This has been discussed before but since

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

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the price keeps going up I'm interested once again in what you think. Will the high cost of gas cut down your hunting trips this upcoming season? Wil it curtail long rad trips or maybe even result in less local travel during the season.

From my perspective I saw fewer non-residents last season than in the previous ones and figure the high cost of fuel combined with spotty success reports kept many from making the trip. If the price of gas doesn't come down (which I doubt it will) I will hunt closer to home. In a good season I actually prefer this scenario but sometimes it's either travel or look at empty skies. I'd also rather cut local travel down to a minimum and make one good road trip to the Black and St. Francis Rivers.

I just can't help but think when the price goes over $4 a gallon and as the economy slows the duck hunting mileage will markedly decrease. But then again maybe I underestimate the desire duckhunters have and the dollars they will inevitably throw at ducks.
 
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I am sure that long trips will be out of the question. With gas up and shells up and lodging having to go up so owners can keep pace with their own expenses...there will be a lot of hunting at home. I will do the MLB hunt in the UP and probably the Walpole hunt with my supplier buddy but I wanted to go hunt at Longpoint with my Canuck buddies too..that is on hold at the moment.
 
Eric,

Not directly related to hunting trips but I've chosen to go forward with my Alaska trip ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, knowing full well that it is going to cost more than I budgeted for. Just going to close my eyes when I fill the tank each time.

As to the hunting trips, I have already curtailed many in state trips partially due to the cost involved. For those trips that I will take, I'll try to offset the cost by cutting back on equipment purchases and making do with the same stuff that still works just fine but isn't what all the newest ads tell me I have to have. :>)
 
Dave, You won't regret this one!! I feel the same way about my trip to Argentina, go now- it won't get any cheaper. There may be a day when I can't afford to hunt or shoot but that day is not today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Good Luck.
 
Funny you mentioned your trip to Alaska Dave. My neighbor across the street is somewhere in Alaska right now. He bought this mac daddy of a motor home to take out there. Thing is ..... it's parked out in his side yard. He couldn't make the trip as planned cause he never planned ahead for this fuel cost. It's a damn shame! Back on Eric's original subject about hunting closer to home. My plan is to hunt local this year. One because of previous posted reasons and two because I think I should start close and branch out as my skills hone.
 
My family is heading to Colorado in a couple of weeks for a family wedding. We were going to drive but when doing the math, our savings over flying were not that great. Figuring the cost of gas, and a couple of nights of hotels (my wifey can't go more than 10 hours at a time in a car and with a couple of kids, I may agree with her). Our airfare for 4 was slightly more than $800 which is only a couple hundred bucks more than driving there and back. I now have to rent a car for a week but what the heck, we'll splurge.

As far as duck hunting, I don't think it will influence my hunting. Most occurs within 100 miles of home and a large percentage of that within 10 miles of home. My little 15 hp motor doesn't burn gas to hard once I get to the landing and the boatrides are generally not that long.

I also go to Canada once/year and while it won't effect me, it will effect my huting buddy. Becasue of the price of gas, he may be unable to go.

For what it is worth.

Mark W
 
I hope that it planes out soon; but I live on the upper TEXAS coast on the LA. border. All of my hunting is within 5 miles of home so hopefully I won't be affected much, but I foresee my endless wandering of the marsh will slow down though. But wood is cheaper now and I hope to start a boat build soon.
 
I am still going to Canada to get a jump on the season in September. I figure if I am building a boat to take there I can spend a 100$ more on gas to get there.

Still plan to hunt one time out of state this season but will probably pass on the invite to ND. Of course I may of done that either way so its not really gas related as much as time related.

I dont think I will hunt less or travel less this year it will just hurt more to travel and I might be more frugle with the extra spending money when I do travel. I also might take the guys up on gas money offers this year when I take them out in my boat. Normally I didnt worry about the gas money.
 
I've been wanting to scout and hunt the other side of my state and will probably have to sacrifice a couple more scouting trips, but I figure I live for hunting and I will probably just try and sell more decoys then I would like to to be able to go over and explore...

But gas is terrible in my 94 ranger qith 220,000 miles on it! But theres no way in hell that its going to stop me from getting out and going hunting, i just love it too much

Zach
 

. I will be doing more local trips and those out of town trips that had been driveable back and forth each night will now be over nighters spent in the cab of the truck or other arrangement.
I do have plans for an antelope hunt around Gillette WY. That is going to be a family reunion type hunt. We have folks coming from all over the country for that. This rising fuel cost will hurt.
 
