I teach at an alternative school. I have been teaching for 5 years. I hope to save up some money to go antelope hunting before school starts next year. What do you teach and what hunts do you go on during the school year?
Well, I don't teach, but my wife-to-be does. She teaches high school regents chemistry and she is darned good at it. And once in a while biology. She doesn't hunt, but she lets me go whitetail hunting pretty much most of the fall if I behave during the school year!!!
Was a middle school science teacher before I became a stay at home Dad. Am also NAA Level One arhcery instructor still acitve in that. Hunted deer on weekends and any other days off that I could. Not many except teacher union state conferance days. ONLY time I got 3 or 4 days hunting in a row. Hunted turkey in spring always chose a season that had two days of weekend days. One year was able to take my 2 personal days in a row and get in 4 days of turkey hunting. PM Chad Holm of Holm Made Bows, he's a sponser, he may be able to give some insight.
I teach 7th and 8th grade science. I don't travel to hunt because of the difficulty getting time off. If I get drawn for a moose permit here I will string my personal days together and go four four days, might even pay for my sub to add more. I did go on the Solana hunt because it was during Christmas break. I have also gone down south to look for turkeys during my April vacation.
I am an elementary school Phys Ed teacher. I just graduated so this is my first year. I will be going on a spring bear hunt the week after school lets out up in Quebec. Looking into some antelope hunts in August before school starts as well.
18 years teacher, 15 years administrator and have NO regrets. Most hunting trips do not fit with the teaching schedule. Retired now and able to do some of the hunts I had only dreamed of before.
G'day Fellows,
I teach a grade 5/6 class at a government primary school. I love my job and my school. I mostly hunt pigs on weekends. When long-service leave comes up, I'd like to hunt bulls and boars with Mick and Andy!
Cheers,
Ben
I am a high school history teacher in Louisiana.
Been at it 17 years and still love it. Hate the pay but love my job.
(most days)
I can hunt close to my house during the season somewhat but I hope to get in a club this year. Not much public land close by. There is alot of National Forest land about 2 hours from me thats great hunting but I can go only to those for weekends and its hard to do very much.
My wife is from CT and just got back from there.
I hope to maybe hunt there in the future some.
I cant afford to go on any BIG GAME hunts.
This is my first year to trad hunt with a bow.
Ken
Electrical instructor at yukon college..teach pre-employment and three apprenticeship levels.
Curently I have 17 students and am teaching 3 levels - 1-3 at the same time...lots of work - like the old prairie schools grades 1-12.
I teach 12 subject areas every day and the students/apprentices can be anywhere within them at the same time....CWAZY WABBITTS.
I hope to do some hunting in florida and texas/new mexico and california on my swing through this spring....
I will layout my route first of may and if there is anyone on the path that might want to meet a crazy bowhunter/electrician on my travels we can make plans then.
I will be riding my 89 yamaha venturer royale and i will have my flyfishing gear and my PCH and/or my ACS longbow...so play is the big reason for the trip.
Jer Bear
I currently teach Biology/Honors Biology and have taught just about every other science course at some point in my 22 years. Hunting during the school year is normally limited to local hunts evenings/weekends and maybe a long weekend now and then. I did take 4 days off for my "once in a lifetime" Michigan bull elk hunt in 2008. I am also planning on a South Dakota antelope hunt in August but probably won't go until 2011.
I teach high school. 18 years now. I only hunt in state whitetail, bear and turkey. I hunt every night after work, weekends and the occasional sick day. My morning hunts are limited to Saturdays. No vacation days, 2 personal days and 10 sick days a year. I have never been on a week long hunt and don't see it happening until retirement. Teaching is not the profession if you want to hunt, but thankfully, everyday I go to work, I know I will not be receiving my pink slip... and my job is pretty secure. I often think about changing careers, but ...... what would I do now.... to insure I can have the time I do now and the money, even if its not a lot by some peoples standards, I live pretty comfortably..
In case you werent aware Maine bear opens the last week of August, this may help you get outa town before schools in.My wife and brother are teachers and they do have to be creative to get certain dates off.
I taught science and chem for 35 years. I retired in 2006. I hunted locally and still do. Jawge
I teach 3rd grade and hunt weekends and breaks. I'm 4 years from retirement if the State doesn't change the retirement plan. I hope to elk hunt in Colorado the year I retire. Would love to find a hog hunt during Spring Break sometime. Bmac, how did you Michigan elk hunt go? I shot a dandy in 94 and am still eligible for another drawing.
