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Priority of out of state hunts

which best describes your situation

  • I prioritize my out of state hunting over local hunting opportunities

    Votes: 30 34.1%
  • I balance my out of state hunting with local hunting opportunities

    Votes: 29 33.0%
  • all or nearly all my hunting is local

    Votes: 26 29.5%
  • none of these describe my situation

    Votes: 3 3.4%

  • Total voters
    88
  • Poll closed .
I find it difficult to schedule a western hunt that overlaps with prime hunting dates at home such as opener of archery season or during first gun season. I will do it, however, if I think it's my best opportunity out there. With that said, one year that I did plan a hunt to Colorado which overlapped with first gun season at home, I came back and hunted second gun season instead and shot one of the biggest bucks we have ever gotten....worked out for the better that year!
 
Another Texas resident here, it's all out of state for me. I spent a long time looking for reasonable ways to hunt in state, but haven't found anything yet.
 

Good group of guys, just like this forum.

Similar to WapitiBob, south Florida just doesn't have much in terms of enjoyable hunting opportunities for me. That is due to a number of factors, not the least of which are the hot weather and low likelihood for success. Over the next several years I plan to learn more about the northern third of the state and hopefully start finding some success that way. But it's tough with how tight lipped the average FL deer hunter is and the +/- 6 hour drive each way just to learn a new area.
 

Good group of guys, just like this forum.

If a link to a forum for leasing land in GA in response to FL hunting, doesn't tell you what you need to know about FL hunting, I don't know what does, LOL.

But in all seriousness, thank you! When I first moved down here, I was surprised how often the response was "Get on a lease" when talking about learning to be successful regularly in FL.
 
All native Florida hunters end up in Georgia. The deer are twice the size and the leases are cheap and available. Driving up to Georgia is a rite of passage. I shot my first deer in Florida at age 12, then shot all the rest in Georgia. And we had 200 acres of private family land bordering the Ocala National Forrest 🎉 .

If a link to a forum for leasing land in GA in response to FL hunting, doesn't tell you what you need to know about FL hunting, I don't know what does, LOL.

But in all seriousness, thank you! When I first moved down here, I was surprised how often the response was "Get on a lease" when talking about learning to be successful regularly in FL.
 
Another Texas resident here, it's all out of state for me. I spent a long time looking for reasonable ways to hunt in state, but haven't found anything yet.

and here I thought Texas doesn't have any public land and that's the way you like it?
 
and here I thought Texas doesn't have any public land and that's the way you like it?
As a transplant and new hunter, that was all decided long before my time. I didn't have any say. I'm not sure why you would assume that is the way I like it as I don't believe I have ever indicated it here or anywhere else.
 
I have only hunted in-state so far, but I'm still a newbie and I'm lucky enough to live in Montana. I dream about doing some hunts in AK and NZ, and @glass eye is certainly helping me rationalize it! But for now my focus is to figure out how to stick a damn bull with an arrow, and maybe a speed goat and Muley as well! Got a pocket full of tags, just need the time and know how to get out and find 'em!
 
Fair enough, it's been a rough couple weeks around my house so I may be a little keyed up. My bad.
Na your all good, I could have thrown in a bit more preamble.

Texas could have some great hunting if ya'll could free up some land... I think a block management type system would be cool to see. Until then sorry about the drive's you guys have to make.
 
My time and money are spent inversely, I’ve got 4 solid months to hunt locally and spend only around $500 in those four months, I almost always spend one week hunting in CO hunting which averages me 1k, and a long weekend spring turkey hunt in KS or TN which is usually around <$300. So yearly hunt budget comes in at about $1800 total and I end up in the woods 60+ days a year. If I included the culling I do on my employers TX lease as part of my job, then it bumps it up to 4 states a year. It’s a win win win situation!
 
I have made enough good decisions and sacrifices in the past that now i do anything i want when i want with some limits. Is why i now live in Wyoming and still travel to hunt, hunting 10ish months of year at some level. Since this is in money topic i will say set big financial goals and achieve them early in adulthood so you can afford to do what you enjoy when your body is still capable.
 
