How many days do you spend hunting?

[Wetwoodshunter]

So, the hammer fell on me today. The wife told me that I had hunted enough in Washington this year. So far in deer season I have taken 3 days off from hunting as well as I spent another 7 days hunting archery in Montana. So at this point I have have logged 17 days chasing deer and elk. I got the ultimatum that was, you have to choose hunt Washington this week or don't go to Montana in two weeks again. Kind of a no-brainer as Montana calls and I would live there if I could.

I think this year I will get to log about 25 days for big game, turkeys and birds don't count. My blacktail hunting was mostly 3-4 hours after work each day. I spent this season trying to get something large and as of now have tag soup, although I found a 8'1" blackbear with a  20 3/4 in skull that my buddy was able to harvest the next day which is easily the largest bear I have ever seen.

Anyway, how many days do you spend hunting in the last 3 years?
2015 - 8
2016 - 14
2017 - probably 25

[Wetwoodshunter]

Here are some pics if you want to see an 8'1" black bear.

[Timberstalker]

Just curious how you measured 8'-1" on that bear?  From nose to back foot?  Or from nose to tail?

Nice bear.

[Wetwoodshunter]

Just curious how you measured 8'-1" on that bear?  From nose to back foot?  Or from nose to tail?

Nice bear.

Nose to tail, he was gutted on the scale at 560 lbs. I think he will be about #15 in Montana's book.

[vandeman17]

I would say I average about 20-25 actual days out hunting. I usually go on two hunts per year that last 5-10 days each then a handful of weekend hunts. I am not married so I can go as much as work allows 

[baldopepper]

Well, if you count hunting for your car keys and memory in general it's about 365 days per year.  Product of the aging process. 

[Naches Sportsman]

Don't spend enough time out. Let's see 4 days tagging along on elk hunts, and 11 deer hunting.


I think the lesson to be learned by this thread is marry a gal who loves hunting or stay single 

[wheels]

5 so far

[Buckewe]

Not including bird hunting about 20 plus for big game. If you count bird hunting I'm well over 50.

[kselkhunter]

Between Oregon and Washington, I hunt 20+ days per year for big game.  Then of course more days spent for upland and waterfowl birds with my dogs.   

My wife and I have an arrangement.  It started years ago when we lived in Oregon, and the guys would go elk hunting and the girls would get "girls week".   Since we've all aged and some have families, we now typically stagger the girls week from hunting.   But we've kept the tradition alive every year, and the ladies have gone all over together on fun trips.   This year girls week was in Hawaii.   Thus, my wife NEVER complains about how many days I'm out hunting.   It works for us.   

[stickbuck]

Usually hunt ducks 35-45 days a year and big game/turkey hunt about 20 days a season. My best advice is do not cave on an ultimatum. No compromises either. I hunted this much before I married her and I’m still going to do it. That’s who I am and that’s the person she fell in love with. I have had to tell her that. She always throws a party the last day of duck season once the craziness has ended. She throws project after project at me until August 1st and I gladly say, “yes ma’am!”. That’s my compromise.


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[PlateauNDN]

Not enough...........

[Dhoey07]

The only real time I will absolutely spend for hunting is elk, and that's usually 10 days.  All the other seasons, I'm happy with 2-4 days.  That includes turkey, deer, pheasants and grouse.

[Doublelunger]

By the end of the year I should have around 20-25 full days big game hunting.  I also had about another 10-15 after work till dark hunts this general archery season.  Coyote hunting, shed hunting, and scouting trips add about another 20 days to the total. My wife as of lately has become pretty unhappy with the amount of time that I've been gone. I've thought about compromising but we've only been married for 1.5 years and I've been advised by a lot of guys to hold strong and that these first couple years really set the precedence for the rest of the marriage. I guess I'll see how that goes for me

[Molon5labe]

Deer? Everyday until tag filled but I have taken Fridays off to rest and get ready for Saturday morning. My gf knows what deer season in particular means. I set that precedence right away.

[BKMFR]

100+

[NRA4LIFE]

25-30 I would guess.

[Bob33]

My wife doesn't hunt but is supportive of my passion. My marriage and hunting are both very important to me.

[runamuk]

Between work, a kinda major health problem, and no real hunting partner.

I managed to spend half a day with someone I really like hanging out with so it wasn't a bad season.

