Does the price of gas determine

[subfan]

With gas at $2.00 a gallon and rising, does this determine how far out of state you will go? Once Sadam is dealt with

hopefully prices will go back down. I for one will not go half way across the country now unless I win the lotto.

 

[COHunter]

$2.00 a gallon......ouch. I paid a $1.63 yesterday, so it has come down .08 in the last week, but it still affects my hunting right now (Spring Snow Goose). I dont go as often

 

[Nytro69]

NOTHING WILL STOP ME! NOTHING!

Okay realistically if gas prices got up over say....$5 a gallon, I would think about not taking the Avalanche and take my folk's minivan instead.

 

[Speckmisser]

At $2.00 a gallon for diesel, it is certainly going to be a factor. Last time it got so out of hand, the economy was great and I had plenty of gas money. This year will be a little different, I'm afraid.

I'll probably still hunt every weekend of deer season, but it's gonna put a dent in my budget for sure!

 

[docapi]

I'm not overly worried about it- yet. It seems like every year for the past several years that about this time the prices have shot up. They have always settled back down when warmer weather hits. Spring is just around the corner and we'll see what happens this year.

 

[wmidbrook]

All the financial shows speculate that gas will drop in price 30-50% shortly after the war is launched. Hopefully, this is the case and we'll see 'normal' prices again before summer.

I have a real hard time believing in any speculation that actual fighting in Iraq will last more than 1 month. The 'sand fleas' are a chicken sh!t lot, and will be flying white flags shortly after the invasion occurs.

The occupation will last a long time--but, I don't think an occupation of Iraq will negatively impact global oil prices.

Meanwhile, I'll be driving my commuter car instead of my 4x4 (twice the gas mileage) to my turkey hunting spots this Spring.

 

[Rangerlab]

Come on guys, its really not that bad. Next fall I'm planning a trip to Montana to hunt mule deer and antelope. I'll be traveling about 1600 miles round trip. Even if gas prices jump up $.50/gallon, it will only cost me about $75 dollars more ( and I drive a gas hog that only gets about 11 mpg). When you look at the big picture, that's really not that big of deal. It definately would never stop me from going.

Of course, even if the only way I could get out there was to walk, I would still probably go.

 

[Speckmisser]

RangerLab,

I agree, it won't be a big deal for those "one-off" trips. For example, it's not really even a consideration for my trip to CO in October. Total fuel cost for that one should be under $300.

But for many of us in places like the SF Bay Area of CA, we make pretty long trips just to do our regular hunting.

For example, my primary deer hunting area is right at 150 miles, each way. That's 300 miles a weekend, and I usually hunt 10-12 weekends. Now we're at 3000 - 3600 miles. That's just for deer season. At an average MPG of around 15 (optimistic), I'm using about 20 gallons of gas just to get there and back. That means I burn between 200 and 240 gallons of fuel.

Last season I paid around $1.50/gal, so that means I paid between $300 and $360 for two and a half months of hunting. Let's just call it three months and say it cost me an extra $100/month in fuel alone to go deer hunting last year.

As of right now, I'm paying $2/gal (cheaper at the truck stops... ). That's an additional $10 a week. So the deer season alone is probably going to cost me an additional $100-$120 bucks.

Toss in the other costs of the hunt, groceries, license, etc., and I'd say I'm easily at $250/mo for the deer season.

Maybe it doesn't sound like much, until you add it in against regular monthly expenses (mortgage, bills, etc) and the fact that our economy is not doing me any favors on the income front right now. Even so, I'm doing pretty well and I still feel the pinch. I can't imagine what folks who aren't doing as well are going to feel.

Add in that I drive a minimum of 100 miles each way to pig hunt... and typically pig hunt at least 15 weekends a year, and between 80-200 miles to duck hunt (only hunted three weekends this past year, but that's hardly the norm), and you're talking about a pretty hefty fuel bill. Increasing last year's fuel cost by $.50/gal is definitely gonna make a real big splash!

Now if I were as fortunate as a lot of guys, and could hunt within a few minutes of my home... well, I wouldn't be complaining a bit. Not really complaining now, but I'm definitely planning for the impact on my budget.

I just hope wmidbrook's financial analysts are right about the price decrease following the start of a war.

 

[Rangerlab]

Speckmisser- In your case I concede your point. You do travel alot more than I do, but, MAN do I wish I could go hunting as much as you do!!! If I get out half as many weekends a season as you say you do, I consider myself lucky. My wife is pretty understanding, but if I went hunting that many weekends I would have to keep a bed in the garage!

 

[boutdoors4]

That means that I'll just have to go hunting with someone instead of going alone, I usually go on a Friday and its hard to find someone to go on that day ( I still go anyway ) but I usually travel any where from 60 to 100 miles each way when I go and that adds up to a lot of gas.

But that won't stop me just slow me down a bit.

 

[cincoflatspirate]

I paid a $1.29 for a bottle of water today. $2.00 for a gallon of gas is cheap.

 

[1SoCalHunter]

Well...even though expensive gas suxs, it doesn't deter me from going hunting where I want to go, even if that's out of state.

 

[Qbn Hunter]

I don't think it will. After you plan a hunting trip and fill all the aps. and all that good stuff. I don't think $ 0.50 more a gallon is going to stop me.

After the war, prices will go WAY down. Just like it did after the first Gulf war and after Sept. 11.

 

[subfan]

I have heard the water compairson before and find it amusing. Can you drink 5 gals. of water a day? That is my daily commute in gas. Granted not a lot but when it comes time for vacations, we have to come up with the extra cash some where.