Will high gas prices decrease your long-range hunting applications? It's going to decrease my applications.

No, not at all.

Fuel (even at $4.00+ per gallon) is a comparatively small part of the overall cost of an out-of-state hunt.

Looking back on my records I see that I spent about $250 for fuel on my Jan. 2005 New Mexico cow elk hunt. (2500 miles, 24 mpg, $2.10 per gallon.) I'll be going on the same hunt this December with the same vehicle. I'm figuring $500 for fuel. If that extra $250 is enough to make a difference I probably shouldn't be going on the hunt in the first place.

Not only no, but HELL NO! But then I live out west anyway. I won't be doing an elk hunt cuz I didn't draw a tag. Still waiting on the results for the deer hunt, but the way the draws have been going lately, I'm not holding my breath
Paul B.

no! when it gets to 7.00 per gal i'll reconsider. until then, i'm hunting.

No way! Let's go huntin!

It will definately impact me! But I will still go, maybe just not as easily. Of course I do over the counter hunts because I can't afford the guided hunts anyway. Like always I'm just happy to get out there and hunt. Its a long drive from Texas (east Texas) to Colorado but well worth it. Good Luck this year Fellas...

Round trip is over 2600 miles for me. I like to take my camper so I can stay right on the property. Last year at $3.00 a gal it cost me just slightly over $1000 so with $4 gas I am looking at $1400 this year. Been giving it a lot of serious thought. If it stays at $4 just might go.

Rad

At what price will the cost of fuel deter your long-range hunting?

I don't see fuel as anything but a necessary part of the hunt... I have to gloat a bit: I put in for pronghorn, late deer and late elk hunts in Idaho: the pronghorn hunt starts August 31, the deer and elk hunts are in November... I drew all three of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guess I am going to burn some fuel, right?

If demand for tags is any indication as to hunt or not, high gas prices or not, then the price has no affect. I have never, NEVER, seen Wyoming leftover tags in such short supply.

Yeah, I will be going hunting.

There must be some price that will limit long-range trips for hunting, but clearly we are not near it yet.

In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if "bad times" increase the demand for feel-good activities like hunting and fishing.

Any thoughts?

I am going to hunt as long as my health and very limited resources allow me to. Only break that I get is a hunting trip or two. Can't afford it, but I gotta' go.

You guys are still in paradise, comparatively, because we already pay 8.50 $ per gallon in most European countries.

Our approach has been to travel light, that means a smaller car with a fuel-efficient Diesel engine. Currently their share of market is over 50%.

Yup! No Colorado trip this year. Don't mind paying for the product. Just hate paying for the news meadias constant injection of fear and what it cost. I just wonder if the oil companies are sponsoring this thread?

quote:

Originally posted by kudu56:
If demand for tags is any indication as to hunt or not, high gas prices or not, then the price has no affect. I have never, NEVER, seen Wyoming leftover tags in such short supply.

We drew doe/fawn antelope tags, and we're going. Screw gas prices, this is still cheap therapy.

Now, if your country decides to follow the American mayors association's reccomendations and boycott our "dirty " oil", You are really going to pay. We've got enough here, in northern Alberta, to keep the planet humming, for the next 300 years, as well as the most secure source of oil, the Americans have, unless of course, somehow we manage to elect that Fuck Stephan the Peon. Surprising how far some of you are willing to drive, for a Hunt.
Grizz

I'm finding more cancellations than ever before and I can assume fuel prices have badly eaten into a lot of folks hunting money.

I may book a Caribou hunt next week that was cancelled and this isn't normal to find so many cancelled hunts so early in the season.

quote:

Originally posted by Grizzly Adams:
Surprising how far some of you are willing to drive, for a Hunt.

Gets me out of the house...

quote:

Originally posted by Paul B:
Not only no, but HELL NO! But then I live out west anyway. I won't be doing an elk hunt cuz I didn't draw a tag. Still waiting on the results for the deer hunt, but the way the draws have been going lately, I'm not holding my breath
Paul B.

Thanks to another AZ hunter I don't have to post this . On the other hand I'm sorry you didn't get drawn for elk. My partner and I did but for cow tags which are easier to get.

Ken....

Well, it's not the only factor to consider, but it is definitely one of them. I didn't get drawn for anything, so I'm thinking about an archery elk hunt in CO (over the counter tag) on public land. Archery hunting for elk, especially with family, is one of the great joys of my life. On the other hand, it would be in an area we haven't hunted before, money is tight, and leaving my school teacher wife home with the kids for ten days in September pushes that usually patient and understanding woman pretty close to the limit.
Another few hundred bucks in fuel costs
might be the last straw.

I drew an Elk tag close to home so no issues there. But I did change my deer permits. I usually put in for the strip area and then my last choice is a %100 draw success down south. I am not driving to the southern part of the state for a non-trophy hunt. Last year it cost me about $200 for fuel only. So I would rather go without. I still put in in the for strip this year, but everything else was closer to home. Come on strip tag or late whitetail!!!

As an outfitter,I'm hearing of lots of cancelled hunts the last month or so, due to fuel costs and recession, or expected recession on the horizon. Luckily, I've had none, but the fact is that some outfitters are starting to hurt due to these cancellations and their own higher costs.
~Arctic~

NEVER!!!!! Hunting will always take priority before spending on "Chinese shit" all the retailers think, or say we need.

When a person is in their 20's and 30's they consider things like can I afford this truck or this hunt etc. As we get a little older most of us find overselves in a little better situation finacially and we look at things differently. At 55 my biggest concern is how many more years will I enjoy good health? which translates directly into how many more good hunting seasons might I still enjoy? The way I see it I can't afford NOT to go hunting . Yes fuel at $4+ per galllon is a concern. But it is a small concern when I consider I may only have another 10-15 years of good health . I will do without a lot of things before I let the price of fuel stop my hunting trip.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their positive attitude.Hunting is who we are and what we do, so why would a few hundred dollars change who we really are? I'm glad to see everyone pushing forward. You all know that the anti's are hoping that we all throw in the towel! Anyway, on a positive note, all of my products are made in the USA! Hope that makes somebody feel better. Happy 4th!

I would have to say yes and no. I'm still planning on going but I'll have less to spend when I get there. 1200 miles (one way) is going to cost quite a bit more at $4 a gallon than it did last year

quote:

Originally posted by snowman: At 55 my biggest concern is how many more years will I enjoy good health? which translates directly into how many more good hunting seasons might I still enjoy? The way I see it I can't afford NOT to go hunting .

Me too...