How much $$ is "enough"?

[hansontyrel]

Let me start by saying I'm not even sure if this was the best place to make this thread or not. Next, I'll give you some background. I'm a 26-year-old Afghanistan veteran who now works as a police officer. I love hunting, camping, fly fishing, backpacking, Harley Davidsons, and so on. You get the point. I make a decent amount of money, more than I ever thought I'd make with my last-minute college career choice after returning from overseas.

My shift partner is also an avid outdoorsmen and we got to the 0300 cup of coffee going and began the never-ending "money" talk. "What would you do with a million dollars?". Everyone knows that routine. Well, we both decided with "just a little more", we'd be able to hunt wherever, whenever and whatever we wanted. We each gross in the mid-50k range. After student loans, wives, babies, and our hobbies we finally had a realization that we needed more to do the hunts we wanted each year. We both decided that we aren't talking $20,000-$30,000 trips to Africa but would like to do an elk hunt, deer hunt, etc each year and not be divorced or broke, or both. So, in your opinions, how much is enough for you to do the hunts you want each year? Do you sacrifice other hobbies for hunting? Do you give up the new pickup every 2-3 years and drive a 99.5 7.3 Powerstroke (seriously, I do) so you can afford points and tags each year? Do you go on one big hunt every 5 years (Alaska bear *expensive*) or do you prefer to do the close-to-home trips and hunt more frequently?

Now, if this doesn't make sense and I'm just rambling let me know. It's 0345 here and I'm honestly exhausted. Time to put the keyboard away.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

First, thank you for your service in both the military and now as a police officer. For me, I try to keep the trips to a reasonable cost which for me is $1000 or less which includes tags, gas, and any hotel expense. Where I add on to that amount, is gear I otherwise wouldn't need and taxidermy costs. I hope I re use the gear on other things and its good that I like euro mounts to try and justify the extra money. With all of that being said I don't feel I can leave VA, every year. I farm full time and the burden I place on my Dad and Wife is unfair to them. I did three trips in four years and now I am taking a break for a year or two. To make up for not going out west, I have some exploratory hunts in new areas at home that should make up for it at a much lower cost.

 

[beagle001]

I know exactly where you're coming from.

We're lucky enough to have a good place to deer hunt in SD (been to ND once too) where we go and scratch that itch once a year. It's a great place, but the urge to elk hunt is real, and the cost is definitely a hurdle. The hope is that we can continue going to SD, and every 3-6 years, go farther west for elk or mule deer etc.

I did buy a new (pre-owned) truck, so that does take some of my funding away, but the plan is to run it into the ground.

Thanks for your service, hope you find that pot of gold.

 

[1_pointer]

I make at least one trip, but most often 2 trips West every year. I do it on a shoestring budget. Most of them are around/under $1K not including tags, taxidermy. I do sacrifice other hobbies and gear to be able to make these trips as they are my only real personal indulgence. I drive a 16yo sedan for work that has 250K on it and my hunting rig has 140K on it. I have fewer and lower quality firearms than I would like as well as gear. But, I'd much rather go than buy gear.

It's all about priorities. If a person wants to they can go. The big thing, IMO, is that if you want to go get in on as many of the draws as possible. While there are many OTC/every year type opportunities, drawing a tag for a good area is pretty nice too. I do the OTC/General tag hunts on the years I don't draw and when I do draw it's just icing on the cake.

PS- For me to have the Harley I'd want, it'd eat up at least a decade worth of hunt money...

 

[Speeddmn]

If you want budget hunts out west, it's all about the research. Also if you have decent hunting around the house now, that will and can supplement the freezer. Left over antelope doe tags in WY are like 40 bucks plus license. Add that little guy to a 400ish non resident elk tag in CO, MT, WY, or ID and you with a buddy could come home with a few hundred lbs of meat.

If you are wanting trophys then set a few buck each month aside and save for the better units, areas etc.

Could always move more west and get much cheaper tags, all depends on family needs.

 

[MNElkNut]

Our last elk hunt cost us $1300 per person. We honestly could have done it cheaper. $1000 is doable, including tags. That is driving from MN to WY.

