Yearly income to hunt hill country

[12thman]

You can find a hill country lease for less that $3-4K. May have to find a small acreage spot but mine has been great for the last 13 years. Bottom line is budget, priorities, and determining if you need some extra source of income to help.

[Turbo6]

I understand the budgeting of it. And yes I guess your right, I work my standard 40hr week then two regular side jobs. I've never been the guy that can go out and buy a new sxs or 4 wheeler. I've always have bought cheap and worked on and fixed up good enough to use. I also understand that in the area I live in right now the salary for what I do is sad.
Your right hully1029 I will have a hill country lease one day, might be down the road but it will happen.
I'm fortunate to be a ke ro hunt and am thankful for that. I'm taking my oldest on his first sit this week after he gets out of school. I have as my own lease that I paid for sense I was old enough not to.hunt under my dad 18yrs old that we lost a few years ago in Anderson County.
But it seems that hunting is becoming a rich man's sport and a statis symbol and less about feeding the family.
It just seems that if your not a Dr or a lawyer you can afford to hunt the rocks and cactus anymore.

You will never be able to afford a lease or anything with that attitude. Aim high in life, if you miss youre in the same spot you are now. I'm not rich by any means but live super comfortable because I always wanted more in life. New job, better salary, opportunity, etc.

It's people that "settle" that always complain they don't have enough in life. Go get it!

[BowSlayer]

I don't make a lot of money and have hunted there for years. All about what you make a priority. My son always said "Must be nice to be able to afford a place out there". I told him he spends more per month on cigarettes than I do on my lease. He hasn't mentioned it since.

[TheHammer]

All about priorities!

[curtintex]

I understand the budgeting of it. And yes I guess your right, I work my standard 40hr week then two regular side jobs. I've never been the guy that can go out and buy a new sxs or 4 wheeler. I've always have bought cheap and worked on and fixed up good enough to use. I also understand that in the area I live in right now the salary for what I do is sad.
Your right hully1029 I will have a hill country lease one day, might be down the road but it will happen.
I'm fortunate to be a ke ro hunt and am thankful for that. I'm taking my oldest on his first sit this week after he gets out of school. I have as my own lease that I paid for sense I was old enough not to.hunt under my dad 18yrs old that we lost a few years ago in Anderson County.
But it seems that hunting is becoming a rich man's sport and a statis symbol and less about feeding the family.
It just seems that if your not a Dr or a lawyer you can afford to hunt the rocks and cactus anymore.

I don't know very many doctors or lawyers, but I know a lot of cops, firemen, factory workers, construction hands, plumbers, electricians, etc. that hunt the hill country. They can afford to do so, because they BUDGET to do so. I guess I can probably afford to hunt anywhere in the world that I want to, but that wasn't always the case. Heck, years ago, if I wanted to afford my old East Texas paper company lease then I had to make sacrifices in other areas. There are types of hunting that is catered more towards the wealthy. There is public land hunting that costs about $48 year. There are literally hundreds of options in between. Set you a lease budget and work towards making it a reality. Good luck!!!

[curtintex]

I understand the budgeting of it. And yes I guess your right, I work my standard 40hr week then two regular side jobs. I've never been the guy that can go out and buy a new sxs or 4 wheeler. I've always have bought cheap and worked on and fixed up good enough to use. I also understand that in the area I live in right now the salary for what I do is sad.
Your right hully1029 I will have a hill country lease one day, might be down the road but it will happen.
I'm fortunate to be a ke ro hunt and am thankful for that. I'm taking my oldest on his first sit this week after he gets out of school. I have as my own lease that I paid for sense I was old enough not to.hunt under my dad 18yrs old that we lost a few years ago in Anderson County.
But it seems that hunting is becoming a rich man's sport and a statis symbol and less about feeding the family.
It just seems that if your not a Dr or a lawyer you can afford to hunt the rocks and cactus anymore.

If you're worried about feeding your family, then a hill country lease is not near as cost efficient as your local Kroger store.

[FamousAmos]

I put $250 aside every month of the year for hunting. It covers my half of a hill country lease and corn for feeding September through December.

[S-3 Ranch]

I move from the south Texas/ carrizo springs area to the hill country
Lease in ST was $12000 per year, then owner required year round protein & cotton seed = another $1000 per month in feed then travel time and cost every month
Hillcounrty is definitely much more economic sense and does not require a 6 figure job
I see a feed dealership post on 2cool and I think he gets $56000 a year for a package deal ( land and feed cost) and that just makes the LO in South Texas feel pressure to follow their high $$$ programs, West Texas and Hillcounrty just makes more sense budget wise

[Mayhem]

I have been hunting west Texas for 15 years. I was not making what I make now and managed to afford it. I have since gotten married and had kids and still hunt the same lease. We make it a priority, as we enjoy it as a family.

Hill country deer leases are cheap compared to boats.

[hooligan]

But it seems that hunting is becoming a rich man's sport and a statis symbol and less about feeding the family.
It just seems that if your not a Dr or a lawyer you can afford to hunt the rocks and cactus anymore.

This is such a bs cop out for you don’t budget properly. Saying a hill country lease, or any lease is about feeding the family is complete bs. If you want to put meat on the table and that’s what your worried about go to Aldi or Costco. You want a hill country lease to spend time and enjoy it so make it a priority. Cut back on eating out, booze, etc and put that money in a lease fund.

[Take Dead Aim]

East Texas going to East Texas in this one.

[S-3 Ranch]

Starving to death trying to hunt

This is such a bs cop out for you don’t budget properly. Saying a hill country lease, or any lease is about feeding the family is complete bs. If you want to put meat on the table and that’s what your worried about go to Aldi or Costco. You want a hill country lease to spend time and enjoy it so make it a priority. Cut back on eating out, booze, etc and put that money in a lease fund.

I agree, and if meat is a priority, find a MLD 3 ranch , each year we had to kill around 60+ does and 30+ management bucks on our 15000 acres in Webb County
Before we could start our trophy hunting , so we never ever had a deer meat shortage on MLD ! Plus we had a few nilgai to

[mmlreiner]

Tough crowd. OP I understand how you feel and on the other end of things, I just had two of my closest friends have to back out of their obligations on one of my ranches in the hill country due to finances. I had been footing the bill for some time and had to call each of them and have the hard talk about “needs vs wants”. A lease is a luxury and not a need. If you want to come hunt with me a few times this year pm me, maybe we can work something out.


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[Tony Pic]

Lease fees make the landowner wealthy and you never get that money back. I say go look for a piece of land
and buy it. Plan for retirement and use it to hunt. It does not have to be a monster chunk of land. I hunt a 8 ac parcel that gives us and others hundreds of axis and whitetail through out the years. Buy it, own it and hunt how you like. Sell it and get your money back. Hill country land by me in Harper is going for 8-12k an acre now. An investment you can use. Hope you can make it happen.

[Keith]

It’s a lot easier when your spouse is on board with saving for and spending money on hunting also.

It helps even more if she inherited 1000+ acres in the hill country. LOL I wish I was that lucky!