Giving Up a Dream, What to do?

[Kevin Bahr]

As Rick so aptly put it, these states see us non residents as their cash cow.  And as long as we keep paying to play, it won't change...probably even get worse!  Illinois is no different.  It now costs nearly $400 for a NR to deer hunt.  DEER!  Oops, I forgot, there's a big buck behind every tree here so it's worth it.  Right.  
But the keep selling 20,000 NR tags every year, so why would they ever reduce the price?  
That being said, it all depends on how much you want it.  
Looks like we should all meet up at Rick's house next year and go chase some hogs!

[Nate Fikkert]

Yeah,

Maybe I need to move to the southeast, and hunt with Rick.  It is sad but true, I pretty much think all western states have gone to this.  New Mexico (maybe Idaho?) is the only one I can think of that hasn't gone into the points game, they did raise there prices a bit this year I believe.  What are you going to do?  I could go either way on the sheep or moose thing, but I can't give up elk hunting.  At least that is a tangible dream each year.

Steve H, if we could just get a new farm bill, and I could get my "11"  that would change things a bit.  Right now jobs/promotions in good locations are hard to come by.  

I think my decision is to stay in at least one more year, and assess things then.  Then I am "only" out roughly $150 on points and can cut my losses at that.  It sounds like I have my sherpa's all lined up for the hunt already, I don't want to let them down!

Thanks everyone,

Nathan

[Lenny Stankowitz]

No offense, but I get a kick out of all the people that rant and rave about how hunting is becoming a rich man's sport, all the while shelling out whatever it takes to "realize their dream."

Simply put, (in my opinion of course) anyone who continues to do this is part of the problem.

How many times do we read about how "it's not the kill, it's the experience."  If you want the experience, go on your hunt.  Do everything that you dreamed about but when it comes time to take the shot, do it with your camera.    

No points, no tags, no taxidermy costs and the thousands of dollars that you would have spent will still be in your pocket and you will have sent a message that you are no longer willing to contibute to the madness.  The best part is you can do it anytime you want, every year if you choose.

Just something to think about.

Lenny

[Ray Hammond]

get off your butts and get a second job...start a company and build your own business so you can get tax breaks, earn the money you need to live your dreams.

You're too young to be bitching about other people making it too expensive for you to hunt. A scarce resource becomes expensive...its not the game departments being greedy, its the resource. Too many people wanting one, that's what makes it expensive.

Work an extra 40 hours, make 500 bucks a year...that 5000 dollars in ten years.

Doing it your way is a lot better than paying 200,000 for a governors tag...2250 for a licesne, 1000 for preference points...is that all? I spent that much on a caribou hunt and bear hunt last year...stop bellyaching and go for your dream.

[John3]

My .02.. If it is a true dream; make it happen. I decided in June of 2001 to quit wishing and start doing. I quit wasting my money on "stuff" (bows not included of course, LOL) and found a fun seasonal part time 2nd job. I bust my rear end working 6 1/2 days a week for eight months every year. The 2nd job is almost fun, but not having any free time to play does get old. That being said when I have a recurve bow in my hand and am looking out over mountains that have never been touched by anything powered by gasoline... It is worth every minute.

Spend the money, keep getting the points. You only get one turn at this game we're all playing.

John III

[Rick McGowan]

How this for irony, after my previous posts I went to the mall and got my FREE prostate exam, a bunch of businesses, including Ford, GE, Freightliner etc. donated to giving this service. It seems like WY, UT etc. should be at least be able to give you a clean bill of prostate health after you give them $75 or $100!

