If you had to choose...

[Crosshairy]

I'm at a point in life for next season (2016) where I have a pretty big decision to make regarding how to spend available time and resources. I'd like to tap into the collective experience of the group to hopefully make a wise decision.

Basically, I could choose to:
(1) drop off of my high-quality deer lease and probably reduce my deer hunting days by 70% in order to have the vacation time and money to go on my first-ever elk hunt. I would probably do more small game hunting, but my best public land deer hunting spots are gone / been discovered.

OR

(2) I could save that week of vacation for deer hunting, and stay on my awesome lease. Legitimate chance at mature deer, and the best sense of adventure that I've had in a while on a whitetail hunt, with some opportunities to bring family and friends along for a good chance at a deer (which I was never able to do until I joined the lease, because I didn't have access to anything of quality).

Over the past couple of years I have fewer and fewer free days to scout and locate prime deer habitat on public land, and some of my "competition" has caught up to the digital age in finding spots that I used to enjoy practically by myself. My latest job promotion has put me over the tipping point where I could swing paying for an elk hunt of some sort. Because I'm about 30 lbs overweight and have not taken care of myself physically in 8 or 9 years, I've been putting off the planning needed to take such a trip because I've been too concerned about not being physically ready for a trip out west. Instead, I bought into a big quality lease where I don't have to kill myself trying to avoid people, which has been pretty fun and exciting.

I work 10-11 hours a day, 5 days a week with the occasional weekend day messing up my plans. Married with 2 smaller kids (my son could probably start small game hunting with me as early as 2016/2017). My schedule is screaming "fix your work-life balance and get healthy/fit", but I haven't made it work yet...

What would you do? I'm 33 years old, but that number keeps ticking up every year...

 

[Deer Assassin]

IMO

stay on lease hunt that week take friends and family and have the time of you life

but meanwhile try to loose some weight put some more pennies away get a 2 year or 5 year plan and go get that elk

good luck what ever u choose

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I'd give up deer hunting completely if given the choice between spending one week out west or a whole season of deer hunting. You've got kids that are growing and will hopefully start hunting with you soon. Go on that elk hunt. You can always get on a lease the following year.

Jump in on the "what did you do today " thread in the nutrition and fitness forum. Hold yourself accountable and loose that weight.

 

[WhitesCreek]

Kids, family and work are never excuses to be overweight. Find the time-even if it is late at night or early in the morning. You want to be around for your family for a long time and 30 minutes a day is all it takes.

Making time for exercise has been a game changer in my life for the last seven years. It isn't easy when your start out, but trust me, it improves your entire life in all aspects--especially at work and at home.


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[TNRifleman]

I did my first elk hunt last year and am going back this year. If I had to, I would give up deer hunting altogether to have that one week of elk hunting. As it is, I will only deer hunt 4-5 days this year because I have 4 kids and a wife I like to hang out with. However, they demand venison in the freezer so if I do not get an elk, I will need to be in the deer woods a bit.

With the elk hunting, it's not just the hunting part but the camp experience and just hanging with a good group of guys.

 

[Gravey]

IMO

stay on lease hunt that week take friends and family and have the time of you life

but meanwhile try to loose some weight put some more pennies away get a 2 year or 5 year plan and go get that elk

good luck what ever u choose

I'm leaning toward this. I love to turkey hunt and therefore think an elk hunt would be a blast as long as they're vocal but to get off of a great lease to do it would have me thinking otherwise. If you are guaranteed to get back on it next year then go elk hunting. If not save a bit more the next couple of years and then go when you don't have to choose one or the other.

 

[W.Seay]

Personally, I would stay at your lease, where you can always take a guest and have a chance at a good buck. I've hunted in beautiful places with good outfitters, joined top notch public hunting clubs, and still hunt great private
Properties. It's a no brainer for me, my private farms are much more enjoyable for several reasons: I don't have to combat many other hunters for a spot, I can choose when and how I get to a stand, I can scout as and when I please and I can do whatever I choose.To me it's also much more rewarding to kill a good buck on my home turf. Also keep in mind that just because you hunt with a good outfitter, that doesn't mean you will kill the quality of animal that you intend to. I've spent enough money on outfitted hunts to buy a nice vehicle and have a grand total of zero kills.i passed on some very nice bucks, but it stinks eating a tag sandwhich.Good luck!