Been teaching physical education for 13 years. I do a lot of 3 day weekend stuff. I save up vacation time and do a week long hunt every other year. Our school has a week off for spring break every March which has allowed me to do 3 southern hog hunts. I teach in a small school. I volunteer to do a lot of extras that nobody wants to do like bus duty, safety patrol etc. If I want to take a couple days a year off without pay my principal says no problem because she appreciates the extra things I do.
Chad
QuoteOriginally posted by owlbait:
I teach 3rd grade and hunt weekends and breaks. I'm 4 years from retirement if the State doesn't change the retirement plan. I hope to elk hunt in Colorado the year I retire. Would love to find a hog hunt during Spring Break sometime. Bmac, how did you Michigan elk hunt go? I shot a dandy in 94 and am still eligible for another drawing.
I shot a nice 6x7 in the Pigeon River Forest.
It sounds like the State may change your plans. My school will probably lose 1/3 of the teaching staff (60-70 teachers) if they go through with the retirement "incentive" they are talking about.
I've also thought about an out of state hog hunt or turkey hunt during Spring Break but haven't checked in to places that are open. I'll have to do some research.
I just want the 60 and 10 years of service to stay in place :thumbsup: I shot a 6X8 my year that dressed 825#. I have hunted Ohio during April before but it was a personal day and weekend and I really felt rushed.
I taught physical science for 35 years. I retired last year and was finally able to get my fill of hunting in. It was great! The school year doesn't always fit hunting seasons. A personal day here, and a sick day here, but all local hunts. Gee, anyone notice how many science teachers here in this thread. We should all get to gather for a consortium. (bring your bow!)
Glad to see so many teachers (especially science teachers)that hunt. Find a principal that hunts...They will understand!
I teach 9-12 Biology. I hunt hard locally on weekends with an occasional personal day thrown in, but big trips are really difficult. Did a couple texas trips during spring break. I squeaked an Elk hunt in during 2003 primarily due to a superintendent who also hunts. They docked my pay, which added another $700 to the cost of the trip. That supt moved on, and so has the policy that allowed taking time during the school year.
Its hard because a lot of folks will ask why we are whining due to having June, July, and August off. The deal is, I don't know any guys at my school who don't have second jobs during that time, just to make ends meet. I've taught summer school every year since I started and do custom farm work on the side.
On the flip side: Helping foster an understanding of the outdoors, predator/prey, dispelling alot of the disney myths is very fulfilling. Letters you get from kids after they have graduated are special. I've had a few that make you really think all the bureaucracy is worth it and we actually are making a difference in the world.
I am a 5th grade special education teacher. I usually go for a 4-5 day whitetail hunt each November. The principal in my building is anti-hunting, but likes me for some reason. She doesn't say anything about my trip each year, even though she knows where I'm going for those days.
-Charlie
I teach elementary school art in Miami. I take a personal day now and then to make a three day weekend hunt.Most years I go to Western NY for a few days of deer hunting around Thanksgiving.
I wish I could teach in the summer and have the fall off!
I am in the Operations Dept. of our local schools. We can start work pretty early and our eight hour shift ends early enough in the afternoon to get in a sit. We have long weekends, nice holidays, and comp time too that can be used.
Have to be creative but it will work. I too love my job.
Have been teaching biology/chemistry for 26 years - been bow hunting for 33. Local whitetail hunt every chance I get - weekends, evening, and breaks. Land owners here in NE are very good to bow hunters. Dreaming of Elk hunts after retiring!
Teach 5th grade Science at a dual-language school. Time in hunting season is hard to come by; however, the South Texas rut is usually during Christmas break plus a few personal days. Saving and looking for a hunt in the far North that maybe starts in July.
Check the avatar.
Michael
James,
They let me be the principal of an elementary school before they moved me back to secondary. It was probably the most satisfying year and a half of my professional career. I knew they wouldn't let me stay long because all of my experience was at middle and high schools. I really miss it.
I used to love going into the elementary art class and the kindergarten classes. Bad days there were few and far between.
You need to get "My Neck of the Woods" by Bryce Lambley. Bryce is a school teacher and he hunts more than any person I have ever met! Just about every day during the deer season in NE, whiteails all over, antelope and bears in the summer, Africa, Kodiak Island for Sitka Blacktails. Sounds good to me!
I teach high school biology, chemistry, and a&p in a smaller school here. I try to hunt the weekends during deer and turkey seasons close to home. I have a small savings to go to Africa one of these summers. Pretty tough to take an extended period of time off during school.
Lucas
Good to see so many teachers that bowhunt! I think Mark Siedschlag, the author of a couple of tradbowhunting books, is also a teacher.