Another thought is to figure out a way to make a little extra. Are you a woodworker? Make some things and sell them. Help a guy roof a house. Pick up an extra shift. Whatever it may be, do something and designate that money solely for your fall hunting expenditures. Actually, the first bit of extra income should be spent on the wife. Trust me on that one.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

$571.50 for hunting/elk tag here in idaho, another $20 for archery permit, you can most of the time hunt
1-2-3 different units in your elk zone you choose, wolf tag just in case 31.75 each, you better get 2.... driving from Minneapolis, MN too Cascade, Id is in my truck with camper $219 so there back is $438, and it's roughly a 24 hr/ 2 dayish drive, so will say 5 days of driving there and back, do a 14 day hunt, now you have 8 day's too scout and hunt, food shouldn't be too much $150 or so cooking yourself, water is pretty much free if you bring it, your trip is $1223 roughly for a good time, split the gas and food with 1 or 2 other guy's and its under 1k, pick a unit with "some roads" - "higher density of elk" look at the regs where there are alot of cow tags for example maybe no general rifle but general bow, those type of area's, play the wind, and you should bring some meat or horns home or maybe a wolf or two, these are roughed out number's, but you can use the same formula for hunting any state out west, a quick look at the F&G site and mapquest and you have it pretty much figured out, Idaho is awesome, lots of OTC tags....
Matt

 

[NoWiser]

I have one rifle, two shotguns, and a 5 year old bow. I've decided I'd rather spend my money on tags and hunts than new equipment, when what I have works just fine. When I do upgrade, I seldom buy anything new. I ditched cable about 5 years ago and that, alone, pays for an elk tag every year. Like MNElkNut said, I also try to pick up a few odd jobs here and there.

I figure an elk hunt cost me about $1,100.00. It's not too hard to come up with that kind of money if you scrimp, save, and take a weekend or two for an odd job. If I could ever figure out how to kill an elk, I could deduct the cost of the meat from that, too!

 

[Rooster52]

If you want an elk hunt on the cheap try Wyoming reduced-price license. and drive a vehicle that is decent on fuel. I have done these cow elk hunt to Wyoming from Michigan for under $700 total food license and fuel.

 

[JWP58]

I work overtime gigs, stay late to cover man power issues (you've been there, don't let the low man in seniority get all the OT), moved to a state that is in the middle of prime hunting, and have slimmed down my hobbies. I do what I can around the house on my off days, laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc. My wife doesn't have a problem with me taking the dogs out to hunt.

Oh and I save my comp time, vacation, etc for hunting season (and maybe some sick days too).

You don't have to make six figures to do what you enjoy. You just have to be smart throughout the year, and be a tightwad sometimes.

 

[Festus]

Same for me...watch the spending, work some overtime, a few weekend side projects (painting, decks, landscaping, fencing), and stop eating out all the time (take mamma somewhere nice every now and then). Dropping TV and drinking helps a bunch too. Pretty much gave up any and all other hobbies, except shooting.

I'd much rather spend a couple extra days out west, or upgrade some gear than go golfing/drinking a few times a year or catching the latest/greatest hunting shows on the tube. After all, I can watch Fresh Tracks at work

 

[LopeHunter]

You live in upper Midwest/Eastern edge of West. There are critters to hunt in your region without driving several hundred miles and spending non-resident fees. Hunting is not a cheap way to put meat on the table unless you have all the gear and can hunt on resident permits. Even then, steak may be cheaper when figure in the real costs.

Family comes first. Get your financial sealegs under you. Have a savings buffer, start some college funds, retirement funds, etc. Then and only then can you peel off $2000 a hunt out West will cost a non-resident. You figure in gas, some new gear, wear and tear on gear, fuel, wear and tear on truck, meat processing, taxidermy, speeding ticket, torn up tire, hotel room or two, the permit, application fee, points built up over a few years, etc and $2000 is not unusual.

Family first.

 

[HighDesertSage]

I moved to CO for this very reason. If you are able to do so, that is my advice. The year my first son was born I was living in CA, and spent about 3K on hunts out here. I knew with student loans, rent, thoughts of another child in the not to distant future, and no substantial savings that my pursuits for Rocky Mountain big game were not sustainable at the levels I wanted. So we moved. It took a couple years to get back on our feet and I had to do Denver for a year, but now I have a good job in an area I love. I take 3 weeks off a year for 2 elk hunts and a mule deer hunt. My tags for these 3 hunts are just over a hundred bucks and my drive is 1-2 hours depending on where I go. For me and my family, this was the only logical course of action for the lifestyle we wanted. It worked for us, but it may not work for you and your situation.

Regardless, I still have 100K+ in student loans to pay off and diapers and formula are expensive. My wife and I are luckily in agreement that "doing" is more important to us than "having". Every weekend we can, even with a toddler and a baby, we are out hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, camping, 4wheeling etc. This all gets expensive, even as a CO resident. To finance these adventures I have learned where to cut costs. We live in a modest house, drive vehicles that are paid for, don't eat out, etc. To me it's worth it.

Like I said it took us a few years to get back on our feet after the move, but it was absolutely worth it. This year I am even able to swing an out of state hunt in Wyoming for antelope.