 

[scn]

I was sort of faced with the same choice several years ago. A good elk hunt is a bucket list thing. But, I also realized I didn't have the physical capabilities to do the solo, backpack deal and get an elk out by myself. So, the costs jumped a great deal with the need for an outfitted spike camp at the very least. The dollars didn't add up to do that and continue to be on a TN lease.

So, I made the decision to get my western "fix" another way. Since I could do 4-5 western fishing trips in the same beautiful country for the price of one elk trip, I went that route. The fact that unless you are on a heavily managed (and expensive) ranch the success rate on elk often runs in the 10-25% range helped with the decision as well. It would be tough to spend that much money and not even get a shot.

Great leases don't come along every day. I'd stay on that one. Then, as noted, start a program to get in the shape you will need to be in to be successful, put back some money, and enjoy an elk hunt every few years.

 

[csi-tech]

Keep the deer lease. I have family in Oregon and Alaska making a great hunting experience a phone call away. I would love to hunt there but giving up a sure thing? I don't think so.

 

[easy45]

I personally agree with everything Deer Assassin said, deer hunt and make that into more fun


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[Bone Collector]

IMO

stay on lease hunt that week take friends and family and have the time of you life

but meanwhile try to loose some weight put some more pennies away get a 2 year or 5 year plan and go get that elk

good luck what ever u choose

This^^^^

 

[xatxay]

Another vote with DA

 

[backyardtndeer]

IMO

stay on lease hunt that week take friends and family and have the time of you life

but meanwhile try to loose some weight put some more pennies away get a 2 year or 5 year plan and go get that elk

good luck what ever u choose

Yep, woud agree with this.

Elk was never really on my list of hunts I wanted to do until I heard them bugling when I was in Wyoming with my oldest daughter hunting antelope and mule deer. We saw some real nice bulls. Get my kids a little older I plan to go back, doubt I would ever draw a tag for elk for that unit.

 

[Snake]

Good leases are hard to come by IMO I believe I would keep the lease and try to save for the other trip like someone else mentioned .

 

[TNRifleman]

Just speculating here, but I'm going to bet that short of going "all in" on this elk hunting/work-life-health-hunting balance, you won't find the balance you seek. Sure, the "best of both worlds" advice (stay on the lease, get in shape, save up money and elk hunt later) sounds good, probably even feels good to say, but, deep down, you know that it won't unfold that way. From re-reading your post and reading the comments, what I detect here is a true crossroads in life. Do the same thing or make a drastic change, there is no in between because life is going to get in the way. That's what happens and that's how you end up wondering what would have happened if you had taken the plunge and followed through on X experience. And you are acutely aware of this reality.

I'll double down on my position: commit 100% to the unknown or stay in your comfort zone. Go with your gut and resign yourself to being 100% without regret either way. Taking the middle of the road/best of both worlds approach is *settling* for option 2 without committing and likely not ever following through on option 1.


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I would agree with this but would add one thing. Going all in on elk hunting is EXPENSIVE. But to me it is worth it. The good news for you is that it would be hard to make a bad decision. Either way you will have a lot of fun and enjoy your one in the woods

 

[AT Hiker]

Whatever you do get into the best physical shape possible, make it a priority and include your family. When you take your son small game hunting it will be more enjoyable for him and you. Plus you probably want to be around and capable of taking your grandson hunting one day too, right?

As for hunting out West, its pure addiction. Another alternative, assuming you have more than one week of vacation, is to take the family on a trip out there. If you want to see elk, go to Yellowstone NP in mid to late Sept. You will also get a feel of the terrain and weather for when you do save up enough money to go on a elk hunt.




