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Omega

Omega

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Dec 16, 2018
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Clarksville, TN
How far do you guys travel to hunt most seasons? For the past ten years or so I have only gone about 30 minutes from the house, and a few times to TX to hog hunt, but normally it's been quite close. I read where many of you not only hunt local, but also travel out of state to hunt, and it seems it's not just those "lifetime" hunts, but on a regular basis.

Also, and this may be a question some, or maybe many, don't want to answer, or think about :), but how much do you guys spend in a normal season? I have a lifetime license, reload, and process my own so my expenses are minimal, probably less than $150, and $40 or so of that is on the yearly tax at my small plot. Before I retired, I would buy the yearly sportsman license and the FTCKY (or where ever I was stationed) permit, so that raised it a bit, but even then I normally stayed within an hour or two of the house so fuel costs were not that much, and that was pre-biden too so there is that.
 
I'll answer but you have to promise my wife will not be able to read this!

***TN- All my spots are at least 45-60 mins away, I hold a lifetime license, buy a LBL permit ($25) and just started back with FC too. Sometimes (rarely lately) will travel to E. TN to turkey hunt the mountains. Normally camp wherever I go hunt. Fuel prices dictate how often I hunt frivolously here.
KY- 45 mins from my house, $335 for the deer tag

Out of state- I apply for various tags in many Western states. Each state is different, some I have to purchase a license even if I dont hunt, just to apply for a random tag. Some I have to upfront the entire cost of the tag and get a refund when I dont draw, minus a application fee and the cost of the bonus/preference point. Wyoming has over $2k of my money right now (most of which wil be refunded if I dont draw), AZ just cost me a $160 license plus $30 for my elk/antelope application. AZ/UT/NV/MT/CO/SD/WY all cost me about $934 per year to apply and buy points.

If I draw a tag out of state- it will cost me the tag, last years MT antelope cost $233 (cheap for a western tag), fuel, wear/tear on truck, maybe one night in a hotel (most of the time its camping on public lands). I dont factor in food, because I have to eat whether Im hunting or at home. Splitting a hotel and fuel with a hunting buddy is the goal but not always do you draw a tag together. Fuel is a killer on these hunts, especially now. $500 per person on a 2 man trip to the Rockies with fuel prices the way they are is likely, its not a good thing and will slow stuff down and/or make you think and plan things differently.

Some hunts have tresspass/lease fees, some are public land and some are free permission to private lands. Those can fluctuate each year depending on what and where I hunt.

I don't do any guided or lodge hunts right now but I do have some on the radar if I can ever get my funding in order. Alaska Sitka DIY lodge or boat hunt, Wyoming wilderness horseback hunt, Mexico unguided Coues deer...those are all on my wish list. I'd rather spend my money on those experiences vs buying land here and having my money tied up in that. Im a roamer.


I try to keep my hunting spending below $4k per year, some years its super easy and some years I get lucky and have a pocket full of tags, high gas bill and need to replace a flat tire. I rarely upgrade equipment, if I do, I do it in years (try to at least) when Im not planning to travel. I don't golf or have any other hobbies like that ( I do like to backpack and hike, which uses the same hunting gear and only cost fuel), I dont have taxidermy bills, process my own meat 99% of the time, cloths shop at consignment stores, coupon shop at Kroger, etc...anything I can do to funnel money to my addiction of hunting.
 
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I try to bowhunt 2-3 weekends in October and travel 30-40 minutes one way. Every weekend in November, and most weekends in December I travel 2 hours and 15 minutes one way to hunt.

It's a lot of driving for sure, and I try not to think about what I spend in fuel. Kinda depressing.
 
I travel to Centerville/Nunnelly Tn. which is about three- and one-half hours. Since I'm retired I rarely, if ever go for just a couple of days. I believe most money I spend is on my food plot. Unless of course I purchase new equipment and now AMMO. I probably spend more than I realize, but I'm sure I spend at $1,500.00. And this is a modest estimate.
 
