Rising cost of hunting:

[c. schutte]

The cost of leases in Texas is why I drive 400 miles one way to hunt in Missouri.
Add to what we pay for the lease the cost of non resident tags for small game, archery and rifle deer, turkey tags spring and fall and we even have to have a fur harvesters license to shoot coyotes. It's still less expensive than hunting in TX.

The real reason I quit hunting here is the cost of leases.
Had a place 15 years ago that we had leased for three or four years.
Put in a few food plots, let the young bucks walk and finally dad killed a 140 inch whitetail.
Next year the landowner informed us " them deer's getting bigger and the price is goin' up. It's a trophy lease now boys " then told us he wanted double the money.....

That's rich.....................you put in the time/effort & money. Let the young ones walk and just when it starts to pay off (your investment) the owner gets greedy. Yep...............

Something like that happened to a friend of mine. After years of proper deer management the results started to show and the land owner did the same thing except he mentioned it before the end of the season. My friend had one or two weeks left and invited every one he knew to hunt. They slew anything that walked. Did not waste meat, everyone had to take what they shot. Pizzed the land owner off it did.

Not say that was proper, just saying................. chs

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

The land owners here in Texas forget who actually own the deer here. If it's white tail, and not any exotic deer, then it's property of the State of Texas.

The ranch owners here are also having a lot of problems with wild hogs, but they want to "lease" hunts to help manage the problem. They don't realize that the hogs have several piglets at a time, and will soon be overrun by wild pigs. So, they have to eradicate them themselves, or have the State Game and Wildlife agency come out and poison, which we all know where that will lead.

If they don't get with the program, they won't have to worry about growing big deer, the hogs will push them out, and destroy their land in the process. So bye bye deer, bye bye cattle, and everything they hold dear, because they won't have a livelihood to worry about.

So yeah, keep charging exorbitant amounts for your precious deer leases, it won't last much longer. Viva el puercos! LOL

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[ShadeTree]

Hunting is such a rewarding and life teaching sport, it really is extremely unfortunate that for many the cost of being able to fully enjoy it is so high. Seems like a basic thing that should be able to be enjoyed by all who wish to.

Hearing some of these stories I guess I'm fortunate. I've never had the disposable income to be able to go on any hunt of my choosing in other states, but resident hunting here is cheap and I can hunt whitetail, black bear, and all manner of small game virtually in my backyard. And if you want to work a little bit for it, they're all able to be taken. I've never hunted on land a day in my life that wasn't also accessible to other hunters. I hunt both private and public, but the private land is not posted, and can be, and is, used by other hunters, so I just have to figure out ways to make the other hunters work for me.

 

[Polaris]

Job got rained out today, so after I finished honey-doos, I re read this post.

Made me realize how grateful I should be to live where I live. Hunting, excluding high-confidence trophy hunting, is still well within reach of someone who works for a living. Here in MN, there are millions of acres of public and managed industry forest land open to public hunting. Ditto for WI and MI. Also thousands of lakes, rivers and wetlands open to public waterfowl hunting, and plenty of public woods and grasslands for upland game. Real trophy potential there, especially with waterfowl and turkey as many quality hunts are available if you know where and when to go. I have a room full of ducks from woodies to some of the more "exotic" late migrants (I have a thing for diver ducks), mostly taken from public waters out of my canoe with a small motor and a box-store shotgun and military surplus camo.

In my personal situation, working a blue collar job in utility construction, I've been able to afford many quality hunts for deer in a couple of states on public lands. Not book trophies mind you, but challenging, mostly successful, and rewarding hunts for truly wild animals. I've also fairly recently been able to acquire a 40 acre parcel of heavy deer and grouse cover that I'm in the process of developing. Purchase price on the open market was $25k, and it serves multiple purposes as a vacation/investment property with a small cabin, and is in close proximity to public hunting, ATV and Snowmobile trails and fishing lakes. Property is also managed for forest production, and I plan to recoup most of the initial investment in a few years when an adjacent property will be logged. A company is also exploring for minerals nearby and has approached me about an exploration lease. Mineral rights are settled now so they likely will proceed next winter. If they find what I think they are looking for, I may be one of those rich Texas lease holders in a few years, but I'll be sure to invite all you snipers out to kill off my feral hogs. Currently sustainably harvesting enough pole sized timbers and selling to a local log furniture manufacturer to break even on property taxes.

