BigGameHoundsmen.com

For a few of us poor souls that don't have it made with enough money weighing us down until our legs bow. We have to find the pennies to keep doing what we love. I take a percentage of my check and put it into my "hunting" account. Anymore tho that amount is getting smaller. I still have enough money to feed my dogs good feed and cash to keep the monthly health stuff in check. I even manage enough gas to get me to the woods and back. I cut out smoking and even my self allotted 6 pack a week. I took that money and bought a new garmin with it. I don't go "run em" 5 or 6 days a week now. That's down to 2 maybe 3 days. I make good money don't get me wrong but, it's hard to justify (to the wife) spending $60 a week extra in gas just getting to my area. I dig alittle ginseng here and there once the berries turn red and I find a few other ole roots that'll fetch me a buck or two. I sell last years "pick" this year after it dries to get my licenses renewed for outta state again. I been doing that for acouple years now. But, I believe this year since I'll be going anyways I'll start skinning them coons to sell instead of feeding the dogs and tossing the hide. I will also start saving the hides on them beavers that I pop when hunting outta the boat. I sold all my traps a few years ago and don't really want to get that involved at it again anyways. But, it's worth fooling with for acouple extra bucks in my pocket for next year.

What's some of the things that you guys and gals do to make extra hunting money..........besides real work?

Hunter,

I used to live mainly off of what I made off my hounds and would have to put money back into them to keep the business going. I was hunting at least 3 or 4 times a week and was pretty lucky to live at the base of the mountain and would only have to go maybe 2 miles to get into a good spot where I could walk in and freecast the hounds. Still it took money to do. I used my culinary skills to make some extra cash. I made jerky and sold that to my fellow lion hunters and outfitters. I also baked breads, pies and cakes. I used to work at a taxidermy during the busy deer and elk seasons and used that money for extra income. When I wasn't working there I would skin and cape for my friends and outfitters for some extra cash. Gotta do what you gotta do.

I just sell my body and pole dance for the ladies!! LOL Just kidding of course!! LOL

i cage fought a couple weeks ago so that i could replace my tritronics classic 70 that I lost. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

I just have a wife that makes good money and I never tell her how much I spend. I just tell her ignorance is bliss. Hey vise do you do mma then, i used to but busted my hand up and never got back into it.

The cage fightin is a horible Idea. it just turns into another expensive hobby costing you more time and money. maybe that's just cuz I suck. comes in handy for running into ignorant houndsmen that try to get an attitude though.
I have always had to sell a batch of pups and a big dog every year to keep in the game. usually it's about the time I really start liking the big dog too.

Just get your guide licence and take out some hunters...

things are realy getting tight around here. i am a commercial fisherman and this year the enviromental wacko sea turtle huggin SOB's filed a law suit against the state that ended up putting a lot of us just about completely out of business. i haven't had a decent check in about 4-5 weeks and it looks like it is gonna be at least 2-3 more before i can get back to fishing. but at least i should be back to making money before hunting season starts. enviromental wackos will be the end of all things hunting and fishing.

Hunting sheds and mushrooms would work well with your hobby

Ebay....hit your yardsales and salvation army. You would be suprised how much you can squirrel away just by doing that.

bency wrote:Just get your guide licence and take out some hunters...

I do have my guide lic and take a few out each year, but I can't help but feel like I'm just costing myself more gas money in the long run. every time we kill one seems like it's that much harder to cut a track next time out. it kinda seems like a thin fine line between supporting and destrying your hobby.

houndnem wrote:

bency wrote:Just get your guide licence and take out some hunters...

I do have my guide lic and take a few out each year, but I can't help but feel like I'm just costing myself more gas money in the long run. every time we kill one seems like it's that much harder to cut a track next time out. it kinda seems like a thin fine line between supporting and destrying your hobby.

Houndnem, this is true and you also have to think about the wear and tear on your equipment, the cost of fuel, food, and everything else that goes into a guided hunt. If you fill your hunter on the first day you will see a profit, but the more days out the less of a profit you get. Unless you are a big name outfitter that does more than lion hunts there really is not a lot of money in it. Especially in todays economy.

yeah things are tight every where. Up here in Maine i take my one of my vactions off to cut moose, i have a 8x8 walk-in cooler in my garage. I charge 50 cents a pound, its 15 cents or more, less then the big guys. so a 800 lb moose will get me 400$ buts is work, alone i can cut, package and grind a moose in 3 hours. Cut thatin half if i have a helper. I am lining up a buddy and a lil buddy to teach to cut, i will pay them and feed them. So far i have 6-8 moose hunters booked. I also cut deer. I am thinking of getting my guide lic too.. OH yeah, always looking for a woman with a pack of hounds that needs running and that has too much money too! haha

good luck hunters!!

inchtowntracking wrote:I just have a wife that makes good money and I never tell her how much I spend. I just tell her ignorance is bliss. Hey vise do you do mma then, i used to but busted my hand up and never got back into it.

Yeah i fight an MMA match about every 2 months. Im not big time or nothing, just like to compete locally I average about $400 per fight but have earned as much as $1700 before so its totally worth it to me and helps make the truck payment! Its never costed me money. My face book page has a couple fight on it if you wanna check it out. Just search for Hank Weiss, thats me!!! If anyone in Utah valley area wants to train a little to keep in shape just shout at me!

houndnem wrote:

bency wrote:Just get your guide licence and take out some hunters...

I do have my guide lic and take a few out each year, but I can't help but feel like I'm just costing myself more gas money in the long run. every time we kill one seems like it's that much harder to cut a track next time out. it kinda seems like a thin fine line between supporting and destrying your hobby.

If you are killing trophy toms with a high kill percentage then you should demand big bucks. Those guys that are selling cougar hunts for $2500 Should not be in the game as you expenses can run you dry pretty quick. If you are guiding you should be charging minimum $5000 for a 6 day hunt. and you get paid before the hunt begins. The cream will always rise to the top as far as quality guides go. The wanna bees would get sorted out in a hurry. Word gets around fairly quickly on who is good and who is not.

I stumbled into to guiding as a way to pay for my hobby and now it is my full time winter job, if I could book up all spring for bear I would be laughing.