I was talking to my brother (he doesn't hunt anymore), and he was talking about his travel plans for next summer to Peru to shoot a documentary. He traveled last year to Quebec, and Spain the year before that. Needless to say, he travels a lot, and gets to see quite a bit. I haven't traveled much at this point in my life simply because I'm just starting out, and saving money. I'm hoping to be able to travel to different areas throughout North America to hunt even if only a few times in my life. I think if I was given a choice to travel MORE, but not hunt anywhere, or travel a little less, but go to areas like the Milk River, Alaska, Saskatchewan, the midwest, etc, to hunt a variety of game animals, the choice would be clear. How about you guys? Are you happy enough where you hunt now that you would rather simply travel and see the world? Or would you rather travel to specific hunting locations? Yes I know technically you can do both, but let's keep it one or another for simplicity sake.
I think any vacation that isn't revolved around hunting or fishing is a waste of vacation time. :D That is just how I was raised. I think I was in high school before I realized people took vacations without hunting or fishing. A friend mentioned one spring he was going on vacation with is family and my reply was "cool, where are you going fishing?" He thought that was a weird question. Traveling to hunt whitetails is something I definitely want to do in the future. I have some opportunities in a few different states that I hope to take advantage of soon.
Don't know if I qualify to answer this, but here it goes.... I've been fortunate enough to hunt whitetails in a number of different locations....WI, IL, ND, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta. It was great seeing them in all the different habitats they live in. Now, when it comes to a hunting vacation, other than Illinois, I would rather hunt a different big game species. Now, on the other hand, I was telling Dubs the other night that I was looking at the pictures of Jill and mine's trip to the Bahamas back in 2005 and really want to go back. Bad enough that I would give up a hunting trip in the fall....but luckly I have enough time off in the fall and winter that I wouldn't have to. So, if I had to choose between one or the other....it would come down to my wife and family. I have seen quite a bit in the whitetail world and am at a point where I would love to spend time touring other parts of North America and the Carribean with my wife, son and soon to be here daughter.
Good point, Dan. I suppose this questions is little more "easy" for those with families. Btw, I was in the Bahamas this past August, Dan. Loved it.
What part of the Bahamas? We were in the Abacos and stayed in the little settlement of Hopetown on Elbow Cay for 3 weeks. Not real "touristy".....more of a laid back community with a bunch of retired folks and locals around. My style! We're heading to Mexico next winter for our 10th anniversary. Man I can't wait to feel the sand between my toes again!
We stayed at Breezes on Nasaau. Very much a party resort which we didn't like.Next time we will be going somewhere much more laid back.
i really have no desire to travel the world. I'm kind of a simple bastard. We're gonna head back to Ohio next year. Planning a 2011 Elk trip. My wife wants to go back to Antigua soon, which i'm sure we will ( i will be fishing next time though).
I hope to spend the rest of my life hunting whitetails all over N.A. A trip a year or at least every other year. So far I have hunted Montana, Alberta, North Dakota and will be hunting Iowa in 10 days! Trip of a lifetime for me and I plan to go back to Iowa every year that I draw, I have a great set up out there to get to hunt with Jason and Mike. I plan on going back to Tims any year he will have me as well. I finally want to hunt Kansas with Joey... and PA and OHIO with Ryan and Fran. I love hunting the mountains of Idaho for whitetails but I will be honest, hunting whitetails in a little more whitetail friendly country like ND and Alberta ...even Montanas river bottoms .. were all a breath of fresh air, compared to the big woods I hunt them in.
I love traveling. Period. I usually take a week trip in the spring to hunt turkeys (my goal is to kill a turkey in all 49 states), so that leaves another 2 weeks of vacation that I'm still able to travel with the future wife. But if I had to choose one, I would rather travel and see the world, than to just travel to specific hunting locations. My planned vacations for the next year: Spring turkey trip to Oklahoma/Arkansas Honeymoon trip to Philly, Boston, NYC, upstate NY, Vermont, and Maine. Snow ski trip to Winter Park, CO
As of right now, I'd travel to hunt. I really have no interest in going anywhere I can't hunt except the Caribbean. Thats just me though. When I have kids I'm sure all of that will change If you can make it to the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts it's well worth the trip. My grandparents use to have a summer home up there. The country side is beautiful. I would go up there for one or two weeks a summer. I'm not much into classical music, but they have an awesome outdoor Symphony Orchestra called Tanglewood. It's worth a look into. Tons of hiking as well http://www.berkshires.org/ http://www.berkshires.org/Default.aspx?tabid=59
Travelling stresses me out even when I'm going somewhere I want to. But not enough to stop me from going. There are a few places otuside the US I wouldn't mind seeing, and if I had unlimited time, I'd get to a lot of them. Right now lack of time is killing me as far as how much I can travel. It's not fair to my girlfriend for me to only travel to hunt, especially when I do want to go to non-hunting desitinations too. I will always try to take at least one hunting trip & one non-hunting trip a year, even if they are long weekends. I seriously get all worked up over this dillema, I hate it.
Im with my brother on this one, i have never really been hunting to far from my house in northeastern ohio. I do go trout fishing in PA every year but that is only about two hours. Im hoping that is going to change in the spring though!:D
While I haven't been on any "big" hunting trips... I have been to Jamaica on honeymoon... I loved it... But I would really like to go somewhere to hunt, not what you would say "canned" but I want to see some P&Y's crawling around... lol. Maybe switch it up... hunting one year, leisure the next... as long as the lady friend is cool with it...lol.
A vacation filled with hunting is the perfect one for me. I live in the middle of whitetail paradise, but I do have a list of 7 big game animals that I want to harvest with a bow at some point in my life.
While I'd love to hunt many places, with a young family it's not a priority. I'd rather go to Disney or another place where they can enjoy. I would rather leave a legacy of being a great Dad and Husband than of a superior hunter. To you younger guys...go do it now...your priorities change quickly once "you" becomes "us".
Every married man has given me this same advice. I hope to follow it soon if my finances allow me to.
