Opion on bowhunting ranch

[CrookedArrow]

I have a "few" questions, concerning bowhunting, on a private ranch. This seems like the place to poll some people so here goes. There are ranches that are "bow only". What is your opion on a large ranch, opened up to bow hunters, that has had mostly all guided rifle hunts? The ranch is rather large, and is intensley game managed for deer and other species. I had thought of opening up one large pasture for bow only hunts, the rest of the ranch being rifle hunters only. Please keep in mind we run guided hunts only, no leasing ect. I have also given the thought of just bringing in bowhunters when there are NO rifle hunters, and having the entire ranch to the bowhunters. I also have been looking at how much as far as price. I thought a daily fee, plus trophy fees. Here is the kicker, and I am not sure how well this goes over with bowhunters. Some of my low fence bucks, are pushing the high end 140 range. I can't say I can let that buck go cheaply. The effort of feeding year round, bringing in breeder deer is rather expansive, ect. Do bowhunting ranches place a trophy fee on the size and the hunter pays X amount or??? I would defiantely charge a daily fee, as we have a lodge, walk in cooler ect on site. Also just like my rifle hunters, if it bleeds you pay. Whether the animal is found or not. Give me your inputs and thoughts. I would greatly appreciate them. Thanks, Roy

[mesquitecountry]

For a 140 class i'd say you couldnt go much more than 2k. 1k-1500 for 130 class management deer. mix it up a bit. bow and rifle if you ask MO.

[CrookedArrow]

Thanks for the reply. Is a daily fee still applicable???? Do most bowhunters pay at least a daily fee then a trophy and/or mgt harvest??? I am sorry I am ranting, just want to get my ps and qs in order.

[Mudshack]

I don't know what most bowhunters would pay....

But I don't want to worry about inches=$ when I have a deer within the 30 yard kill zone. If he is 4.5-5.5 years old, mature that is what I am paying for. 130" vs 140" does not mean squat to me. $1500 for 5 hunts (morning/evening) and seeing deer, not neccessarily having a shot, but being in the deer. That is money well spent.

If I were to hunt this year it would have to be something like:
$150 daily fee for 3 days
$1000 kill fee for a mature buck.
Bed and shower included.


Shoot, I have 3 people ready to do that.

[flinch]

From what I've seen most popular bowhunting ranches charge a daily fee with a minimum amout of days, often around 3 days. They commonly do not charge a trophy fee if the bowhunting success rate is low, say less than 10%. They look at total animals taken and their costs associated with that and figure they are fairly compensated thru the daily fees only.

Now if its a high success rate, quality deer ranch with high success rates, then a trophy fee would be appropriate.

When bowhunters are on your place I think we need a separate area for us to hunt. Rifle hunting and bowhunting are two different styles of hunting and we could get in each others way. Bowhunters are commonly assigned much smaller acreage amounts than rifle hunters since we usually only stand hunt in thick limited visability areas while a rifle hunter may cover thousands of acres while high-racking and rattling.

[CrookedArrow]

I don't know what most bowhunters would pay....

But I don't want to worry about inches=$ when I have a deer within the 30 yard kill zone. If he is 4.5-5.5 years old, mature that is what I am paying for. 130" vs 140" does not mean squat to me. $1500 for 5 hunts (morning/evening) and seeing deer, not neccessarily having a shot, but being in the deer. That is money well spent.

If I were to hunt this year it would have to be something like:
$150 daily fee for 3 days
$1000 kill fee for a mature buck.
Bed and shower included.


Shoot, I have 3 people ready to do that.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm does a high fence matter to ya??? The reason I ask is that my low fence is 32,000 acres. Our hi fence is 4,000 acres, on the same ranch. Our success rate is very high, and no I am not tryting to brag. I know bowhunters want to see deer, and the icing is the harvest. Ours has an added bonus as there are whitetail and Mule deer. I know we will have some mgt. bucks coming off this year, more so off the high fence area. Thanks for the heads up guys, I really do appreciate it

[barnett77859]

crookedarrow
I think you are trying to get rich. When I pay to hunt I dont expect to pay for what I kill thats like going fishing and having to pay for the fish you catch. Pay a set price and get what you kill for that price.

