Question

[Lostagain]

Since we have pretty well kicked the wolves, the game farms and the poor welfare overgrazers......I'd like to know your take on something.

On a nice little farm. Roughly 20-21000 acres. A bunch of critters on there.
Would you pay knowing you're the only one hunting there for the day?

 

[MarlandS]

Yeah (we are talking wild animals right?)

 

[1_pointer]

Yep, what do I owe ya?

Also, depends on what is there and what's supposed to be there.

 

[Washington Hunter]

It depends...

 

[Moosie]

I'm with Washington hunter...... It depends,

.....Depends if Everything in there was in open Season and if I had a Gun... Depends were it was and what the cost was... Depends on... HELL , GIVE me a DAM MAchione gun I'll mow down everything in SITE RAT A TAT TAT TAT !!!!!!!

 

[Ithaca 37]

No, but I know guys who would. I don't have to pay to hunt. I've got all the FS and BLM I need and it's free. And I'm not going to do anything to encourage fee hunting. It's coming more and more all the time, but I'm not going to hurry it up.

 

[Lostagain]

Believe it or not, I agree with IT. In my book, Fee hunting is worse than game farms.

 

[Washington Hunter]

I agree with Ithaca too. But that is about 32 square miles...that's a big area! If the owner was going to let me, and only me, hunt it for say $20/day, I'd probably take him up on the offer. I think it would be worth it. Of course it would have to have quality habitat with WILD animals. As long as the fee was small, I don't think I'd have a problem with it. It wouldn't feel like I was buying an animal, and it would be a little reward for the landowner for being responsible and maintaining quality habitat for wildlife on his property. I know I'm dreaming, the fee would never be that low for that much area and good hunting. But, that's why I said it depends

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 02-10-2003 21:07: Message edited by: Washington Hunter ]</font>

 

[BuzzH]

I wouldnt pay a fee to hunt in most states, especially in ones I know well.

If I owned the land I'd do one of two things or maybe a combination of these.

I'd hunt it myself and let a few friends hunt it.

If I got tired of killing animals on it myself, I'd consider starting a small outfitting business on it. Manage for quality rather than quantity, and try to run a high success rate on quality animals.

 

[Elkhunter]

Sort of ironic that you wouldn't pay to someone else, yet if it was your land you would have no problem charging someone else.

 

[Ithaca 37]

I think there's a difference between fee hunting and outfitting.

 

[MarlandS]

and there is a difference between fee hunting and paying a bit for access instead of "helping the farmer/rancher" which has long been a traditional "in"

 

[ElkHntinMD]

Heck yes, I'd pay!
I would have some reservations but, I don't have a problem paying to hunt a ranch that is not overrun with other hunters! I do this in Co right now! I just placed a deposit to hunt a private ranch! No I don't like paying to hunt and it is different than a guided hunt! You are hunting on your own on a private ranch! Game ranches if they are fenced I'm not into that! It's almost like shooting fish in in a barrel! I guess if you just want the meat without the hassle, and going home empty handed it's o.k. But, I hunt because I love the outdoors and the challenge of going one on one, with free ranging critters! 99% of the time I bowhunt. It seems that most ranch land is either already leased by an outfitter or people just won't allow you to hunt it! Hell, here in the east, it's pretty hard to get permission to hunt, Whether you want to pay or not! At least if the rancher will take a fee to hunt the ranch it's open and you have a good chance at a nice critter. You pay half the price or less as an outfitted hunt with the satisfaction of doing it yourself! I would consider the price, location, number of hunters, and how well the land is managed. The way I look at it, if a man or woman is blessed enough to own a ranch out west, whats wrong with them allowing hunters to hunt for a small fee! It's a way for them to pull down a little extra income! Just my .02


ElkhntinMD

 

[ELKCHSR]

Very good point Bill!!! Very good point indeed!!!
I personally wouldn't pay $$$ because there is so much ground to hunt right now in the region, but if the ground was good, I would have no problem helping said rancher/farmer out with some help around the place.

