i get 2 weeks of vacation plus 1 paid holiday each month. I can usually combine that with my three days off and get to spend plenty of time hunting. Also, instead of paid overtime, we get hour for hour compensation time for overtime.

I have taken time off with out pay. Some jobs gave me great vacation, others little to none. I'm taking my time to hunt regardless of whether I get paid or not.

I need to become self employed, that would make it a lot easier

last year I took from July 15th to December 07 off. Also self employed, i try to take at least 3-4 months every year.

I am a patent agent working in a patent law firm. When I am working, I am getting paid; when I'm not working, I'm not getting paid. They expect me to work 1800 billable hours per year, but I work more to earn more money.

Thus, any time I take off is time-off without pay. Christmas day -- I'm not working, and I'm not getting paid. But I don' have to work 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year to meet my 1800 billable hours requirement. I work when I want, and I take off time when I want and as much time as I want. If I want to take 6 weeks of vacation per year and I can get free from my work to do it, no problem. I really like this freedom. Beats the heck out of having 3 weeks and 3 weeks only vacation per year, no matter what.

I take off for hunting or fishing when ever I want to. That is about all I take off unpaid for. Vacation is for family.

For years I had all the freedom I could ask for in regards to time off being I wasn't based in a corp. office but out of my home. My requirements weren't in days or hours more in quota, so as long as I met the quota's or targets I had a job and money. However I am now self-employed and my freedom isn't as easy to come by and yes it impacts my bank account. I am hunting regardless and will take time off to do so, just hoping as we mature as a companyI'll find the right mix of employee's to allow more freedom and less monetary repercussions.

I spent most of my life self employed and much of that emplyment was hunting and fishing guide jobs. Lucky, but I never got rich at it.. However I would go the same route again in a heartbeat.

I guess it would depend on the hunt. For northeast/southeast whitetail I would'nt. For a trip out west in a heartbeat.

I don't see it that way at all.
Hunting putsputs meat in the deep-freeze and art on the wall..
I'd have to work just as hard at the office, to to put a years supplies worth of cow pig chicken in the same freezer.
Geez than I'd have to fork over the same amount of money that I've spent on mounts on pictures..
Heck a nice respectatble pic is 400.00 to 1000 bucks..
And I'd need just as many pics as mounts, to fill up wall space..
Ya only live once, and for all I know could be dead tomoorow, so at least my life didn't revolve around work and bills and pay checks..
Besides I'm worth a hell of alot more dead than alive.
So if I am gone tomorrow, I know my great grandchildren will never have to worry about finaces.....
I have no regrets..

Im self employed and Im not married and I have no kids. So with that being said...if I cant shut down to go hunting than the hell with it. I only gotta feed me and I dont eat much so come October things definitely slow down until mid-Jan. I do without a lot of high ticket items and ride older vehicles to make sure I can do this but for me its absolutely worth it. Its all about quality of life..not quantity of money. I consider myself one lucky guy!!!

Theres gotta be a little bit of balance in life. I have learned over the years Id rather be happy and broke than miserable with money....