Money for kids hunt?

Wiszard · Jan 5, 2010

My kids are 12, 11 and 8. The two youngest of the three will be hunting with me for sure when they are 12 years old. I want to take them out of state with me but am not sure if I can come up with that much money. What have the rest of you that have kids that hunt do to save that extra $600-$1,000 it takes each year to take your kids hunting with you?

Steve

AWHOLELOTTABULL · Jan 5, 2010

Wyoming is really kid friendly Steve. The kids deer and antelope tags are around $100-$115. I have actually bought tags for them and not myself and taken them. I took my 2 daughters antelope hunting in Wyoming 2 years ago and it cost me less than $450 for the whole trip. In answer to your question, it has to be a priority with you and your wife. Our family just knows that's part of our budget every year. We may have to adjust from year to year and pick which hunt we really want to go on but I don't mind sitting on the sidelines either and letting them do the hunting. It's all the same to me whether I kill something or not. As long as I'm hunting with them it's all good. You can hunt turkeys really cheap too.

It's always an adventure!!!
www.awholelottabull.com

NMPaul · Jan 5, 2010

If it is a difference of me having a tag to hunt out of state or my kids. I would rather my kids had the tag.

Much funner with them being the shooter. We rarely put in on a party tag. We apply separately.

WY and AZ have good deals for kids. NM has good youth hunts.

AWHOLELOTTABULL · Jan 5, 2010

+1 NMPaul! I just checked the Wyoming and Colorado regs. Wyoming is $124 for deer and antelope and Colorado is $100.25 for deer, antelope and elk. These are youth license only but still a great deal. If it's the kid you're trying to get out hunting it's a great place to start. Idaho still has their "mentor program" but I think you have better chances of killing something in some of these other states.

It's always an adventure!!!
www.awholelottabull.com

PleaseDear · Jan 5, 2010

Idaho also has some decent prices for youth hunter with full fee adult hunter.

Another option is in Wyoming on the Reduced Price female tags on deer/antelope/elk.

Way cheap and the kids are so young, basically starting out hunting, just the hunting and harvest part would be more important than the horns and inches part....

Robb

HunterHarry · Jan 5, 2010

+1 to all of the above.

sageadvice · Jan 6, 2010

I'm not going to be contrary here but i would like to point out a couple things that related to this topic that are my views. I spent at least a day a week year round hunting, fishing, gathering, or shooting at something with my Dad from the time i was 8 or 9 yrs old until i got out of high school. During the Deer seasons here in Kali, we both hunted the same ranch near every day of the season though often, in the later years, not together or in the same part of the ranch. I owe a lot to my Dad, more than i can ever repay.

He didn't go on out of state trips each year like his brothers and friends did. He did get to go occasionally though and i know he would have enjoyed to go more often but he had a family to provide for and the money spent on such trips was just not there. I remember my Mom telling me one yr long ago that Dad deserved to go to Wyoming, Greys river, with his friends because of all the wonderful things he does for us.

I'm not sure why Dad went on the few trips he was able to go on because he was certainly no trophy hunter. He talked of being with his friends, the drinking and laughing, gags that they did and big bucks he saw but missed, and i could tell that maybe, he enjoyed a break from all the routine, overtime and weekends that he had to work, things he just did to provide for us as a family. Looking back, he got a break from us.

My point is, if you can afford it, great, by all means take the kids if that's what you really want to do but don't think for a moment that you have to. There is a whole year that you can fully devote to your kids, hunting fishing, just being Dad. If it works out that money is a little too thin to pass out outa state tags to the kids, don't. Go have a little time to yourself if that's all you can afford, treat yourself to what you really like to do, the way you like to do it. Just maybe, you deserve it!

Joey

NMPaul · Jan 6, 2010

Joey, great post for a lot of reasons.

I would add, that this is a different era. In those days I think it was easier for a father to spend time with his kids. Less demands on time and less demands on kids time.
If you can take kids within the state you hunt in great (I am lucky to live where my kids and I can be hunting minutes from our house).

I know people in So Cal, and parts of the east coast if your gonna hunt big game good chance it will be out of state.

Stick with what I said. I would look forward to a out of state trip where my kids drew a tag more than if me or my wife drew.
I would rather hunt with my kids than anyone else.

knthartter · Jan 6, 2010

Steve,

My son started big game hunting last year when he turned 10yrs old. I started appling him for hunts and/or points in Az, Co, Wy (CO and Wy minimum are of 12 to hunt big game) and NM as serveral others have stated these states are very kid friendly. Elk tag for kids in Az is only $84.00 for the youth hunts and $32.50 for deer. Co is $103.75 for Elk or Deer. I just started looking at youth hunts in Wy so I dont have the info yet, but I heard there are some vary cheap leftover tags possible there. I think if you do nothing else at least start gathering points for them that can be real inexpensive for youths. I wish my dad would have started gathering points for me when I was younger.

Wiszard · Jan 6, 2010

Thanks for all the advice, guys. Joey- there's a spin that I didn't expect...but duely noted. I agree with you about going for a break! I do hunt WY every year and do plan on having them go with me when they are 12. My 12 year old now doesn't want to go out of state cuz she doesn't want to miss that much school! Can you believe that? She's a straight A student and I think she doesn't want to screw that up. Anyway, I realize youth tags are cheap but when/if I have 3 extra's going, it will still hit the pocketbook. As far as me not hunting and just focussing on the kids...I would do that. Although, Dad likes to shoot too!

I have one point for my daughter at this point so I'll keep trying to get her a better than average tag closer to home. I appreciate the info guys...and I will start getting points for them.

Steve

Feleno · Jan 6, 2010

Wiz
At that age they are old enough to get a job and save some money to help you out!
Any sweat shops nearby? Asian dry cleaning places?

NMPaul · Jan 6, 2010

>Wiz
>At that age they are old
>enough to get a job
>and save some money to
>help you out!
>Any sweat shops nearby? Asian dry
>cleaning places?

Got my kids jobs in the coal mines at an early age. They dont have to duck.

Wiszard · Jan 6, 2010

There is an Asian Foot Massage place about 3 blocks from the house. My neighbor calls it a "happy ending" kinda place? Whatever that means...

Steve

Feleno · Jan 6, 2010

NM
GREAT thinking!! A little black lung at that age will clear right up.

Wiz
DON'T confuse "A happy ending" with "A happy meal". Big difference.

Jazz · Jan 6, 2010

Where in Nevada do you live? LOL

littlebighorn · Jan 7, 2010

For what it is worth, I got a second job to support not only my hunting habit, but also to applying for my son, as well. If you have several kids that want to hunt with you, I imagine it can be pretty expensive. At any rate I took my son on his first hunt in Colorado when he was 11. We have hunted every year since together, mostly in our home state (UT), but because I have bought points for him, he has drawn a Utah Desert Sheep and he is in line for some very nice hunts in the future. (he's now 23).

Most importantly, we have shared some incredible experiences together, and there is no one I would rather hunt with than him. To me, that is well worth all the extra hours, sweat, and tears needed to make it happen!