Hunting out of state can be very intimidating for a first timer. Heck it can be intimidating even when you have done it a few times. As Chris and I discuss our plans for the upcoming year I have been thinking back on our adventures over the last few years. Maybe that is because we probably are not going to go out of state this year. With Chris moving from California to Virginia in August it is just going to be too much given the timeframe. He is going to have enough on his place. Although this will be his first season here so it might as well be out of state hunting. We have discussed the potential of doing a week-long trip during the archery season to one of the neighboring states. Plus, we will for sure be making the trip to Pennsylvania, but I do not count that as out of state. Regardless my mind has been on the excitement that comes with heading to out of state to hunt.
I can understand why so many are reluctant to take the leap to venture out of their home state, or even their immediate home region. The one advantage Chris and I have had is the fact we have moved around so much with our careers and been forced to learn new places in order to hunt there. Every state is different and there can be a lot of nuisances to the regulations. Those that have spent their entire life in one place are typically quite familiar with the regulations. We have found it take a season or two to really get comfortable with a new place. I do recognize that this scenario is much different than just taking a trip out of state. Of course, one of the biggest hurdles can be the cost of the trip like that.
Non-resident licenses have always been more expensive than resident licenses. In recent years though, it seems they have been on the climb in for many are out of reach. Especially when you look at how much it costs to hunt Elk or other species like sheep or goat. That is just one of the many expenses though. On top of the license, you have to factor in travel costs as well. Depending on where you are going you may have to buy a plane ticket, which is usually much more expensive than driving. Then there is the food and other supplies that you will need for the trip or while traveling. All told the expenses can really rack up quickly.
Over the last two years all of my trips have required me to fly. Not only is the cost of the plane ticket a kick in the butt but so is trying to get all your gear out to where you are going. All of the trips where I had to fly meant that I had to figure out how to get all of my gear and other supplies into three bags and hope that they were underweight so I would not get killed on the baggage fees. Once you get to where you are going then you have to unpack everything to pack everything, which is always fun cause that typically means Chris is staring at me like I am a lunatic wishing I would hurry up so we can get to the task as hand.
Beyond all of that there is then the fear of the unknown. Often you are planning a trip to a place that you have never been too. You are relying on information gleaned from the internet via various sources of data. Then once you have narrowed it down to which state you have to figure out what part of the state you are going to hunt. Next comes the e-scouting and I myself find this to be much more difficult than it should be. You just cannot replace what you get from being able to put boots on the ground. Chris and I have learned this the hard way a couple of times. This last year in Oregon we did not do the best job in our map study and quickly discovered that terrain was much more challenging than we anticipated. Honestly, I thought I was going to die and Chris was going to have to pack me out. Obviously, I did not die but he did almost have to pack me out.
So, what is the point of this all this? I guess what I am trying to say is do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Get out there and travel to the places you want travel to. Like many things in life, it will only will get more difficult to go later. It is like they say, someday never comes. We have truly enjoyed our experiences and once we pulled the trigger to go on that first trip we have not looked back. Even though we probably will not have the big trip like we normally do for Elk this year we will still get out and explore the area here around us in Northern Virginia. Plus, we will still make our annual trip to Arizona for the late season hunt. If you are reading this and have been struggling with putting a plan together, just do it. Trust us you will not regret the decision and if I had to guess, like us, you will make it an annual occurrence to find adventure somewhere in this great country of ours. Good luck and go make those memories.
