Economic issue impacting your hunts?
Elk
Is anybody starting to second guess their fall hunts due to the economy? I’ve put a complete freeze on all spending going forward. Too much up in the air right now. So far so good with my job but layoffs are happening in other departments.
Not yet. Thankful that none of my retirement income needs to be taken out of the market.
I believe the COVID panic will pass by fall and the media will find something else to amplify and overreact about.
I agree with jaq that this will likely pass by fall but I’m also freezing all household spending due to wife being laid off and myself being likely close to it.
No, will hit high country unless GVT orders no Mvmnt.
Shooting BHs for elk hunt already.
K~
Jaq I sure hope your right on with that prediction on the passing by fall, and everything get's kinda back to where it was.
Kurt
Are employees of the various fish and game departments considered essential personnel? If not, and those employees are sent home, how will the draws for many western states still take place? In a perfect world, maybe the lottery draws could be conducted remotely....?
I am not. But my plans are local in my state. If I were planning in out of state hunt, I would probably rethink that with so much uncertainty. And I agree with Jaq, this will pass by fall, but many things could happen between now and then. I worry about potential economic consequences.
They just really clamped down on the Quebec border up here. The mills taking our wood are shutting down and if we try to cross to shop, they are warning that we may not be able to return to the states. I am tempted to cross so I would be forced to go to our place in Newfie. I can’t say that would break my heart.
Not yet, all my tag money is currently in the wind and paid off of my credit cards so any draws I hit are already paid for. Anything I don't draw is just extra cash back in the bank when the refunds come. The expense of the hunt itself is not much other than gas and food. Hopefully we come out of this late spring early summer and things start to return to normal by the end of the summer.
I've already got all my tag money laid out, waiting... so, all I can do, is hope for the best.
Some of those refunds will be bittersweet...
Lawdy. Why would you not be able to return to the United States. That makes no sense at all
Agree with Jaq, I hope this doesn’t become the norm.
Let's hope we are all healthy come the fall
Economic issues have always hindered my hunting. Scott
I have nothing pending & 2 hunts out of state I am thinking about are OTC. Spent my last points last yr. & done with that for ever.
RK, that is what they told us when we crossed this morning with a fire truck on mutual aid for a structure fire. The US border is getting very strict with a health check at the border. Only essential services are allowed either way. I asked the border guard what would happen if I crossed to shop and he said you may spend a few weeks in Canada.
Of coarse economic issues impact my hunts. If I was not economically limited I would hunt more, go on guided hunts in Alaska and Canada and probably hunt preferred private land, but there are no changes in my plans due to Covid 19. lol
I always watch the economics and make decisions accordingly. Expensive hunting is never real high on my list, but I have done quite a bit in the past.
I work in the oil patch, and between demand issues from COVID-19 and supply issues from OPEC+, things have taken a significant downturn in the last few months. It's going to get ugly for a lot of players. Hasn't impacted anything on my end yet, but I'm starting to think about starting to think about it.
I completely get why we're shutting things down right now. Not doing so would essentially be genocide for our senior citizens. But at some point the economic cost will be too great to bear.
Going to put in for a CO tag I will draw but points only in NV and WY lope/deer which is the only draws left for me after CO. Doubtful I'll draw anything from Utah or Wyo elk.
Hoping for the best, praying this is over soon, and everyone comes out okay. I would be real nervous if I had a primo tag for AZ right now. If things aren't back to somewhat normal by September, God help us.
Money isn't a concern. It's drawing a lope tag out west and then being told pleasure travel is restricted in certain states between home and the hunting grounds. I can see Illinois doing something like that. They could mess up alot of east/west travel.
If I do draw and go solo, I will plan a little different so as to avoid crowds coming and going.
Yup. Buddy may be laid off. If so we won’t apply for the tags.
So far so good. Before September people will be back to some form of normal. No way society will shut down that long. The outdoor archery range and local fishing lake was busy this weekend.
The only hunt that I might miss is next January for the AZ deer season. Other than that, I will hunt pronghorn and elk here in Colorado and then deer in Nebraska early November. Heading out in the AM for the Nebraska turkey opener on Wed. No extra income this year, as the local community theaters have cancelled their seasons, where my wife would have been picking up a few gigs as production manager. I suppose I can fire up the lawn mower and go up the block to see if I can get a lawn job here and there :). Our investment portfolio is taking a hit but we are still in for the long haul.