If I do the math 6 hours plus another 4 hours with a gal I took out. Then road hunting 45 minutes or so on the way to work and then again home 6 days.  Worst idea ever do not drive to work opening day when you are unable to call in sick.
Guess I passed on a buck. What's wrong with me.

[NOCK NOCK]

This year....
Archery deer 19 days
Muzzy deer 6 days
Modern deer 5 days
Archery elk 10 days
............................=40days
Critters killed 0

Scouting and trail cams = 32 days

Thinking about hunting= 292 days

That leaves 1 day to recover.
 

[ghosthunter]

Nine days turkey hunting.
Bear hunting spring 7 days
10 days elk
7 days deer
Plus ducks,yotes.

This year 25 nights in a wall tent.

[Jimmybelltown]

25-35 all in...not enough

[fishngamereaper]

General year 15-16..
Permit year add 5-7 days...
Out of state year add 7-10 days.

I fish way more than I hunt so the hunting doesn't bother the boss so much.

[savagehunter]

Usually 4 days high hunt 10 days blacktail 3 days elk. This year half an hour opening day high hunt 4 hrs last day of high hunt. O blacktail and have 3 days planned for elk. So far 4.5 hrs this year.

[RB]

Before marriage and kids,

week, or more, for modern Deer in Washington

3-5 days of modern Elk Washington

week in SE Alaska rifle Deer

Now,

4-5 days of modern Deer in Washington

No Elk unless I draw

[fishnfur]

Somewhere between 30 and 35 I'd guess.  I'm retired but take a lot of weekends off to hang with the kids who are still in elementary school.   I'd hunt every weekday if my back didn't hurt so bad.  I've gotta rest it every few days.

[slowhand]

3 so far, plan is for 4 more (the entire late hunt)
Only hunting modern Deer this year.
I'm just getting back on the saddle after taking 4 years off.

[WaltAlpine]

9 or 10 between high hunt and modern.
If I'm lucky I'll do a long weekend or so for turkey.
I didn't start hunting until after we got  married but I was a commercial fisherman and spent a lot of time away from home.

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[Katmai Guy]

Usually 21 or more, this year's been slow, only 4.

[Matth]

probably going to be a shade over 40 this year. that's about normal for me.

[deerhunter_98520]

I probably have 30+ days in just hunting deer, elk, and bear...got a 9 day Idaho trip planned in a couple weeks and this doesn't include scouting....I have 2 kids...she started complaining the first couple years of us together about hunting and I have her the ultimatum. 14 years later were still together  hunting comes second to family but it's a huge passion of mine. If I was single with no kids I'd probably spend every weekend and vacation in the woods

[pianoman9701]

Mrs. Pianoman likes it when I leave for the woods. I wish i had more time to hunt than I do. Probably 25 days/year.

[andr3wxmma]

Last year i only got 1 weekend during late season rifle to actually hunt deer and 4 days during modern elk.

This year I've had 6 days of deer hunting and plan on being in the woods Sat - Mon and maybe Tuesday night.

Before the army id hunt every day until I notched a tag.

[Cab]

I use to hunt around 100+ but since moving out here its more like 30-40.

[jackelope]

Usually I only spend 4-5 days hunting deer and maybe 3-4 hunting turkeys. I've hunted elk a few times but not this year. This year I'm on 8 days of hunting so far, some of which were spent inside the tent and 6-8 days of scouting/hiking. I've had multiple other days planned and then cancelled due to weather. No point in hiking into goat country if there's zero visibility.

I'm limited due to family and work, but do the best I can. I won't hunt deer or elk this year due to a lack of time and wanting to focus everything I can to the goat. I didn't hunt turkeys this past spring at all I don't think, and I didn't big game hunt a single day last year. Sometimes life gets in the way.

[Jimmy33]

I usually have 1-3 elk tags per year and 3 deer tags. This usually equates to between 45-60 days hunting per year. 30-40 for deer, and the remainder for elk. I hunt with a bow, muzzy, or a rifle and never buy a multi season tag here in Washington. This next year, I have decided that I'm not really that in to elk hunting any more and will, with the exception of continuing to put in for sheep hunts, just concentrate on three mule deer hunts per year with the occasional late whitetail rut hunt. This should decrease my hunting time to around 30 or so days. I really, on a yearly basis, don't spend too much time elk hunting. Mule deer are what I love to hunt.

[jjhunter]

I probably average 30 or so days/year chasing deer across the west.  That is a couple long out of state trips and then a few days chasing deer around home in Washington.