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Here in Tennessee it's really not that much at all. Now it's a double edge sword for out of town hunts cause over the last 10-15 years this is how I "scout" for new locations to hunt. I'm blessed that my wife will literally go ANYWHERE outdoors with me. Take this last summer for an example at a VERY short notice I talked to my wife about going to Alaska and she literally jumped on the computer and within hours sent me a text with dates booked for flights, rental car, airbnbs, destinations and places to explore. This would be a "scouting" trip for me but also a awesome getaway with my wife cause she likes to be "lost" in the wilderness with me if I'm fishing, camping, or hiking. I plan on doing a caribou hunt hopefully this coming up year so I have a feel already for the lay of the land and environment. We do the same thing for our west in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas. We have a vacation which is my "scouting" and then I got back to hunt either that year or the next. So just as an example the "quick" 8-10 day Alaska "scouting" trip costed about $6500-$7000 all in but the memories and experiences are worth it and when I'm 90 yrs old I want to be sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair with my wife next to me talking about our younger day adventures. Our boys do go with us 95% of the time but and they are 11 and 13 but sometimes I just want to get away with just my bride.
 
My lease is 3hrs one way and I hunt one or two weekends per year with a bow. I hunt just about every weekend and sometimes longer once ML gets here until close of rifle. I spend a lot since we stay in a motel, gas and food.

The lease is $600 and that covers plots.

I have another lease 15 minutes away that cost $400. Never hunted it last year but plan on more this year during bow and through the week of ML/gun since I just retired.
 
I only hunt local so 10 minutes to the property. I only spent money for a license and occasional odds and ends. I have processed my own the past few years. Every now and then I'll have a taxidermy bill but that's rare
 
Hduke86 said:
Here in Tennessee it's really not that much at all. Now it's a double edge sword for out of town hunts cause over the last 10-15 years this is how I "scout" for new locations to hunt. I'm blessed that my wife will literally go ANYWHERE outdoors with me. Take this last summer for an example at a VERY short notice I talked to my wife about going to Alaska and she literally jumped on the computer and within hours sent me a text with dates booked for flights, rental car, airbnbs, destinations and places to explore. This would be a "scouting" trip for me but also a awesome getaway with my wife cause she likes to be "lost" in the wilderness with me if I'm fishing, camping, or hiking. I plan on doing a caribou hunt hopefully this coming up year so I have a feel already for the lay of the land and environment. We do the same thing for our west in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas. We have a vacation which is my "scouting" and then I got back to hunt either that year or the next. So just as an example the "quick" 8-10 day Alaska "scouting" trip costed about $6500-$7000 all in but the memories and experiences are worth it and when I'm 90 yrs old I want to be sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair with my wife next to me talking about our younger day adventures. Our boys do go with us 95% of the time but and they are 11 and 13 but sometimes I just want to get away with just my bride.
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This is exactly how I look at it as well. I want to wear out before I rust out, I want to tell the stories not be the one wishing I had those stories. These adventures make my day, others get satisfaction by other means...and thats ok too.

My wife and I want to retire to the Big Horn mountains. Live in a small/cheap house and spend every moment we can in the Mountains. Hunting should be cheap for me by then 😃
 
A little over an hour's drive to my property. What I spend on actual hunting is minimal. Landowner permit, Maybe some new bullets, but haven't bought a new gun or new clothes in years. Did buy a new scope last year for my MZ ($300). The drive there and back in a gas-guzzling truck is expensive, but I would be making that drive every weekend anyways.

Now what I spend on managing the property? Oh, that's so high I don't want to think about it, but upwards of $5,000-10,000/year. That includes agricultural equipment, lime, fertilizer, seed, herbicides, trail-cameras, treestands, etc., plus the gas to drive to the property in the neighborhood of 30 times per year.
 
I've got decent hunting 1/2 mile from the house. I'm on a lease 30 minutes away. I mostly hunt a farm 5.5 hrs away. I'm also on a lease in southern Bama 6 hrs away....Never added up the total $. I'm afraid itd scare me...
 
Totaling up cost isn't something I've ever taken time to do. I'm no big spender by any means, but I don't fret over budgeting either. Either I can afford to do it or I can't. By afford it I mean paying for it without sacrificing quality of life for my family or causing any financial issues in my household. Taking a $25k elk trip every other year isn't in my cards. It would get me a divorce. But taking a $10k bucket list trip to Africa with with my wife could probably be doable.....once. My hunting is low key, DIY stuff. I hunt here in TN at the cost of a license and however much I spend to travel 15min from my house.