WE will get over this but do not know when and I doubt anyone else does, --sure we can guess. Recovery? I would expect it will take 6-7 years and maybe more, for full recovery after this pandemic. Stay safe the best you can. my best, Paul
Turkey hunters in CO might have been affected with the Denver mayor's order today to close all liquor and pot stores starting tomorrow. The resulting mad panic caused thousands to rush the stores, exposing many to COVID as they crowded together in the mobs trying to get in. Liquor stores had bouncers manning the doors and lines stretched around the blocks as people cleaned-out the shelves.
Then a few hours later he rescinded the order and allowed them to stay open, but the damage was done.
You can't make this stuff up. ..
Turkey hunters in CO might have been affected with the Denver mayor's order today to close all liquor and pot stores starting tomorrow. The resulting mad panic caused thousands to rush the stores, exposing many to COVID as they crowded together in the mobs trying to get in. Liquor stores had bouncers manning the doors and lines stretched around the blocks as people cleaned-out the shelves.
Then a few hours later he rescinded the order and allowed them to stay open, but the damage was done.
You can't make this stuff up. ..
Not this fall but may consider reeling it in a little next year if my investments don't show a positive rebound before year end.
Turkey hunters in CO might have been affected with the Denver mayor's order today to close all liquor and pot stores starting tomorrow. The resulting mad panic caused thousands to rush the stores, exposing many to COVID as they crowded together in the mobs trying to get in. Liquor stores had bouncers manning the doors and lines stretched around the blocks as people cleaned-out the shelves.
Then a few hours later he rescinded the order and allowed them to stay open, but the damage was done.
You can't make this stuff up. ..
Nope no change on what I plan to do I have a Canadian hunt end of July so crossing my fingers borders open up by then
Nope no change on what I plan to do I have a Canadian hunt end of July so crossing my fingers borders open up by then
Just being cautious right now. Like many tags are in. I just hope I don't have to drive from Pa out west. Done it by myself and 28 hours or so is not easy. When I did, I would drive from northeast Pa, leaving Friday at 5 pm. Driving to mid Ohio and sleep. Then drive from there to a few hours into either Co or Wy and sleep again. Then to my hunt destination.. Flying and getting pickup by a buddy at the airport is nice now a days.
Son and I have $4K deposited for N.F moose, $10K due 30 June. Will wait and see but right now I don't see this getting any better by then. N.Y. is weeks from topping out and we are just getting started in many other areas.
Our inability to conduct extensive testing combined with many not practicing some sort of isolation will make it almost certain things will go on. I hope this thing gets into some kind of a slowdown as summer approaches.
Figure this may be the year I hit on one of those heretofore 1% draw odds hunts. With my luck I'll get 2 at the same time, nonrefundable. God I hope things are calmed down in 6 months. Either way, a couple weeks waaay back in the woods is about as good a place to hunker down as any. Stock up my freezer if I'm lucky. If things end up being real bad, I could be using the stove and freezedried food before and after the actual hunt.
I've only drawn 1 tag so far this year so I'm still waiting to see how the rest of the draws play out.
When I sold my Toyhauler last year I put all that $$ into a new Travel acct. Savings. I add about $250 a month to it so most of my trips are A-Okay so far.
Keep the Faith,
Robb
I've got $1800 set aside for my 2020 whitetail hunt. So I'll be going if able. First choice will be IA if I get drawn, second is SD.
Our retirement accounts are taking a beating, but it won't change our vacation/fishing/hunting plans, assuming they don't shut down interstate travel.
Matt
Being cautious right now ... likely going to be picking up the pieces economically and professionally for some time -- oddly, that seems more important that recreation.
Too early to say that the encouraging signs people speak of (medicines, vaccines, etc.) will make the impact we'd like. We can hope, though -- hope is still free.
As a physician, I am looking forward to many of the "You guys are always changing what you think"-naysayers. As though lessons won't be learned in a fast-paced war of any kind. The 20/20 hindsight will be astonishing.
Financially, my first goal to protect my employees, and it's not going to be easy. If they are stable, I'll hunt a little. But I don't see how I could enjoy my fun until the rest of my people are in order.
