What did it cost you?

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sageadvice

Long Time Member
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i'd be curious to here what some of you guys had to pay, all said and done, to go on your DIY, out of state hunt, by yourself or as one of a group? The cost can be in round numbers, the total should include gear and supplies you bought before leaving, getting there, price of lic and tags, thru the hunt, and back home again.

Looking forward to reading some varied replies. Thanks!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-11-15 AT 07:55PM (MST)[p]I went on a guided hunt this year as a part of my two month trip to Wyoming, but mostly was helping friends that live out there on their hunts, so I'll leave out the guide fee and tip for that hunt and give you approximately what the trip cost like it was a DIY for my deer.

Licenses & PP fees needed to draw LQ tag---$572.50

Gas---$900 (From MI & back by myself pulling a 19' trailer & several tanks while out there---This was $500 less than in 2014 with big price drop in gas this year!)

Food, beverages and ice--$300 (What I took with me and what I bought out there--a lot shorter trip most would take would be a lot less)

Propane---$100

Total---Approximately $1900
 
Went to CO. Voucher was $2500. License another $300+??. Gas about $200. Food was cheap, maybe $50. And I saved money by not firing a shot, no ammo expense. I did lose my little 35mm camera, so there went another $125. Looks like I a min a little over 3 grand. Glad I still have my cow elk license here at home so I can cheapen up that meat cost.
 
Joey, I have done many out of state hunts over the years. For me because I'm cheap the two big expenses are fuel and tags. We have started doing Wyoming cow tags mixed with an occasional Antelope tag. I live in eastern Oregon so fuel for a trip over and back is a couple hundred. $300 for cow tags. This year we hit it just right and only hunted for five minutes. After one night in the motel and a victory burger, total cost this year was $810. We usually wall tent it but mine is still in the Eagle caps. 2016 we plan on adding in a General elk tag (extra $300)and Antelope and staying for 10 days. Will cost another $100 or so for the extra fuel. Food can go up too but we don't go crazy, and always bring a bunch of food back home.

DZ
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-11-15 AT 09:44PM (MST)[p]TOP, i was curious what your kind of long miles trip cost. Very nice buck by the way, Congrats!

ICM, you either must not live far away or get awful good mileage on your rig. Some years i can only get some over two tanks for that and it only gets me to Elko. :)

dz, cheap is the only way i can go aside gas and tags. I did split the cost of staying in a cheap motel years ago. Back then, 70's, even that and eating breakfeast in a diner was cheap though.

My last Wy trip, i had the cost of a new transmission on top of everything else. The nice folks at the feed store tire shop in LaBarge treated me extremely well though, could easily cost me another thousand had i busted down back home.

Good stuff guys! How about Horse and tack rentals?

Joey




"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-11-15 AT 09:51PM (MST)[p]Wyoming deer tag with one PP about $380.00 About $450.00 for my share of food and gas, etc. And about $35.00 my share of going and coming motel. So about $865.00. Week with family and friend, and tagged out with four bucks (although smaller than what we were hoping for) Absolutely Priceless!
 
My usual out of state DIY is from California to Wyoming. Solo, so all expenses on me.

No new gear

4 nights at motels. $300

gas. $350

food. $125 (plus what I steal from my wife's pantry)

Pronghorn tag/license. $500? ($180 in points alone)

ammo. $2 (I only shot one shot :)) I'm pretty tight on ammo. My last 3 trips to Wyoming I've fired 4 shots. 3 pronghorn and 1 mule deer killed.

$1277 total.

Motels and gas I put on cards, and when the bills come in I beg forgiveness and tell her I'm never going again. :D
 
Eel, i'll go cheap on quantity of bullets, not quality. Good shootin! :)

NECALI, that's affordable enough, about what i used to spend going by myself when i first started.

I'll bet some of you guys are forgetting stuff like cold storege or cut and wrap fees, Dinner, a night or two on the town. I like to hit the sporting goods places, sometimes ammo is available or cheaper than can get it back home. Booze? Most of the time was too tired to sit up and drink but there were a few hunts with friends i remember that we hit the bottle pretty good each night after the days hunting was done. There's more, the little stuff adds up too. lol

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
Can't remember the numbers. It either involved round trip airfare to meadows park from kslc, or diesel for about the same, 50 for an out of state tag give or take, another benjy or two for food, but it was priceless. I got to pepper the living ##### out of a plickhead we all know and love to hate.
4abc76ff29b26fc1.jpg
 
I'd never add this kind of a thing up!

