So many hunts…so little time. As Fall approaches, I get more excited for hunting season every day. Fall bear kicks off in late August, then there’s the glory of September archery elk hunting, and of course the rifle deer seasons come soon after that, not to mention what has become one of my favorite little windows of opportunity…the Hail-Mary December archery deer hunt. If I didn’t have work and family responsibilities, I could easily be in the field for close to four straight months in the Fall.
Few things feel as awesome as a fist-full of hunting tags!
But of course, I don’t live that life…and odds are, neither do you. We have a finite number of available vacation days, families who want us around every now and then, and only so much time and money to go around. So the question is: how much hunting can you actually do in one Fall season? Is it possible to give adequate time and energy to all the hunts on your dream list, or do you just have to pick your top hunt for the year and let all the others fall by the wayside? Well, the answer to that probably varies from person to person, but here’s what I’m doing to try and manage all the hunts I want to do this year.
What Is Your Top-Priority Hunt?
Okay, priorities are obviously the key to just about any decision you ever have to make in life…but we won’t get into that here. As for my hunting calendar, here’s how I’m approaching it right now (and I may do this differently each and every year depending on tags, schedules, etc.). I think the most important thing you can do first is to determine which single hunt is the most important to you this year…everything else trickles down from there. For the Voris family this year, we just found out that my son and wife both drew buck tags at the family farm. Both of them have yet to harvest their first big game animal, and it’s actually my son’s first big game tag he’s ever drawn (I think javelina technically counts as a big game animal in AZ, but come on…it’s not the same). That hunt is in the middle of November, and so I’m putting that at the top of the list. Time, money, vacation days…they are all being prioritized to get these two wonderful humans their first bucks.
Now, it may be smart to start with your #1 hunt, and then figure out #2, and #3, and on and on we go. Personally, since there are so many factors that go into whether or not a particular hunt is possible, I’m just setting my #1, and then puzzle-piecing the rest around it based on schedule, cost, desire, etc. So, while my second most important hunt I want to go on is another CO archery elk hunt (check out the film of my last one here), that’s also a full week of my time and by far the most expensive hunt on my list. I want to go. I plan to go. But if I can’t afford the time or money to get my family set up for deer success and go to Colorado, then the elk will have to wait until next year. On the other hand, early Fall bear season is a tag that’s already in my pocket and will probably only cost me a weekend, some food, and a tank of gas…it’s a no-brainer to keep that one on the list.
I still plan to be right back here this Fall…but knowing my family’s deer hunt comes first makes time/budget decisions that much easier.
Again, you’ll have to determine your particular situation, but I’m a big believer in doing as much hunting as humanly possible while still being a good husband, father, employee, etc. So, get creative, and make your decisions easier by setting your top-priority hunt first.
More Than Just Opening Day.
A mistake I’ve made in the past is marking opening day on my calendar, and then totally neglecting all the pre-season work I should be doing. Especially when it involves other people’s hunts (like my wife and son’s), I forget that they need some extra time behind the rifle, and that it’s on me to do as much scouting as humanly possible so that I can put them on some animals opening day. I took my wife on this same farm hunt a couple years ago, and sadly we struck out because I got lazy on scouting that year. (Check out the film of that hunt here…yes, you can see my wife texting mid-stalk on some deer) The year before, bucks were everywhere, so I just assumed it would be like shooting bucks in a barrel. Sadly, that was not the case, and my wife paid the price in an un-notched tag. Not this year, deer! I am actually penciling in days at the range with both of them, mornings at the farm checking cams, tracks, building blinds…all the stuff that needs to be done so I can confidently put them in the best possible position for success this year.
The last time I took these two out, we glassed up one group of does all weekend…no more skimping on pre-season scouting!
Another category that has to be weighed is any gear needs you’ll have for different hunts on your dream list. A couple hunts on my list will only cost me food and gas, so even if they aren’t highest on my list of desires, they might get the priority to make room for something else. I finally need to buy my son his own hunting rifle (because come on, he’s borrowed his mom’s long enough and she needs it for herself this year). I need to borrow or buy my wife her own binos. The boy just keeps growing, so I’m sure he’s due for another set of camo and boots. And on and on the list of expenses goes. At the same time, that CO elk hunt is not cheap, but I desperately want to go. The beauty of establishing your top priority hunt at the beginning of this equation is that if a budgetary shortfall occurs, the decision is basically made for you.
There’s Always Next Year
I almost don’t want to even write this part, because I definitely lean towards the “do it now…make it happen” line of thinking. But, while life is short and none of us are guaranteed tomorrow, statistically speaking: there’s always next year. If there’s a hunt you desperately want to do but it gets bumped off the priority list for this year, there’s always next year. If CO gets canned for me because of my family’s deer hunt, that’s okay…it would be a statistical anomaly for them to draw that tag again next year, so I’ll be free to head up North and chase those majestic beasts with my bow.
Now, if you’re a guy who does his one hunt every Fall and then puts the weapon back in the safe until next year, this doesn’t apply (in fact, you probably stopped reading paragraphs ago). But, I believe the more time a man can spend in the field, the better off he’ll be. My goal is to head into the New Year with fresh passion and excitement for everything else in my life because I’ve spent so much time clearing my head on multiple hunts in the Fall. In my humble opinion, you’d be wise to do the same. So, open up your calendar, check the regs for whatever state(s) you plan to hunt, and map out a handful of hunts you’d like to tackle. With some well-established priorities and a little creativity, I bet you can get a few different hunts under your belt over just a few months. Good luck out there!