Finding time to Elk & Deer hunt

[Arrow]

  Just wondering what everyone else is doing when it comes to Elk and Deer hunting in this state? After years of modern hunting I really enjoy bow hunting and don’t want to go back but this state is making it difficult to do both deer & elk in the same season. Elk hunting is my passion so I always take a week off work but I also like to deer hunt with a bow. Years past the early season ran out until the end of Sept or at least the 25th which gave us another full weekend after elk just to hunt deer. I know deer opens Sept 1st which give us 7 days before Elk but it always seems harder to get out Labor Day weekend and I don’t live in an area where the deer population is high so work nights are out.     

[jackelope]

Finding time to spend "enough" time  hunting is one of my biggest challenges at this point in my life. I have been taking a 4-5 day weekend to elk hunt and a 4-5 day weekend for the deer hunt every year. I usually get a weekend or 2 or a day here and there to spend scouting. It's never "enough" in my eyes but it is what it is at this point. Hopefully the time I am spending at work will pay off in the long run eventually. Having a young child and wife who also works full time and then some makes it really difficult. I don't know how some of the guys on here can pull off taking a month off or hunt all over the west....all I can say is that it must be nice. Some time in the next year or so I will probably start deer hunting with the bow like I do for elk. The available seasons are very appealing to me...I do enjoy rifle hunting though so it will be a tough transition.

[Woodchuck]

If I may quote what a very wise individual on here once said. " those who want it bad enough will find a way, those who don't will find an excuse"
That is not an effort to piss you off but seems to ring true in a lot things. 

[jackelope]

If I may quote what a very wise individual on here once said. " those who want it bad enough will find a way, those who don't will find an excuse"
That is not an effort to piss you off but seems to ring true in a lot things. 

Then maybe my family and trying to get ahead in life a little is my priority right now and not hunting. IF you want to get ahead you've got to bear down for a while and do it at some point. Now seems to be that time for me. That doesn't piss me off if your concern was aimed at me. I would not disagree with your statement at all.
10 days a year in the woods doesn't seem that bad to me anyway.
 

[Woodchuck]

Was not particularly aimed at anyone. We each have our own set of priorities and values and that will dictate our choices on any issue IMO. But I believe that in most of lifes issues it really does boil down to just that. Maybe "excuse" is a poor choice of words in that context. Apology offered if I offended you.

[elkoholic]

I do them both at the same time...if I see a nice buck I am gonna shoot him. I shot this blacktail open morning of elk 2 years ago in the lewis river unit...

[Instinct]

I mainly focus on elk because our deer population is crap but i get out for a day for deer. But i also hunt gmus thhat is also open for deer when im elk hunting so if the oppoortunity presents it self ill change my roll of the hunt. I also prefer late season too for deer, no need to waste time and money on deer that isnt plentyful in certain areas.

[BurleyDog]

what about bow hunting the later season for deer and focusing on elk early?

[DoubleJ]

If I may quote what a very wise individual on here once said. " those who want it bad enough will find a way, those who don't will find an excuse"
That is not an effort to piss you off but seems to ring true in a lot things. 

Hey that was me!!  I guess I'm wise now 

[Arrow]

    I just wish WA State would stop make changes to the hunting dates. Once you have a system in place it seems like they go and make a rule change. The long archery season was always one of the more positive things about it but that is slowly going away with time. Sorry I guess I’m just venting!
    Believe me I would drop a legal deer in our Elk GMU but we rarely see any deer where we hunt. I also agree late season is better time to hunt deer but there again we don’t have as many GMU’s to work with as we do in the early season.   

[Tony]

I concentrate on Elk in the early season and for the late season i look for deer the first 4-5 days since they typically stop rutting after that were i hunt then i turn back to searching for elk.

[yakimarcher]

You're looking at the problem all wrong, hunting is the priority, you should be trying to find time do do all that other crap 

[Woodchuck]

If I may quote what a very wise individual on here once said. " those who want it bad enough will find a way, those who don't will find an excuse"
That is not an effort to piss you off but seems to ring true in a lot things. 

Hey that was me!!  I guess I'm wise now 

Oops, sorry, thought it was someone else. No you are not wise. 

[rtspring]

Hunting is my only real hobby,

So I work my butt off all year so that I can go hunting and not worry about any other issues..  This year I will spend 60 days consecutive up in the hills. After 20 years in the service it is about ME TIME......

[akirkland]

Hunting is my only real hobby,

So I work my butt off all year so that I can go hunting and not worry about any other issues..  This year I will spend 60 days consecutive up in the hills. After 20 years in the service it is about ME TIME......

                                                                                                                                                                   HELL YA!! AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

[dreamingbig]

If I may quote what a very wise individual on here once said. " those who want it bad enough will find a way, those who don't will find an excuse"
That is not an effort to piss you off but seems to ring true in a lot things. 

