How far out are you booked?
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: caribou77
27-Mar-18
Just curious how far out you guys are planning trip. Ive diffinately learned over time that planning and anticipation is almost as fun the hunt itself. I'll be doing moose this fall in alberta, 2019 will be mule deer in Alberta and I'm currently working on a 2021 yukon hunt.
From: Alphamax35
27-Mar-18
Way northern BC in 2018 for moose. Considering 2019 for mule deer or elk then 2020 for Yukon moose.
From: APauls
27-Mar-18
Next 4 years are usually laid out roughly
From: md5252
27-Mar-18
A year or two for each hunt. Beyond that it’s too far away to get my head around..
From: Ranger rick
27-Mar-18
Started with a 13 yr. Rough plan. (That was 6 yrs ago). Still on a general plan with a lot of good hunts coming in the next several years. Need to be flexible and have contingency plans. This fall I'm hoping for Colorado mule deer. If not. Arizona mulie hunt. 62% draw odds of getting 1 of these 2 hunts. If not then a otc Colorado elk bow hunt.
From: Ranger rick
27-Mar-18
Banking points everywhere else this yr.
From: Shawn
27-Mar-18
I really only care about hunting whitetail, so usually a year ahead of time. Iowa next year, and Kansas this year and Nebraska is always on my list cause I don't have to draw or have points. Shawn
From: Nick Muche
27-Mar-18
Everything I seem to plan for more than a year out gets the axe from Uncle Sam, but I continue to have a 3 year plan pretty well in place and if it has to change then the only downside is that my personal goals get delayed. So I am not losing much in the grand scheme of things, I can put my aspirations on hold for the time being and make them up later on in life. Planning for the current year is typically pretty simple barring anything short notice work related, '18 is looking like another year of great hunting adventures.
From: DonVathome
27-Mar-18
Always if you want to plan for this year I currently have given up drawing a good moose tag in Alaska I’m trying to plan a trip five years away with a transporter and even that is proving difficult!
From: T.O
27-Mar-18
I am always book at least 4 years out it just makes it easer to plain the hunts.
T.O.
From: Brotsky
27-Mar-18
I'm always at the mercy of the draws. I'm getting better at planning ahead though so that I have enough points banked to where I can start realistically hunting elk 2 out of 3 years on draw tags. NM is always the white whale I chase that never seems to surface for me. Starting to look at some other more off the wall type things as well to chase as "adventure" type hunts. I'm not getting any younger, really looking forward to doing some of these hunts and then as I learn more bringing my daughter with me when she is able!
From: kota-man
27-Mar-18
Usually three years out. However, for the first time in a LONG time only '18 and '19 are booked. Nothing for '20...yet.
From: TEmbry
27-Mar-18
I don’t really do guided hunts so planning really far out isn’t necessary or even possible in many cases. I usually have a very specific plan that I keep for a rolling year out. I’ll be in the field 50+ days this fall so I’m too busy then to plan anything else. All winter trips will kind of need to be locked in by July or it’ll be too late when the time comes.
CO Mule Deer, ID Mule Deer, and ID Mtn lion are the 3 trips south for the year. Plane tickets booked already and details of trips ironed out. The rest is in state and also have a detailed plan laid out
From: Southern draw
27-Mar-18
AK drop Caribou this year and KY whitetail then the usual MT and AZ sheep donations. Would like to get a Musk Ox or Bison one year??
From: Buffalo1
27-Mar-18
1-1.5 yrs. in advance, unless I run upon a "good deal."
From: MathewsMan
27-Mar-18
My personal hunting goals and ambitions get side tracked due to Guiding schedules and Draws. Hopefully not at the same time for my sake...
I like Nick's outlook about not getting too worked up about changes in plans and having later on to do them.
From: IdyllwildArcher
27-Mar-18
Generally two seasons for the core hunts.
From: ELKMAN
28-Mar-18
I'm planned to about next week... (no "booking" here)
From: JTreeman
28-Mar-18
I like to do one year at a time. My little brain can’t get that far ahead! This year is absolutely crazy, don’t think I’ll be home more than 8 consecutive weeks all year! But next year I don’t have a single thing officially set yet.