It costs what it costs!

And it's what I Work & Live for!

Let's just say the Track Soup is kinda Spendy sometimes but I wouldn't Trade it for anything!



I'm Living & Dieing with the Choices
I've Made!

Go Ahead!

Make Me take it down!

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/us
er_photos3/9001hank2.jpg
 
Now don't laugh...I went back to California to Dove Hunt..
47.00 for 2 day non-resident license
65.00 for 10 boxes of 20 gauge shotgun shells
120.00 for gas in Subaru
Free staying with my Dad 4 days
Free hunting on private ground
11 doves for 2 days shooting
You guys can figure the math per dove...
 
>Now don't laugh...I went back to
>California to Dove Hunt..
>47.00 for 2 day non-resident license
>
>65.00 for 10 boxes of 20
>gauge shotgun shells
>120.00 for gas in Subaru
>Free staying with my Dad 4
>days
>Free hunting on private ground
>11 doves for 2 days shooting
>
>You guys can figure the math
>per dove...

I don't want it Per Dove!

I want it Per Pound!:D:D:D


I'm Living & Dieing with the Choices
I've Made!

Go Ahead!

Make Me take it down!

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/us
er_photos3/9001hank2.jpg
 
JOEY, INTERESTING QUESTION !!!! WITH A DIY HUNT WITH A REGULAR ELK OR DEER TAG.....NO VOUCHER TAG. I FIGURE ABOUT $1800 BUCKS ROUND FIGURES. I GUESS I HAVE BEEN ABOUT 50 + TIMES/TRIPS, ANTELOPE HUNTS ARE A BIT CHEAPER FOR ME. BY THE POUND THE MEAT IS A BIT PRICEY..........HAD A TON OF FUN...........YD.
 
Some of you guys are big spenders... or I'm really cheap???
I stay in my wall tent wherever it is that I go and never really count food or drink since last time I checked I don't go to bed hungry whether at home or out hunting.

Pretty much makes it a tags and gas total for the way I do it, I'm way past needing more crap just to go on a hunt, the tough part is figuring what to not take out of my pile of crap at home.


Clothing wears out but so seldom as it really isn't an expense, pack animals for the rough stuff already turn a profit from renting them out so my use is "free'. The inevitable dog eats the same cheap food wherever he is sleeping.

If you want pricey now the KS pheasants and in state honker hunting is what gets the household accountant riled up!

In state deer/elk 2 weeks $150
KS deer- 2 weeks bout $800
NE deer- 5 days bout $500
AR deer- 2 weeks bout $650
WY elk- 1 month bout $750
 
Other then license fee which you really can't do anything about for me the biggest expense coming from Kali is the gas and hotel costs. If you can get someone to go with you and split those 2 costs you can really get the overall cost down.
Joey I got your PM did you get my reply ?
 
I try NOT to add it up, Id, Nv, Co and Ut plus helped in Wy on a deer hunt. No hotels and cheap food.
 
WHAT A LOT OF GUYS HERE ARE FORGETTING IS THAT MANY OF US BUY NONRESIDENT TAGS. SOME TAGS (NEVADA ELK) ARE $1200 BUCKS, MOST ANY ELK TAG IS $600 BUCKS. NOW AND THEN I MIGHT ALSO HAVE A DEER TAG AS WELL......$300 BUCKS. GAS IS NORMALLY $500-600 BUCKS.............YES IT ADDS UP.

I THINK I WOULD RATHER PAY UP, AND LIVE HERE. THE WEATHER, RANCH HUNTING I DO, HOGS,DEER, YOTE CALLING, TURKEY HUNTING, QUAIL& DOVE KEEP ME BUSY.......ALONG WITH FISHING & BOATING.

OR NOT..................YD.
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-12-15 AT 03:44PM (MST)[p]I retired and now have a nice piece of land and can hunt nearby for usually less than $200 for elk/deer/fish/lic/stamps etc.
Gas & food on me.This year maybe $300?
Gave up out of state hunts 6 yrs ago. My last UT deer hunt cost me $1200 ten yrs ago.A Gen tag too....................
 
