Rich Baker

The only thing that will stop that trend is when hunters quit pissing money to some farmer/rancher/outfitter. A fish and game Bio told me last week that the worst thing that can happen is when people find out that wildlife is worth money in there pockets. I for one refuse to pay to hunt a farmers land or anyones land. If they give permission great I'll hunt. Farmers and ranchers should be paying us to controll the deer populations and instead we pay them>>> WAKE UP AMERICA!!!! I mean really, Gas, food, gear,hour spent in the stand, in the rain, snow, sleet. and then the recovery end of it, dragging it out ,skinning, processing it. all to help them keep crop damage down so they can make a buck. the nerve of these guy's. LOL

hvyhitter19

Well that's nice in Theory and all... And it would be Great to get to hunt for Free... But the truth of the matter is (at least where I hunt) either you hunt public land (which I don't) or you join a hunt club and pay... Unless you are VERY lucky and know someone with land... IMO it's either Pay or don't hunt private land... And me... I choose to pay... What'sa couple hundred bucks a year to be able to hunt nice private land without a bunch of people tromping through the woods all the time... IMO it's only going to get worse... Times Change, get used to it...

Arthur P

We'll see what you have to say when YOU get priced out of the woods.

Rich Baker

You see thats where I don't agree with you. It may be a couple of hundred now but what about in 2 years? more like a couple of thousand. I have seen it more than once, the land owner doesn't care if you can't afford it there is some Doctor who can and will when you can't pay. also There is property you can hunt for free you just got to ask a lot maybe do some work for but thats different than paying to hunt... can you imagen what would happen if a law was passed that you couldn't charge people to hunt on your land. Humm, you know we the people own all wildlife not the land owner

hvyhitter19

Where ever there is money to be made People are going to make it... It's the nature of the beast...

If you owned 1000 acres of land would let anyone that asked hunt there..??? I SERIOUSLY doubt it... IF you didlet people hunt there for Free it would only be friends and family...

I understand where you are coming from that it costs money to hunt now... But that's life... Thingsthat were once Free, now cost money...

Rich Baker

Yes, I would especaly kids and elderly when growing up in michigan we owned 720 acres of prime whitetail habitat full of deer. Anyone that asked could hunt it. My dad always said it was a carma thing. We made a lot of friends and got a lot of favor'sit had to be sold when Mom took i'll and the bills couldn't be paid. its ok I can still hunt it any time I want. Had to do a bunch of welding for the old guy that has it now, But thats fair , Tradeing service's for the priviledge Is fine in my eye's , but it'll be a cold day in hell before I pay to hunt it.

Rich Baker

Aint it cool how this thread has went from hi tec equipment to land owners.LOL

hvyhitter19

Yeah it is a little off here...lol ButO well...

What is the difference if you are working for the privlege or paying for it...?? You worked for the cash you used to pay for it... Only difference is the money actually passed through you hands...

I know alot of people we are against the whole hunting industry and making money... This is just one more way... Just like you said Farmers have a hard time making ends meet... If charging some cash to hunt makes thier lives easier and helps them keep thier Farms then so be it... Better then some Builder getting it and putting in another Neighborhood.... Right..??

mnhotbabe

Kudo's Rich.We have hunted on a farm where the owner started charging a c note for the season. My husband hunted it all his life for free and the man is rich. He claims he wants the money to keep up the gravel road. BS. We left our stand there **** the year b-4 and when we went back they were gone. a nice tree stand and a ground blind. Our bad for leaving it there. Is it crazy for me to think the combines and farm machinery do way more damage to the roads than our chevy pickup? We do not hunt there anymore. all we hunt is a 11 acre piece of land we purchased a few yrs ago. Way more rewarding dreaming about a buck coming through a thicket on YOUR OWN LAND. But its a small piece between a farm and two other houses. the house is on the front side of our land and is 5 acres.The first two times we went hunting there the guy who owns the house dorve a motorcycle around the perimiter of his land right by both of us. This is the same guy who, on the first day we owned the landwe went out riding and he came over on a motorcylcle to complain about the noise!!!! Man is soon becoming our biggest challange!

Rich Baker

Lets face facts, Most farmer/ ranchers arn't hurting for money to begin with If there big. The small boys are more hobby farms anymore and if they go under more than likely the big farmer is going to buy him out. by providing a service IE. work you are earning the privladge to hunt the property. you cant raise the price of that next year. the farmers happy and your happy plus you build a friendship that you wouldn't normally do in a transaction of handing the guy some cash and going on your way. You get to know the guy and his family and you earn there trust as well as they think of you as a friend not a customer. This also puts the breaks on the money thing. when it becomes a buissness ,thats when the price climbs out of reach.