[LC]

Lots of good thoughts on this from both sides. Heres my take. I'm sure like alot of others on here my Dad was from the generation where you'd work like heck all your life and then do what you want when you retire. That plan has some flaws. He worked tons of hours "providing for his family" and as I sat on his death bed when he was 55 I decided right there and then as long as I could provide for my family that I would start doing all the things I had just dreamed about. I worked on the side, saved, did without alot of little things, etc and went on many a dang nice hunts all over the country and have never regreted a dang minute or dime of it.
With that said as I got older I realized that I too , not bragging, could hunt and kill anything just like the writers in the magazines did that I read IF I wanted to pay to put my self in those oppurtunities. Then one day it hit me what I really really liked to do was just hunt. So now adays I put my time and effort in what I would have put in out of state hunts towards hunting LONGER close to home. I now adays hunt almost the entire bow season and still spend less than what I use to spend taking those once in a lifetime hunts that are over in a week. I guess it helps I love hunting whitetails and lately have boughten my NR Ohio license. Three years ago the farmer wasn't to keen on even letting me hunt there, this year I stayed IN HIS FARM house and hunted two solid weeks in Ohio alone. I recently read on here a thread where a bunch of guys didn't even get to hunt one weekend yet they are on here daily talking, eating, breathing bowhunting. Sad. I'm not knocking these guys just feel sorry for them.

Whats all this rambling mean to you? I've got no idea, if it's your dream hunt and thats your priority then dang nab it go for it.A man definately has to have dreams. But there are other options.

[Jedimaster]

LC, Better advice was never given. Your "rambling" was refreshing wisdom. Priorities and options... yes!

You don't have to do it because somebody else romanticizes it. There is so much to life! This is just a piece of the pie.

To each his own. I won't work myself to death and miss my own piece of heaven right here at home to spend a week in another man's paradise.

[Nate Fikkert]

WHOA Ray,

Hold on, I don't know who your "bitching" comment was aimed at.  I can only assume me.  I was just asking for some advice and opinions on what to do.  I am just a regular guy with an average job, two young kids and a wife that doesn't work so we don't have to pay someone else to raise our kids for us.  When I get done with work I come home and "GET OFF MY BUTT" and try to be a father and a husband.  I used to work in carpentry and what I made at my job paid the bills and what I made on the side paid for hunting.  Then, I fell off a building, busted myself up and went back to school to start a different career.  Yeah, those are the choices we made, and sometimes the hunting budget suffers because of it.  Can I make the $100 a year happen, absolutely.  All I have to do is go skiing 2 fewer times this year.  Unfortunately I like skiing almost as much as hunting.  And when you live in Utah you might as well ski, because the hunting here isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Just trying to get some good advice on making some priorities and sacrifices.  Up until your post everybody had pretty positive things to say on both sides of the argument.  I have never met you before and I know people on here respect you and your opinion.  I however, think your post was a bit uncalled for.  I work hard, budget my money, stay out of debt, go to the gym and work out everyday to stay in shape so I can hunt for the long haul, and try to have dreams on the side.  I hunt on my own most of the time, backpack, public land, general season tags and struggle to have success.  So don't accuse me of being lazy and bitching.

Sincerely,

Nathan Fikkert

[Ray Hammond]

I wasn't you Nate-my apologies, should have been clearer..just got back from a hunting trip and a little tired...just read the responses you got....some of them were predictably commiserating with you about your dilemna then finding people and instituations to blame their inability to find a way to "get it done".

sometimes positive posts aren't truthful...they're just blowing smoke...sometimes posts need to bring folks back to reality....a friend doesnt always tell you what you WANT to hear...sometimes he has to bring you back to reality.

[flatlander37]

Nate, It's really up to whether you want it bad enough in my opinion.  I, like you, could easily afford the $100 a year to get more points.  My problem is that at age 38 I have gotten more practical like my father and would rather use the money elsewhere when there are plenty of whitetails here in MO to hunt.  I lived in CO for seven years and worked so much that I really never got to go Elk hunting a couple of times and never harvested one, and now still dream of hunting them.  Fact is I'm blue collar and can't really afford it now.  Like Ray said above I could go back to working a second job to pay for all kinds of goodies like more bows, hunts, etc..  but my health and my family are more important than my hunting dreams ever could be.  Hope you find the answer you're looking for.  Mark

[Nate Fikkert]

Ray,

I can respect that, friends tell the truth, and yes, sometimes the truth hurts.  Bottom line is I could make it happen, but is it the right thing to do...?  

