Hunting or new job?
 

I work at a job that I despise, BUT, I get 4 weeks vacation and the daily hours thatallow me tohunt just about everyday of bow season. There is the potential that I may get a new job that would be much tolerable, but the hours and vacation would not allow for much hunting. If they do not negotiate on vacation to the point that makes me happy I will turn it down (assuming I get offered it to begin with). Am I nuts that I would stay at a job I hate, only because it pretty much allows me to hunt as much as I want? If I worked at a job(no matter how good) that didn't afford me the ability to hunt like I do now, I would go insane.

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

You have to weigh the pros and cons of each... I completely understand your predicament. Do you have a family? What is best for them? Will you be benefiting in any other ways other than the tolerance level at the new job? Better pay? The possiblity of more vacation time w/ length of service? I don't know your personal situation, so I can't give you my honest opinion. Young single guy? Keep Huntin'! Married family man w/ lots of other responsibilities.... Tough call.

Good luck either way!

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

Rybo:

This is always a tough decesion. Not to be too philosphical, but: It boils down to where you find enjoyment in your life and what is most impotant. Is it pay, benefits, vacation, hunting, family? If work drives you crazy and you can not enjoy teh hunt b/c of work, then less hunting and a better job may be best. In today's work environment, I'd think that secuity, benefits, stable and fair salary, and enjoymetn of ones job would all be important factors. How quickly can you accrue vacation at the new job?

From my personal stand point, my family has chosen to have my wife stay home from work to be the primary care giver. This increases my responsibility to work harder and be a better provider. I know I have friends that are able to hunt more than me, but that is a choice we made. I enjoy me job, but I work a minimum of 50 hrs a week. The opposite side of this is that my children are being raised by tehir parents and I do get to hunt some on the weekends. Additionally, my careeer coupled with all of our family living out-of-state, has providedme the luxury to do some out-of-state hunting.Familyvacationshave becomehunting and fishing trips for me.

Basicvally, it is a life decesion. What is important to you and will you be happier in a job you hate and hunting more or a job you MAY like and hunting less?

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

I'm willing to be the grass wouldn't be greener on the other side of the fence for long.

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

I'm not single but also have no kids. Money really isn't that big a deal either way, yes I'd like to make more, but I'm not sure broke. I am very good at seperating work from life, the second I walk out of the building, work is forgotten. While I don't know exactly how much the vacation the new job builds over time, I'm guessing it's not very good. The HR person recognized that as a big drawback of the company. I know my job now is rather generous with vacation, and I realize many places I'd go would be less, but I stillhave a minimum level I'd accept, and this place wasn't even close to hitting it.
Thanks guys I guess I just needed to hear some opinions from others who understood how I feel.

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

I don't think you are crazy at all Rybo,but how crazy does thejob you hate drive you? That would be the only thing I would consider.Ongoing stress is not worth itto me or my health. But if you just dislike itthen it would be worth it to me so I can run for the trees every time and anytime I want to. Thats a great freedom.
I wish you well my friend.

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

IMO if you're not happy, you're nuts.

I'll explain, Working is something you do to provide for yourself and family. Hunting is something you do for yourself. Missing hunting season or part of it this year but in the long run it'll likely be better for you. Instead of being happy durring hunting season when you have time off and don't have to think about work you could be happy year round.

If you truly unhappy I would keep looking even if this job offer isn't the one you want to take. Look at me. I hate my job and have had trouble getting an entry level job in the field I want to work in so I've quit my job and will be attending school full time this fall. It's never to late to change course, espicaly in the pursuit of happiness.

Good luck!

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

I guess it all depends on how much you hate it and how well you deal with that. I personally just work to have money to do the things that I enjoy doing. No job is going to be perfect and they are all going to have their issues so the one that will allow me the most time to do the things that I enjoy and still pays me well is the one that I am going to go with. I typically handle stress pretty well and don't really ever take work home with me. Work rarely even crosses my mind when I am off. My wife on the other hand is different and would rather work somewhere that she enjoyed working for less money. I think you just have to do what is going to make you and your family happy. For me being able to hunt and fish more makes me happy and a job is just a job. Good luck!

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

Rybo,
I can only tell you from my experience. I am single and dont have any kids. I am about a week away from getting out of the Marine Corps and just returned back from a 2 year tour in the middle east. I can not tell you how much in a deer hunting craze I am right now. After two years with no venison and no fresh hunting memories to look back on, I feel like I am loosing my mind waiting for hunting season to come. I would have never imagined, and maybe some of you can agree with this, that deer hunting was that important in my life. Almost an addiction. When I returned back to Marine Corps Base Quantico for seperation, the doctors told me that I need surgery on my left hip because of damage that was done when I was in the middle east. This was a HUGE choice for me.I was going to loose out on hunting again in the 2005 season. After alot of thought, I decided that I have lived with the pain for the past few months, so whats a couple more?? I decided to hold off surgery till February 2006. I know some may see this as a unwise decision, but for me I see it as a way of getting back to my normal life. From my experiences I have learned that jobs often suck, nomatter what they are (unless your a hunting guide or something cool like that) but its what you do on your off time that defines you as a person. I guess you just have to judge how much your hunting time means to you. To me its worth the pain of waiting for surgery, rather than listen to you guys ramble on about the monsters that you got this year while i am sitting at home trying to devise a trick how I can get in the woods with my crutches. I believe everything happens for a reason, so good luck in your decision, and I hope everything turns out well.