As of right now I have 1 week set aside for an out of state hunting trip in Northern Arkansas. I live close to Mississippi and don’t consider that so much an “OOS trip”. My biggest factor is time off. Why did I end up going to north AR last year? Because I scratched my original western plan after weighing pros and cons and realizing if I went west I’d use all my time off and wouldn’t have time off for family or 3/4 day weekend hunts.
I’m going back to AR this season because I want that hunt again and maybe next season I’ll branch out west. Also by that season with my new job I might have enough time built for 2 OOS week long trips plus a few closer to home 3/4 day weekend trips.

I want my cake and eat it too. While it will be impossible at some point I’ll try to plan most of OOS trips around my current schedule which I have come to enjoy. Opening weekend of October and last weekend of October are special stand out the most.
 
As a transplant to Texas from Arizona, I hunt there multiple times a year. Usually for deer and javelina but elk if I am lucky. I apply in other states to see which ones will take my money. I have been lucky enough to get several tags in varies western states to fill my fall schedule regularly. Locally I ask around to some buddies of mine who have property to be able to harvest some does. I plan my hunting season on what tags I am able to draw and only hunt locally if time and permission allows it.
 
Alaska: I fly for free and I camp out.

Hawaii: I purchase cheap tickets because I fly out of San Diego and Alaska Airlines has a major hub there. My wife flies with me for $100 RT with AK Air companion fare. We camp out in Hawaii, or rent hunter housing for about $45 pp per day.

New Zealand: I always get my RT air for less than $1,000 because I signed up for email notifications for specials. Usually get a good deal on cyber Monday. Cheapest I've flown is $734 RT. I fly out of LAX. Again, I camp out. Rocket Rental camper van is $18 nzd converted to $usd = $12 then split with a friend = $6 per day. No tag or license fees and I bring trophies home as checked baggage.
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Wow, looks like you've figured out how to do it w/o busting the budget! Have you thought about finding a way to monetize your accrued knowledge, maybe thru a blog or partnership with an existing hunt/travel planner? You might find a way to break even or bank a couple bucks after the hunt is over. We should start a thread about potential business names....maybe the frugal hunter.
 
Wow, looks like you've figured out how to do it w/o busting the budget! Have you thought about finding a way to monetize your accrued knowledge, maybe thru a blog or partnership with an existing hunt/travel planner? You might find a way to break even or bank a couple bucks after the hunt is over. We should start a thread about potential business names....maybe the frugal hunter.

Finding a good hunting partner who can take 2 or 3 weeks off work whenever they want is a challenge so just finding someone to join me and split cost is payment enough. I'm a taxidermist so sometimes I pick up work from them too. For a long time a good friend would always join me but he developed some heart issues and now I'm afraid I'll kill him.
However, now with websites like this and facebook forums I can find like-minded hunters. I took a guy from Indiana out for cinnamon teal here in SoCal and we hit it off good, so then I invited him to Cold Bay Alaska and we camped out there one December and hunted waterfowl. This last June I took him to NZ for tahr and waterfowl.
I took another guy from Sacramento to NZ and then later we did Adak Alaska. Last year I invited a guy from SD to Adak and this year he's going with me to St.Paul Island.
I've also invited others to Hawaii with me and some have become good friends and others never get invited again. Most guys are easy going but I've had a couple bad apples.
 
I'm to a point where I like hunting in-state but I've done it for years and years so my goal during 'application season' is to try and draw one decent/limited out of state hunt every year - and that gets most of my priority... Depending on what I think my odds are - on occasion I'll draw 2 - if I have enough vacation time in a given year... There are normally some decent out of state fall back options too such as deer and antelople that are either OTC or limited draws that don't sell out early... This year I'm doing an archery elk hunt (out of state) but staying for 2 weeks so this is my one 'big' hunt this year... I'll still hunt whitetails during the rut during Nov too.... Would guessing I spend 80% or more of my hunting budget and free time on my out of state adventures...
 
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