Taking a year off

[ashersdad]

I had a pretty bleak year after only drawing one tag. Couldn't even get my spike elk tag here in Oregon. After missing all of November vacationing in Fiji and Jamaica with the family, I was ready to hunt something. I worked for a week and then on Dec. 5th I started packing the truck. Wife asked what I was doing. "I'm going to drive 24 hours straight to Kansas and hunt for 3 days and drive 24 hours home, I responded." She gave me that WTF look. It was totally worth it...

 

[Irrelevant]

I've scaled back, but never truly taken a year off since 12. Even when I didn't have tags I'd go along with others. I said in my WY thread that I was done. Ha. I already bought ID deer tags for my daughter and I.

I’ve taken breaks from various hobbies and types of hunting over the years, it’s been interesting to see what I miss and what I don’t.

Mtn biking… if I never go again

Skiing, definitely a really important hobby for me.

Mule deer hunting… meh could hang that up entirely.

Elk hunting definitely hope to do it regularly.

Waterfowl… fun but didn’t miss it.

Upland, would love to do that every year.

Taking a year off hopefully will give you some perspective on why you do those trips, which aspects of them are most important to you and help you focus on those in the future.

To your points.
I could pass on elk, and I have, but mainly because so much elk hunting can be shitty (like all of WA)
Deer can be fun, and I would miss it if I didn't go in a year.
Antelope is always fun, but too easy and I don't even miss it that much.
Mt biking is fun but the older you get the slower you should go, lest you end your career misjudging a landing.
Skiing is quickly losing my interest, it's all the same, and I'm not getting any better at it.
Waterfowl is fun, but cold, too gear intensive, and too much competition.
Upland, that I actually need to do, and that need continues to grow. There's nothing like the dog teamwork. But if I did much more I'd need a second dog, and I enjoy the simplicity of just one dog.

The only two must do's, are backcountry off-trail travel during the warmer months. Something hard, and high, and lonely. And the beach. There is nothing quite as unique as the energy in a winter storm on the beach.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Next year marks 10 years and we’ll be off to the Caribbean.

 

[Shangobango]

Sounds like you have a solid plan to me.

I skipped last year out west and didn’t really reflect on it much as a negative thing. I didn’t draw in New Mexico or Wyoming. New Mexico was no suprise.

I am still pretty new to traveling out west though as this year was my 2nd year to hunt and 3rd to apply. Been buying points for awhile.

My plan for now for 2023 is to swing for the fences again in New Mexico and Wyoming and if I don’t draw just look it at it as an opportunity to hunt more close to home. I probably have enough points to draw a 3rd season deer tag I have been eyeing in Colorado, and with all the talk of changes coming I may go ahead and burn those Colorado deer points or try too though. I also have plenty of points to hunt Coues in the unit I have been eyeing in Arizona.

Dammit. That all fell apart pretty fast…

 

[Addicting]

My plan for now for 2023 is to swing for the fences again in New Mexico

Might as well burn your money and upload it on YouTube. Monetize it then take the profit and buy a land owner voucher. Lol

 

[Shangobango]

Might as well burn your money and upload it on YouTube. Monetize it then take the profit and buy a land owner voucher. Lol

That might work

 

[OntarioHunter]

I've scaled back, but never truly taken a year off since 12. Even when I didn't have tags I'd go along with others. I said in my WY thread that I was done. Ha. I already bought ID deer tags for my daughter and I.

To your points.
I could pass on elk, and I have, but mainly because so much elk hunting can be shitty (like all of WA)
Deer can be fun, and I would miss it if I didn't go in a year.
Antelope is always fun, but too easy and I don't even miss it that much.
Mt biking is fun but the older you get the slower you should go, lest you end your career misjudging a landing.
Skiing is quickly losing my interest, it's all the same, and I'm not getting any better at it.
Waterfowl is fun, but cold, too gear intensive, and too much competition.
Upland, that I actually need to do, and that need continues to grow. There's nothing like the dog teamwork. But if I did much more I'd need a second dog, and I enjoy the simplicity of just one dog.

The only two must do's, are backcountry off-trail travel during the warmer months. Something hard, and high, and lonely. And the beach. There is nothing quite as unique as the energy in a winter storm on the beach.

Two dogs is great. Heck, for many years I had three. There's nothing complicated about owning two hunting dogs. They keep each other entertained when no one else is around. Hunt them individually if necessary.

 

[Irrelevant]

Two dogs is great. Heck, for many years I had three. There's nothing complicated about owning two hunting dogs. They keep each other entertained when no one else is around. Hunt them individually if necessary.

I'm coming back off having both 2 and 3. I much prefer 1.