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hunting and hunting outside your means

12K views 47 replies 10 participants last post by  ronn 
#1 ·
I watch bowhunting videos whenever I can. you never know when you will see something you can put to use on your next hunt. but have you ever noticed that many of these hunts take place on property that is owned by an outfitter or hunting lodge that gets their share of the kudos somewhere during the video. and you are made to somehow believe that all it takes is a phone call for you to be hunting the quality deer seen in the video. lets get real! I dont know about the rest of the members on this forum, but I cant afford 2700.00 to go guilded whitetail huntingfor a weekend. it wasnt all too many years ago, I could afford to take the family to the ball game and sit in the box seats and eat at the game and do it reasonably. now it seems, baseball games are for the affluent and well off, the out of my price range group. So also is organized hunting quickly finding its niche in these groups. next time you watch a monster bucks XXXX video, pay particular attention to where the hunts take place and then google the ranch at the conclusion of the video. oh, but before you do, see your doctor to assure your heart is up to it.
 
#39 ·
YA know, a guided hunt offers someone a chance to take an animal of a caliber larger than what he can achieve at home. Or should anyway. If not, what's the sense in going? Other than a recreational vaction? An Illinois hunt for me would be a chance at a buck not available here in western Kentucky. I'll go for it, once, maybe twice. Granted it's not the same as doing it all yourself, but that's what it is. I will slide out west one of these days for an antelope and mule deer. And I'll do it with a guide. Just once, just to do it. I don't have the time to do all that is neccessary to do it on my own, nor the want to. Still it will be an adventure of a lifetime. There's good and bad in everything you do and everywhere you go, just have to pay attention. :biggrin:
 
#40 ·
I agree 100 % . I like eating deer more than looking a $ 400 to $800 head .The sport was founded on table fair not antlers. Don't get me wrong I have harvested some nice deer and even # 3 in NH in 2008 that weighed 230 lbs dressed , and yes I had that one mounted but its the only one. I think the whole sport is over commercialized and with all the hunting shows on TV it has exploded as a market and along with all the up priced marketing that goes with it. To each his /her own but I think we lost track of the basics and its getting out of hand. Yes I would like to get away for a week and hunt some other parts of the world but with a mortgage, two kids ,wife ,a car , truck and the economy I can't justify trading this for that or sacrificing what precious savings we have to hunt antlers and the added cost of a mount and in some states you can't even bring home to meat. Sorry , I wish I was one of the more fortunate . I am happy with what I have and I want to keep it.
 
#41 ·
"I think the whole sport is over commercialized and with all the hunting shows on TV it has exploded as a market and along with all the up priced marketing that goes with it. To each his /her own but I think we lost track of the basics and its getting out of hand."

I couldn't agree with you more on this! Personally, I believe that most of these DVDs that show a guy getting out of his truck with an outfitter and just shooting a nice animal have really misrepresented hunting, have screwed up the minds/ethics of a lot of young hunters, and have done a disservice to the wildlife and the hunters who have a real respect and undrestanding of the sport.

"Yes I would like to get away for a week and hunt some other parts of the world but with a mortgage, two kids ,wife ,a car , truck and the economy I can't justify trading this for that or sacrificing what precious savings we have to hunt antlers and the added cost of a mount and in some states you can't even bring home to meat. Sorry , I wish I was one of the more fortunate . I am happy with what I have and I want to keep it."

You sound like a guy who has his priorities straight. When you are ready for a western hunt, give me a holler, and I'll help all I can.
 
#42 ·
"
"Yes I would like to get away for a week and hunt some other parts of the world but with a mortgage, two kids ,wife ,a car , truck and the economy I can't justify trading this for that or sacrificing what precious savings we have to hunt antlers and the added cost of a mount and in some states you can't even bring home to meat. Sorry , I wish I was one of the more fortunate . I am happy with what I have and I want to keep it."
This statement really sums up my frame of mind when I started this thread.
I can relate to the reply above wholeheartedly. And this year is really a lot more financialy burdensome in the hunting catagory. I have incurred double the expenses and added some, what I feel are necsecities. I am not complaining though. From these burdens, I beleive there are far greater rewards in store. I have a new hunting partner who has never experienced sitting 15-20' off the ground and watched a deer come within 15yds of the tree much less shoot at and drop the said deer. And I will probably get to watch him do it. Still, its hard to sometimes swallow the expenses of a roadtrip / guided hunt when its such a struggle just to hunt in my little section of woods right here at home.

that said, I personaly have nothing against anyone who does participates in the guided hunts. or the guided hunts themselves with exception the pricing schemes of most of them. If I had the disposable income to support hunts like these, I probably would participate in them. and they probably would not seem as over priced either.

A lot of great points have been made, for and against.
 
G
#43 ·
predator, when things are stable/more stable and time is right give a special hunt a try. texas hog, antelope, big buck, whatever. is it the same as home hunting? nope, but its fun/interesting. its like going somewhere on vaca. heck now some of these places are catering to couples. while you hunt the wife does the spa thing or whatever. I personally don't get a "vaca" like those that work a regular job. I have to plan carefully. my kids are grown? they're still kids. youngest is 19 and looking for work. when they were younger i could never have gone anywhere else hunting. as i said before if you want it, you can make it happen, whatever "it" is.
 
#45 ·
I am curious. I just checked a link to another outfitter that allows you to shoot turkeys during the deer hunt. an if I read it correctly the cost of the turkey is $200.00. is this a typical price rate for turkey? Please tell me I read it wrong.
 
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