I taught Biology for a few years and ended the last 30 years or so of my career as a High School counselor. I always hunted mostly after work in the late afternoons. Early on I lived right on the Maine border so did a good deal of hunting there. I managed a couple of Spring bear hunts in Maine when they had a Spring season and took two really good ones. When Vermont used to have lots of deer a few of us would go over there for some weekend hunts. The judicious use of sick leave made the bear hunts possible. Now that I am retired I've been to Labrador twice, make an annual bear hunt to Hunters Point in Maine, been to Texas, have had several moose hunts here in NH,. I would love to get out west and do an elk/antelope/mule deer hunt as well as head South and shoot a pig or two.
I teach high school English. I just save those personal days and my sick days roll over. When I need to get away, I use them.
I teach inner-city Columbus and the fact that I hunt scares some of my gang-bangers. It keeps them on there toes.
I always try to share my pictures, stories and even a little jerky with them. They really enjoy the jerky.
Merf
12 years in a middle school as a math teacher. Like so many of you I hunt after school and on the weekends. In Oregon, the best blacktail hunting is during November and we get four days at Thanksgiving, so I usually get out a couple of those days. I'm looking into something in Alaska for an early August hunt.
I get to extend my archery fix by teaching an archery class at the school I teach in. Really cool principal helps a ton. We build longbows, recurves and arrows in the class. Gets a lot of kids into the sport.
Steve-O put in a plug for me on p. 2. Speaking of my book, I think I have something like six "loaner" copies floating around the halls of my school right now that kids are reading, plus I know they've got one in the library too.
I've taught 26 years now in the secondary schools, with I think 7 more after this one until eligible for early retirement. Right now I'm in my core area of social studies (US history and sociology) but have also taught journalism when our school couldn't find a decent teacher for the same and convinced me to "help them" for a year that turned into nine years. Ha.
As Steve noted, I do hunt a TON locally in "My Neck of the Woods" for whitetails. Up until now, I've stayed away from coaching in the fall. If you have good hunting in your backyard, teaching's not bad for that. I've been able to do some NR stuff but the teacher's calendar makes it very difficult to leave during the year and getting a sub requires the teacher to compile exhausting lesson plans/directions to do it right. And in my case, any personal days over three gone from school and I get docked 1/180th of my pay each day. It has made it impossible for me to hunt elk or moose thus far. I have been able to get in some antelope hunts and spring bear hunts right after school's out. I have been to Africa (good timing there), and also some very early August hunts for caribou/Sitka deer in Alaska as well.
Teaching would be a great job for the dyed-in-the-waders fisherman. :) One other thing, is that it's also a good job for the parent who wants to have basically the same hours as his/her school-age kids. I really like that.
I also believes teaching keeps you young if you don't get all burnt out/negative. So far, while I get frustrated as all heck with some of the work climate fostered by some of those in charge, I really enjoy my peers and most of the kids most of the time. And I know I'm still effective so it's an honorable profession.
Finishing up my 32nd year. Started as a teacher and have been secondary and elementary counselor the last 14 years. I also coach three sports so time is tough. I mainly hunt whitetails and then build bows the rest of the year, as well as go to shoots. I do use personal days and have had understanding administrators. Pig hunting is something I need to look into for hunting when I may be able to squeeze some more time. A rewarding career but I do dream of a little more free time. Things seem to wrk out though. Coach
I teach high school Health, Integrated Science, and every once in a while they give me a P.E. class. I also coach boys Water Polo in the fall so I don't hunt very much any more. We start school the 6th of August so I can't even get the beginning of archery season in any more. Every 4 years or so my brother and I go to Montana for Thanksgiving week.
Just got back from the "Pig Gig" and saw this. I'm retired now after teaching 30 years in the KY public school and community college systems. My professional degree program (BFA) is in studio art (painting) while my two academic degrees (MA and MFA) are in education and art therapy. I taught studio art, art history, graphic design, photography, web development, and college humanities. I was a certified IBEP instructor for over 20 years and also sponsored the first high school bowhunting club in the state of KY, which included an annual school field trip to TVA's Land Between the Lakes. While teaching I was NEVER able to hunt out-of-state during the fall for critters like elk, antelope, moose, etc. For 14 years I did manage to guide bear hunters for 2 weeks each June during the "bear rut". Of course I was out for summer break or that would have been impossible. Today, I basically do whatever I want (finally!) I've been on several elk hunts since retiring and spent a good deal of time shooting outdoor themed cover photos for Traditional Bowhunter, PBS, TradArchers' World, and others. Would I go back to the classroom? NO WAY; I'm having too much fun!
