What Effect will the HIGH Gas Prices Have on Hunting Trips?

[John3]

High fuel will not stop my bowhunting. Chasing "stuff" with my bow is the one thing that will not get scaled back. I spend $145.00 dollars to fill my Cummings Dodge now and can drive about five days on that (560 miles). Until jet fuel goes out of sight and a ticket to Canada goes well over $1200.00 I am still going to book these hunts. I did the math; if/when Diesel fuel goes up to $5.50+ a gallon I will spend more on fuel everymonth than I do on the truck. CRAZY !!!

I have cut way back on other things. I don't go out to eat at all anymore. When I must run to town everything is done in one "many stop" trip.

8 trillion barrels of oil under three western states and not being allowed to drill for it is kind of like starving to death living inside a grocery store.

[Ragin Bull]

Since I'll be footing the entire gas bill for my trip out west this year I decided to make it worth while. I'm staying for the entire season, 30 days of elk hunting. Other friends are coming the last two weeks to join me. I've been waiting 9 years to get into this draw area so the gas price wasn't a major consideration. Maybe next year I'll have to give some thought to splitting the cost with a couple others.

[Shaun]

Not much caring for the political lean of this thread. Blaming individual members of government and sniping at liberals is not bow hunting.

Gas prices suck. But we live in the greatest country  in the world and have the lowest fuel and general energy costs of any civilized nation. I plan to work hard and pay my bills, including fuel bills. I did buy a smaller vehicle that gets 25 instead of 15 mpg. I also plan to keep hunting and traveling to do it. Have you noticed tag costs are way up and the price of food is getting silly? Maybe an elk in the freezer will help offset the cost rise in fuel.

[Burnsie]

Won't effect my local hunting, most spots are within 5-10 miles.  However, my brother and I are planning a pack-in DIY Colorado hunt for fall 2009. We will only need a vehicle big enough to fit our loaded packs and our bows into. We're thinking about buying a small, used,  high gas milage car for the trip and reselling it when we get back.

[LEOPARD]

Here in the UK, we're paying about £1.40($2.75ish) for a liter of Diesel, and £1.25($2.45ish) for a liter of Petrol (Gas)! And it just keeps going up! You almost need a bank loan just to fill your car up!          

[ozy clint]

man i wish our fuel here in aussie was at the same price you guys in the states pay for it. thats only about $1.30/L. spare a thought for leopard!!!

[LEOPARD]

haha....yeah Clint! We're getting done over a bit here with fuel prices!  :D

[Nala]

Well I am not optimistic at all about the fuel prices.  I think they are gonna go up to about $5 or $5.50 a gallon.  I don't believe we will ever see gas for $2.25 a gallon.

Too many things are working against the consumer, OPEC, the gas companies and our elected officials.  I can't think of a single issue in national politics that has made me as mad as this gas issue.  The poster before had it EXACTLY right, it's like starving to death in a grocery store.  This country is sitting right on top of more oil reserves than ANY other country in the world and we aren't allowed to get it.  No matter who you think is to blame for it, just look at the policy on its face, it's a rather moronic way to manage energy policy for a country.

I think BOTH parties have some blame, but you have to admit that there is one party that is steadfastly refusing to allow us to go and get our own oil.  In fact their standard bearer said he didn't mind the $4 per gallon price, he just didn't like how quickly it got there.  I'll leave it to you to figure out which one of them it is.

I think it is going to go up and up until there is a crisis or breaking point when the people will finally stand up and say that they have had enough.

In the meantime, I hope these gas prices don't force guides and outfitters to shut down.  I know it has to be hard for them right now, but hopefully something good can happen where they can continue to do what they love and allow those of us who have the means to go on that dream hunt thay have been saving and thinking about for years.

Nala

[M60gunner]

I plan on hunting locally this year but I usually do. I just will not make as many trips during the week to the mountains like I might otherwise.
I used to make at least 2 trips to our club range a week to shoot 3D's but that has stopped. A combination of gas prices and the club having to move further out in the boonies (an hour away). Now It is once a week and we try to carpool as much as possible.

[Stone Knife]

A person might be farther ahead to lease some hunting land close to home opposed to making the long trips to their familiar spots. I like the carpool idea.

[donw]

diesel is $5.30 per gallon in the part of kaliphornia i live in.

where i live, i am able to drive 2-3 miles to hunt or go to my own back acreage..however...i cannot see going to az (javelina, my favorite) any longer to hunt...fuel costs are killing it.

we are in for even worse times if there is not a MAJOR change in our supply sources!

[Molson]

All this talk about drilling oil here, record profits there, save the environment, alternate fuels...  What a joke and a big lie from both sides. One says drill more, the other says develop alternate fuels...  Nothing but smoke and mirrors from both of them.

How about improving the fuel milage on vehicles? The technology is there and has been for years, but they refuse to use it in the automotive industry.  If you buy less gallons there's too much money to be lost in tax dollars.  Now that people are being conservative, your friends in the government are preparing to raise the Fed tax by 10 cents a gallon due to the loss in tax money.  

Fortunately I've got great whitetail hunting in my back yard so I don't need to travel more than 20 miles at best on any given day.  I'll still hunt other places too since my hunting partner and I finally decided to get out for some other critters. Those are once (maybe twice) a year events though so I just consider the fuel part of the cost when planning.

Unless the population as a whole suddenly gets educated and actually holds these people accountable for the abuse they put on us there's really nothing else you can do but complain.  Politicians count on that though.  They all want you to pick a side and blame someone.  The more folks complain and blame, the less likely they are to act.

[Hardhed]

Any oil drilled here is going to be sold at the going international price, by an oil company that wants to maximize profits.

Oil drilled here is not going to be sold locally for any less than what it will bring on the international market, which is what we are paying now.

[rg176bnc]

If I have to quite hunting , I WILL QUIT WORKING.  Seen too many turnips do it and get by. I can go broke sitting at home.  I will strap a monster buck on top of a gas saver, Ive seen me do it!!    

[Missouri Sherpa]

I hunted elk in Colorado and Wyoming, and antelope in Wyoming last year, 3 trips.  Only one trip to Colorado this year for two weeks.  I am spending way less this year even with the price increases.  

How much are you willing to pay for gas before you quit the long distance hunting trips?  I would still be going if fuel was $10.00.  At some point I would have to consider moving to Wyoming but I don't know what that price is.  I hope I don't have to find out.