Outdooor adventures

I returned home from my chukar hunt today and found a catalog from Cabela's in the mail. It was their 2015 edition of Outdoor Adventures in which they show legendary worldwide hunting and fishing trips. I must admit, I used to dream about those trips, especially a Brown bear hunt with a bow. But as I aged, my bank account forgot to keep up, and The modest amount of around 20,000 dollars isn't what this retired hunter can afford.

For curiosity, I checked out the bird hunts and found that most hunts were about 1800 dollars for three day hunts. Probably not too expensive for most, especially since you are usually guaranteed birds. But, after doing the math, I figured out how great we have it living in western Idaho or eastern Oregon when it comes to upland birds, especially huns/ chukars/quail.

Over the years I've done kept records of many different aspects of chukar hunting. A couple of years I've kept records of cost per bird. Those of you who try keeping your wife away from the mall might be better off to not keep those records around. Even at that, I'm sure my cost per bird is way lower than the cost after traveling east to some of these legendary locations.

As I said, most of those hunts are for three days. If you buy both a resident Idaho and non resident Oregon hunting license you have spent about $200.00 for 4 and a half months of hunting. Even if you only make it out on weekends and holidays you have about 40 days to hunt. Cut that in half for family functions, etc. and you still have twenty days. The lodging is a wash. The $1800.00 you spend to go east includes your lodging but your lodging is your home when you hunt Idaho/Oregon borders.

Everywhere I hunt is within 150 miles from my home, but that still takes fuel to get there. I get a lot of trips each year and most of them are solo and I spend somewhere around $2000.00 in diesel per year. So now I have $2000.00 in fuel and $200.00 in license for over 50 days of hunting in my case. Compare that to $1800.00 for a three day hunt which does not include fuel or plane fare getting there and it makes it pretty clear why this retired boy chooses my own legendary hunt right here in the west.

We have literally thousands of miles to hunt so we can hunt with a group or venture out on a one on one hunt with our chosen guide.

Most everything else becomes a wash. You already have your gun, shells, and other hunting gear. You choose your own guide. You don't have to tip the guide on our hunts either. He's just happy to guide you for a drink every now and than and maybe a treat or two.

The only thing the guide requires is that you don't try and second guess him and follow instructions if you want to be successful. He's even happy to carry your trophy for you.

There are no trophy fees on our hunts. After you retrieve your trophy from the guide it will be your responsibility to care for the animal. Even larger trophies like this one.

The meat, when prepared right, will be a testament to a great hunt.

Let's say that you might average 10 points a day on your eastern extravaganza and only five per day on a western chukar hunt. You have a budget of $2500.00 for bird hunting expenses. Which trip is the best bang for your buck. I know which one I will choose for the next twenty years. The same trip I've been on for the past thirty.