Tag + $400 to $600 average.
That usually includes one night in a cheap hotel, 3 or 4 meals in restaurants. $200-$300 gas.
I already have all the equipment, and the rest of the meals don't cost any more then eating at home.
 
After a few d.i.y. Hunts over the years for elk,mule deer and antelope ,I came to the conclusion it cost more not to go.Hunt as long as we can....hth
 
Idaho bear hunt every year for my share is right at $650-$700 for the eleven day hunt. That is for tag and license at $340.00, fuel for a 14 hour drive each way and throughout the hunt and all food and extra supplies. One of the best hunts each year!!!
 
I'm with deerlove. I try not to add up the costs although I keep track of them. For me it's the time I take away from work that hurts the most financially. I don't make any money if I'm not working. This year was over forty days hunting. Ouch!
 
My opinion. I work to do the things I enjoy. If I kept track of what I spend hunting in several states it would be detrimental for me. I would rather work overtime 10-months out of the year to play 2.
Just sayin...?
 
"I don't make any money if I'm not working. This year was over forty days hunting. Ouch! "
This is one of the main reasons I changed careers when I was working construction I couldn't afford to take off as much time as I wanted and still pay the bills.
 
DIY: License and over the counter archery elk tag around $680, gas $1000, food $150 on a 10 day hunt. Propane $30, arrows $35, ? Sometime I miss and loose one of my arrows...arrows are camo and if I don't stick it in a tree most of the time it is gone....
Total around $ $1895 not included fast food on the road both ways
Throw in another $20 bucks.....10 each way....

))))------->
 
Had a desert bighorn hunt in Utah. Bought about $50 worth of food and drinks cause we were planning to hunt for a while. $50 to drive to the hotel. Hotel was $70. There was 3 of us and we ate at the local restaurant twice so about $65. Got a ram an hour into the hunt. Tag was $25 (Tribal Tag). And about $50 to drive back home. So about a $310 trip for an out of state, DIY, once-in-a lifetime sheep hunt!
 
After spending 30+ days in Wyoming this year, 12+trips, I don't dare add it up as I will cry. Not to mention all the money lost from not working. :'( that was expensive tag soup!
 
>After spending 30+ days in Wyoming
>this year, 12+trips, I
>don't dare add it up
>as I will cry. Not
>to mention all the money
>lost from not working.
>:'( that was expensive
>tag soup!

But I'd bet you'll do it again ASAP, LOL!
 
Ruby1 and Boot both brought up good points that i know a bit about as well. If in the trades and you don't work, likely there is no vacation check waiting at home when you get back. That, and the fact that where i live, the busy work shuts down for the winter and being self employed, no unemployment. That's just for some of us but we have to count that in, work missed, if we go.

For years, i too said that i work so i can play. i think that works out fine for those that have the benefits provided as part of their employment. Others, just did or do well enough at what they do, it don't matter what it costs. Seemed to me that out of state trips were easier on the pocket book back when i made crap for money, had to quit jobs just to go, and no problem getting another job or picking up where i left off when i got back.

Those were good days but they ran out on me and a guy eventually pays the price, just sayin!

I had a couple years in the 90's where i could hunt Muleys in two states, fish, camp in my camper, and move around hunt where the wind blew me for a month long trip and do it on $1500.

This has been a good read, Thanks guys!!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
>>>Now don't laugh...I went back to California to Dove Hunt..<<<

i have seen some dove hunts that no amount of money could buy,,,, that's the thing i will miss the most if i move out of California

with that being said we spend about a thousand bucks a year on our annual Utah hunt not counting the tags ,,,, We also make it a family vacation so I'm sure it could be done cheaper ,,, we also process our own meat, and stay in our fifth wheel
 
The most costly hunt this year for me was my brothers nv bow deer. cost me around $13,000! new Honda sxs, $hit ton of food,gas 4 trips from wy and 18 days in nv! It's like a sore ##### Ya just can't beat it.
hornkiller.jpg
 
I was always horrible at math in high school and college and it serves me well now. Oregon deer lease, CO elk and Alberta deer in 15. I'm guessing, using my perfect math skills.....less than a country club membership.

Rich
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-13-15 AT 10:24PM (MST)[p]hornkiller and homer both figured in more of the cost than most but it all counts! Thanks guys!

