Splitear_Leland

Mizzou, believe it or not, we agree!

Mizzouhunter

Money driving the sport is why sponsors are willing to purchase Internet advertisements, on an online hunting forum. Advertising revenues allow hunting sites such as this one to operate hunting forums free of charge.

Money is why companies invest in researching, developing and improving hunting products.

Again, we have to take the good with the bad.

Splitear_Leland

It's just to bad that that the bad is so bad, and bad is bad, and that's bad. Wait, what did I just say? I don't know, but I do think that deep down we are all the same as hunters, though in anger I may have said differently, but we just have different principals and situations.

don128

Amen, for a little while there I thought I might need an excorcisom, or change Jobs. LOL

BTBowhunter

I think all of us agree that we would like it much better if this wonderful sport of ours wasnt quite so driven by money. That having been said, If hunting wasn't such a big powerful business, we'd be in much greater danger of losing it to the PETA types. Make no mistake about it, the economic value of hunting has kept the anti's from chipping away at our sport in thousands of situations.

I'd call that the lesser of evils

THWACK_007

Thats not it all. The start of this thread was people against outfitters because the outfitters were leasing up all the good private hunting land. They were mad because they lost their free place to hunt. If they want a free place to hunt then go hunt public land if you cannot find private land to hunt. Thats why I also stated that why are they blaming the outfitter and not blaming the owner of the private land for leasing the land. The thread has gotten way to long and it has gotten of course from the original start. There was absolutely nothing I said refering to the fact that people should hunt public land if they dont pay. You have taken that way out of context. And I also never stated anything saying people should pay for private land. I did state however, that if the ones mad because the outfitters leased the land then they should go lease it if they want to hunt it that bad. It is not the outfitters fault that the owner said no to free hunting and is making income off the land. If people are so against what hunting has become, then boycott it, stop buying and paying for hunting related materials. Is it sad, sure it is, but unfortunately thats the world we live in. It is not that we are taking advantage of it, we are simply making a living doing what we love to do. There are many hunters that demand outfitters so we have to meet the demand. Why is it that hunting/outfitting is being singled out for this. We could name numerous professions in which this the case. We live in a world of inflation and everything that we do life is more expensive than it ever was. I guess the next topic will be prices of license and hunting equipment. But we still buy it. How about vehicle prices? But we still buy them. We could go on and on about things in life. We are all on the same page for the most part it just hit shome on the outfitters and I get a little defensive.


I do have one question though!
For all the Illinois residents against outfitters, are you against non-resident archery tags at almost $400??

Splitear_Leland

Honestly, this may come as a shock, but I think that $400 a tag is pretty outragous. That makes it hard for a guy that is on a limited budget to come up here and even hunt on public ground. With the way the deer herd is in southern Illinois at least, I think they should make at least doe tags a little cheaper. And another thing I don't understand about Illinois is if the DNR is raking in all of this money from out of states tags, where is it going. They are getting rid of CPs, they are cutting down on conservation programs. If I had to guess, it's conserving the size of somebody's pockets.

THWACK_007

I am interested to see the response about the tag prices but not sure everyone will be honest about it. They probably understand where I am going with that one!!
But your point about the DNR and where the money is going is a very good issue. It is going back into the state and not being used towards the DNR. I am really good friends with the game warden in our county and the way they have cut back is unreal. So many things they have done to those guys that is just not good for the DNR.

Splitear_Leland

I agree 100%. By the way, you may have said, but are your from IL Thwack, and if so, whereabouts?

Cougar Mag

I am not against all outfitters, just the few encroaching in my area. Truth be told I've had lots of talks with myself and a good buddy about outfitting. Even if I or we could afford to lease enough prime land in my area and survive until proper managment finally paid off with good healthy herds, good bucks, finding reliable part-time help, scouting, stand sites, etc............I'd probably be lynched by the county hunters.

To answer your question about almost $400 archery either sex tags for NR's, no thats too high. But as you have stated about outfitting/leasing if the demand for those tags are there then why not? I didn't really enjoy driving more than 1,200 miles to Colorado and paying almost $500 for an either sex elk tag either, but I did. In fact my son now lives in Indiana and so to enjoy his company on some weekend hunts next year I've offered to pay for his 2008 NR tag. Small price to pay to have him along.