Some will say that a person "needs" to hunt -- for sanity and to make life worth living. And I'd agree that some will "need" to take a short time to get R&R. Let's all keep each other honest about caring for ourselves in addition to the great problems we have.
Well, I will tell ya. If I live thru the Wuhan money is not going to be an issue with the upside just today in market I could pull out and hunt for the next 5yrs on house $.
Just glad I fired my money guy in January!
K~
Hope the situation settles down and September elk season is a go so I can guide bowhunters again. Depend on those good tips to make it through the year! Or has that been discussed on this forum? :) Seriously, at my age I have had a lot of fun hunting and am more concerned that everyone can make it through this in good shape and begin to get life back to 'normal' at some point. And I do pray daily for that outcome. I do expect to be in the mountains come September. For me, this social distancing is easy as I live 14 miles out of town alone in the woods with miles of basically public land all around me. Been putting lots of miles on by snowshoe and now hiking packed snowmobile trails where guys have been bushwacking all winter. Oh, and dry leaves are starting to show where the snow has melted in spots!!
My son is a doctor as is my DIL. This may be three years of infectious peaks followed by weeks of decline in infections/deaths then another peak, etc. So, am dialing down what I apply for the rest of this application season and just building points other than sheep where am hoping if I draw a tag then can hunt this autumn or they roll the tag over a year or two to use after is stable. Had been planning a trip to Africa to hunt but the year was not locked in. That trip is on the back burner as is a future Dall hunt to AK and a future bison "shoot" in MT on Native lands. Stay safe.
I am curious if this will decrease the numbers in popular OTC hunts, I am actually banking on this and going to plan accordingly. Have been working on having 1000 allocated yearly to spend on applications and out of state tags, currently this crisis has created more work for me than I wanted and unfortunately more exposure to COVID than I wanted. Waited too long to get started chasing elk now I don't know if I can miss another season!!
If this crap keeps on until fall we’re gonna be in a 30s type depression. It had better end in a few weeks.
Nope.
Idaho tags already purchased, application sent in to Colorado (should draw this year).
If the borders are open ..... Canada fishing trip all planned out for last week of May. Canada Goose hunt all planned for last week of September.
I have a couple VERY close friends who are elderly, praying for them ---- one is 90 and is just now recovering from pneumonia so I am especially worried about him.
No change for me. Fortunately my business has the essential seal of approval.
Stay well.
I am only guessing, but a fair amount of us probably have 20 (max) good years of hunting left (not a downer statement, just a fact and is what it is). If you can pull it off financially, don't let anything deter you. Don't say no!
Nope. There would be other sacrifices long before it comes to that.
No way people are crazy here’s some numbers for y’all China averages 27,000 deaths a day under normal conditions. This isn’t even a statistical blip in relative terms. The US around 7500. 1700 from heart disease a day alone. Roughly 26,000 people a day worldwide die of cancers. We have lost perspective in this madness
11.5 million die every year from obesity-related causes and the numbers keep rising. But nobody was ordering a shutdown of Burger King until now.
Jac: Obesity is not a contagious virus. You can choose to order a Whopper or go somewhere and eat healthy. It effects no one's health but your own. Besides I have no idea where you got your 11.8 million deaths figure from. It far exceeds the total U.S. annual death count.
Nope. Applications are in with enough pts to guarantee a tag. My job is fine and the same for my friend who's hunting with me.
Obesity and all the underlying health issues it causes make you MUCH more vulnerable to these viruses. Make yourself bulletproof.
Maybe Jaq's number is worldwide. Annual deaths due to obesity has increased 30% since the 90's. Yet people are living longer due to better medical care. In other words, we keep unhealthy people alive longer through medication. Wonder why our healthcare is so expensive??? But I digress...
Only way I wanna go out in the Wuhan Memory Hole is by lead poisoning. It damn sure won't be by eating myself to death! The Chi-Com Virus may get me but it wont be without a fight. My hunt buddy who got it (by a med facility) turned the corner. He's out of ICU and home resting. God must love that Paratrooper cuz it was touch and go for a few days. Get well JP, you Jumping 502nd Junky!
