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

[beginnerhunter]

Most places out of state I can drive in one day so 2 days travel total. Hope for 2 days of scouting. Means adding 4 days to total hunt days. Generally burning 8 days of annual leave from work (plus 1-2 weekends). Also usually burn 4 days or so for local hunting. Fortunate to have 3 federal holidays during deer season here.

Would love to take 2 full weeks for an archery elk hunt but haven't found a partner for that yet.

 

[Shangobango]

This when I can...But when the season opens on a weekend it makes it tough to get the benefit of both weekends and just take a week off work. If I'm driving, just about everywhere in the Rockies is a 2 day drive with an overnight. So 9 days (5 days hunting) is the usual one hunt duration. I've done 2 weeks off in a row and hunted Wyoming and Oregon, but I was fortunate we didn't have to make and break camp.

That's the issue I am finding. Everywhere I want to hunt out west seem to be 16 to 24 hours of driving one way from here.

 

[Trial153]

Depends on so much. My schedule, how good the tag is, what other hunts I have planned, family plans ect ect. That said I take about 4 to 6 weeks every year to bowhunt. So it just a question of how much time i need to spend on one Hunt.

 

[88man]

Lots of it depends here> typically the last few years 3 to 4 weeks in wyoming maybe a little more this year.

 

[recon6036]

4 days of driving (there and back) and 5-6 days of hunting.

 

[Kearnsie14]

14 days. 2 days of travel on each end and 10 days of hunting/scouting in between. No way I could have done this when my kids were little. Your hunting time frees up substantially when the kids are older and can either go with you or are off on their own.

 

[Tony Trietch]

A lot. I will leave home in less than a week and not return back until mid October. I will then process a couple elk and a few mule deer then head to KS for a few weeks. I built my life around this so I can hunt as much as necessary. I do this every year, its my life.

 

[sep0667]

Wow, some of your guys' employers are very generous with vacation time. I get 3 weeks vacation time a year, 15 business days. Going on my first west hunt this year and I'm using 4 vacation days, plus I have a weekend sandwiched in it. One day to drive there, 4 days to hunt, and one day to drive back. Dream hunt for me would be to get into elk hunting, just really feel like I need more time when I factor in that I will have to use a few vaca days for other things throughout the year.

 

[LostinOregon1]

I retired from full time work 4 years ago. I work part time now, but not in October and November. I expect to be hunting somewhere pretty much both months. My tags or family members. I expect that I will be out at least 45 days those two months.

Rich

 

[Lige]

10-14 days. Luckily I have a flexible job, an understanding wife and my kids are older.

 

[ccc23454]

A lot...well over a hundred annually

 

[Big John]

14 days this year, 4 driving and 10 hunting. I can stretch it if needed though...

 

[JLDemo]

I'm only good for one long out of state hunt a year. I'm not required to burn leave on unscheduled days so I get the weekends on either side off for free. Total of 9 days, two travel and 7 hunting with burning 5 days of leave. I do a lot more local hunting these days since my kids are little. I do get to sneak away for a few weekends here and there for bird season.

 

[BlakeA]

Last year I strictly did long weekends which consisted of a lot of driving through the night. I was really busy with my business and family last fall. This year I have a couple of tags that I will plan on hunting the entire season if need be along with a handful of scouting days prior to opener.

 

[grademan1]

Leaving on sept 7th from NC and wont leave Colorado until the 25th if need be.

 

[LCH]

Wow, some of your guys' employers are very generous with vacation time. I get 3 weeks vacation time a year, 15 business days. Going on my first west hunt this year and I'm using 4 vacation days, plus I have a weekend sandwiched in it. One day to drive there, 4 days to hunt, and one day to drive back. Dream hunt for me would be to get into elk hunting, just really feel like I need more time when I factor in that I will have to use a few vaca days for other things throughout the year.

Well there's your problem right there, lol!

 

[Pucky Freak]

I’d go as long as I can, with the limiting factor of a young family. $400-$1000 for a NR tag I’d like to get the most out of the experience that I can. I have lots of vacation time so ideally I’d go for 16-17 days, but in reality 9-10 days is more feasible so mama isn’t without snowplow service, lawnmower, Mr. Fixit, and babysitter relief for too long.

 

[Shangobango]

Well there's your problem right there, lol!

That's what I thought too. The idea of using a vacation day for anything other than hunting is sacrilegious!

 

[D_Walt]

Most of my elk hunts I’m gone about a week, this years Wyoming elk hunt I will be gone a total of 11 days. I usually leave as soon as i get off work and sometimes end up going into the office before I make it home.

 

[jvanderlinde]

All of my outta state western deer/elk hunts are planned on 1 week increments. I have 4 this fall.