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[Scioto]

Elk hunt. You'll hunt TN white tails this year. Next year will be the elk hunt. Put in for your tags, arrange an outfitter, etc. Gives you time to lose weight and get in shape. You have to be in shape - heart, lungs and muscle. Leg muscle especially. Elk hunting is glassing and running up ridges. But it's a bucket list item. We have similar lives with wives, families, work demands. I hunted elk in WY in 2005. Haven't been able to get back but I've had good white tail hunting every year since (and hunted deer in 2005 on public just to get out a few times). You'll still find a way and time to hunt deer. To satisfy that itch but you may never hunt elk ever again. I'd get in some horseback riding shape too. We went in from a trail head at 6000 feet outside Cody, road 9 hours up and over the pass at 10000 feet, and then down across the Thorofare, to base camp at 8000. My knees and rear were killing me after that ride. Hunted 8000 to 10000. Spectacular.

The only thing I would do differently is have a mule deer tag and elk.

 

[catman529]

Stay on the lease, sounds like you really enjoy it there. I too want to go west and elk hunt, but I can do that another time.

 

[Crosshairy]

There are some insightful people on this forum! Poser, you are an intuitive fellow.

I could write paragraphs about my worries with work obligations now and in the future, but in the end I'm whining because am stuck between a job many people would love to have and a personal life that many people would love to have, and I'm trying to burn the candle at both ends and not let "opportunities" pass me by. Time to relax with my family in the afternoons, exercise, etc has been neglected too much. I need to avoid the trap of prioritizing money and position over the things that really matter. January may bring a lot of changes (I've given my boss a line in the sand regarding work time when my wife starts her master's degree internship), so I'm just waiting to see how that works out.

I'm leaning towards telling myself to plan the elk hunt as soon as I can lock in a hunting/travel buddy, but I don't have many friends who are in a position to go with me - that's probably been my "other" barrier towards making a serious commitment.

Has anyone gone by themselves on some sort of semi- or fully-guided hunt with no traveling companions that has thoughts to share? I guess it's a combination of the potential physical work of getting an animal out, combined with the sentimentality of such a hunt. Most people I read about are always traveling together, sharing the work and the memories.

 

[Triple_H]

IMO

stay on lease hunt that week take friends and family and have the time of you life

but meanwhile try to loose some weight put some more pennies away get a 2 year or 5 year plan and go get that elk

good luck what ever u choose

Do this ^^^^^ .....stay on the lease, get in shape first and foremost, it makes a ton of difference.

 

[moondawg]

I 'd ask myself: Where am I at in my stage of deer hunting? Have I killed good sized deer? Am I still on the quest for "that" buck? Am I happy with my deer hunts? Could I expand my hunting interests by going on an elk/mule deer/pronghorn hunt out west? Is going out west for hunting on the bucket list? Would I be ok with exchanging deer hunting for other types of game (elk, mule deer, small game, etc)?

Only YOU can answer that, and there's no right or wrong answers. Go with your gut.

My thoughts: Maybe stay on the lease this year as a last hurrah. In the meantime, start getting in shape (physically, mentally, financially) for an elk hunt out west next year. Do the research, make your plans, etc for a hunt next year. The planning with give you something to look forward to, and will be part of the fun. You have a year to prepare, while maintaining your deer lease this year. Who knows, once you go on your first elk hunt, you might get hooked on western hunts and not hunt deer as much.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Crosshairy, I'm certainly no expert and don't claim to be, your mileage may vary.

All my elk hunts have been DIY and have involved one other person. I've never hunted them solo. If I was doing a guided hunt I wouldn't hesitate to go by myself. The guide is going to take care of most of the work for you and horses are going to pack the animal out. I sometimes enjoy the solo aspect of a hunt.

I know when someone thinks about a big western hunt, they think about elk. A good way to get your feet wet would to be hunt a "lessor" species like deer or antelope. The logistics for hunting them is much easier for someone who's not real sure what they are getting into. I've brought both processed deer and antelope home in a cooler as checked bags. That's going to be hard with an elk.

