The price of gas is having no effect on my hunting plans. I rationalize it to myself by saying it'll be even more expensive next year, ergo I'd better do more hunting this year. :-)

Hunter308

Oil is a boom and bust business. The last time it spiked to record highs, it also collapsed as well. There is a lot of specluation going on. The market will correct, history tells us this. Ajusted to inflation, gas is still pretty cheap. The last diesel I bought was $2.95.9 a gallon, while I liked it better when I could buy diesel for 95.9 a gallon back in 1995, then again I was in the Oil business back then and didn't like the 8 dollar a barrel crude, lot of little independents went bust back then. One of the problems the States is facing is the lack of refining capacity. Not builting refineries since the last one built in the early 80's has but the nation in some what of a bine. Making a whole bunch of seasonal gasoline blends for different parts of the country adds to what we pay. Not willing to drill and bring more crude to market is also a factor. You could make gasoline jet fuel and diesel from coal, the Germans did this in WW-II. It becomes economic and profitable when a barrel of crude gets to around 124 dollars a barrel. And there are huge coal deposits not only here in the States, but also Canada, Russia, China Germany and a few places I having thought of. There is also huge deposts of frozen Gas in the Atlantic, At some point it will also become ecomomic to bring to market. I don't like the price spikes anymore than anybody else, I don't get to worked up about it, since history tells me that all Markets will at some point make a correction. Keep your cars and trucks in good shape, maybe backing off the speed a little will help some. My car dose better at 60 than at 75. In my case its about 4 miles to the gallon difference, It amounts to around 15 gallons on a 3000 mile trip. You can save some fuel and some money, but the down side of it, you end up with an extra day on the road or two, that has its own costs, other than fuel. The most expensve part of my hunting trip this year is not fuel or food or lodging or what have you, Its the time I take off work! I dont get paid vacation time, I work for myself. Taking time is my biggest expense, then there is my lic and tags. Yea fuel is going to add another 700 to this years bill, not to bad, but its still 700 dollars. I remeber going to Newfoundland with my uncle back in 1972, the major bitch he had was gas is expensive, didn't stop us from driving 2 trucks one with a camper the other with a trailer in tow, as I recall it was a lot of money back then, do day it don't seem like it was a lot.