 

[Guy Miner]

Ya, people get the wrong impression because I also talk about "special permits."

If I wasn't interested in those, the normal "over the counter" inexpensive tags for Bear, Cougar, three species of deer, and two species of elk would be quite sufficient.

I just apply for the other stuff here in Washington out of interest in getting some kind of out-of-the-ordinary hunt. And there is a PILE of public land in Washington. My county is about 85% public land.

Unlikely to get a true "Boone & Crockett" trophy, but chances for a decent deer, elk or bear are pretty good.

Regards, Guy

 

[salmonchaser]

I've stated several times how fortunate I am. Oregon is about 50% Public land, most of it is pretty good hunting.
Currently the snow pack is receding allowing me to start cutting firewood. Three trips up, I've seen plenty of deer, mule deer and white tail, a bunch of elk, one bear and I've found wolf and cougar tracks.
In ten minutes I can be at the trailhead of a designated wilderness area. It takes 30 minutes to get to the grocery store.
My local game management area is a draw hunt for deer and elk, but the odds are good, not to many guys will go into the canyon for a spike bull elk.
Yep, I'm pretty lucky.


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[HAWKEYESATX]

Hey Polaris!

I'll gladly help you eradicate your wild hogs for you!

Job got rained out today, so after I finished honey-doos, I re read this post.

Made me realize how grateful I should be to live where I live. Hunting, excluding high-confidence trophy hunting, is still well within reach of someone who works for a living. Here in MN, there are millions of acres of public and managed industry forest land open to public hunting. Ditto for WI and MI. Also thousands of lakes, rivers and wetlands open to public waterfowl hunting, and plenty of public woods and grasslands for upland game. Real trophy potential there, especially with waterfowl and turkey as many quality hunts are available if you know where and when to go. I have a room full of ducks from woodies to some of the more "exotic" late migrants (I have a thing for diver ducks), mostly taken from public waters out of my canoe with a small motor and a box-store shotgun and military surplus camo.

In my personal situation, working a blue collar job in utility construction, I've been able to afford many quality hunts for deer in a couple of states on public lands. Not book trophies mind you, but challenging, mostly successful, and rewarding hunts for truly wild animals. I've also fairly recently been able to acquire a 40 acre parcel of heavy deer and grouse cover that I'm in the process of developing. Purchase price on the open market was $25k, and it serves multiple purposes as a vacation/investment property with a small cabin, and is in close proximity to public hunting, ATV and Snowmobile trails and fishing lakes. Property is also managed for forest production, and I plan to recoup most of the initial investment in a few years when an adjacent property will be logged. A company is also exploring for minerals nearby and has approached me about an exploration lease. Mineral rights are settled now so they likely will proceed next winter. If they find what I think they are looking for, I may be one of those rich Texas lease holders in a few years, but I'll be sure to invite all you snipers out to kill off my feral hogs. Currently sustainably harvesting enough pole sized timbers and selling to a local log furniture manufacturer to break even on property taxes.

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[Tjay]

It is all a matter of priorities. Guys think nothing of spending 20$ a week on beer or going out eat or buy lunch at work. A good look at what you are spending can give you a way to do the things you want. In my working days I had money from every check put into a savings account that was only used for hunting. 25 bucks a check was never missed and soon was enough to out of state tags and fuel expense.

All this to say if it is important to you you will find a way.

 

[69gto]

Tjay, I agree, I quit smoking in 1971, drinking in 1984 and I never gambled. So the money I saved goes for fast cars, fancy trucks, and hunting.

 

[Guy Miner]

It is all a matter of priorities. Guys think nothing of spending 20$ a week on beer or going out eat or buy lunch at work. A good look at what you are spending can give you a way to do the things you want. In my working days I had money from every check put into a savings account that was only used for hunting. 25 bucks a check was never missed and soon was enough to out of state tags and fuel expense.

All this to say if it is important to you you will find a way.

