Spread your bets out ... or all in for one week?

[JGH]

For those of you (us) lucky enough to live within a shorter distance to your hunting grounds ...

Would you prefer multiple (long) weekends to enjoy multiple "phases" of September, or put all your chips in one week?

I realize that those travelling from 2 states away won't have the luxury of the first option, but it would allow a person to "recharge" ... and get some work done ... whereas the second option would allow you more time in an area patterning particular groups of animals.

A friend of mine used to say: "When given a choice, take both". Assume that's not an acceptable answer.

[Backcountry]

Being within 40 miles of my typical spots I can enjoy my elk every weekend. I generally take 9 days off during the rut, however.

[cnelk]

Im fortunate to have the luxury of having a lot of vacation [5 weeks] and its no secret that come September, Im pretty scarce in the workplace..

I do both. I take a week + and then finish out the season with long weekends if needed

Whatever a person can do, just be in the elk woods as much as you can

[mtnmutt]

I take the first full week off if I have enough vacation time which I did not last year due to a 10 day family Alaskan trip in mid/late August. Plus, I take long weekends the rest of September.

If I have only one choice: one long week. Mid week hunting is nice and quiet with less hunters and I see more elk then.

I prepped my coworkers for 3 months now telling them that I am out 11 working days in September. It helps to have an understanding boss and coworkers. We cover each other for our vacations. I just had a 18 month extremely busy work schedule and my boss felt bad enough to lighten my load now. Great timing. Also I repeatedly tell them throughout the summer that I have no cell signal while camping my boss will only text me if he is desperate. He knows I won't have a computer with me, so I would be conveniently useless to help him.

[WapitiTalk1]

Have always attempted to go all in, the last two weeks in September when possible. This September, I'll be working approximately 6 days during the entire month. Will be hunting in WA state six days or so and then on to ID that two weeks of September with a day or two on each end for prep and recovery. The government furlough takes money out of my families pocket but gives me four extra days in the elk woods. I do like a longer hunt to better tune in and get my battle rhythm in full swing, for a longer period of time. Whether it's one weekend or three weeks, it's absolutely the best time of the year!

[Swede]

This is a tough choice. I guess I will start my trip 5 days before the season opens and stay until I have an elk or the season ends. Its a tough choice.

[Bowhunter]

This is a tough choice. I guess I will start my trip 5 days before the season opens and stay until I have an elk or the season ends. Its a tough choice.

Yes. Real tough Swede. I feel for ya.

[ElkNut1]

Multiple long weekends so I can entertain all phases of the rut! Friday through Monday should be about right each time! (grin)

ElkNut1

[twinkieman]

Since we have to travel 700 miles to Idaho to hunt elk every year, we arrive on the 7th or 8th of Sept., and leave on the 1st of Oct. We have all been doing what we do for a long time, and have a lot of vacation time and we all live to hunt elk with ALL of us using Elknut's methods. We have never had the option of long weekends, and have never spent less than 2 weeks hunting in Sept.

[Swamp Buck]

I think that out of state hunters that only can spend one week in an OTC unit is the reason that most come home empty handed. Unless you know your area very well, you will be hard pressed to locate, set up, kill, and pack out an elk in only one week. I will never go again without a two week min on the hunt time.

[otcWill]

I agree with swamp buck. I've said it many times. 10 days is a bare minimum IMO. I spend at least20 Huntn during Sept and rarely tag out in the first few. I also won't go home unless everyone I k now is tagged out

[CrazyElkHunter]

This is a tough choice. I guess I will start my trip 5 days before the season opens and stay until I have an elk or the season ends. Its a tough choice.

Ditto! Except even when I shoot my bull on opening day, like last year, I still stay to help everyone else until they are ready to head home. It's usually a 4 to 4 1/2 week camp out. Retirement has some advantages.

[JJ Overkill]

my schedule fell pretty good this yr. 3 5day weekends, 10days vacation for the rut.

[>>>---WW---->]

I fall in the same category as Swede. I start the first day of the season and usually don't stop until the season is over or I have the freezer full. The only problem is, the year before last it only took 45 minutes to fill my tag. Then last year I broke that record and was done for the season in 10 minutes. I don't think I'll ever get one any quicker than that. I'd at least like to get in a full day sometime. LOL!

[G Posik]

I do two weeks since I have to travel from Texas (Houston). But I also plan several other trips. I have a week long Mule deer trip in Utah and a moose/bear trip in Alaska. This year no moose/bear trip. Have longbow and do travel.

Glenn

[slim9300]

I truly believe the longer the string of days that you can hunt the better in Sept. Say you are hunting mid to late In the month and you have 7 days to hunt. Normally in my experience, there is one to two days during this time that is off the hook action and a couple days that are very slow when it comes to vocalizations (the rest are just 'typical'). In my opinion the probability of killing a bull is very high on these 'off the hook' days and not being in the woods greatly hurts your chances of being successful. The more days you can stay in the woods in a row, the better chance you have of hitting it right. None of this is to say that you can't make it happen no matter what, but the stats don't lie. Roughly 90% of hunters go home empty handed.

[Indian Summer]

Conveniently useless.... lol

I'd take the full week. I like to get in the zone and stay there. How much quality time do you really get on a weekend warrior schedule?

Seems like you'll always be one step behind but with a long string of days you can peg what's going on and get one step ahead of the game.

[slim9300]

Conveniently useless.... lol.

???

[mtnmutt]

Conveniently useless.... lol.

???

Indian Summer was referring to my post
"my boss will only text me if he is desperate. He knows I won't have a computer with me, so I would be conveniently useless to help him."

[slim9300]

Conveniently useless.... lol.

???

Indian Summer was referring to my post
"my boss will only text me if he is desperate. He knows I won't have a computer with me, so I would be conveniently useless to help him."

I see. Just another reason I love elk season.

[Lefty]

.... I like to get in the zone and stay there. How much quality time do you really get on a weekend warrior schedule?,........

While there is some truth to that. I show up Friday night and hunt as hard as possible, I dont burn out, Im intence all day Satuday

Seems like you'll always be one step behind but with a long string of days you can peg what's going on and get one step ahead of the game

Sadly that is often the case.

I like hunting the hole season. If it would be possible I would like the first Friday night Saturday hunts with maybe a evening hunt yossed in. The a few 3 day hunts, more mid week the last weeks

[Indian Summer]

You do have a point Lefty... in a longer hunt there will inevitably be some down time when your body tells your mind it's time to take a bit of a break to regroup. Maybe sleep in a day. I like to hunt a couple weekends early on and get a feel for things. but come mid month I like to disappear for a long term hunt to really get it out of my system. There's just something appealing about living in the mountains for awhile regardless of the pros and cons associated with hunting.

Sorry for the confusion above there....... made me laugh listening to mtnmutt's perspective on work.

[bnsafe]

im planning on going every weekend and making them all three days, then take a week off when my cousin comes out and the last week of september