How many days a year do you hunt ?

[steve white]

Full days, usually 5 or 10, maybe more if I'm doing a trip to Africa. Partial days are probably another 50-60 days, mostly upland game near home.

There ain't no "near home" in Dallas Texas--it takes an hour just to get off concrete...

 

[Longwalker]

I'd guess about 30 days, or one month per year. Scattered between waterfowl, upland birds, local deer, elk, bears, moose etc. and some varmint shooting. Some years easily double that, especially if I have international hunting to do. And some years a little less. I'm slowing down a bit as I age, inevitable I suppose.

 

[Atticus]

46 so far this year. Two more weeks to get try to fill my Massachusetts deer tags.

 

[coyote wacker]

I was lucky to retire when I was 51 years old. After retiring I started guiding bear hunting started baiting in Augest and would go non-stop until the last day of deer hunting was January 1. Then I would start continue trapping and hunting coyotes. Usally quit coyote hunting the beginning of April then the middle of April I started turkey hunting. Usally I would say over 200 days in the field a year.

In 2021 I had a stroke sold the guiding business and propterty. But I was very lucky with the stroke no physical ailments, a loss of some memory. But with over a year of work recovering I can do pretty much everything that a 70 year old man can do, most a little better for my age.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

Depends on the year, but usually spring bear, fall bear, deer and moose when I can. If I add partridge about 30 days a year. I did my first elk hunt this year that added about 20 minutes to my hunt total.

 

[Rare Breed]

correct answer … Not enough!!!

 

[Muskox]

Last year I think it was 10 days on guided hunts, and another 10 days staring at dog walkers in my hunting areas.

2025 is about the same, but I gave up my lease as it had too many dog walkers and not enough of anything else. So only the guided hunts.

I have 2 days booked in January for driven hunts. I should have 6-10 tags in Idaho, Wyoming and Arizona in 2026. I am not sure how it is going to work, as I am not 100% locked into moving back to the Northern Rockies. I am still in Germany on this tour.

If I return to New Mexico then it is an easy answer. Wyoming deer, Arizona deer, javelina, and hopefully elk, Whatever treasures New Mexico provides and maybe I will end up with a Texas hunt.

My goal would be 40-50 days at this point in my life. I have not lived in a place where I could do local hunting beyond coyotes. I'd love to trap, but New Mexico outlawed it in 2022 or 2023. Getting a tag in New Mexico is a challenge, 100% draw.

I also plan on restarting my Africa stuff again when I get back to the USA. So that would be part of that 40 days goal.

I have about 45 days of PTO a year. So that is me hunting a lot of weekends and that cracks into family time.

It was a hell of a lot easier when the wife was working, she never earned the PTO I did so I had a lot of time for myself.

Currently 20, maybe not sustainable.

I am 12-17 years from retirement (whenever I can't take it anymore or they piss me off). I hope I have the health to keep rolling when I am retired.

 

[Muskox]

My question for those Westerners who don't live in 100% OTC states how do you get enough tags to keep after it?

I apply in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana I have points in all of them sometimes a lot and I usually just get a couple tags a year. Nothing anywhere near what 40 days a year would fill.