Why do we keep doing this ?

[Kimbercommander]

Geezerbiker, i understand what you are saying as i hunted blacktail as a kid down around lebanon and sweet home. Folks lived up Wiley Creek in Sweethome back in the early 90's. Back then we had a actual hunting party however and just pushed timber between clearcuts. Normally always tagged out. But from what i hear from friends and family they see more deer in town now then out of town during hunting season. Always went east for elk. And in my opinion Oregon should be two different states.

 

[Hawg]

Sportsman license-35.00
My share of grass seed-75.00
Gas- a couple of bucks maybe
Ammo-anywhere from a few pennies up to around 2.70 per shot.
Not too bad considering the license and grass are a one time deal.

 

[flyinggroundhog]

you could save money but thats beside the point. your doing something you love and enjoy and you cant put a price on a good time. thats same reason i still go to my huntin club in eastern NC. i got alot of childhood memories there, we are just a bunch of good ol boys. i have more fun sittin around bull****in than hunting lol

 

[pete2]

Okay, someone has to do it. It may as well be us. WORTH IT AT TWICE THE COST. There's no need for concern, just do it.

 

[silvrjeepr]

There are deer running all over my back yard yet I drive 2 1/2 hours to camp each weekend. It's the fellowship and "getting away" from life for a few weeks a year. I stopped keeping track of expenses or else I'd never see the place again. Let's see 1k dues, 500 seed and stand stuff and $125 per weekend for gas and food not counting rifle(s), ammo, ATV(s), warm camo stuff, and a camper. I hope my wife never sees this post.

The kids come with me almost every time, and the wife comes every once in a while though.

 

[goalie]

This is why I always doubt most folks when they say they only hunt for the meat. If your prefer venison that much over beef, pork or chicken, you can buy game farm venison for less than $9 a pound. To me, coming home with meat is just a bonus. The cost of the hunt is what it is. No different than going out to eat and a movie. The hunt is why you want to get back out there next week.....

Under 50 bucks for tags. Friends work pays for gas in his truck, including private use.

I have more than enough gear.

I process it all myself, and got a package deal on a god grinder, stuffer, meat tubs, vac-sealer a few years ago. 100 bucks for it all.

I would hunt if it was more expensive, but I come out waaaaay ahead.

If you don't already have the gear and land, well, it takes a while to break even, then it is all gravy.

 

[bcarver]

try turkey hunting

I would figure my per pound at around 3 grand.

 

[Art Eatman]

Kimbercommander, for all practical purposes, there is no public land open for hunting, once you're east of eastern New Mexico/Colorado/Wyoming/Montana. It's all privately owned, so you pay for a trespass privilege.

(I'm omitting the relatively small public areas; they're trivial compared to the West. Some national forest lands and some wildlife management areas, but they in no way compare in area. And they're a small percentage of eastern private land. As example, the Black Gap WMA in Texas is 106,000 acres--but it's in Brewster County which is four million acres.)

It's a whole different world, with vastly different customs and methods.

Recommended reading: Macdonald Kantor's "The Voice of Bugle Ann", and Robert Ruark's "The Old Man and the Boy" plus its sequel.

 

[.284]

Golf

I work in a car dealership and golf is big.......just is.

Those guys spend a boat load of cash on their hobby. They sort of makes us look like cheap skates.

 

[Dc777]

Entertainment costs money, plain and simple. Some of you guys are really lucky. My fuel cost for one trip is around $120. I have to pull my four wheeler up there on my 5x10 trailer. After groceries, ice for the ice chests, etc it comes out to about $200

 

[doofus47]

I think it's a bit like a marriage, the minute you start keeping score, you're screwed.

I do it b/c I love it. I do it b/c it's completely different than how I spend the rest of my life. I do it to provide organic meat for my family. I do it to test myself (patience, resilience, ability, etc) in a way that has no parallel and therefore has not substitute. I do it b/c when you spend all day in the woods, plains, etc you see wonders of nature that you would never have imagined.

To be sure, there's a financial cost. And when those costs become noticeable, I'll cut back and prioritize.

There's an emotional cost. Those costs are already factored in. Every day in the field is a day away from my wife and kids. I won't ever skip a family event to hunt. The cost is too high. What if this was my last chance to sit down over a beer with uncle Jim? No 6 x 6 is worth missing that.

Hunting is a part of what I do. Find the balance. I think it's a mark of maturity to de-prioritize hunting (or any other long-term interest in your life) if the costs are running too high.