Will Gas Prices Affect Your 22/23 Season?

[Shake N' Bake]

There are alot of 4,5, 6 guy groups that are booking their duck hunts for this winter that I bet will be 2 or 3 guns short when the hunt comes up and guys have to back out bc they don't have the money.

I hope you are getting non-refundable deposits!
My wife and I do about 4-500 skull mounts each season and we have never asked for deposits before but we will be this season.

[CTR0022]

I hope you are getting non-refundable deposits!
My wife and I do about 4-500 skull mounts each season and we have never asked for deposits before but we will be this season.

I'm sure most will collect there 20-25% deposit. The problem will come when the balance is due, plus travel expenses and everything else. Many will all of the sudden get "covid" and wont be able to make the trip.

[Capt Glenn]

I get a feeling "some" of the coastal fishing guides are seeing a draw back in business now.

I can confirm that for you. My spring was really strong but the number of trips are starting to slow down. Slowest June and July I've had. I am fortunate and have stayed busy enough but can't help but worry what is to come if the trend continues. It's going to be a lean year, no two ways about it. I've already tightened up in every way I can think of.

What I have noticed is the top tier guides are having a slower year but are still doing ok, still making a living. The middle tier guys are not very busy and are scrambling around trying to get trips any way they can. Lots and lots of them are running buddy trips and posting them on social media as if they were running guided trips trying to drum up interest. Some are raffling off trips on social media trying to book some trips that way. Anything to get that boat payment money. Then the lower end dudes aren't even working. There are a bunch of guides I have not even seen this year other than them going fishing for fun.

[Capt Glenn]

As for the original question, I will probably make fewer trips but stay longer. When I get to about Christmas Break I am pretty much free to hunt all I want until the end of the seadson. Last year I was going down to hunt for 3 or 4 days, coming home for 3 or 4 days and repeat. When we got cold weather I'd head down, when it heated up and the action slowed I'd come back home. I may make fewer trips home and just stay longer.

I also picked up a second lease closer to home. Like 30 min from the house. Mainly for early season hunting. I can run a fishing trip in the morning and go sit in a bow blind in the afternoon. We'll see how all of that plays out. It's more expense in fuel and feed over just having the one lease. We'll see how it goes. Matagorda County deer leases are scarce as hens teeth so I couldn't pass up having one close to home when the opportunity came up.

I don't think I'll hunt any less but it may alter how many times I go back and forth.

[hopedale]

It probably won't, but probably because I'm hunting public and not on a lease. With work and family, if I get 5 or 6 hunts in I'll be happy.

[Strummer]

It’s not really effecting my hunting . Sure Is effecting a lot of other things for me . My monthly fuel bill is over 900 bucks a month compared to about 250

[Hix]

No but fuel and corn will be my largest expense.


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[sako]

Last year my drive was 5 hours one way. Luckily, I found a lease that is 45 minutes away.....it will save me lots of money as much as I hunt.

[diamond10x]

Making a big move the middle of next month but fuel shouldn't slow me down as I don't have vehicle payments or lease fees and won't be driving far at all after the move.