I started dreaming of hunting all over the US, Canada, and the World after reading Jack O’Conner in my youth. Never imagined it would happen to me, but working two jobs and watching our pennies, we have been able to experience what I could only imagine. Lucky, yes! But anyone can achieve the same with a little elbow grease and a plan. A very understanding spouse is important as well. Good luck and dream big!

The formula outlined by ssumner1 pretty much worked for me. Which is to say, as I got more financial footing, I’ve been able to hunt more and farther afield, within the realm of one who’s “peak earning years” never quite made middle class. Can’t say why but I’ve never had an urge for foreign hunts or exotic game, except for Alaska and after two caribou and one moose hunt there, I’ve had enough of that. Rather, now in my senior years as a bowhunter and having concentrated most of my adult life on hunting elk and to a lesser degree mule deer, which are my neighbors, I am currently experienced the joys of re-learning the skills of whitetail hunting. In that light, trips to AZ and WV, so far, have scratched my itch for new landscapes. To each his own. While a foreign hunt can be an exceptional adventure, too many these days are going the way of high fences and/or expensive outfitters, wo that the “hunter” in fact does little but take the shot. It’s entirely possible to have a greater hunting adventure in your local woods, if you do every part of it, start to finish, yourself. And then, there’s always the backpack, which turns any hunt for any game into a challenging adventure. To each his own. dave

I have hunted most of the US and Canada, and I have to say that I get the most thrill from hunting the deer in my back yard. I am guilty of the “expensive outfitter” experience, but I have to say I liked it 😯 .

My current adventure is to harvest a deer with equipment that I have made myself off of my property (my only exception will be the broadhead as we don’t have good rock). I am collecting materials now… I have sinew from the deer I have harvested. I have fish skins and bladders from the fish in my pond ready to boil into glue, I have osage seeds from an uncle in Kansas ready to go in this spring… I have squirrel skins for strings… Not a fast adventure to be sure. I may speed it up by trying Sicamore or some other whitewood. Or Juniper…

Point is, there are many ways to have hunting adventures. If you have the bug to travel and kill critters far and wide, well not much else will suffice. But if you are looking to broaden your hunting experiences and memories, look to improving your skills and making friends. These memories will stay fresh in your mind longer.

SS; One of the great things about this country is all the state and national forests we have to offer. Where i hunt out west is national forest land. Find a spot, pitch a tent, and start hunting. It’s just that simple, kinda. You still need to do your homework about species, terrain, weather, etc. Most archery tags in most states are ” over the counter” tags. For the price of a license and some gasoline, you can have your own “adventure”. I try to go west each year to hunt elk and by splitting fuel costs with a friend, i can usually get a week long hunt for under $1000.00. Even less if i go with the cheaper “cow tag”. Remember, a man without a dream ain’t much of a man.

I’ve done a couple of Do-it-yourself hunts with success. 3 -4 hunters can go surprisingly cheap with careful planning and sharing the cost of fuel, food, and other accomodations and fees. We each paid for our own tags and chipped in on the other stuff. On one trip to Wyoming we drove one vehicle and pulled a covered trailer with our gear. If you don’t mind a little roughing it, you can have a good time and be successful.

By good fortune, a willingness to take some risk, a willingness to give up a lot of other things that most folks consider essential to their life and – first and foremost – the grace of God.

Ed

buzzard wrote: SS; One of the great things about this country is all the state and national forests we have to offer.

Truth. We are blessed with public land, particularly in the West, and we need to do everything we can to preserve it. Look at Europe – virtually no public wilderness (or wilderness at all for that matter, unless you head way North) and often what passes for “hunting” over there is contrived shooting with released, pen-raised game. There are some exceptions, but they are few. And to top it off, it’s typically done on private, exclusive land and is considered a rich man’s sport for the most part. We, thankfully, have a very different tradition in the States, and it’s in large part due to the foresight of those who recognized the essential importance of protected, public, wild lands.

Being someone who is surrounded by a variety of public land, and who can hunt a variety of species in some cases literally 10 minutes from my house, I am forever indebted to those who early on saw the importance of a system of public lands. Otherwise, like many others, I don’t know how I’d be able to afford to hunt (and fish). Without a personal connection to land, it’s all that much easier for others to take it away from you.

ssumner1 wrote: I believe we can live a dream life if we both work hard and fight for what we love.

Amen. Even better when you can combine the two.

For out west hunts, we usually try to get at least 4 guys to go in ordedr to split the cost. If you buy your license earlier in the year, you can even it out more. Then we sleep in my cabin tent for a camp. For other states, I have a lot of friends I have made through the years on line and get invites to hunt their places. There are a lot of great people out there:P

Dream, save, plan, then go!

I have to agree with Mr. Graf. Its about what what you love about the hunt, for Mr. Graf its not the game but the hunt and how its done. I am personally moving in the same direction as he is, making my own equipment, glue, clothing etc… For others the “exotic” is the game and/or geography. You have to decide for you what it is you love and want to do. Plan and then save for it. Make sure that you do what you love to do, follow your heart its the best guide. Good hunting hope to hear your stories about your travels.

I guess I can thank Uncle Sam for some of my hunting experences. I have been able to hunt in most of the states and two other countries. My favorite was Alaska. I wish to this day that I had never left. If I can ever get the money together I would like to hunt Shiras moose. I think that would be fun.