My biggest hunting related cost is habitat work on my Ohio property. I'm up there at least a dozen times every year, working on something, spending from a few days to a few weeks each trip. I also hunt it in fall. Just the travel gets pretty expensive, but I don't really stress it. It's not all at once so I barely even notice. If I got hit with a hunting bill at the end of the year and had to pay it in one big lump sum, I'd probably croak over from heart failure.
 
I drive about 40 minutes one way. I used to go to the local gas station and get a bite but the last two seasons I've packed a lunch and just sit all day. Spent probably $3-400 in fuel going back and forth.
 
AT Hiker said:
This is exactly how I look at it as well. I want to wear out before I rust out, I want to tell the stories not be the one wishing I had those stories. These adventures make my day, others get satisfaction by other means...and thats ok too.

My wife and I want to retire to the Big Horn mountains. Live in a small/cheap house and spend every moment we can in the Mountains. Hunting should be cheap for me by then 😃
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Oh me....the Big Horn Mountain area is fabulous.....when stress levels elevate I'll look at my wife and say "you know I hear Sheridan is nice this time of year"....she just smiles and says yep....we love that area.
 
One property I hunt is where I live...walk out the door and to the stand.....the main property I hunt is a 15 minute drive....both are hunted on landowner/farmland exemption...so fuel and permit cost are minimal....food plots, stands and shooting houses are another conversation....but as others have mentioned...I don't golf....fish a little.... turkey hunt some...but deer hunting and land management is more my passion these days.....I do enjoy hunting out west...over the years we've hunted Texas, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana.... actually enjoy traveling to hunt....if my budget would allow I'd go more often but going every few years is nice.
 
Been driving to Clay County for a little over 20 years now. The annual nonresident license has changed some but it is $306 now. Round trip is almost 4 tanks of fuel towing the trailer and I make at minimum 3 trips a year to bush hog for my parents and also hunt muzzle and gun openers. Mom feeds us so the food cost is low. So, maybe 1500-2000 a year? And I travel 11 hours one way :)
Locally, nothing within an hours drive. Have a lifetime license here so its just fuel and time to drive to the woods and not see anything!
 
AT Hiker said:
This is exactly how I look at it as well. I want to wear out before I rust out, I want to tell the stories not be the one wishing I had those stories. These adventures make my day, others get satisfaction by other means...and thats ok too.

My wife and I want to retire to the Big Horn mountains. Live in a small/cheap house and spend every moment we can in the Mountains. Hunting should be cheap for me by then 😃
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Hurry up and retire cause I'll be knocking on your door. I love the northern Wyoming/southern Montana area for sure.
 
Tn most spots 15 min one is an hour away and I don't go there much, really need to go more.
Ky is a Little over an hour away
Illinois is about 3 hours
Ar duck lease about 4 hours
Montana is 24 hr one way

l have never figured up the cost, and don't want to. I figure there are much worse ways to spend my money. 😀
 
A lot & don't keep up with it either or it MIGHT bother me 😂. It's an hr to my place in TN & already been 4-5 times this year staying 3-5 days each trip. There's really no down time as it's a year round endeavor. Been working on that place 20 years & hope I never get caught up.

Like to travel & hunt as well. So have been blessed to hunt AK, MT, WY, ID, NM, AZ, UT, CO, SD, NE, KS, CA, IL, KY, MN, MI and all the southern states. Still building points in WY, UT & SD too so hopefully there's a few more upcoming trips left in me. Vast majority of out of state hunts are diy public ground or trespass fees in which I usually camp. Have been a few full blown guided but not many.

Also try to fish a week in FL each spring & back in July for scallops.

Several mentioned northern WY & I have to agree. Buffalo is near & dear to my heart. Always thought I'd retire around there but all 3 kids & 8 grands live within 15 miles of me, so that's not happening!
 
Most places I hunt are within 30 minutes from the house or back yard ( for deer ) and usually go to Texas to hunt a week with my dad twice a year!
 

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