K`
I was raised by parents who lived thru the Great Depression. Grandparents lived close by and one thing my Grandmother use to say was "" save for hard times" " . My upbringing stuck with me . I have been a saver and not a borrower . Built my own home . Bought acreage and paid cash . Built pole barn and paid cash. Saved to build house and had small loan to finish ,which I paid off quickly . Maxed IRA since I was 18 and I am now 64. Bought 7 new trucks and 2 new cars and paid cash for each. When house was paid off i used house payment money to buy Series I Savings Bonds. They have more than doubled. Friends use to laugh at me for being so conservative . Bought 45 acres in Northern Michigan . Paid cash . A working man can do it ,but have to sacrifice and not waste. We burn firewood for the nice heat it provides . Not that we have to ,but it saves money and keeps us active . Since we won't workout at the gym right now,like we did ,we cut more wood . When Canadian borders open , we will go bear hunting and fishing .
Wow! you got into the IRA thing the very first year they came into existence. what insight and very good move on your part.
A traditional IRA is an individual retirement arrangement (IRA), established in the United States by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) (Pub. L. 93–406, 88 Stat. 829, enacted September 2, 1974, codified in part at 29 U.S.C.
Midwest elaborated on my point. Too many unhealthy people make an infection like this exponentially more serious, and so much of our society's unhealthiness is self-induced. For most otherwise healthy people, getting COVID will have an effect about like the common flu. So obesity, smoking, drinking too much, lack of exercise, all exacerbate the seriousness of this pandemic.
We always hear about how the government can't control people's lives. I'm a big believer in freedom of choice. But in the past two weeks we've learned that the government CAN control virtually every aspect of our lives, and everyone goes along for the "common good". The complicit media then amplifies the problem, and the resulting frenzy creates an accelerating panic.
So what happens next time something is determined to be necessary "for the common good", like limiting types of food we can buy, or ammunition, or the car we can drive, or how far we're allowed to drive in any given month, or our "carbon footprint", or,..pick your poison....?
BTW, according to the World Health Organization, between 150,000 and 200,000 people die from "climate change" every year.
Total deaths so far from COVID = 19,700.
No change in my application strategy nor hunting plans. That would be the last area of sacrifice in my life of those things that are discretionary.
My 401 and IRA took a hit so I may choose to work another year or two but luckily no job worries.
My father survived WWII as a teenager in Poland and I was taught the lessons to be prepared for hard times, no one can predict the future with certainty.
I believe there will be some semblance of normalcy by summer and common sense should prevail regards hunting seasons. I plan social distancing every hunting season anyway!
I don't mind the government Governors and President telling us to hunker down for awhile to minimize the spread of a deadly virus. The prez had me hunker down for 3 years on a ship, to try and stop the spread of communism, during the Vietnam conflict. I am not sure we accomplished much there. Maybe this time things will go better.
Summary From Our World in Data Obesity is one of the leading risk factors for premature death. It was linked to 4.7 million deaths globally in 2017. 8% of global deaths were attributed to obesity in 2017. There are large differences – 10-fold – in death rates from obesity across the world. 13% of adults in the world are obese. 39% of adults in the world are overweight. One-in-five children and adolescents, globally, are overweight. Obesity is determined by the balance of energy intake and expenditure. Rates have increased as the calories have become more readily available.
I guess 2018 and 2019 must have been exceptionally bad years for fat people.
Armchair epidemiologists: be careful with the "it's only the old" or "it's only the ill" narratives. We in no way understand things to be this certain at all. It is not playing out this way at all as the situation evolves. The battlefield is evolving in a bad direction.
Spreading narratives based on hopes (or fears) alone is irresponsible. Thinking of 95% confidence intervals isn't how most of us make decisions -- but it's going to need to be.
I have a deposit on a hunt for 2022. Owe 4k this year. I will have no problem paying it. I will purchase 1 out of state tag and hunt the state next to me for a week of fun and a vacation... So no, Covid has not hurt any current plans.
Nope, just applied for my co unit 61 tag last night.
Deertick, that's your job and I'm glad you are that way.
My job is "I'm walkin' on sunshine!" and "Don't worry, be happy". ;-)
As hard as the RV industry is being hit in my area I will definitely be cutting back on any extra curricular monetary expenditures. For unrelated reasons I was hesitant on renewing my hunting lease this year anyways, but I definitely will not be now. If things continue as they have been western trips will be cancelled for the first time in a long time.
