Young hunter from Minnesota

[R.M.C.]

Welcome to the forum!!! Taxidermy is a good thing to get into at a young age!!! I too have thought hard about muskox/ reindeer hunt but I'm heading to South Africa next year instead. Good luck young man!!

 

[lwaters]

Welcome to AH.

 

[enysse]

Welcome to AH!

 

[Muskox]

If I was to speak to 19 year old me this is what I would say.

I have a bachelors degree in wildlife management, it is mostly worthless. The odds of your trade/profession being related to your education are fairly small. Pick a education that will result in a job. Do not pick a job that will not result in a paycheck. Things like history, wildlife management, zoology, anthropology and religion are interesting but they are hobbies that will never pay anything.

If you are able bodied, and you want to travel and build a future go in the military. Especially if you can learn a trade that will pay you when you get out.

You'll get 4 weeks a year of vacation. Free college while you are in, and 36 months of GI bill when you get out.

If you can get in as an officer, or get into a trade that will expand your horizons it will be worth it.

Beyond being a medical doctor, dentist, nurse, petroleum engineer, or accountant and damn few other profession are worth going to college for.

Other trades that pay very well, construction, certified electricians, and plumbers (seriously). The goal with any trade is to get to the point you can venture out on your own.

I hunted Africa when I was 30, and then I made the worst financial mistake of my life I got married and had a big family. I make 5 times as much money as when I was in my 30's and I am just barely at the point where I can afford higher end guns, hunts, and other things like that.

I have hunted all over the world, and the 10 years from the time we got married until about a year ago were pretty slim on hunting internationally. It is something to consider.

 

[ActionBob]

Welcome Reed! I'm from Minnesota as well. What part of the are you in?

And if you don't mind sharing, what are you going to school for?

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

welcome welcome welcome

 

[Anthonyt42]

Hello Everyone,
My name is Reed Thoma and I am from Minnesota, USA. I joined AH this January and made a couple posts and realized I never introduced myself. I am 19 years old and have been hunting my entire life. I currently hunt Whitetail deer, waterfowl, upland game, turkey, and many species of small game. I have always wanted to go to Africa to hunt and since joining AH I have made a list of places and animals to hunt that's about a mile long. I decided I am going to start saving up money now and am looking at a ocellated turkey/curassow/guan hunt or a muskox/reindeer hunt as my first international hunt. I am also looking into hunting black bear, mule deer, and elk in the US within the near future. I have also begun to try out my own taxidermy and have done a pheasant so far, but come fall I am hoping to try out mounting ducks, geese, pheasants, and possibly a deer. So now that I introduced myself, I'd love to get to know everyone!

I feel like everyone on here has been there. Dream big and do what you can with your budget but don't forget your hunting roots. Just remember your an ambassador to our sport and eat what you kill.

 

[gin535]

Welcome and look forward to your participation!

 

[curtism1234]

I hunted Africa when I was 30, and then I made the worst financial mistake of my life I got married and had a big family. I make 5 times as much money as when I was in my 30's and I am just barely at the point where I can afford higher end guns, hunts, and other things like that.

I was going to state something similar. Dreams are great for mental health though and can be accomplished later in life if you plan accordingly. Finances take priority imo. If a young adult wants to sock away 100 bucks a month, a Roth IRA and the power of compounding are your friend.

$100 a month for 10 years = barely a budget trip to Africa with some euros. Ira makes it worth like 18k. Even if you don't add to it ever again but hold onto it for another 30 years, its going to be worth near $200,000 at 8%

What would you rather have - a vacation and some skulls when your are 30 or 200 grand when you are 60?

 

[TRAVEL EXPRESS]

Welcome to AH! Lots of great people here!

 

[Reed Thoma Outdoors]

Welcome Reed! I'm from Minnesota as well. What part of the are you in?

And if you don't mind sharing, what are you going to school for?

I Live in Savage, about 20 minutes south of the cities. I am going for general agriculture, don't know what I really want to do yet but I want to work in the ag industry.

 

[ActionBob]

I Live in Savage, about 20 minutes south of the cities. I am going for general agriculture, don't know what I really want to do yet but I want to work in the ag industry.

Great choice!!!

 

[Muskox]

Get a Ag-Business masters degree and apply to be a USDA Foreign Service Agricultural Attache.

Then you could live and hunt all over the world.

https://apps.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/legacy.asp Do not tell anyone of your classmates about this, you will have a lot of competition with this no reason to make it worse.

 

[VertigoBE]

Welcome Reed! You’ll enjoy it here!

 

[fin003]

Welcome to AH! Glad to have you, enjoy the forum.

 

[ActionBob]

I Live in Savage, about 20 minutes south of the cities. I am going for general agriculture, don't know what I really want to do yet but I want to work in the ag industry.

Reed;
I just sent you a PM that is very time sensitive!

I want to give you that Mexico hunt so hope you see these messages!

 

[ActionBob]

Reed i should probably mention it is customary on here to expect a hunt report be written up for the community to enjoy reading after your adventure.

Hope you have time and a passport, or get one expedited

 

[spike.t]

Reed;
I just sent you a PM that is very time sensitive!

I want to give you that Mexico hunt so hope you see these messages!

Nice one bob

 

[Mort Hill]

Reed i should probably mention it is customary on here to expect a hunt report be written up for the community to enjoy reading after your adventure.

Hope you have time and a passport, or get one expedited

As often happens on here, @ActionBob blows me away! What a gentleman! Blessings!