Will inflation affect your hunts?

[WYelker]

Was told earlier that if fuel cost impact your hunts then you should likely give up hunting. I did some quick math, at current fuel cost, just driving for the same hunts and days I did last year is going to increase my cost almost $2,000 alone.

What effect if any will inflation have on your year? I have already made plans to for closer to home hunts, likely will consider not hunting out of state (may or may not). I had over 70 days in the field last year, not sure I can afford that many this year...

What about you? What do you feel will happen?

 

[El Jason]

I just did the math. $1100 more if gas prices go from 3.15 (average this fall) to 4.75.

I’ll work more side jobs, spend less on other stuff, sleep in my truck more, and keep hunting.

 

[TOGIE]

take the subaru instead of the truck, problem solved.

there are much bigger changes in my life this year that are already proving to be of much greater effect than inflation. and it's more of a time issue than a money issue. buying a house definitely shifted the budget a little. but i'm still going on at least as many hunts as last year.

 

[MTLabrador]

I’ll bitch about gas prices, sign up for some overtime to make up for it, and hunt over the counter stuff like I do every year.

 

[WYelker]

take the subaru instead of the truck, problem solved.

there are much bigger changes in my life this year that are already proving to be of much greater effect than inflation. and it's more of a time issue than a money issue. buying a house definitely shifted the budget a little. but i'm still going on at least as many hunts as last year.

Funny, I have found that when fuel cost go up, I drive less and hike a lot more. Up here in WY, it is really easy to drive all day and never see anyone. Some places I hunt we leave the pavement in the dark and drive non stop all day and never cross another paved road. I was never able to do that in CO just more space up here and a ton more open ground to explore...

 

[TheGrayRider]

I would have to draw some type of tag first to worry about inflation!

Utah Dept Wildlife 2022 Black Bear and Cougar Draw - Results 3/2/22

Thank you for applying in Utah's Black Bear & Cougar hunt drawing. Your results are:

UNSUCCESSFUL: Bear
UNSUCCESSFUL: Cougar

 

[Washington Hunter]

It depends. If prices remain what they are now, shouldn't affect my hunting much at all.

I've got two trips planned to Wyoming. With each trip, fuel would cost two of us about $600, ($300 each) at today's prices, even if that were to double, I would still go. It's only an additional $300 for me for each trip. Definitely would be likely to do less driving around while hunting though, if gas was over $7 a gallon.

Around home, probably would try to camp out more instead of driving back and forth from home so much. Probably less time spent scouting as well.

 

[SAJ-99]

I did some quick math, at current fuel cost, just driving for the same hunts and days I did last year is going to increase my cost almost $2,000 alone.

WOW! Can you show your work on that? Gasoline prices are $1 more on average today than one year ago. How many miles do you drive each season 30,000? Seriously curious. I might be doing this math wrong or you are driving an Abrams tank to your spot.

 

[BlakeA]

No.

 

[Sask hunter]

I’ll probably goose hunt less. Goose hunting is hard on gas with all the spotting.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Will make plane tickets rough. I mostly plan on backpacking hunts this year so I don’t think it will be much of an effect as far as driving.

 

[WyoDoug]

It will be more expensive and there will be toys and clothes I would have bought for hunting that will have to wait for another day.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

Driving from Georgia, (nearly standing with my back to florida) and supposing I draw a tag, fuel will certainly be an impediment, as will hotels, and meals, and gear I suspect one hunting trip will cost me quite a bit more than last time

 

[WYelker]

WOW! Can you show your work on that? Gasoline prices are $1 more on average today than one year ago. How many miles do you drive each season 30,000? Seriously curious. I might be doing this math wrong or you are driving an Abrams tank to your spot.

I drove a little over 22,000 miles last year for hunts, fishing and scouting. Have a 2015 ram 2500 that gets 19 on the highway and around 12 off road in 4wd. My long term average is around 14 mpg. Last September the local price for diesel was $2.82/gallon. Today it is 4.00 and climbing. 22,000/14 = 1,571 gallons @ $2.80 = 4400. 1571@$4.00 = $6284. So now we have a difference of $1884... That is better numbers than what I did in my head. Yes I drove a ton to hunt, but I live in WY and hell we drive a long ways just to get groceries. My hunting seasons started the 15th of August and we just wrapped up fur seasons. I went to Colorado to help my dad for a trip, and my son and I hunted in MT over Thanksgiving. Plus I have a daughter and a wife who also hunt and I get the last week of September and the first week of October off every week as well. We took one trip to Kansas for fishing as well. So it all adds up a bunch. Monday I had off work and we went to look for Coyotes, we left early got home late and had just under 200 miles on...

 

[WYelker]

No.


View attachment 213986

HAHA. What are you doing with your buddies wife that is costing you money?

 

[SAJ-99]

I drove a little over 22,000 miles last year for hunts, fishing and scouting. Have a 2015 ram 2500 that gets 19 on the highway and around 12 off road in 4wd. My long term average is around 14 mpg. Last September the local price for diesel was $2.82/gallon. Today it is 4.00 and climbing. 22,000/14 = 1,571 gallons @ $2.80 = 4400. 1571@$4.00 = $6284. So now we have a difference of $1884... That is better numbers than what I did in my head. Yes I drove a ton to hunt, but I live in WY and hell we drive a long ways just to get groceries. My hunting seasons started the 15th of August and we just wrapped up fur seasons. I went to Colorado to help my dad for a trip, and my son and I hunted in MT over Thanksgiving. Plus I have a daughter and a wife who also hunt and I get the last week of September and the first week of October off every week as well. We took one trip to Kansas for fishing as well. So it all adds up a bunch. Monday I had off work and we went to look for Coyotes, we left early got home late and had just under 200 miles on...

Damn, you take your road hunting seriously. I can see where it might affect your plans, but I am sure you are an outlier in the miles department. I'm sure there is some food cost there too. But don't forget to include alternative opportunity cost. You have to ask yourself what would you do if you didn't do a particular hunt. Hunting may be cheaper in the long run.

 

[Wallydeuce]

I spend 11 months out of the year planning and training for the archery elk hunt. I don't care what it costs in diesel fuel, I'm going. There may be a few less weekend trips to our cabin this summer. We'll just stay longer while there...and that's not a bad thing.

 

[ccc23454]

My fall hunts run about 13-15k miles annually (just hunts) so theres a price associated! My real problem is scouting, fishing, extra camp fun trips. I have already cut back my spriing turkey to just 2 states to allow me to still bear hunt 2 states. My problem will be summer and am looking at doing longer scounting trips with less driving back and forth getting ready for fall. Now if i draw another OIL tag all thats out window and credit will flow...

 

[Trial153]

Hedge yourself. Load up on dividend paying energy stocks to offset increased costs.
CVX, XOM

 

[S-3 Ranch]

glad the ranch is only 3 hours away and New Mexico is close so I doubt it’s worth complaining about, now food and liquor that’s a different expensive thing, I will definitely be eating more spam and beans, tortillas