Can I afford a hunting trip?

A hunter in a camo and olive cap aiming a rifle across a foggy field.

Nonresident hunting licenses and tags cost far more than resident ones. A nonresident elk tag in some western states can run several hundred to over a thousand dollars, and tags for harder-to-draw species like bighorn sheep or moose are capped so tightly that some states auction off just one or two nonresident permits a year. Many tags are allocated through a limited draw applied for months in advance, so the hunt you're budgeting for today might not actually happen until next season. Since it's a one-time cost, this calculator weighs the total trip cost you enter against roughly three months of your budget rather than a single month's income.

These key factors affect hunting trip affordability

Licenses and tags

Nonresident hunting licenses and species tags cost far more than resident ones. A nonresident elk tag in some western states can run several hundred to over a thousand dollars, and the handful of tags for species like bighorn sheep or mountain goat get allocated through a lottery or auction that's far more competitive than a standard draw. Most tags come through a draw you have to apply for months in advance, which means the application deadline, not the trip itself, is often the first real cost of planning.

Guided vs. DIY

A guided hunt with an outfitter, lodging, meals, and someone who already knows the land included, can cost several thousand dollars more than a DIY public-land hunt where you handle your own logistics. The tradeoff is real, not just financial: a guide usually improves your odds of actually filling the tag in unfamiliar terrain, while DIY keeps that money in your pocket for gear, gas, and the next trip instead.

Gear and processing

The hunt itself is rarely the last expense. Processing and butchering the animal, shipping meat home if you flew in, and taxidermy for a mount all land after the trip is over, and they're the costs hunters most often forget to price in upfront.

How to use your results

A green result means you can likely afford a guided hunt or a nonresident tag.
A yellow or red result suggests a DIY public-land hunt or hunting closer to home.
Check draw odds and application deadlines early, since many tags require applying up to a year in advance.

Ways to make a hunting trip more affordable

Hunt public land as a DIY trip instead of hiring a guided outfitter.
Apply for resident tags in your home state instead of paying nonresident license fees.
Split lodging and outfitter costs with a group of hunting partners.
Process and butcher the meat yourself instead of paying a processor.

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Peer comparison data

Bureau of Labor Statistics (median income by age), Experian (credit score by age)

Used by the “how you compare” figures in the sidebar, not by the costs on this page.

Every figure on this site, with its source and the date it was last verified