Friday, May 14, 2010

Hunting a Rich Man's Sport? Do you think it is harder and harder for people to break into hunting?

I am not just talking about guns being expensive I am talking about guide and trespass fees and the cost of out of state licenses and all the associated costs.Hunting a Rich Man's Sport? Do you think it is harder and harder for people to break into hunting?
The hardest thing for most people is that the best hunting areas are usually private property for one reason or another. I've hunted for years on public land with moderate success. However, the one year I went on private, it was a matter of 'sit here, one will be by between 7-9. So in a way I guess it is because landowners for the most part are willing to let someone hunt on their land.Hunting a Rich Man's Sport? Do you think it is harder and harder for people to break into hunting?
Naturally it is, however not if you buy good used firearms, because a new firearm doesn't shoot any better than a good used one.* Sorry we can't turn back the clock, life goes on, everything has become more expensive.* Everything except an honest days pay, for an honest days work.* Thanks to American Employers and the U. S. Government who continue to keep people in abject POVERTY.*
Of course it is, and this is how and why {off the record of course} it was explained to me by a senator. In our state we have three separate hunting areas and when I try to get a hunting {big game} permit in my area, I get denied but if I apply for the other end of the state I get them thrown at me. The state simply wants to move tourism dollars around and this is there plan. If you have to travel to hunt you will spend money on hotels %26amp; food. So I simply apply for out of state licenses, if I'm going to spend money on motels %26amp; food I want to see some new areas. And yes more and more states are making it a law to hire a guide service { another income generator} to hunt in their fine states. The Goverment has taken more of our rights from us every year, they just do it quietly and slowly so as not to get noticed. We used to buy our hunting permits across the counter ';First come first served'; and they said that it wasn't fair so they changed the law to make it better for us. What cr^p !!
If you hunt in your own state, and don't use a guide, it's very affordable. Get permission to hunt on the land, and don't trespass, which will eliminate the trespassing fine. I think what's keeping people, mainly kids, from hunting is lack of interest of the outdoors.
Hunting becoming a Rich Man's Sport?


Generally speaking - Yes.


I started hunting 35 years ago in Alabama. You could use a shotgun and get permission to hunt just about anywhere (sometimes, rarely, a very small fee might be involved). Just take off down through the woods and hunt!


Nowadays, the camouflage, the hunting clothes, the game calls, the hunting dogs (and their upkeep), the 4-wheelers, the 4WD trucks, the trailers, the tractors, the fuel %26amp; travel, the cost of food, the fancy guns, high priced scopes, the ammo, the lease/club fees, planting food plots, deer stands/blinds, getting permission (if you can) guided hunts,..........


It seems like it's out of control to me.


And to top that off, a lot of hunting type land in the South is being bought up (or already bought up), and forming hunting clubs on the land. Some of the membership fees can be high, for a regular working man.


I understand that it's big business. It just ain't nothing like it used to be.
No. A single shot shotgun can still be purchased for under $100 and a box of slugs for $3 or a box of shot shells for 4 or 5 bucks.





If you are talking about a guided hunt, of course it is going to be more expensive. Guides have to make a decent living too.
I agree the rising cost of license, habitat stamps, and all accessories needed, now gas prices has added an extra cost to hunters.


It is getting to be more and more of a wealthy mans sport
LOL Its only a rich mans sport if your a yuppie who must have all the gimmicks. Luckily here in Arkansas there are countless areas open to hunting, the Ouachita national forrest spans from OK all the way to central AR and its all open to hunting for no fee.





Hunting for meat can be far cheaper that buying it at the grocery store if you are smart.





Fishing too. During the spring and summer months I take my limit of 20 crappie, 50 bluegill, or 15 catfish daily.





My family of 3 eats wild game on a daily basis and it costs me far less than buying it from someone else.





If you think you need the best of everything, then you are overcompensating for your lack of ability.





My atv cost me $300 in 1986 and it still runs just fine today, I am more proud of my old busted up atv than a rich guy with a brand new one.
No way. An entry level rifle or shotgun can be purchased new for just a couple hundred dollars. In-state hunting is still fairly inexpensive in most places. There is plenty of public land available in most areas to be hunted for free.
I think the answer to this depends on where you hunt. People back East (I live in the West) have access to tons of tags, namely whitetail deer, and they are relatively inexpensive to get and a lot of hunters have access right in or near their backyard to good habitat. In the West things are a bit different. There is no surplus of game big game animals to be seen. The game herds here in Nevada for example, are managed very conservatively because there just aren't that many deer, elk, or anything else to go around. So the very few tags given out cost more, hunters generally have to travel some distance to get to an area that has deer in it, and hunters are very lucky out West to get a deer tag once every 3 or more years. So things being what they are out West, almost forces hunters to go to other states for tags which costs a small fortune in non resident fees. Because of these fees I do think hunting is slowly but surely becoming a rich man's sport (at least out West).





I do not live in whitetail country but, by all the reading I have done on deer hunting back East, I think new hunters can get into hunting for very cheap, and they have tons of access to deer to harvest. Like I said before this is not the case in the West, but the East seems to be where to go if you want to get into hunting.





As far as gear goes, sure you can find deals all over the place like ebay.com, gunbroker.com, and other places. You can outfit yourself from top to bottom with new or barely used gear off of ebay for less than you might pay for a new set of Danner boots from Cabela's. So gear is still readily available for super cheap prices and the only thing that might be a bit pricey is the ammo that the hunter might choose to shoot. But you can reload that stuff too!





So overall, I think it reallt depends on the kind of hunting you want to do. If you want to take a Dall Sheep from Alaska then you will have to pay upward of $12,000 for a chance to get a ram, but if all you want is some deer meat to fill your freezer for winter, then you should be able to get into hunting back East for very cheap.

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