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Hunting = Rich mans sport?

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
Hunting may be a rich man's sport some day. Of course that depends on what "rich" is. For the price of a tag a person can hunt huge areas of the west for free. It will remain that way as long as our country is in existance. Here in Ohio we hunt small parcels and people guard them like a cemetary plot. Sorta like a fish guarding a nest... swim in circles making sure no one crosses the line. We just have too many fish in this pond. Guard your nest at the expense of just being able to enjoy being there.
yep everyone screams we need more hunters but in reality less and less land each year is open for hunting...its an equation that does not work no matter how many times you try to fudge the numbers.
 

JD Boyd

*Supporting Member*
3,173
0
Urbana
can I ask why? do you own your own land? Do you have family farms to hunt? Do you have great relationships with landowners? Do you hunt public?

I just think it all depends on situation, I think a bigger problem is HOW people hunt and WHY people hunt then if they pay to lease or buy a piecce of property.

Yes my dad owns some ok hunting ground. I seldom ever hunt it though because I let other hunters hunt it. I hunt a lot of properties and it wouldn't be right if I only hunted it and hunt other properties to and not let anyone on ours. Hunters otta help other hunters out. If someone kills a big buck be happy for them. That's what has happened, a lot of hunters are jealous if someone kills a big one. I'm happy for someone to kill one because I know how hard it is. Sure I've been let down a few times about one getting killed but there will be more. That's what makes it such a fun sport...
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Yes my dad owns some ok hunting ground. I seldom ever hunt it though because I let other hunters hunt it. I hunt a lot of properties and it wouldn't be right if I only hunted it and hunt other properties to and not let anyone on ours. Hunters otta help other hunters out. If someone kills a big buck be happy for them. That's what has happened, a lot of hunters are jealous if someone kills a big one. I'm happy for someone to kill one because I know how hard it is. Sure I've been let down a few times about one getting killed but there will be more. That's what makes it such a fun sport...

Agreed!
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Yes my dad owns some ok hunting ground. I seldom ever hunt it though because I let other hunters hunt it. I hunt a lot of properties and it wouldn't be right if I only hunted it and hunt other properties to and not let anyone on ours. Hunters otta help other hunters out. If someone kills a big buck be happy for them. That's what has happened, a lot of hunters are jealous if someone kills a big one. I'm happy for someone to kill one because I know how hard it is. Sure I've been let down a few times about one getting killed but there will be more. That's what makes it such a fun sport...

Yeah. Your dads place is just "OK".. lmao





Granted he was 5 miles from where he should have been. Lol.
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
Joe, I agree with ya, just about everytime I get the answer.."well, we used to let people hunt here, but this person did this, and this person did that, so we jsut kicked everyone out and decided not to let anyone hunt at all", or I get "There is already a person hunting here". I am OK with #2, but dang, I hate to hear some dirtball hunter ruined a chance for someone else to land prime property. Regardless if its me or not...
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Joe, I agree with ya, just about everytime I get the answer.."well, we used to let people hunt here, but this person did this, and this person did that, so we jsut kicked everyone out and decided not to let anyone hunt at all", or I get "There is already a person hunting here". I am OK with #2, but dang, I hate to hear some dirtball hunter ruined a chance for someone else to land prime property. Regardless if its me or not...

Half the time I find out that number 2 is a lie. It's like saying. "I would, but". It's a way to say no while preserving a good appearance. Or it's their cousins, brothers, friend who only hunts two days of gun season, hasn't shown up for two years and thinks he's Stan Potts.

A month ago I actually created a trifold pamphlet to give them. It has information about me, who I am, I listed out in bullet format what I will and will not do on their property. It has my vehicle make and model, color, license plate, and hunting license number. I figure if they say no I can leave that with them and perhaps they will read it and get to know me a little better. Then when I stop by again they will be more willing to let me hunt. I haven't started using it yet as I haven't started knocking on doors. But I think it's a good idea
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Hunting is experienceing a boom now because it is all over TV. The shows make it look really easy and everyone is jumping on the idea of trophies. For some, hunting is a fad and the novelty will wear off. I liken it to golf. When Tiger Woods first hit the scene everybody decided to pick up clubs and hit the courses. Golf experienced a huge boom in the late 90's and early 00's. The TV ratings went way up and golf courses were crowded. Now, not so much. The novelty wore off.
Don't get me wrong, there are still alot of golfers, but nearly as many as there were from, I'd say, 1997 - 2007.

Hunting is experiencing a boom right now because couples want to be the next Lee and Tiffany and others see "Dream Season" and think it's an easy game.

Us guys on this forum? We are realists that have been in the game most of our lives and will continue to stay in it until we can't function on our own.

I just saw a tweet from James Harrison (LB for the Steelers) where he was at Cabela's getting outfitted with his Matthews bow. 20 years ago I doubt he would've even considered hunting. I can see him paying big bucks to do a guided hunt in Illinois. Heck, maybe he will even end up on TV with Michael Waddel, Blake Shelton, and that queer singer from Rascal Flatts. I must admit though, I enjoy when Blake Shelton is on the hunting shows. He's pretty dang funny.

I guess my point is that the media blew Tiger Woods up all over the TV and look what happened in golf. My father in law, who is a giant redneck, even went out bought every piece of equipment tiger endorsed.
The media is doing the same thing to deer hunting.