[CrookedArrow]

crookedarrow
I think you are trying to get rich. When I pay to hunt I dont expect to pay for what I kill thats like going fishing and having to pay for the fish you catch. Pay a set price and get what you kill for that price.

rich??? hmmmmmmmmmmmmm I guess you never have fished at a "pay lake?"

[Matador]

With cost of land feed and maintenance he is not going to get RICH selling deer hunts.

[CrookedArrow]

With cost of land feed and maintenance he is not going to get RICH selling deer hunts.

You are EXACTLY CORRECT. Last year we spent $20,000, just in supplemental feed. This aint cheap, but most people feel it is. Until you have walked in those shoes, one might never know. This is why I began doing doe hunts, javelina hunts, turkey hunts ect. To supplement the deer hunts.

[Burnadell]

Crooked Arrow, do you own this ranch, and where is it located, how many acres, etc.?

[Shortbow]

I like the idea of a kill fee over a set rate. If I go to a ranch and pay $2000 then dont see anything I can shoot, I would feel cheated. However, if I went and paid $200 a day for 3 days and shot a nice P&Y which cost me an additional $1400, that sounds better to me.

However, at this point in my life $2000 is a lot of money to for me to spend in 3 - 5 days. I would rather spend that money on a lease and try to do it myself. I know there are a lot of guys who can afford dropping that kind of money on a regular basis, I hope I reach that point some day.

Now a 3 day hunt for $800 (no kill fee) with a good chance at a p&y sounds fine to me too. Of coarse I may only be wishfull thinking.

[Deep Creek Ranch]

People that are complaning about the price of A trophy Deer Don't relize the cost that it takes to Produce one. I have high fencend my ranch to control the age structure and quality of the deer. The fence alone is 370.00 for 100yrds. If i did not have this fence i would probably not have a deer left because of the un educated people in my area. They think you shoot everything. I stocked every deer on my place and payed well over 1500.00 a peice for Whitetails of decent quailty at yearlings. Feed cost is about 2000.00 a month not counting the money spent putting in alfafa feilds and clover food plots. I have had my place for about 4 years and now have deer in the 170 inch range. Name any lease in texas Where this can be seen. Think about this before you complain again, most people pay between 1000.00 to 1500.00 for a yearly lease in texas. If you had that lease for five years you have spent between 5000.00 and 7500.00 not counting the feed and time and gas spent getting their and back. 5 years about 10,000.00 or more. Next think about how many P&Y bucks you have taken in those five years, MOst of you not any, some maybe one in the 125 inch range, If luck happen some do get a nice buck, Congrats its like hitting the lottery. I think if i was a person not having my own place that i would save my money and go one one good hunt each year for a quality deer and get to see 5-10 deer or more a day in the 125-150 inch range and maybe even one in the 170 's or higher. One could Probably shoot a managment buck 120-130 for about 2500.00 including 3-4 day stay maybe even chaper. Think about this 1500.00 leases, Distance to leases, 200 miles one way, Gas prices 2.79 gallon, Corn 6.00 bag with the price increases,each feeder holds 7 bags which by the way has very little nutrtion, Average weekend of food 50-100 dollars, and finally the divorce if married, because your never home on the weekends to take her out. The guy above is not to high probably way to cheap.

[KSHogman]

You can shoot a 140 class buck here in KS for a case of beer.

[jake-1024]

DeepCreek,
that's half the fun of a lease to me. the drive to the lease, going out and filling feeders, getting to spend that extra time out at the lease. i can see where some people would spend that kind of money on 4-5 days of hunting, but it would be hard to talk me into it no matter what kind of deer i "may" get a shot at. nothing is guaranteed in bowhunting. that's what makes it great, but i would much rather have a lot of days of hunting for my money more than just getting to shoot a big buck. that's just my opinion though.