I teach secondary English and lecture at a community college in the evening. Been doing this 5 years. I am blessed to teach in a district where we have kids and teachers who hunt and I get tips ALL the time about where to go. I am about 5 mins from 3 properties I can hunt and usually get there right after school till dark. I hunt 1 or 2 days during the longer vaca's but have to make time for the family as well... I also run and archery club here at my school, so I get kids into the sport as much as possible. Its great!!
I run a large University Dept. Criminal Justice. We have both undergrad. and graduate degrees. Oh yea, in my spare time I'm a cop. I hunt every chance I get. H
I am a high school social studies teacher and a wrestling coach. I hunt hard from Oct. to mid Nov. before the wrestling season starts. I try to sneak out to the woods over Thanksgiving and Christmas break. I look forward to retirement when I can plan a trip for elk and caribou.
Been a special education teacher in Hawaii for 10yrs. I'm fortunate because we always have something to hunt year-round. I hunt on the weekends and during my breaks.
I believe that teaching is an AWESOME profession for a person into hunting and fishing. Especially if you work in a high school where the starting times are typically earlier than elementary and middle schools. My high school starts at 7AM and dismisses at 2PM.....I have state land 30 minutes from my school, which allows me to be in my spot by 3:00..........With 2 weekend full day hunts and 5 weekday evening hunts available each week with my work schedule, it's hard for me to not appreciate the "gig"......
Trab
i teach high school honors and cp biology at the moment but i've also taught applied biology I and II, physical science, and health. i've also taught at our local tech school in the intro nursing program. been doing this for 15 years but with all the cuts here in s.c. who knows what's going to happen. some of you might have heard of my school's basketball team in the news these last couple weeks. i'm lucky in that some of the best deer hunting in the state is a few miles from my school.
I've been teaching secondary language arts for twenty years. For 15 years I coached girls' basketball and volleyball. For the last five I have been middle school athletic director. I also Officiate volleyball with my daughter.
Before teaching I was a police officer until my third knee surgery ended that. I hunt whitetails and turkeys during the school year because that's when the season is. I get three personal days a year, and I usually take one or two for hunting. During our spring break I head for Texas and fish for stripers with my folks on Lake Texoma. I've been doing that for the past 19 years.
Next fall I'll have more time because I'll be retired. I plan to sub, but I'll take time off to hunt this fall.
My dad is a junior high school teacher. It is tough for him to do any out of state hunts, we are doing a bear hunt in June of 2011 the week after he gets out of school. Otherwise he has to live vicariously through me, LOL! He gets out a lot for the local whitetails though :thumbsup:
There are alos some states that offer early Mule deer where the season starts before school starts... usually really stinking hot in August though!
I have been teaching at a Vocational School in PA for 28 years. Machining and now a Building Trades class for at risk youth. I hunt for deer locally almost every evening and weekends. Gobblers before school in the spring and have been Bear hunting in Canada in June as well as Caribou hunting in early August. I can't wait to be retired and be in the woods every day. Also longing to tinker with all of my hobbies full time........Bobby
Ben: Surely you meant to say: "When long-service leave comes up, I'd like to hunt bulls and boars with Mick and Andy and Steve H.!"
Bryce: I have you penciled in for Alaska moose in September, 2017.
BTW One reason I am not a teacher is because my dad was and I saw what a rigamaroll it was for him to take two days off to come visit and for me to take him hunting when I lived in Wyoming after about 35 years into his being at the same school!
Yep, Steve: Quite right!
Was that 2013 Ben? Looks like I need to get a 7 year calendar to pencil in Bryce so will have 2013 covered Mate!
I have been a teacher for 12 years in Montana. I have a ton of state and BLM land around me in here that doesnt get pounded to hard during bow season. I hunt mostly on weekends but once in a while I get a couple hours in after school too. I have also been blessed with not being sick throughout my career so I have lots and LOTS of sick days I could take if I wanted to pound the hills looking for elk.
Its great seeing all the educators here. Its been fun to read the different areas covered across the spectrum. I do like getting out of school and hitting a tree stand after, or turkey woods before school. I've only had a hunting principle once for six months, but I loved it when he reminded me of an "appointment" I needed to get to at the beginning of an after school teacher's meeting during bow season. Hey Gregg, want to move to Maine? No hogs, but you don't have to lease land. :goldtooth:
Well, Steve, that may be an offer hard to pass up. I know that I am looking forward to early retirement and being able to venture outside of my current constraints. Gotta make sure I stay in decent shape--or better yet, improved shape--so when early retirement finally gets here I am able to literally hit the ground running.
Looks like there will be two years for me to be jealous of you being retired Bryce, after that looks out Critters, Steve and his walker are coming thru the woods!