I’ve planned 2-3 years out before, but I find that when I do that I have to skip some stuff that comes up I would love to do. It’s a balancing act.
—jim
From: kentuckbowhnter
28-Mar-18
year and a half with contingencies for not drawing tags.
From: buzz mc
28-Mar-18
I try to take it one year at a time. If it doesn't involve a draw tag, I'll sometimes even change my mind one month ahead of the hunt.
From: Trial153
28-Mar-18
Just started booking 2020. Not to mention fitting in any tags I might draw.
From: Ambush
28-Mar-18
The only plan set in stone is that I will be hunting something, somewhere. Spring bear camp is "planned" with some dates picked. Caribou in early September, and go back again in a few weeks, if I have the same results as the last six trips. With about ten species tags in my pocket (for home province) I don't plan much, just go with it.
The only thing I don't put off is procrastinating.
From: caribou77
28-Mar-18
Rob, I'm jealous to say the least. You live in a hunters paradise! Hope to make it up that way soon.
From: Ron Niziolek
28-Mar-18
I usually plan about a year out, but everything changes depending on draw results. No guided hunts so a flexible schedule is the way to go for me.
From: x-man
28-Mar-18
With my schedule, I'm lucky to plan more than a half-day out. Haven't been out of state since before the kids were born 20 years ago.
From: nmwapiti
28-Mar-18
Waiting for the draw results to firm up this fall. Just dreaming about possibilities for next year. No guided and minimal fly-in stuff for me. Should I ever find the money and pull the trigger on a dall hunt, I'll have to plan a few years out.
From: TREESTANDWOLF
28-Mar-18
2 years, like others have said, I really like the prep and anticipation.
From: stick slinger
29-Mar-18
Planning on buying an Iowa point this spring which is the first time for me in the point game. Planning has never been past the coming fall for me.
From: 76aggie
29-Mar-18
I generally start three years out. Sometimes, it is hard to get the commercial airlines to book a long way out as well as localized air taxis. ie: I cannot book my air taxi in AK for a Sept 2019 hunt until Oct of 2018. I try to do everything I can to chisel in stone everything I can. Much less hassle as the hunt actually approaches. This also give me more time to properly allocate funds for the trips.
From: OFFHNTN
29-Mar-18
Usually 2 years, but a few have been 3 depending on the hunt.
From: Ole Coyote
01-Apr-18
I am always ready to go so I never really plan ahead I just llok for a deal like a cancelled hunt and then off I go! THe fun par is not knowing what will turn up this makes for Christmas most years so tospeak. I am retired so I can go anywhere anytime !
From: pahoyt
01-Apr-18
Spring bear in Manitoba 2018 Whitetail Ohio 2018 Idaho mule deer 2019 Alaska grizzly and caribou 2020
From: Rob in VT
01-Apr-18
I have a 5 year roadmap. Of course the rubber meets the road only when you actually draw the tag.
From: WV Mountaineer
01-Apr-18
This year Colorado elk. '19 or '20 Wyoming or Montana for elk. If it's decided that '20 would be better for Wyoming or Montana elk by my host, then I'm going to do a mule deer/ otc elk hunt in CO again in '19, since I should draw the mule deer tag then. Sometime around '22 or '23 I plan on going to Kodiak after some black tails. God Bless men.
From: Rackmastr
02-Apr-18
I'm lucky living in BC and having so many friends and family in Alberta that I am constantly planning a few hunts for the coming years... A few of the 'highlights' that I have coming up: -Jetboat Stone sheep hunt up the Muskwa River 2018 (backup bighorn hunt if river level is too hard for access - Archery goat hunt 2018 if I can draw a local tag - Archery MD in Alberta 2018, with possibility that wife draws rifle tag in same area - Fly in moose/caribou/goat in northern BC in 2019 - Wyoming antelope (11 points and 3 points between my wife and I) next few years
Too many options upcoming!! Gotta love the planning and preparation though!
From: Bou'bound
02-Apr-18
If you are not a couple years out with an outfitter they is probably a reason he has openings near term. Particularly if it is a personalized outfit with limited tags to allocate. Good dates with he best outfitters don’t stay open long