I will be driving more. Last season sucked locally. They have put water in an old dry lake bed for dust mitigation and the birds are loving it. The Owens dry lake is a little more then an hours drive away. Need to explore it more and figure out how to hunt it. The only birds I shoot at last season was in the area of the lake. Still planning my opening week hunt to Tule / Lower Klamath.

Tight Lines ... Fred
 
Eric:
Since having my trouble on the Mississippi last fall my family insist I don't hunt alone anymore so I will hunt a small lake just 8 miles from here. I've got my Core Craft canoe out and will camo it. I repaired a double paddle and will use the canoe instead of my duck boat. I'll have to forget weekend hunting for the lake is jammed but could have some shooting during the week. It's a small lake and might be just right for my 28 gauge s/s. Planned on hunting either N.D. or S.D. with my motor home but it sits idle for now. The only way that I'll hunt the Mississippi is with seveal other hunters sharing the gas. After hunting for over 60 years I can't believe this has happened. As Americans we really have become soft.
wis boz
 
I will probably use the mud boat more often when I can, rather than the airboat. Passengers will just have to get up a little earlier, and get home a little later.

Hitch
 
I'm planning on hunting in Morton's boat - having him pay for the gas.

Seriously, I work in a seaside town here in CT and people here are telling me that there is practically no boat traffic. Folks are sitting in there boats and having drinks and dinner and staying at the dock.

Gas usage is down, prices continue to rise... I heard somewhere that the "Iran premium" is about 15%-20% now... it's probably a good time to sell a sailboat.
 
I plan on traveling smarter this year. Take an extra day off and make trips a little longer. In the past I've made lots of one day trips out of state to check the amount of birds in different areas. Leslie had a good idea last year with everyone posting what/where they're seeing migrators. Could save us all some fuel and make for better hunts. I hunt almost exclusively on public land so I don't much care about giving away secrets/hotspots.

With what I've got invested in boats/guns/ammo/decoys/somewhat useless junk I can't see letting fuel cost hold me back as long as I'm able to pay. In the past I've resisted taking gas money when I invite someone along. I was going anyway and I want them to come along and enjoy the sport I love so much. I normally get plenty of sweat equity out of them anyway! I'll probably be more receptive to accepting gas money help with the way things are going. Another reason to hunt with a good friend or a chance to make a new friend.

Gene
 
I am really evaluating the trip to ND this fall. When gas went over $2/gal. I cut my driving in half. Now I need to buy a vehicle that gets twice the mileage. I plan to hunt as many days, maybe just closer to home.
 
wis boz

We hunt right in your backyard thru the season. If you have a canoe maybe we can tie up for some hunting. We use canoes on a few places we access.
Check your pm's.

Mike
 
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A ,

Thanks for stepping up , i will stop by to measure your arm length , i will be nice to you and have a pair of nice maple oars made just for you !!! hahahaha I was wondering how i was getting out to our spots this year now i know .




Dave
 
I'll hunt locally, but that is what I do anyway. Hopefully the 4 stroke outboard will help the cost factor, it sips gas. The truck, on the other hand doesn't...

Charlie
 
Eric, I can tel you the recreational fishing industry is seeing the worst economic conditions in years
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This will clear out a bunch of outfits. I feed right at the trough(Chicago)and it's been ssslllloooowwwwwwwww.......... Guys that normally fish with me 3 to 6 times in a given seasonal event are cutting back to maybe 50% or less. The last time things got sketchy for everyone else after 9/11 we were feeding high on the hog down here as guys were reluctant to commit to a multi-day trip over 3 hours away. A lot of young guides bailed out. Things slowly ramped up again. I expected that to happen this time around and it didn't frankly. I hear comments like,"I better run it past the boss" from guys that never used to care one bit about what anybody thought.

After a few slow days on the river you can always count on some attrition from unhappy clients but this is out of parameter for sure. The prices have gone up everywhere and my pricing is in line with what most of the big outfits up north were charging a year or two ago. I try to "pick um off at the pass" but the fact is my expenses have gone up just as much as anybody elses so I'm putting less back into gear etc. You'll see lots of older gear and boats for the next few year I have a feeling-which is fine. Most guys are really spoiled with getting new stuff all the time. I never have been because I think it's silly. The proof is in the pudding when it comes to guiding...if you know what the hell you're doing it should mitigate the lack of shiny new equipment and the need for bells and whistles. Lots of guys are going to have a "come to Jesus session" with the accountant(and the wife).
 
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