 

[Bambistew]

Nope. I'm with It on this one.

Fee hunting has ruined hunting in the East and is on its way to the West and should be against the law. Here in MD there is very little public land that isn't absolutly over run, and finding a place that you don't have to pay for is very hard. I was just talking to a gentleman from VA a couple days ago that said that he couldn't afford to hunt there any more due to the fact that a lot of people from MD and D.C. had infilltrated his state and forced the cost for a lease sky high. These rich bastards come in and give the land owner sometimes ten times what the lease is worth just so they make sure they get it. So the average guy has absolutly no chance in hell to obtain that lease, then all his neibors get wind of this and raise their lease and the next thing you know it, you are paying $150+ a day to hunt cause you can't afford to buy a lease for $5,000+ a year... pretty sad. This countries hunting is going to the rich, while the public hunting oppertunities are going down the toilet due to more pressure on prublic land that could have been alieviated by allowing hunting on pivate property.

I read an article that Montana was in the midst of introducing a bill that would make outfitter sponcered tags only usable on public land. We're screwed either way...

Ivan

 

[Muledeer4me]

No Steve and I wouldnt pay either.
I dont think we should encourge it,and make it harder for family's to hunt.
We do offer to help out the landowners that have given us permission to hunt there land.
On the other hand I can somewhat understand why a landowner might go to that.

 

[BuzzH]

Maybe a little clarification is needed.

I'd outfit a few hunts a year, as a hobby more than a business, and still let my buddies hunt as well, for free. I'd also probably let local kids hunt if they asked.

I'd know what was going on and wouldnt have to wonder about the people that knock on the door at 5 a.m. opening day.

 

[MarlandS]

So, those of you who wouldn't pay for exclusive access to a big ol' chunk of private land must like having ATV's interfere with your hunt and no one interested in enforcement, You'd prefer hiking in ten miles to get away from people and packing out your kill and gear all the while taking a chance on your meat spoiling. And everything else I see whined about hunting on public land on here.

Those who wouldn't pay but are willing to trade labor for access, isn't your time worth something? What would you do to "help out"? bale hay? 1500 pound round bales and 1000 pound squre bales are more the norm than small squares, and of those small squares, are you going to show up for all of it , every cutting? Baling goes by the weather and plant maturity it's not always able to be timed to the weekends. Or maybe you'd muck out barns? Most livestock buildings now are mechanically cleaned, can you run a skidloader without knocking down the barn?

Maybe drive a tractor? The tractors out now require training, we just got a new one that it took an hour of orientation just inside the cab (I've only been running tractors 25 years). And all the computer controlled gadgets aren't even installed yet either.

Even if you could run the tractor they have, are you just going to be there for a weekend? Hell, that's more hassle than it's worth for the farmer. But lets say that worked out and you put in 2 ten hour days, that's between $160- and $240 ..it's still paying.

Go ahead and brag about being able to hunt public land , just don't whine about the interferences you encounter. The turkey sets blown by passerby and calling a bird only to have someone put the "stalk" on you. Your "spot" being occupied opening day, blood trailing an animal only to have it tagged by someone else(oh I forgot everyone's animals drop in their tracks every time). All the fun associated with public lands.

Yeah, paying to hunt private land is hurting hunting, especially here east of the Mississippi, but if you outlaw access fees, the land will probably be closed down to "outsiders". Oh, and if you are only paying $150 a day you are getting a bargain here leases are $150 + an acre for whitetail areas.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 02-11-2003 10:04: Message edited by: MarlandS ]</font>

 

[Nut]

I remember a fella that posted to me before that if you hunt only on public lands that you are a "welfare" hunter.

If ya are too cheap to pay for your own lease and you have to hunt on public lands that are provided by tax monies and not by yourself that you accept welfare help from others or something like that.

Marland do you remember the post a couple years ago?

 

[MarlandS]

I seem to remember the post but I sure can't say who, where ,or when.

Heck you're the admin, you can get further back into the archives than I can. It's real easy , just put "welfare" in the search box, couldn't be over 3 or 4 posts..