What are you willing to pay for trophy whitetail?

[Hooverfb]

The loss of that tradition has as much to do with landowners capitalizing on the hunting value of their property as any other factor. In west Texas, right up into the early 90s, a man could gain access to take his kiddos hunting by a knock on a door and a handshake. Not knocking the landowners, but I’ll also not try to foist blame on parents who couldn’t afford to pay for what had been free (or very nearly so) their whole lives.


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This. I know lots of guys at my church that hunt. The only one i know that taught his son and still actively hunts with his son can afford the 3k-5k day lease. which I'm glad he can do. I can teach my son lots of things. One of those things is going to have to be the disappointment in high pressure public land and another lesson on how things are worth whatever someone's willing to pay. But he'll probably have his first hangover on said trip learning this lesson

[Sika]

Never said trophy hunting was reason...ask what would you pay for a trophy whitetail. You miss point sika. And yes it has an indirect impact on hunter recruitment, if all that new hunters see as being the normal cost to hunt for whitetail is the high cost to harvest one.

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I didn’t miss the point at all...your question - how much is a trophy deer worth to you - was a red herring but I’ll play along....I could buy a very nice deer hunt with all the money I’ll spend on leases this year. No question. But I’d rather have year round access to the land and the opportunity to hunt multiple species throughout the year. Those things are more important to me than the opportunity to kill one 200 inch whitetail.

Trophy hunting is a 100% luxury item, like a nice watch or luxury car..and it’s always been an option for those that could afford it. Hunter recruitment is down because more people are growing up in an urban environment with no access to land and hunting opportunities.

[Smart]

I didn’t miss the point at all...your question - how much is a trophy deer worth to you - was a red herring

Red herring is spot on...

[Winman]

Hey---may have been the bottom of the whiskey bottle talking--but more likely the 24th can out of a case of Old Milwaukee..

At 25K per shot,it should be some fine aged whisky,not cheap beer.....

[Smokeater]

Yep--according to the story teller

When we pig hunted on the King Ranch many years ago, that was the story we heard about how they do their deer hunts. That wasn't the price but to keep peeps from just blasting away, they told em they had one shot....practice as much as you need beforehand but you have one shot. I thought it was kinda cool.

[Radar]

What ever I pay to hunt is my business. I reckon my mind aint big enough to understand why some one would care what I pay for anything.

I dont mean that in a bad way, but dang, y'all get worked up on this paid hunting stuff. Why? Who cares if I pay 10,000 for an elk hunt on public land ? Or pay 15,000 for a whitetail? I went Mountain lion hunting twice before I got one and paid for each hunt. I have seen some posts on TBH where guys pay 100.00 for a bottle of whisky, 20.00 for a cigar or 70,000 for a pick up truck. 2500.00 for a pair of binos or riflescope, 1000.00 for a new bow is common now.

Sooner or later the market will correct it self. Young uns nowadays aint got no interest in hunting cause they aint got no patience, they want something right now .

It isn’t worth fussing about unless the bone is showing or you ain’t got no feeling in it.

[sharpstick35]

I take the wife and kids every time i go, usually for 5 or 6 days at a time once a month. they hate living in town but thats where the work is. my 3 yo has been riding trails out there since the womb.

[Black Ice]

It’s such a gamble to pay for a three to five day hunt at 3-5k and potentially not kill something I can’t bring myself to do it. If I was rollin in the dough that might be a different story but alas, I ain’t rollin in the dough.


Sierracharlie out…

I can’t make myself do it either. I wouldn’t mind paying for food and boarding but that’s it if I didn’t kill. I would also like it to be a real hunt not kick and shoot.

I actually would probably prefer to hunt a ranch that is wanting to offset their protein cost and not so much an outfitter.

I would pay as much as $5,000.


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[jshouse]

Hunter recruitment loss is due to several factors. Today's society of increasing snowflakes is one of them. It was once tradition that people hunted and took their kids, and it continued that way up until the mid 70's and early 80's. Now, most kids are more into their electronic devices than the outdoors. Personally, I blame the parents for that...

Made me think of this...



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[Radar]

It’s such a gamble to pay for a three to five day hunt at 3-5k and potentially not kill something I can’t bring myself to do it. If I was rollin in the dough that might be a different story but alas, I ain’t rollin in the dough.


Sierracharlie out…

That is why it is called hunting and not “killing”.

I can guarantee you that I see people planted in front of a slot machine spending their last dime to be a millionaire , and they ain’t got a pot to pizz in. I see it at the gas stations with them danged ol scratch off tickets. So if I save my money up and spend it on a hunt instead of bullchit what’s wrong with that.

[Gherkin05]

I would not. I'd rather put that money towards land ownership. People can do whatever they can afford and there's a lot of money out there. I hear these conversations at work a lot, I find them interesting. Whether it's a boat or a pen raised monster, people can buy what they want. The deer market is very strong in TX, that's for sure.

[JonW]

I don't think I can heartily agree with the idea that trophy hunting isn't a large factor in the increases in lease prices. I don't see many people paying $6K/gun to shoot yearling six pointers. There is a direct correlation in trophy opportunity (specifically antler size) and price for season leases, day leases, and outfitters.

I like a big buck as much as the next guy, but sometimes I'm glad squirrels don't have antlers.


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[Sika]

I don't see many people paying $6K/gun to shoot yearling six pointers.

That's because the market won't support it. The price of the lease depends on its attributes and someone's willingness to pay for it. I would expect a premium deer lease with trophy deer potential and nice facilities to cost much more than a low fence cow pasture in an area not known for quality deer.

[hooligan]

I don't think I can heartily agree with the idea that trophy hunting isn't a large factor in the increases in lease prices. I don't see many people paying $6K/gun to shoot yearling six pointers. There is a direct correlation in trophy opportunity (specifically antler size) and price for season leases, day leases, and outfitters.

I like a big buck as much as the next guy, but sometimes I'm glad squirrels don't have antlers.


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Lease prices increase because people pay them. Landowners have the ability to make some good coin off someone else so they do. Nothing wrong with it

[Encinal]

Prices of pen deer hunts have been going down for a while.