How will increased fuel prices affect your hunting this year?
 

With oil up another $10 a barrel today we may be looking at gas prices around $5 a gallon this fall. How will this effect your hunting? Will it cause more hunters to go after local game -vs- driving out of state? Will increased food costs, due impart to fuel prices, cause more hunters to go after the meat -vs- the trophy this year? Just wondering how it will effect the economies of communities that depend on the dollars spent by out of area hunters. I know it has already made a difference for some bear baiters in our area this spring since they could not afford the fuel to set and maintain as many baits. Fuel is a major expense for most outfitters as well, so we should see an increase infees for guided hunts. Just wondering what other hunter's opinions are on this subject.

RE: How will increased fuel prices affect your hunting this year?
 

This will decrease the number of times that I go deer hunting this year, considering my property is almost 70 miles away. Not to mention, my duck holes arent that close either.

RE: How will increased fuel prices affect your hunting this year?
 

It will not affect my hunting. We have 45 acres that is bordered on three sides by national forest so my favorite stand in back is a 10 minute stroll for me. The other place we hunt is ten minutes from our house so no big deal.

RE: How will increased fuel prices affect your hunting this year?
 

this year im going to have to stay out longer when i do go out. usually i go out for 3 or 4 days and then come back for supplies and go to work for a few days. this year im taking a weekend off and will go out for 11 days in a row. the only downfall to that plan is i will have to buy gas and food before i leave for the entire trip, and still have to have money for gas and food to get me through another weekend of work when i get back.

RE: How will increased fuel prices affect your hunting this year?
 

Big game- it won't stop me from going. I'll bite the bullet and do what it takes. We will probably try and double up or even triple up and split the gas.

Waterfowl-we will only pull one trailer for goose hunting and ride as many as we can in one truck. We will probably go goose hunting in the morning and coyote hunting in the afternoon and back to goose hunting in the evening (unless we already got our limit). We are going to hunt all day everytime we can after we make the drive. We probably won't go as much as usual, and will wait for favorable reports.

Predator Hunting- We will tie predator hunting into waterfowl hunting trips as much as possible, I'm sure I won't be driving 75 miles just to go take a yote by myself!!

Edit-Good post millagerobert!!

RE: How will increased fuel prices affect your hunting this year?
 

One more thing....No freeloaders this year!!!!!! Anyone that hunts with me and thinks their just gonna buy me some Macdonalds is smoking crack! This year everyone will bepitching in their fair share forgas or staying home!!

RE: How will increased fuel prices affect your hunting this year?
 

It will cause me to pass on less, need to make the fuel worth the trip.Also just a warning to the deer in the back yard no more free passes.

RE: How will increased fuel prices affect your hunting this year?
 

At home in wont effect me,with me even intending to explore area's much beyond my regular hunting grounds.My plane ticket to Idaho will be higher and our gas costs in the four wheel drive vehicle we rent out there will be higher,but that expense is split four ways so it shouldn't be that awful.

RE: How will increased fuel prices affect your hunting this year?
 

Still planning on heading to Colorado for archery elk again this fall if I save enough for license and gas by then. Flew last year but want to drive this year so gas (Going solo) will be the big expense. I'm just not travelling much this summer so I'll have more money for hunting!!

RE: How will increased fuel prices affect your hunting this year?
 

our hunting group share the expences when we travel up north ..
but the air fare for the caribou hunt will increase for sure ..solution we only go every second year ..