Oh, and you don't need those $1,000 bows. I love my $299 PSE I got on sale 5 years ago. It works just fine.
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,943
139
Yes my dad owns some ok hunting ground. I seldom ever hunt it though because I let other hunters hunt it. I hunt a lot of properties and it wouldn't be right if I only hunted it and hunt other properties to and not let anyone on ours. Hunters otta help other hunters out. If someone kills a big buck be happy for them. That's what has happened, a lot of hunters are jealous if someone kills a big one. I'm happy for someone to kill one because I know how hard it is. Sure I've been let down a few times about one getting killed but there will be more. That's what makes it such a fun sport...

Thanks for responding, and I was not attacking you sorry if It came across that way. I just have seen you on other sites and have always known you to be known as a good hunter who has killed a few HOGS! That being said, we could write books on jealousy in hunting. I find that I have it at times on my own place, but in my defense I spend all my time money and effort busting my butt to put in plots, check cams, run the saw, and I love it, but my deer numbers are just not that high. I do not want to let every guy that hunts come to my place. So I guess I might be one of those jealous guys! I am getting better every year tho!
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,943
139
James Harrison bought a bow? Holy hell, i thought he would just punch the buck in the face to kill it! The thought of that crazy man with a weapon is more scary then the idea of loosing all of our hunting land!
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
Thanks for responding, and I was not attacking you sorry if It came across that way. I just have seen you on other sites and have always known you to be known as a good hunter who has killed a few HOGS! That being said, we could write books on jealousy in hunting. I find that I have it at times on my own place, but in my defense I spend all my time money and effort busting my butt to put in plots, check cams, run the saw, and I love it, but my deer numbers are just not that high. I do not want to let every guy that hunts come to my place. So I guess I might be one of those jealous guys! I am getting better every year tho!

Not seeing deer at your place might be a totally different subject. Might not be anything at all wrong with what YOU are doing. Just another viewpoint of a bigger problem Ohio hunters are facing.

I wouldn't call buying a place, maintaining it, and not wanting to allow every Tom/Dick/Harry hunt it jealousy or being selfish. I would call that working your tail off and reaping the rewards for your hard work and efforts. So far, we have not seen a lot of socialism in deer hunting. If you bought it, you currently still have the right to make the decisions on your property. I don't think anyone is going to knock you for that. Good for you for taking the risks in purchasing property and for putting the effort into it to improve the land.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
At1010, the jealousy I was referring too was if someone kills a legal stud and rumors getting started by jealous idiots. An example would be, if you and I had hunting properties next to each other and one of us kills a slunger we both were after and then the other one assuming foul play and then spreading lies or contacting authorities for an investigation or something. The big buck craze has turned some hunters into greedy scum poachers and others into jealous idiots. Thankfully I've never been through either of these situations yet but I have never killed a world class deer either.
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,943
139
At1010, the jealousy I was referring too was if someone kills a legal stud and rumors getting started by jealous idiots. An example would be, if you and I had hunting properties next to each other and one of us kills a slunger we both were after and then the other one assuming foul play and then spreading lies or contacting authorities for an investigation or something. The big buck craze has turned some hunters into greedy scum poachers and others into jealous idiots. Thankfully I've never been through either of these situations yet but I have never killed a world class deer either.

Now that is a touchy subject and I can speak from experience. My neighbor is a good guy, real stand up dude, we have a great relationship. He however lets his brother bring whoever he wants to hunt during gun season, and they only have 30 acres. Well one year I was after a 147 inch main frame 10. I was hunting hard, and up until gun season I had this deer on camera ALOT. First day of gun season this guy lets his brother and his brothers friend go on the other side of my property which was owned by a timber company at the time. This area was basically anyone run of the mill, but I just choose never to go over there because I did not have written permission. Welp first day of gun ridge about 100 yards from my stand the NR shoots that buck. I was pissed off, not because I didnt get the buck, but that I spent about 100 hours in a tree and he shoots the buck off the farm he is supposed to be on. Now I did not make a big deal out of it, but I did wanna punch him in the mouth when he was all cocky about it the next day.

Overall my point is doing think that all big bucks are taken legally, if they got that big they got that way because they were super smart and because of the very point you have made about the BIG BUCK craze people will do whatever they need to do just to get bragging rights. That being said, when one of my friends or uncles kills a big buck I know they took it legally and I congratulate them.
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
I especially like the guys that bitch about a bow hunter that consistently kills mature deer....those are the real gems of the deer hunting world we live in.
 

Lundy

Member
1,307
127
I have been leasing the same property for hunting for over 20 years.

The landowner put an ad in the Columbus Dispatch on Sunday morning, the day before that start of the gun season. I was the first to his house that Sunday morning and he and I have had a very good relationship ever since

He was fed up with hunters. He used to allow access to just about anyone who asked. He finally grew weary of people treating him and his land with little to no respect and certainly no expressed gratitude for his generosity. He stated that the hunters viewed access as almost a right, not a privilege. He believed that if a hunter was willing to pay for access he would have a vested interest in treating the property with respect and maintaining a good working relationship. I think our 20+ year relationship proves his theory was correct.

In my opinion Jackalope has it mostly right. Past hunter issues may not be the only reason for refusal to allow hunter access by landowners, or leasing, but it certainly has played a large role in what hunter access has become today.

If I were a landowner I would have great difficulty granting hunter access to anyone that I didn't know extremely well, but that is just me. Being that I am NOT a landowner I am faced with choices. I chose to pay the price to lease hunting property, good for me and the landowner, really should not be anyone's business or concern but the landowner and me.

Times have changed, they are not the good ole days anymore and never will be again with hunter access or anything else.

Leasing for outfitting (profit) is a different subject totally in my mind. It , to me, should be regulated and licensed with some stringent income and tax reporting requirements