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

I understand the position your in completly, just remember if your hip can hold out with medication until feb do it, if it will do lifelong damage one year is not worth the next 40 if you can't walk! Thanks for keeping us safe back here at home, we love you for it. Be careful in your decision. LouLou

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

Hunt. Easy enough.;)

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

I started a new job and basically ruined my season last year. I have often thought of looking for a new job where I could have off more days but I enjoy my job, going to work is not a battle for me....... yet. I missed my annual fishing trip this year and was totally devestated for about a month afterwards. Having next to no vaction days has really affected the way I look at the time I do have off. I usually have off 2 days during the week every other week and once in awhile a weekend. I use these days to the fullest and seem to appreciate them more and use them more wisely. Hopefully having off days during the week will allow me more oppurtunities at getting a few deer this year. I dont have a family to support so most of my money goes towards things I like doing. All I can say is make a list of the goods and bads of each job and take the one that will make you a happy person. Good luck with your decision.

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

I put my and my families long term interests first. Hunting is a bonus for now.When the kids are older and not as dependent on Dad for everything I will get more hunting time in but I'm not complaining. Last fall I still managed to bag a bull moose and 2 pronghorn antelope :D. My problem is my biggest customer holds a trade show that I must attend every year that messes up my week at deer camp. Oh well thats life. Family comes first.

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

Rybo,
I know exactly where you are coming from. I have a job that I truly hate everyday. I had a chance recently to get a better paying one, but I would have to travel alot and at any time. Home time would be unpredictable . Can you imagine me, coming home from being away, and saying to my wife and kids "See ya, I'm heading out to the stand!" I could see the trainwreck coming, so I passed on the job. Do you hate your job really, or has it become routine and boring to the point that you want to jab a pen in your eyeball for excitement, on a daily basis. That's where I am at this point brother. But man, when I go to the woods right after work on a cool October evening, I'm glad I waited to poke my eyes out that day. And whenI get home, I say..."HI HONEY!"

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

Rybo, one thing for sure is you have to work. I would want to be as happy as possible at work or with my job. I would make sure I liked my job. That would be the most important to me.

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: TerryM

When the kids are older and not as dependent on Dad for everything I will get more hunting time in


You are dillusional. I have come to the realization that they get MORE dependant on you as they get older. They want to be taken everywhere all the time. Then they need their car fixed, or picked up from an activity, or taken off to college, or they get married, and their wedding is on a SATURDAY IN OCTOBER, and they have kids and want you to visit (or watch the kids) on what else ...SATURDAYS IN OCTOBER! Then when they are leaving you alone, your wife gets mad at you for going, because you are leaving her alone.....IT NEVER GETS EASIER FOLKS! just different

Oh me!

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

livbucks!!
Stop it your scaring me

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

id say stay with that job ... until i read you dont like it if working at your old job affects your atitude after work like you get a pissy to your wif eor gf id tak the other

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

I guess I'll offer the dissenting opinion. Iworked in a job that I grew to hate, before changing a year ago. The ONLY saving grace of my former job was that my days were short andsomewhat flexible. (ie; In part, it allowed me to hunt alot.) But dissatisfaction ina man's job, coupled with a modest outlook in future salary potential left no room to stay. The job Iaccepted took several months of driving 1 hr 40 minutes each way to train under a senior engineer, required longer working hours, and cut my potential hunting hours in half. A year later, I'm working 10 minutes from home out of the company's main office, have quite a bit of flexibility regained, salary potential is beyond anything I could have imagined with my former employer, I enjoy my job, and oh yes...I plan on hunting quite a bitTHIS season. Point is, don'tmake decisions based ona short-sighted view of your future.

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

Iwould think that it would depend on what your priorities are. If hunting is a significant part of your life then keeping your current job because of the benefits its provides would be more important to me than the actual job itself. If, on the other hand, this job is something you plan on doing for an extended period of time and you find it taking away from your quality of life in other ways then I believe it would be time to move on.

Some things to think about.

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

Adams wrote: Amen to that! When I landed my current job , fresh out of college, I was so fortunate. Great pay, best benefits around, the only drag was the constant threat of layoffs. 4 years later I've made it through all the layoffs and even a buyout, but I've also realized I'm not living my life as the person I really am. Being couped up in a cubiclewith no view of the outside world for 9 hours/day (half of which I'm bored out of my mind), doing work thatmakesno improvement to society,is driving me nuts! I'm an outdoors person, I belong out there, not in here. So I decided to go back to school and get a degree in Wildlife Conservation. It will take me 3 years, but in the end hopefully I'll land a job working with what I really love and making a difference in the world. Sure I'll take a pay/benefits cut, and may not have the flexibility that I have now with vacations, but the time I'll lose hunting in God's country will be replaced with helping to preserve God's country so other's can enjoy it too. I say trust your gut instinct andgo with what you think will make you the happiest. If it turns out you're wrong, you can alwaysfind another job.

RE: Hunting or new job?
 

rybohunter,

I sympathize because I'm going through the same thing. Our CEO announced his retirement yesterday in our Executive Committee meeting and I had always said that when he goes, I'm going too. I'm fortunate to work in an industry where most of the business owners are hunters also. If I move to another job before deer season, I would gently probe the new boss to see if they were open to taking off some time without pay. Of course I don't know what your situation is, that may not be possible. But, I agree with Western MA Hunter that your family comes first and hunting come second (boy, that was hard to get out).

I kind of hope that the parent company will lay some of us off right before the season starts. Good severance package, and plenty of time to hunt. It hasn't taken too long in the past for me to find a new job.