Very similar here. A year before I retired from the cop job, so five years ago now, I started my little company. I like doing what I do, self-defense training including the use of firearms, and security consulting. But, all that money has gone to supporting my hunting, shooting, and fishing activities. That was the purpose 'cause we get by fine on my small law enforcement pension. The "extra" money is just for hunting, etc...

That's how I pay for my hunting and fishing trips, and my camping/hiking, etc...

Guy

 

[cloverleaf]

(Sigh) Its kept me from hunting at home w/ in SD my family for the last 10 years. Some how the powers that be have elevated the value of an antelopes horn to $110 a horn. Same for Deer. Don't get me started on pheasant.... Combine that with all the people who have "leased" there land ($150/day per gun) and you have to take the guide.....then there's the cost of travel and (for me any way) a hotel. Dosent take long to get to an $800 antelope or deer. There is plenty of public land so you can find a place to hunt w/o paying a lease fee.

The state even wants to charge me for shooting "prairie poodles" because I'm a non-resident.....sorry that one in particular is a sore subject for me. And I am NOT saying that non-residents should get equal odds or opportunity, or rates, nothing like that....but the state's makin' money....and I've been "priced out". MN is more messed up yet. They sell "Buck liscences" un limited over the counter every year whether there are deer or not and then blame the lack of mature bucks on weather and lack of habitat..... I gotta quit.... CL

 

[hunter24605]

same for me. My cabin is in WV but I live in VA. But even though I own the land I still have to buy non resident licenses which usually cost around $180 if I want a bear its another $160. Bow hunting is an additional $47 and each additional doe tag is $27...I get charging non-residents a premium, but I'd like to see a break for non-resident, property tax paying land owners.

 

[Tjay]

hunter24605

I guess they figure if you can afford to live elsewhere and have a cabin in Wy. you can afford non res lic. fees.

 

[hunter24605]

hunter24605

I guess they figure if you can afford to live elsewhere and have a cabin in Wy. you can afford non res lic. fees.

Well, I'm glad they don't "figure" my budget, the lights would have been cut off a long time ago!
:lol: :lol:

 

[IdahoCTD]

I do a lot of side jobs plus buying and selling guns to pay for my hunting addiction every year. Since the wife and I do fairly well with our main jobs she doesn't mind if I spend it on hunting. She was told before we got married that the only thing she can't mess with is my hunting. I cut way back when our kids were little but now since they are bigger and easier to deal with it's game on. Another bonus is with the industry I'm in I can write off all my hunting expenses :mrgreen: . I just have to figure out how to make more $$ for when my boys get big enough to go with me but I have about 5 years to figure that out.

Hunting is expensive but what isn't anymore? The cost seem to be rising a lot faster then most peoples pay checks though. Like Bill (Elkman) I don't do a lot besides hunting. We go camping and do a little fishing through the summer but my major expense is hunting. I don't do guided hunts so it's generally just tags and fuel for me. If I hunt locally plus UT I spend less than 2k a year on average (1000.00 or so for tags here and in UT, because of the non-resident tags I buy here in ID, plus fuel). AK will double that this year. My axis deer hunt in HI only added about 500 to the cost of our family vacation. For less than the cost of one guided hunt I'll hunt 4 states with 2 axis deer, 1 moose, 3+ elk, 2+ deer and possibly a antelope tag all DIY. For me it's about prioritizing and budgeting. Anyone can do it if they are driven enough to make it happen. I drink very little and don't smoke plus I work from home so my fuel and food bills are really low every month. We also don't have car payments. My truck is paid for and I only use it part of the time. I use a cheap car to run my kids around and to do errands. The lack of a car payment alone more than pays for my hunting and our family vacation every year.

It's going to be a packed fall again. I'm going cow hunting with my dad and buddy August 1st (their tags not mine). I might put in for a unlimited bow antelope hunt that starts Aug 15th as a second choice if I don't draw my first choice. Then off to AK for moose in Sept. Here in ID I'll have at least 2 elk tags (maybe 3 if a draw a extra cow tag) and probably 2 or 3 deer tags. We should draw UT for cow elk again this year also. I have 2 friends coming from WA to elk hunt in one elk season and another from AK coming to hunt in the other season. In October and November I get very little work done but I typically work 12 to 16 hour days this time of year so I can slack then.