I hope to go on an elk hunt in NM. Son and I sent in $6000 each for deposit plus $600 for tags. It’s late Sept. I sure hope we are way past the worst of corona by then.
Not changing my plans at all. I hunt NM only (resident) and have all my hunting gear paid for. I only have to have gas for the 3 hour trip to the hunting area and back home. Setting $10 aside every paycheck covers all my hunting cost. The only thing that will change it is not getting a tag but I draw deer every year, now elk is a different story.
I’m busy at work. My company makes personal care products. Need to keep the machines running for all of us. Not going to effect my hunts with a guaranteed draw.
I do feel really, really dumb for sending Wyoming my money to sit on until June. Could use it now.
No effect on my planned out of state Fall hunt. Just the other day, I sent in my app for CO Unit 55 Mule Deer and Bear. Should draw the Mule Deer but not sure on the Bear? If I do, icing on the cake baby!
Those that have mentioned the death rates for everyday ,year in year out are correct. Far, Far more people die from things other than coronavirus. That doesn't mean its not something to be concerned about though. But concern and panic isn't the same thing. Stupidity isn't biased, it can be in the form of lack of concern, or way to much concern that borders panic.
My hunts can and will only be effected by the stupidity of others, crash the economy and yea it could effect it.
so what does everyone think of using ebikes for hunting? :)
Oh lord God no you'll spread the virus more as your huffing and puffing riding/ pushing the bike back because y'all forgot to plug the charger in the night before. ;)
I'm in the oil patch and we just came out of a downturn that lasted longer than any other, 2014 thru 2016. With the oil price wars and lack of global demand, many companies will not make it through this new downturn. I'm already committed to spending money & going on two trips this year. I'm not changing plans, yet.....
I hope this clears over the summer time. If not, I can envision an unlikely scenario in which state game departments close seasons and none of us are hunting regardless of our financial position. Many state parks have shut down for camping, boat launches around me are closed and Pyramid Lake (a world class trout fishery on an Indian reservation) was closed last week. I never thought that would happen but it did and the only reason I can comprehend for the tribe making the decision is because they don't want their wardens interacting with the public during license and regulation checks. I this goes on through the summer then the same thinking could be applied to game wardens and without game wardens interacting with hunters I can't see states allowing hunting.
I hope it doesn't happen and logic says it won't but none of this seems logically....
No, I have an essential federal gov’t job. But between a blown out left shoulder, the pandemic, and 20+ points in most states, I have some serious decisions to make.
Yeah Tilzbow that same thought has crossed my mind. My teenage son drew an incredible AZ archery bull tag with like a 1% chance. I can't imagine what a mess it will be for the states if they can't allow people to hunt. Only thing I can think of is, no draws the next year and all 2020 tag holders will get 2021 tags. State F&G dept. revenues will get slaughtered!
Or all tag money refunded and everybody in the draw again next year.....
Huntercell, could be, but that would PISS A LOT of people off who drew. Like in his case it could easily be 25 years or maybe never that he could draw the same tag again. Not sure how they could just go that route and screw everyone, but nothing would really surprise me.
Check around the different states and over the decades how changes have been made: NR no longer can apply for this style of tag, reducing the tag numbers by allocating for auction tags, or youth category, or other special interest group, or some tags in allocation now go hybrid random instead of all in the preference pool, or reshuffle the numbers differently by weapon type or now points are going be squared, or everyone can apply for all the big game species instead of just one per year or price of tag or price of points goes sky high and on and on and on ......game and fish can do whatever and seldom are you consulted.
And haven’t a state or two completed a draw and started posting results only to say oops! “ sorry disregard need a do over.”
Had states not changed the systems from when I first applied for some of species, I would have drawn by now.
What about me. Don’t worry be happy!!!
Drawing tags can be a bumpy frustrating adventure, suck it up and try again or sit em out.
Huntcell
Yes, states have and do change the draws at times and not everyone benefits, but those changes are usually known pre-draw and most certainly prior to issuing tags.
This case is quite different. Tags, at least in AZ which I'm referring to, have already been issued an paid for. Quite a different animal than a draw system change. The only thing I can remember being close is a specific area being closed do to wildfire after tags had been issued.
Has any state ever changed a draw system to benefit individuals who patronized them for a long time?
Arizona loyalty point after 5 years of applying