Nathan

[steadman]

Keep at in Nate! You can ski later!  :D

[Holm-Made]

To each his own I guess but LC and Jedimaster nailed it for me.  I could afford to take a big hunting trip a year if it was a priority.  I went that route for a couple years and decided I would rather stay closer to home and focus on a series of smaller adventures.  I hunt MN and ND and between the 2 states I have over 4 months to hunt whitetails.  Some years I start a couple weeks early and hunt antelope in SD.  

I love to hunt and do it more than anyone I know.  I took 6 trips this year ranging from 2-4 days and one 6 day trip for antelope. (All within a 6 hour drive) Plus I hunt at least 3 evenings a week around home.  I shoot plenty of animals but don't have many trophy animals, never considered a guided hunt, I just focus on hunting and hunt because I love it and can't get enough.  

My point is; a hunting adventure is what you make of it.  We choose to hunt with traditional equiptment because we are passionate about it.  Why not then hunt for the sake of hunting with a stickbow?  Instead of working extra to spend the kind of money your talking on a 10 day hunt spend that time hunting closer to home.  I'd exchange working for hunting anyday even if the hunting was average, which in my case it is.  

To each his own, set the priorities that are best for you.  Ask yourself "How bad do I want it?"  If it is bad enough to keep spending the money for the preference points then go for it.  Best of luck,  Chad

[Ray Hammond]

no offense, Chad...but there really is something about being in a place where you 'feel' like you might be the only human who's ever set foot there

To see critters who instead of running the other way at the mere sight of you stand and stare because you are the first human they have ever seen

To hear the wolf's lonely call at night, to see the aurora borealis at 3am and wonder at the sight

To catch a fish on every cast that's bigger than the last one and that tastes so wonderful cooked right there on the shore at noon

To fly in a float plane

To meet natives who speak little if any english but who share the common bond of predator with you

To see country you have read of since childhood and dreamed of ever since

And if you get to share that with someone you becomes your friend, or who is already a friend?

Those are a few reasons why some heed the call..its not wrong if you don't..but its why some do.

Awesome antelope in your avatar by the way, Chad

[Jack Shanks]

Ray, that pretty much sums up my feelings.

Nate, all I can say is I wish I were in your shoes. I'd be smiling as I made the check out to the Wyoming Fish and Game thinking about all the money I'd be saving in the long run.

To all the others that never realize their dreams, I'm sorry.

[Holm-Made]

Ray, those are great reasons for going on a big hunt.  I agree totally.  8 years ago I took a caribou hunt in Alaska.  I did a drop camp and experiance everything you just mentioned.  It was a fantastic experiance.  The tag cost 400.00.  The trip cost about 3000.00.  If I understand right Nate is talking about spending around 20,000.00 for the same hunt as I did the only difference is it is a sheep versus a caribou.  

My point is is a sheep worth an extra $17,000.00?  For 20,000.00 you can do a lot of hunting.  You don't need a $12,000 sheep tag in you pocket to experiance everything you mentioned.  I'm just saying there are other options and one has to ask themselves is it worth it to me and why do I want to do it.  Chad

[Ray Hammond]

Chad, he said the tag was 2500 and the preference points 1000...so that's why I suggested going for it. I  believe he can guide himself for the sheep....or someone on here will help him.

I don' know for certain but I bet that there are folks on here who will help him get a sheep and won't charge a dime for it.Doug Campbell would be an example of someone on here who 'lived the dream for sheep'.

[Jack Shanks]

Holm-Made, I think Nate is looking at having under $5,000 in a DIY sheep hunt. I've been on a couple caribou hunts and while enjoyable they weren't sheep hunts.

[Stone Knife]

I would stay in it for the long haul. If you keep yourself in shape at 40 you will be prime to go. Don't give up on your dream, life is all to short to quit now.