Its almost as much fun Planning

[dgc1963]

I dont know what others think but I like the planing and logistics almost as much as the hunt well a close 2nd anyway
If its my home state archery season esp bear, or a trip out west I love the 4 hr drives up north to hang 8 to 12 trail cams then back every 3 weeks all summer to move them, figure trails stand locations and try to out smart feeding bear when we cant bait or use sents. or to e scout make 5 or 6 plans calling biologist, researching buying new gear and im a bit anal so I dont buy anything with out really checking it out first. To me that part is almost as fun as the hunt esp when a well thought out plan ends in the harvest of an animal

 

[Big Bore]

100% agree. The anticipation and daydreaming about a hunt will totally consume me.

 

[glass eye]

Absolutely ! I love to plan hunts, especially if it's to a far away destination. Some are intimidated by it but I embrace it. All of my NZ trips have been diy and I'm also pursuing all of the North American watefowl diy. My first trip to NZ was sparked by my daughter's comment about a photo in a magazine of a red stag. She said " Look at the size of this Tule Elk " I explained to her that it was a red deer and where they're from and that most people hunt them in NZ. She asked why I don't go to NZ and get one. I told her that outfitters charge too much, and she says " Don't they have public land where you could hunt them diy ".....and that got me researching.

 

[dgc1963]

hey Glass eye now you just gave me a good idea thanks

 

[bcar]

yep, something I don't think my wife will ever understand.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

100% agree. The anticipation and daydreaming about a hunt will totally consume me.

The closer it gets I get so consumed I have to refocus to actually get work done at the place that pays me.

 

[Pucky Freak]

yep, something I don't think my wife will ever understand.

Wife: "You're STILL looking at maps? How much time can you spend looking at maps?"

Me: "This is just Google Earth. I haven't actually looked at any maps yet."

 

[406LIFE]

I enjoy the planning, makes the hunt feel more tangible before it arrives. I plan a few hunt trips (other than homestate stuff) every year, so I have to stay on top of it or they sneak up on you. Being organized and refining the system the past few years helps.

 

[Estimator86]

Last week my boss tried to tell me that the place I was about to go shoot guns wasn't state land.. I couldn't tell him that I spend A LOT of time looking at OnX for obvious reasons...

 

[OzzyDave]

Yes totally agree. We have a fornightly “hunters management meetings” for our up coming Montana hunt. It mainly entails us sitting around talking about a bit of kit someone bought and doesn’t really need and then followed by a rum or 3.

 

[ZBB]

Glad I’m not the only one who’s wife thinks is a weirdo for looking at maps for so long.

 

[elkduds]

Yes to GE and maps most evenings all winter. When the snow melts, then comes the next level of fun: live scouting.

 

[Bullshot]

From January to June I can stare at my spreadsheet of draw applications (due dates, results dates, fees, etc) for literally hours without making a change. I think I go through a process of daydreaming each and every potential hunt. And forget Google Earth. Whole days can disappear. I always tell myself that this is the year I am going to start my formal notebook for each state/unit I am interested in. In there I would save every tidbit of information needed to decide where to go, what to bring, how to hunt it, etc, etc. Nope. I just stare at the computer, surfing this way and that, fiddle with my applications, etc. Oh boy, and when summer gets a bit later, the packing begins. At least two months there. And I still have not fully unpacked since last October. Maybe I won't bother this time, since it's 75% of what I'll need again in 4-6 months anyway. Truly this is how you magically convert 7 to 10 days into an all-year affair. Fills the void when you can't live-scout from 2000 miles away. As far as the wife... she is often not happy with me and this is the #1 reason why.

 

[8andcounting]

I am going for after bull this year in MT assuming I draw a tag , either with permit or general and have spent pretty much every evening all winter staring at onX maps making a plan ABCDEF and G !

 

[Walkathon]

I love the planning. Gives me something to do during the evening while I'm on the road for work.

 

[dgc1963]

IM going out with a group and its kinda funny how about 1/2 love the planning stage, reviewing gear, research, and 1/2 dont well its also kinda funny they are the ones that usually harvest a animal
and with this being our first diy back country elk hunt its even more important. IMO the hunt starts when you decide to go not when you get their

 

[LCH]

My problem is, I tend to plan myself right out of vacation time pretty fast. The deeper you dive in, the more opportunities you discover. I've probably got enough adventures "planned" to fill a decade's worth of PTO.

 

[geetar]

Planning definitely gives you something to do during the off season. Keeps down cabin fever during the dead of winter.

 

[JTHOMP]

I get on hunt talk to takes breaks from looking at OnX. My OOS trip this year will be in Arkansas and already know where I want to hit the ground running. Within the last hour of looking at maps I realized there is a very small, but very isolated piece of local public land. Hope to start planning on how to access it tomorrow after work to see if it might be worth hunting this fall.
I don't think it's so much the actual planning I enjoy, but dreaming of the possibilities while wishing I had more time to do them all. Work, life, weather, time change, boat, tags, can all be limiting factors at times.

 

[Riplip]

Couldn't agree more. I have already started organizing my gear for the fall. One table/area for fly fishing and one for hunting.