I only get 3 weeks vacation and if I took it all for hunting I would end up in divorce and my daughter would miss me.  I guess I don't want it bad enough.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

If I may quote what a very wise individual on here once said. " those who want it bad enough will find a way, those who don't will find an excuse"
That is not an effort to piss you off but seems to ring true in a lot things. 

I only get 3 weeks vacation and if I took it all for hunting I would end up in divorce and my daughter would miss me.  I guess I don't want it bad enough.

Got the wife and kids bows of their own, wife is getting a float tube also, getting to the point I need to do work around the house to get any "me" time now...

[DoubleJ]

If I may quote what a very wise individual on here once said. " those who want it bad enough will find a way, those who don't will find an excuse"
That is not an effort to piss you off but seems to ring true in a lot things. 

Hey that was me!!  I guess I'm wise now 

Oops, sorry, thought it was someone else. No you are not wise. 

Lol

[RadSav]

what about bow hunting the later season for deer and focusing on elk early?

 
Bust your hump and get that elk down in the early season.  Then go WT rut huntin' since your on the dry side.

[nontypical176]

I quit putting in for special permits, so that I don't have to designate which season I'm hunting.  A guy needs to work just to be able to afford hunting anymore and my job is seasonal/random.  This way if I'm layed off, I just go to the counter and by a tag for whatever is open.  My favorite is early bow season, rifle is fun because thats what my friends hunt, at home muzzleloaders have a long late season, so thats "usually" what I end up doing, but they are my least favorite weapon of the 3.  Only elk I ever shot that I didn't end up finding was with a muzzleloader and thats always in the back of my mind every time I pull the trigger. 

Gotta do what you can, make time, burn both ends of the candle and just keep on keeping on.....Hunting is good times.

[huntnnw]

It does boil down to priorties...people who want something make it happen..u cant compare to someone else who hunts more than u..u don't know their situation and every situation is different. I am divorced and have a girlfriend now... I lay it out to them THIS doesn't change I hunt and fish.. I never want to hear once about how I am gone too much hunting or fishing..u can join me or be happy but this is my PASSION! and its not replacebale, but u are.I will never again in my life worry about or deal with woman and their drama..keep it out of my life.

I also made decisions in life with my job and hours to accomodate my passion... I am lucky enough to work a 7 on 7 off schedule.. From sept 1 st to dec 15th I have 65 days off

[Bean Counter]

It was part of my decision to change careers a few years ago. It was a leap of faith at first. Fortunately for me, not only do I make more money, and have more flexibility with time off, I also earn more vacation 

I suppose an alternative route for a young professional like I was would be to throw yourself at your career for a few years and let your income take off. Then later a higher salary that you've rightfully earned would allow you to afford a guided hunt or two a year.

[jstone]

My problem is getting back over to the east side to scout. I put in for my hunting time. When i lived in wenatchee easy get off work drive up the hill. Now that i live in the wet side. I dont have the time to just run over there like i want. And blieve me it is killing me. Used to spend countless hours in the mountains. Now just working.

[seth30]

Hunting is my only real hobby,

So I work my butt off all year so that I can go hunting and not worry about any other issues..  This year I will spend 60 days consecutive up in the hills. After 20 years in the service it is about ME TIME......

Brother I have 14 in now, and looking foward to the magic 20 year mark so I can get some ME time in

[rtspring]

seth30,

Man I feel for you, the Navy is getting harder and harder every day with this PTS BS. Just read the Navy Times yesterday and it looks like the cuts are going ot get a heck of alot worse.. 

I can feel the end is near for me, 71 days left..

sorry for the thread jack

[Sumpnneedskillin]

Hunting is my only real hobby,

So I work my butt off all year so that I can go hunting and not worry about any other issues..  This year I will spend 60 days consecutive up in the hills. After 20 years in the service it is about ME TIME......

Brother I have 14 in now, and looking foward to the magic 20 year mark so I can get some ME time in

That's what I thought!  Between the job, sports and the honey-do I have less time now.  I know you'll think I'm off my rocker but I miss those long quite duty days and the long quite underway days.  I definately don't miss the BS duty days or the drill til you drop underway days.  No real worries except deciding which crappy entree to have for dinner.  Braised BBQ beef cubes or chicken tetrazini?

I went from having 60 days of leave on the books and getting 30 days a year to having 0 on the books and getting 10 days a year.  Puts a little crimp on the hunting time.

I did get to spend part of my terminal leave hunting but also had to deal with the appointments, packouts and job search during that time too.

[pianoman9701]

  Just wondering what everyone else is doing when it comes to Elk and Deer hunting in this state? After years of modern hunting I really enjoy bow hunting and don’t want to go back but this state is making it difficult to do both deer & elk in the same season. Elk hunting is my passion so I always take a week off work but I also like to deer hunt with a bow. Years past the early season ran out until the end of Sept or at least the 25th which gave us another full weekend after elk just to hunt deer. I know deer opens Sept 1st which give us 7 days before Elk but it always seems harder to get out Labor Day weekend and I don’t live in an area where the deer population is high so work nights are out.   

