If you are an addicted bow hunter, like me, then I’m sure you wish you could hunt 5 days a week and work 2. However, unless you are the luckiest person on earth, this just isn’t reality. I’m lucky enough to work in an industry that allows me to hunt quite a bit during deer season. I didn’t plan it that way, but I’m sure glad it worked out. I dread the day I ever have to go back to a 9-5 job that cuts into my hunting time. If you are searching for a career path that may lead to plenty of time in the tree, here’s 8 great occupations that may be a good choice for you.
Teacher
Aside from organizing the Field Staff for Bowhunting.com, Scott Sanderson is an elementary school teacher from Pennsylvania. He was able to harvest this buck during time off last October.
This profession may not be the first to come to mind when you think of professions that allow you to hunt a lot. But think about it, teachers have a ton of days off during the winter: Thanksgiving break, Halloween break, and a longer than normal Christmas break. Plus, depending on school hours, teachers are also off of work in time to get in a tree stand in the evenings. Not to mention all the off season scouting time that teachers have due to summer break and spring break.
Lawn Care Industry
I’ve been working in this industry for a little over ten years and I love it. During the winter months the work slacks off quite a bit, which is great if you’re an avid deer hunter. However, you also need to be good with money if you want to have the funding to make it through the season. No one wants to eat Ramen noodles all season because you’re broke.
Nurse
This is another profession that you wouldn’t think of right off, as far as having plenty of hunting time. However, I have a good friend that is a nurse and he has more time to hunt than me. He works 3 days a week, for 12-14 hours per day. He then has 4 days off to hunt. This is a dream for any avid bow hunter.
Doctor or Lawyer
Like a business owner, most doctors, lawyers, and private practice owners can set their own hours. One of the biggest lawyers in my area owns a deer hunting plantation in Alabama. From the looks of his Facebook page, he is at the plantation more than the office. This occupation also has a pretty good salary for anyone that loves to bow hunt. We all know that being a die-hard bow hunter is not cheap.
HVAC
I have numerous friends and even a few family members that own heating and air companies. Not all of them are deer hunters, but a few are. It seems that during the winter they always have plenty of time to spend in the woods. Apparently, heating units don’t have many issues compared to A/C’s. So once it starts to cool off the work slows down. Whether you own the company, or work for one, this is a great career path for an avid bow hunter.
Phil Mathews, is the owner of an HVAC company in Pace, Florida. Extra downtime in the cooler months of fall and winter make HVAC work one of the great occupations for the bowhunter.
Fireman
Fighting fires can be tough work. It’s not a job for the weak. These guys work incredibly hard, no matter the hour, and regardless of the weather outside, these guys get the job done when ugly situations unfold. But one of the perks of the job for many firefighters is a 3 Days On/3 Days Off Schedule. And this works really well for a lot of the diehard bowhunters that fire fires to pay the bills. One of the deadliest local hunters I know loves his schedule as a fireman. Even the downtime at work provides ample time for scouting, research and swapping hunting tales with fellow hunters between emergencies.
Business Owner
There are a few major up sides of owning your own business, no matter what industry it’s in. I owned a small company for about 5 years before merging with another larger company. I was lucky enough to have a hand full of employees that I could trust to handle things when I was not around. So when deer season rolled around, I could cut out half way through the day to go hunting. This allowed me to go hunting just about every evening during deer season. Of course, when you own your own business you don’t have to ask for time off either. So planning your vacation around the rut is pretty simple.
Jason Garner is a small business owner out of Fairhope, Alabama. Being able to trust his employees allows for plenty of time in the tree come hunting season.
Author
As I sit here and finish up this article, I couldn’t help but add this to the list. The beauty of being an author is that it can be part time, or full time. You could do it all day every day, or just a few hours after work, a few days a week. If you are an author and an avid bow hunter, then chances are, a lot of your work will be hunting related. This means that the more time you spend in the woods, the more material you have and the more money you make. Aside from actually being a TV show host or full time hunter, this career is at the top of my list for an avid bow hunter. As I said before, my busy season is during the summer. So once deer season rolls around and work slows down, I gear up full bore for writing. It helps to pass the time during all day sits and it’s always good to have extra money coming in.
No matter the career path you choose, it is always important to remember: Don’t work too hard making a life that you forget to live. If hunting is your passion, then be sure to set aside time to go out in the woods and enjoy nature.