 

[maxx]

I tried to do a trip every other year. I just went hog hunting, took my dad and two boys and we spent well under 600 for all four of us.

There are hunts you can do that are not that much money.

Do as many as you can now while you are young. I am a bit older than you now and I have more means ($) than I have ever had at any point in my life but unfortunately I am finding time is more of the limiting factor for me.

Network as much as you can find people that can help you. That will help you save money!

 

[recon6036]

I've been going out west on a hunt every year for the last 5 years; this year will be #6. Been to Wyoming twice for Antelope and Colorado three times for Elk. I've yet to spend more than $1000; tag included. I go every year with 3 friends, so we split gas evenly. Before we leave, i always buy a loaf of bread, peanut butter/jelly and usually a pack of brats or make burgers. On the way there I will make a pbj for lunch and when we stop for the night, I'll cook the brats or burgers on a small propane grill that I bring. Same thing on the way home after the hunt. I put in for cow tags instead of bull tags to cut the cost also. If you plan right and don't get in the habit of eating at restaurants on the way out/back, you get by fairly cheap. This year, I figure, will be a little more than a $1000, since I'm putting in for bull tag. We also either set up a base camp or backpack into our area, so there's no hotel costs, other than a night on the way there and a night on the way home. Now, the initial purchases of needed gear can get expensive!

 

[genesis273]

The first 25 years of marrage, kids, mortgage, etc kept me from doing those trips. That's life! Now that all of those are behind me and kids are 20 and 22, no house payment, and making more than ever, I finally now can go on trips for hunting and other places that i have always wanted to see. I kept my priorities in check the first quarter century and just waited.
Now, I'll spend close to $900 on a Montana elk combo tag, $700-ish on gas and short hotel stays during the drive from NC to MT, and we pack in. The initial cost of equipment is costly, but once you have it, you're in good shape. So I go cross country to go elk hunting for 14 days (3 weeks after the drive added in) for around $2000. Relatively speaking. ..that's a bargain!
Other than that, I put alot of time in hunting close to home, but it's nothing like that trip!!

 

[BlakeA]

If you want to get serious about it you need to make it a life style, not a "hobby". It's not possible for the majority of people to be able to do it all so you need to make major sacrifices. The first thing I would do is ditch the Harley. Anything that isn't being used on a daily basis year round that is a depreciating asset isn't helping me. Forget fishing. Fishing is expensive. Sell your boat if you have one. That too will help your finances. Drive a dependable hunting vehicle. Doesn't have to be brand spankin' new but dependable. If you skimp out and drive a P.O.S. out in the middle of nowhere you will regret it. All of this may sound over the top and ridiculous to you but in my opinion, it's a must if hunting multiple big game every year out west is a priority to you. It's a major commitment but worth every penny. Just my .02

 

[Kiwi]

^^^ +1 if you're serious make hunting your lifestyle. Work hard and limit spending on things that dont relate to hunting. I spend pretty much all of my discretionary income on hunting including what I hope to be an annual trip to Wyoming / colorado each year.

 

[JohnCushman]

If you want to get serious about it you need to make it a life style, not a "hobby". It's not possible for the majority of people to be able to do it all so you need to make major sacrifices. The first thing I would do is ditch the Harley. Anything that isn't being used on a daily basis year round that is a depreciating asset isn't helping me. Forget fishing. Fishing is expensive. Sell your boat if you have one. That too will help your finances. Drive a dependable hunting vehicle. Doesn't have to be brand spankin' new but dependable. If you skimp out and drive a P.O.S. out in the middle of nowhere you will regret it. All of this may sound over the top and ridiculous to you but in my opinion, it's a must if hunting multiple big game every year out west is a priority to you. It's a major commitment but worth every penny. Just my .02

So, the OP should give up something he can do damned near year round at home for something he'd spend 2 weeks a year to do out west? What if his boat is paid off? I'm sure he owns his fishing gear. Seems to me like you want him to cut off his nose to spite his face. OK, fishing isn't hunting out West, but hell, as stressful as being a cop can be, I bet there's times he'd kill for time on the lake or on the riverbank with a cold 6 pack. Once your gear is bought, fishing is not expensive, and it is quite a nice stress reliever and get away from day to day life.

 

[BlakeA]

John, I gave the OP my .02. That is all. He was asking what it costs and what it takes to play the points game and hunt multiple big game species out west each year. I simply gave my opinion. You are talking about thousands of dollars each year for a nonresident and in order to make yearly trips out west and to do it right, you may have to sacrifice some hobbies and just hop in with a buddy (who owns a boat) a couple times a year who is a die hard fishermen and get your fix.