13 Weeks Paid Vacation - help plan some hunts

[deerslyr]

Seems pretty easy to me. Alaska. Caribou/Moose/Black Bear/Blacktails and awesome fishing.

[Austrian Hunter]

Seems pretty easy to me. Alaska. Caribou/Moose/Black Bear/Blacktails and awesome fishing.

 

Is it a requirement in AK to have a guide or local resident with you when hunting Bear and Moose???

[deerslyr]

Seems pretty easy to me. Alaska. Caribou/Moose/Black Bear/Blacktails and awesome fishing.

 

Is it a requirement in AK to have a guide or local resident with you when hunting Bear and Moose???

Only for griz and sheep everything else can be done DIY for fairly low costs. Like mentioned before the biggest cost is shipping the meat back, but if your driving yourself up there you dont need to worry about that. Id start by going all the way up the haul road and hunt bou, work my way back down and hunt moose, then take a few days to get down to the kenai and fish and then finish up in the SE for BTs and bears and some more fishing.

[alecvg]

  You also need a guide for goat

[h2ofowlr]

Sounds like your a tenured teacher.  They are about the only ones I know with that much vacation.

[YellowDog]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.  For the record I am 39 years old.  I'll turn 41 during the vacation time.  I'm not in a position where I can drop $15-20K on one hunt or a guided trip. 

I'm not a teacher.  LOL.  I work in a large office setting and it is certainly rare to find an employer that provides this type of benefit to staff.  When I started working there it sounded awesome but I wasn't sure I would make it 7 years much less 12 since I am more of a small town person and wanted to eventually get back to E. Washington.  The economy, depressed home values, and lack of jobs will keep me in Seattle area for a few more years.  I don't think I'll make it to my 20 year anniversary at which time I would get another 13 week vacation.  As it is, I get 4 weeks a year now, will get 5 weeks at 15 years, and I can roll over up to a years worth so I can have up to 8 weeks on the books (right now I have 6 weeks). 

Alaska is always on the back burner.  My older brother lives up there and while he does some hunting and fishing he pretty much hunts from the seat of a 4 wheeler.  Not my thing.  I'd love to hunt moose in Alaska and I think my ideal type of hunt would be a float hunt.  I think if I were to go to Alaska it would be a 3-4 week deal for a moose/black bear float trip and try to get in some fishing.  It would probably make sense to drive up.

I have thought about looking seriously into going to Kansas for a big whitetail hunt Colorado 3rd season mule deer.  Mix in some a Wyoming antelope and/or deer hunting, some fly fishing, maybe a bird hunt or two, etc.

I would never count on a OIL tag but I would probably apply for Idaho moose since everyone has even odds and I can work around pretty much any OIL tag that I might draw. 

I would like to someday go to Africa to hunt but that is a hunt that if I ever do it, I want my younger brother to be able to  go with and he is not in a financial position nor does he get enough vacation right now to make it work.

Keep the ideas flowing if you have them.

[Ridgerunner]

Lots of great ideas, if it was me, I'd probably go for for some mule deer in MT and CO, an antelope/deer combo in Wyoming, maybe hit kansas for whitetails, hit the dakotas for some birdhunting.

I like the idea of getting a grand slam of deer in one year too.  That would be cool.  I'd be focusing outside of WA if it was me. 

[YellowDog]

Well, I put in my request for dates of my sabattical today.  If approved (should be) I will be on vacation beginning Saturday, August 17, 2013 through Sunday November 17, 2013. 

I will probably have at least 2 weeks of additional vacation time banked (right now I have 28 days) at that time to use during the rest of the year.  I just cant tack any vacation time on to the 13 week block I will already be off.

Still taking suggestions on outdoor adventures/hunting now that I have a better idea of the dates.  I bought my travel trailer in the past couple of weeks so I have my living quarters in place.

[RadSav]

Nice!  Retirement type vacation without having to retire!  Hopefully gas isn't $10.00 a gallon by then.

That does take most Cous deer hunting out of the mix, but it does add early archery antelope in WY, MT or both if drawn.

Be sure to let us know what and when once you decide.

[YellowDog]

I thought seriously about pushing the time back at least a couple more weeks but figured the dates I chose would allow for most deer/elk/antelope hunting options in Montana, Wyoming, and deer in Colorado (only thing I am putting in for points there).  Depending on draw results I might have to end up buying a landowner tag in Colorado but hope I don't have to. 

I liked getting a little time in August for some nicer weather with still a lot of options for hunting seasons before the 3 months is up.  It should be fun and relaxing either way (as long as gas is not $10 a gallon).