I was Buck hunting Colo just north of Dinosaur and happened to go to that little town after a few days out hunting, for a cold beer and a burger. There was a bunch a gals in that joint along the hi-way there, waiting on their ol men to get back...and it got to getting pretty late when they finally got a call. Turns out the guys was in a jeep back in the sage when a big ol buck jumped up and made for getting away. Big Buck! They piled out and it took a bit of shooting but managed to dump the big fella to yips and hollers.

Turns out that there was watching them from distance, somebody with a phone that well knew that huge buck, knew that he didn't have enough points on his rack, for that area, to be legal, and called the local warden. Long story, the warden took no sympathy, escorted them fellas to jail and they had to pay up their fines with cash money before they could get back to the wives and dinner. A bit of extra expense! :)

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
So Uncle sage?

Did you Wine & Dine them that Evening?:D

>LAST EDITED ON Dec-13-15
>AT 10:24?PM (MST)
>
>hornkiller and homer both figured in
>more of the cost than
>most but it all counts!
>Thanks guys!
>
>I was Buck hunting Colo just
>north of Dinosaur and happened
>to go to that little
>town after a few days
>out hunting, for a cold
>beer and a burger. There
>was a bunch a gals
>in that joint along the
>hi-way there, waiting on their
>ol men to get back...and
>it got to getting pretty
>late when they finally got
>a call. Turns out the
>guys was in a jeep
>back in the sage when
>a big ol buck jumped
>up and made for getting
>away. Big Buck! They piled
>out and it took a
>bit of shooting but managed
>to dump the big fella
>to yips and hollers.
>
> Turns out that there was
>watching them from distance, somebody
>with a phone that well
>knew that huge buck, knew
>that he didn't have enough
>points on his rack, for
>that area, to be legal,
>and called the local warden.
>Long story, the warden took
>no sympathy, escorted them fellas
>to jail and they had
>to pay up their fines
>with cash money before they
>could get back to the
>wives and dinner. A bit
>of extra expense! :)
>
>Joey
>
>
>"It's all about knowing what your
>firearms practical limitations are and
>combining that with your own
>personal limitations!"




I'm Living & Dieing with the Choices
I've Made!

Go Ahead!

Make Me take it down!

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/us
er_photos3/9001hank2.jpg
 
"Did you Wine & Dine them that Evening?"

Bess, they was a nice enough bunch maybe a bit older and it usually was my custom, to stand a round for the house(if it weren't too full)so we were "talking" i'll give you that but that's also about all i'll stretch my manners when i'm out of state. I might raise hell in my own home town but another custom i have found to be wise, mind yer manners when you're a guest in another.

They was nice enough guys too. I guess that buck was all that guys dream for but lacking a point or two so it was easy enough to understand how they made their mistake. Needless to say, weren't much of a party when the guys finally got back some wheres near midnight.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
"Was just wondering if you were keepin the Ladies in line during the Situation?"

I know Bess, i enjoy your kidding know that i know you some better. I just wanted to help if i could, ladies in distress is a horrible thing you know, aaand it was a enjoyable way to pass the time ;-)

Think i'm going to start another thread, "What did it cost you #2". It will concern those hunts where expensive tags had to be bought, maybe outfitters or Guides used, Air flight, different country, maybe several or all the above. The kind of hunts we all dream of but somehow most don't quite make in their lifetime for one reason or another. I think that thread might be eye opening and another good read if guys will speak up and tell it to give us a idea of what we're talking about in the way of Cost. Sheep, griz, Moose, elephant, tiger...

There's still plenty of room on this thread though, What did your DIY hunts cost you? Thanks again guys!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
We drove almost 4000 miles round trip - Home to Wyoming, then hunting for 8 days, then back home. My truck gets about 16 MPG. I figure we used roughly 250 - 300 gallons of gas. We spend around $800 -$900 in gas which is much better than it has been in past years.

I have a complete camp and we went DIY. Didn't need much in way of new gear this year so I will estimate $50 on camping supplies

Paid $600+ for leftover licenses. Two of us so that makes $1200.00

We killed two antelope and 1 deer. Went to a processor that I never used before and feel like we got raped - $450.00

We probably spent $200 - $250 in food.

Misc - another $100

Estimated total for 2 hunters living the dream in Wyoming - $3000. Believe me, the worst day on this trip was better than any day at work!
 

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