I have done both DIY hunts and a guided hunt for other species solo. I just returned from a guided hunt for coues that I went solo. It was a 2 on 1 hunt and I was paired with a guy from NJ. The hunt was awesome. Me and the other hunter got along great and are already planning future hunts together (spring turkey, he can't believe the size of our WMA's here). This is a very low percentage hunt for killing one, but it has been my favorite hunt to-date. It was a bowhunt and I packed my bow and cloths in a Badlands Terra Glide and just checked a cooler as a second bag on the return trip. These things are delicious.

Antelope in Wyoming are also another excellent first western hunt. The tags are by draw, but you can draw an easy unit without points. Then, just pay a $200-$500 trespass fee to hunt a ranch. You absolutely do not need a guide on this hunt. I did my antelope hunt solo, but this is a great group hunt. They move all day so hunting mornings and evenings is not necessary unless you want to. I've never looked at the success rates for antelope, but I would imagine its in the neighborhood of 90%+. Lets just say, it's a target rich environment.

Another option, would be to just go on a few turkey hunts away from your usual spots. Head to a neighboring state or East TN and hunt the mountains. This could be done as a long weekend and he cost would be minimal. This means you could have several hunts and still go out west in the fall.

I would also recommend getting in shape now as opposed to later. If you are looking for a hunting partner, it will be much easier to find one if people know you are currently in shape as opposed to being a shape.

If you've got any specific questions, post them and I'll do my best to answer them.

 

[Boone 58]

I will take regular hunting over a once in a while expensive deal any day..............when money is an object.....it is with me..............I opt for the most for my buck, which to me is "regular" and consistent hunting over a once in a lifetime or every so many years experience..............just my two cents worth.

 

[fairchaser]

My guess is you have some nice whitetails on the wall. You will be hunting them for the next 35 years. Take a year off while you are young enough to climb mountains. Use the trip to motivate your diet and exercise regimen. If you end up going out of shape it's your own fault. I went in my early 40's and it was hard but not too bad. I would suggest you spend enough to increase your odds of success. Otherwise you will come back talking about how wonderful the experience was with no elk. I went once, killed a nice bull and scratched that itch forever. Would I go again? Sure, but it's a lot of money and difficult to justify. Besides, I only have room on the wall for one elk and he does look good.

 

[Crosshairy]

BB - great thoughts. The hypothetical elk hunt would likely be at least semi-guided, since I have no idea what I'm doing and am quite intimidated by the idea of packing out meat from a 700+ lb animal. I hadn't actually thought about antelope, but the idea appeals to me since I could take my dad and brother along (limited by physical and financial constraints for elk). If you are willing to point me towards a ranch/area in a PM, I'd be grateful.

I've done a little research into traveling with elk meat, and it sounds like it's getting increasingly difficult to fly with that sort of baggage affordable. I was once told that, upon killing an packing out an elk, I should go to the local Walmart, buy a big cooler, pack it full, and pay whatever overweight baggage fees were required. I've since seen some airlines tighten restrictions on that sort of thing. Makes me think that driving is my main option.

Fairchaser - ironically enough, I'm a meat hunter who joined a lease geared towards killing mature bucks (with a liberal doe harvest!!). I've never killed a deer worthy of mounting, and have no obsession over killing only big antlered bucks. I like to hunt, like to see deer when I hunt, and like to eat them on a fairly regular basis

My main goals in hunting are adventure, memories, comraderie, peace & quiet, and food. An elk hunt meets those criteria easily, but as BB pointed out, it's not the only type of trip that fits the bill.

 

[Back Home]

Your family has to be first. They need you to be around for quite a long time, so you're biggest priority, imo, is to get healthy. again . Your kids' health and wellness count too. They're probably watching your habits.

Stay on the lease. Hunt with your kids. You're young and probably going to make more money again one day to be able to afford something even better than the opportunity you have now. Just my $.02.