OK, here's what you do. Get the regs book out and open it to the section on Archery deer. Find the unit(s) that you want to hunt and the corresponding dates that hunting is open. Repeat for elk. Then close the regs and look down. Grab just below your Johnson. You'll find two dangling objects there. Those are your nuts. Now that you've established that you're a male human being, use them to help you decide that you need to find a way to hunt as many days of both seasons as possible. If you don't find anything there, you're a female human hunter and probably already very committed to the hunt to begin with! See you in the woods.

[piledup]

I'd just do both at the same time.
If one day I'm feeling good about elk, I go for elk. If I'm feeling for deer, then I go for deer.

[huntnnw]

what gets me are these guys that hunted alot before they met so and so and now they cant hunt cause the wife says no..hell no..u my friend married the wrong person

[seth30]

seth30,

Man I feel for you, the Navy is getting harder and harder every day with this PTS BS. Just read the Navy Times yesterday and it looks like the cuts are going ot get a heck of alot worse.. 

I can feel the end is near for me, 71 days left..

sorry for the thread jack

  We have been losing a lot of good guys that dont deserve it, now the newest trend is ERB where they are going to ax 3000 personal.

[seth30]

Hunting is my only real hobby,

So I work my butt off all year so that I can go hunting and not worry about any other issues..  This year I will spend 60 days consecutive up in the hills. After 20 years in the service it is about ME TIME......

Brother I have 14 in now, and looking foward to the magic 20 year mark so I can get some ME time in

That's what I thought!  Between the job, sports and the honey-do I have less time now.  I know you'll think I'm off my rocker but I miss those long quite duty days and the long quite underway days.  I definately don't miss the BS duty days or the drill til you drop underway days.  No real worries except deciding which crappy entree to have for dinner.  Braised BBQ beef cubes or chicken tetrazini?

I went from having 60 days of leave on the books and getting 30 days a year to having 0 on the books and getting 10 days a year.  Puts a little crimp on the hunting time.

I did get to spend part of my terminal leave hunting but also had to deal with the appointments, packouts and job search during that time too.

  I know Im going to miss those leave days and port visits, but I sure am not going to miss JP5, Simple Green, PD680, stripping and waxing, and beef cubes

[pianoman9701]

what gets me are these guys that hunted alot before they met so and so and now they cant hunt cause the wife says no..hell no..u my friend married the wrong person

No kidding there. When my wife and I first met, the very first discussion we had was that I take 10 days every year to go bow hunting, I hunt geese from November through March, I hunt deer and elk on the weekends during the late season, I turkey hunt, I train for hunting, I shoot all the time, etc. There is no discussion on this topic and she's on board.

[Todd_ID]

I guess I'm one who is headed down a dangerous path with regards to life choices.  All I do is hunting-related.  All the money is spent on hunting and kids.  My computer time is all hunting, both on and off the internet.  I have weeds 7' tall next to my lawn that needs mowed, but I just spent the day scouting and built a longbow the last few days that I've got about $600 into now in order to save money from not buying a new compound because I lost the last one bear hunting.  I have half the year off, and I'm hunting those days or at least doing something hunting related.  I have paths through my nice big shop that weave around the hunting stuff, but I know where everything is; yeah, I should clean it, but that would take time away from hunting.  I've got licenses and tags for 3 states, but no family vacations scheduled for the year. 

Bottom line is that I hunt too much, and that's a 

[buckfvr]

Its all part of life......especially if you have a family.  I know I hunted and fished way more than I should have, but maintained  ( barely ), a healthy family enviroment.  I ran at both ends of the spectrum from time to time,  but what really paid off for me was being able to retire at 52.  Me time is overly abundant, actually get run out of the house if I spend much time inside.  I would recommend retirement to everyone as soon as possible.  Make the lifestyle change and drag up and move to where you can do what you want right from home.  WHitetail hunting is my passion, and Im smack dab in the middle of it.  Doesnt hurt to have everything else available too, except blacktail. 

[pianoman9701]

It does boil down to priorties...people who want something make it happen..u cant compare to someone else who hunts more than u..u don't know their situation and every situation is different. I am divorced and have a girlfriend now... I lay it out to them THIS doesn't change I hunt and fish.. I never want to hear once about how I am gone too much hunting or fishing..u can join me or be happy but this is my PASSION! and its not replacebale, but u are.I will never again in my life worry about or deal with woman and their drama..keep it out of my life.

I also made decisions in life with my job and hours to accomodate my passion... I am lucky enough to work a 7 on 7 off schedule.. From sept 1 st to dec 15th I have 65 days off

Both my hunting and my wife are irreplaceable, but only because she's clear about my hunting commitment. I wouldn't have married her otherwise and she goes along happy with what I love.