbles]

It’s actually nothing at all like your gambling analogy. “Someone who cannot see a difference between” hunting and gambling……not much need to finish that sentence.

I get it. Nobody likes looking into the mirror and realizing that they are being a hypocrite. But not liking it doesn’t change the facts.

Hunting is done for enjoyment, expensive hunting certainly serves no purpose beyond that (hunting cheaply can, but that just muddies the water). Gambling is done for enjoyment. Trying to say the two are different in this context is not logically sound. Just because you personally value one differently than the other does not change that fact. Your need to say the two are different does, however, clearly indicate that you understand what you call a fact, is in-fact not a fact. Sometimes one must cover the mirror to make oneself feel better.

 

[Mojave]

8 pages in.

Not sure this will be read.

I vote no. You are borrowing so much from your future self, I do not see the value in a grandslam. Go kill something else you can afford to kill.

You are caught up in the "keeping up with the Joneses mentality in hunting".

Go shoot some Spanish Ibex, Chamois, and go hunt Greenland.

 

[Mojave]

Here is the real problem.

What if you do pay to go on those hunts and you take 1 ram out of 3. This is a huge possibility.

I know a guy that has the North American 29. He has killed over 250 species of big game. He said the grandslam portion of it sucked. He paid for 7 sheep hunts to kill 4 rams.

Then what?

 

[sasquatch]

I wouldn’t do it, but that’s just because I could find other things to hunt for fulfillment. The last things I’d want to have to do is work more years before I could retire because I went on a few hunts and took out debt to do it.

But, that is ME. However I do understand it and could confidently say hunting will likely NEVER get cheaper. The human population is growing, habitat is shrinking, tags decreasing, and demand for those tags increasing. One could likely confidently say hunt prices wouldn’t even drop if we went into another great depressing, as there’d likely still be enough wealthy people left to absorb those few hunts.


So, if it’s a part of life you really have as priority, go for it and don’t look back.


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[Happy Antelope]

Die with memories not wishes.

 

[Mojave]

Die with memories not wishes.

I am in my 50's.

When I was 18, Dall sheep hunts in Alaska were $4000, I didn't save my money and go. When I lived in Alaska in Barrow, Anchorage, Fairbanks and Sitka. I didn't draw a good tag so I didn't go, as even then I didn't want to deal with the unknown. I had several trips planned, and never went.

At this point in my life, I have lived all over the world. I have hunted a bit, and have had some amazing experiences. I have not hunted as much as most guys, 20 years in the miltary shook that up, getting married in my late 30's and having kids at home kind of destroyed the hunting budget. At this point in my life I could actually afford to go at $35,000-45,000 for dall in the NWT.

That would also do a lot for my finances to do something cheaper, more of a sure thing. I also live in Europe so the cost for me is greater. Also there is no sure thing that I will get it imported correctly and the German customs and agriculture folks will not destroy it. There are a lot of Asian and European goat hunts that could be had for the cost of one dall sheep hunt. You could shoot a slam of Spanish ibex, as long as they were all mid-range trophies for $30,000.

If the struggle was your deal, you could get on an airplane and hunt NZ on your own and chase tahr for the cost of air fare.

I honestly do not have any regrets on the Dall. There are other hunts I missed because of military deployments, marriages, child births, covid and so on. This is life.

I do not have a grand slam, and I can't see the value in it for me. I am not anywhere in the financial bracket where I think it is a good idea to blow over $250,000 (if you are lucky) on 4 heads of sheep. $250-300,000 invested wisley would allow for some amazing experiences every year.

My uncle climbs mountains, he has summited Grand Teton about 60 times. He has been on a lot of mountains all over the USA and Canada. He is in his 70's and still active. Even went to Everest base camp to help clean it up. He said he didn't get the value of the permit to climb the mountain he just wanted to go up there and check it out.

Only you and your finances know the answer to that question.

 

[Marbles]

If the struggle was your deal, you could get on an airplane and hunt NZ on your own and chase tahr for the cost of air fare.

If anyone wants the struggle, I can point them to a HT blacktail hunt and a draw area for caribou that puts one in sheep and goat country. One of those areas is enough of a struggle most people will not even go their for goats. No guide needed for caribou and blacktail.

Alpine black bear can put one in the same country in the fall.

With a pack, boots, and some will, a person will not see another human for the duration of the hunt and no fixed wing can get you into the country.

