Trophy Hunting is Expensive

[muddyz]

I’m seeing all kinds of leases these days going for $10-$15 an acre and filling them with about 250-350 acres per gun. I’m talking about NW of DFW, not you SE TX guys where that’s a lot of land. I’m not here to complain about land prices, it is what it is.

But These places all talk about Management hunting and shooting the right deer, but man there’s just no way with that many hunters. And I’ve talked to a bunch of them and seen the pictures. They aren’t killing great big or old deer. They shoot what they want to it seems like.

How many of you are willing and able to pay whatever it cost year PLUS feed to be on a REAL managed place, where you shoot 5.5-6.5 year old 160” (preferably bigger) deer and PROPER culls. Otherwise you pass on them?

I’m talking about a place with a section to 800 acres per Hunter. Year round protein. Corn in season. Community hunting property where you all
Work hard and maintain the place and you all work together and get along to hunt and manage and kill big deer? You all agree on stand locations and build them together. You run cell cameras where everyone has the app and can see the pics. Where you talk about and build a list of shooters or NO SHOOT deer? A place that you have a 3 year contract?

At today’s land prices and ag commodities influencing feed I think this is going to cost $12-13k.

Are there guys out there that want to do this?

[Greenheadless]

It is all about $/per acre and how many acres it takes to produce true trophies.

To produce a B&C deer consistently each year, most well managed low fences places need 1,500 - 2,500 acres per said deer.

That many acres x $X /acre is usually in the price range you mentioned. This is 1500 to 2500 acres per hunter.

This doesn’t include feed.

[BLee15]

I wouldn’t pay 5k for a lease and not shoot a deer I can tell you that. It’s expensive to grow 160+ deer on low fence anywhere in Texas

[sneaky freak]

I’m seeing all kinds of leases these days going for $10-$15 an acre and filling them with about 250-350 acres per gun. I’m talking about NW of DFW, not you SE TX guys where that’s a lot of land. I’m not here to complain about land prices, it is what it is.

But These places all talk about Management hunting and shooting the right deer, but man there’s just no way with that many hunters. And I’ve talked to a bunch of them and seen the pictures. They aren’t killing great big or old deer. They shoot what they want to it seems like.

How many of you are willing and able to pay whatever it cost year PLUS feed to be on a REAL managed place, where you shoot 5.5-6.5 year old 160” (preferably bigger) deer and PROPER culls. Otherwise you pass on them?

I’m talking about a place with a section to 800 acres per Hunter. Year round protein. Corn in season. Community hunting property where you all
Work hard and maintain the place and you all work together and get along to hunt and manage and kill big deer? You all agree on stand locations and build them together. You run cell cameras where everyone has the app and can see the pics. Where you talk about and build a list of shooters or NO SHOOT deer? A place that you have a 3 year contract?

At today’s land prices and ag commodities influencing feed I think this is going to cost $12-13k.

Are there guys out there that want to do this?

You nailed it if you want to hunt a place like you described and be able to do it affordable cross the river and come hunt ole mexico, that's what I did 4 yrs ago and will never lease in tx again. Mexico is to me truly the last frontier for where we live.

[Grayson]

Land ownership is way more expensive.

[Lynn21]

It’s a waste of time and money to feed protein and try to manage bucks on a low fence ranch-UNLESS- your neighbors are doing it too. A barbed wire fence means nothing to a deer. Feed him all year and watch him at your feeder, then leave and jump on your neighbors place, and then hear a shot….

[SaintBlaise]

I'm sure you could get enough hunters to make it happen. Here's how...find the ranch you want, then negotiate to pay 25% more for the lease than he is getting, with the objective of growing 160s. It's a win for the rancher because he makes more and has less hunters to deal with.

Otherwise, you are describing high fence.

[rut-ro]

Land ownership is way more expensive.

This is no lie here. I always wanted to own land until I married into it. I had no idea how much it cost a year to keep the place up and looking good. I enjoy the heck out of it but dang this land don’t keep its self up. Ranchers are not getting rich off of hunters.

[curtintex]

Land ownership is way more expensive.

Amen. Killed 4 deer off of our place last year. Figure it was about $500/lb.

[texasdeerhunter]

Don’t forget that you have to have the genetics to grow big deer too. You can manage and feed all you want, but if the genetics aren’t there, you are spinning your wheels. Parts of Texas obviously have better genetics than others generally speaking

[SabineHunter]

I ain't that mad at deer and I certainly don't want to be a deer farmer, and have someone telling me what I can or can't shoot. I will continue to hunt E. Texas and I have a target 160 inch way back there in SNF. Way I look at it, even though it's work getting there and dragging it out, it's a whole lot less than a lease.

[Ksbowhunter]

Waste of time in Texas unless it’s high fenced. The rifle season is way too long.

[Drycreek3189]

I’m not a trophy huner, but if I were, I would pay to go and kill a deer that I liked from a pay-to-play ranch. Much less work and probably cheaper in the long run. Certainly much less hassle.

[jerp]

I’m not a trophy huner, but if I were, I would pay to go and kill a deer that I liked from a pay-to-play ranch. Much less work and probably cheaper in the long run. Certainly much less hassle.

I agree. I have a place to hunt that is close enough to go for one night where I can put a couple of does in the freezer and shoot pigs. If I get a hankering for a wall hanger (that urge is fading) I will also go pay-to-play for a few days. Just reading about what it takes to maintain a true trophy lease in time money and effort is exhausting. Not to mentioned the drama of “kill lists” and the pressure of all the restrictions. Of course this explains why I don’t have a trophy room

[WBT]

I've looked (unsuccessfully) for a legitimate trophy hunting lease in north/northwest Texas without any luck. At this point, I'm thinking I'd be better off driving up to Oklahoma or Kansas.