How many days are your out of state elk/deer hunts

[Slm864]

This has most likely already been discussed before just like everything else but I will ask anyways.
How many days are your out of state hunts including travel? Basically doorstep to doorstep of your home.
My first couple western hunts started as 10 days, then 12 days, and the most recent couple have been 7. I have found it’s harder and harder to be gone extended lengths of time when having a young family at home. I’ve also found it’s harder to be successful when putting yourself up against such a short time frame.
I understand that if it’s a once in a lifetime tag you are more likely to spend more time. I am mainly referring to your every year typical hunts.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

As my kids have gotten older, my out of state trips have gotten longer. 14 days this year.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

My AK hunts have all been 7-10 day hunts. I'm hoping to do a brooks range bou or a float moose hunt and those might be longer to deal with weather delays.

For my CO hunts this year I'm going out Oct 1 - most of Nov.

In the future I think they will probably be 5-9 days depending on the species and state.

 

[Shangobango]

This year is going to be 16 or 17 days doorstep to doorstep.

Next year my plan is to do two hunts instead of one and have them be 8 or 9 days apiece unless I can schedule them back to back in which case I will do 16 or 17 days.

 

[Slm864]

As my kids have gotten older, my out of state trips have gotten longer. 14 days this year.

I am hoping to have a similar plan and situation in the future. Right now I just feel fortunate that I get the opportunity to go at all. My wife is a big help and makes it possible

 

[Wildabeest]

Usually 7-8 days. Hard to take more than a week at a time off work.

 

[Slm864]

My AK hunts have all been 7-10 day hunts.

I hope if I can do an AK hunt in my life it will definitely be longer than even 10 days lol

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I hope if I can do an AK hunt in my life it will definitely be longer than even 10 days lol

My goal has been to go every year... shorter trips makes that feasible... but yeah I’m picking up what you’re putting down. Hopefully we can talk AK over beers this winter and get you out there.

 

[TOGIE]

never had gobs of vacation time, so far my first three years have consisted of one 5 day trip, the rest were typically 3 day weekends for wyoming antleope and deer. though i guess i did dedicate a 4 day weekend to wyoming mule deer last year - i felt so rushed and stressed and without seeing animals i called up a landowner i know and went out and shot a white tail buck on the 3rd evening (tag was good for whitetails too)

this year will be 6 days for elk and probably 5 days for mule deer, but just in state

i'm learning fewer longer hunts is probably better than lots of shorter hunts. working on easing up on the tag grabbing i've done the past three years

 

[FlatlanderAZ]

My first couple western hunts started as 10 days, then 12 days, and the most recent couple have been 7. I have found it’s harder and harder to be gone extended lengths of time when having a young family at home. I’ve also found it’s harder to be successful when putting yourself up against such a short time frame.

Sounds like you have your priorities straight. I started my family when I was pretty young. So before the kids came I didn’t have any money anyway.

I rarely took more than 5 days for a hunt until my kids started being able to come with me, at least for part of the hunt.

Now that my kids are approaching adolescence and are able to be more
independent I feel a little more comfortable. I guess my point would be to keep your hope, the curve starts to come back the other way eventually. In the mean time, enjoy the everyday moments with the youngsters. There is no way to get more of that time.

Last year I did a 12 day Shiras hunt in ID. This year it’s 9 days door to door for MT elk.

 

[Sytes]

0. Hope a friend is able to join from TX... State announcements about Covid is the linchpin for this.
Was going to join a friend in border State, ID for his spring Bear and wolf tag for both. Covid shut that down planned for 7 days, 2 travel. HT friend, quick thought. Maybe next year.

 

[Elkoholic]

Fall hunts usually 21-23 door step to door step. (Drive trips)
Spring bear usually 7 days door step to door step (air flight trip)

 

[Westxhunter]

Fall Hunts
Deer - typically 5 days total. A short hunt would be three.

 

[matt0550]

I try my best to string together tags in 2 or 3 states and go for 20-28 days has been my range. There is no doubt that coordinating life at home would be simpler if I made two or three trips out of it, but I hate to drive thousands of extra miles when I can arrange it on a circuit and make just one go. Admittedly I am ready to go home and sleep in my own bed and stop living out of a bag or a pack when its over.

 

[CUElk]

As my kids have gotten older, my out of state trips have gotten longer. 14 days this year.

Yep. I plan on 14. Sometimes it is less if we tag out early and decide to start driving back.

 

[BuzzH]

As many as it takes to either fill tag or run the season out, whichever comes first.

Vacation days are not much of a consideration for me, usually parked on 10-12 weeks of available leave.

 

[SFC B]

My out of state hunts range from a long weekend for waterfowl in NE to 7-10 for big game out of state.. Pulled off the IL deer hunt last year for in 5 days including travel.

 

[JoltnJoe]

About 10 days with a max of 14, likely including 30 hours each way of windshield time this year. It’s tough to be gone for that long from my girls and my work (no paid vacation for the self employed), but I’ve incredibly blessed with a supportive domestic superhero for a wife!

 

[WildWill]

7-14 days for out of state big game hunts drive time included. Anything less then 7 days feels rushed any longer than 14 and I miss my home and family to much.

 

[npaden]

Usually plan for 9 days (Friday through the next Sunday). Hopefully head home earlier with meat in the cooler and a tag punched.