Cost will be about $1K for round trip to AK; $160 for a nonresident hunting license; $650 for a caribou locking tag, or $450 for black bear, or $300 for black tail; cost of a rental car to get to the trail head. One areas needs a boat or plain to get to were you start walking, so that would add about $2K in transport.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

In a nutshell, you can’t afford these sheep hunts. Just the way it is. Everyone can’t have everything they want.

I realize almost no one thinks about that sorta thing anymore though. Everyone wants it, are entitled to it, and they want it now.

 

[schmalzy]

Guys I have to ask, where is the “entitlement” thing coming from? In what context did anyone say or convey they were entitled to hunt sheep? OP wants to use equity of an asset he owns outright, one that is worth 1.5 million, that he already paid off? Whether using that equity is wise or not how is that entitlement? The “I want it now” stuff, where is that coming from? OP wants to book hunts at today’s rates, avoid climbing hunt prices and opportunity decline and take advantage of his current age and physical ability.

With all this gate keeping, who is allowed to hunt sheep? Completely debt free? Have to do it without an expensive guide?


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[RdRdrFan]

Guys I have to ask, where is the “entitlement” thing coming from? In what context did anyone say or convey they were entitled to hunt sheep? OP wants to use equity of an asset he owns outright, one that is worth 1.5 million, that he already paid off? Whether using that equity is wise or not how is that entitlement? The “I want it now” stuff, where is that coming from? OP wants to book hunts at today’s rates, avoid climbing hunt prices and opportunity decline and take advantage of his current age and physical ability.

With all this gate keeping, who is allowed to hunt sheep? Completely debt free? Have to do it without an expensive guide?


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Exactly

Not to mention the fact that he has made decisions thus far in his life that have allowed him to pay off a home worth $1.5MM. Realistic expectation that the OP has made better financial decisions in his life than 95% or more of the folks that are throwing rocks.

 

[Scottf270]

I'm not saying it's a smart financial decision by the op to reallocate assets. However, if the nay sayers owe one dollar on their house, truck, kids education, fully funded retirement etc., should they be buying hunting tags, hunting clothes, guns, gas etc. based on their own logic of no debt before you hunt?
Just asking for clarification.

 

[2531usmc]

Wow! Just Wow!

 

[alaska_bou]

Exactly

Not to mention the fact that he has made decisions thus far in his life that have allowed him to pay off a home worth $1.5MM. Realistic expectation that the OP has made better financial decisions in his life than 95% or more of the folks that are throwing rocks.

If you really believe his claims, I have some magic beans I can sell you that are guaranteed to improve your draw odds in every state.

 

[svivian]

I have to lol at the guys saying the guy with a paid off over $1MM house is too broke to sheep hunt

 

[cbeard64]

I have to lol at the guys saying the guy with a paid off over $1MM house is too broke to sheep hunt

Me too. Lots of projection, jealousy and sour grapes going on in many of these posts.

He can afford it. How he does it or whether it’s a smart financial move to do it the way he posits are entirely separate questions.

 

[RdRdrFan]

If you really believe his claims, I have some magic beans I can sell you that are guaranteed to improve your draw odds in every state.

You know him?








Didn’t think so.

 

[TxxAgg]

We need a full net worth and cash flow picture to make and real decisions. The way real estate has increased lately, we don't have any real information.

 

[alaska_bou]

I have to lol at the guys saying the guy with a paid off over $1MM house is too broke to sheep hunt

If you read his own posts, he already said himself he does not have the money to book these hunts without taking out a loan. Just because someone has equity in real estate does not mean they have a healthy income or cash flow. The entire argument is whether or not to take out a bank loan to go sheep hunting and get instant gratification or to wait and save and sheep hunt later in life when the funds are in hand.

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[svivian]

If you read his own posts, he already said himself he does not have the money to book these hunts without taking out a loan. Just because someone has equity in real estate does not mean they have a healthy income or cash flow. The entire argument is whether or not to take out a bank loan to go sheep hunting and get instant gratification or to wait and save and sheep hunt later in life when the funds are in hand.

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How do you think he paid the house off?

What’s the difference from the guy who finances a boat or a truck while still having a mortgage.

Plenty of guys with mortgages saving up going on sheep hunts.

I’ve already stated I wouldn’t necessarily do it my self but I hardly think he can’t afford it or is broke

Just pointing out the irony of some of the posts.