Hunting Trips or a Good Lease?

[Abcdj]

When I switched jobs ten years ago it allowed me to begin hunting a lot more than the previous twenty years did. I was fortunate to land on a really good place with great friends too. We have put in many hours of hard work and poured a lot of money into the place getting it to the point it is today. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I love spending time with everyone on our place most every weekend of deer season.

I have done some thinking the last 2 or 3 years that I am not getting any younger. Should I get off the place I am on now and go on 1 or 2 hunting trips a year and experience new places, people and animals. For the most part I have always hunted whitetails. We do have turkeys, hogs, javalina's and quail.

I can't do public land draw hunts due to my work schedule.

I would like to be able to hunt black buck, aoudad, pronghorn and axis. My bucket list would be a big mule deer and elk.

I do have a hunting budget. I figure I spend around $6500+/- a year now. This includes everything associated with hunting. I am only telling yall my budget to answer my questions below. I know this is a lot of money to some (including me) and not much to others.

Affording both a lease and taking trips is not an option.

Questions:
1. Is it worth getting off an established place with good hunting and great people?

2. Can I even do the hunts I am wanting to do on my budget?

3. Would you do it to experience different places, people and animals?

4. For the Mule deer and elk i would have to not go hunting for 1-2 years for each of theses and save up enough to do this right. Is this worth it or even an option?

[gingib]

I would rather have my own place I can manage and go to year around with hogs to hunt but that is just me.

I love the management part

[Patton]

I think for that price you could get on somewhere in the Hill Country and have a good shot at exotics each year. Whether you want to or not is up to you, but I do think its possible and affordable in your budget. It's all about founding the right land, landowner, and lease package. Easier said than done

2.Yes

3. Yes, I love hunting different animals. Another reason why the hill country is hard to beat.

4. You could start putting in for the drawn tags. However I think you can get an over the counter (OTC) elk for $500-$600. Hire a guide and go from there. Could keep it under $6500 for sure.

[Shane]

If you have all of that stuff on the bucket list and you can't do those hunts if you are on a lease, then that pretty much answers the question to me. Unless staying on the lease is more important to you than the bucket list hunts, that is. Only you can answer that question. Talk to your buddies about it. Maybe one or two of them would be interested in joining you on the bucket list hunts. That would give you the fun of still hunting with your friends along with the bucket list hunts.

You can find a mule deer hunt for your $6,500 budget. You can spend WAY more than that too, but you can find a good hunt for that. Same for elk. You may not kill a record book animal, but you can get those hunts done without skipping a year of hunting. Again, just your priorities and your wishes.

[hchntr]

If you've got a good lease that you are truly enjoying, I'd keep doing that. Good leases are very hard to come by. In the mean time, save extra money and do a different hunt every couple years or so.

[SB09]

Depends. Do you still enjoy all the things you mention in your first paragraph? If so, that's what being on a lease is all about to me. Or, are your interest leaning more towards going on hunts elsewhere and hunting new species? It all comes down to what you value most at this point in life. Personally, I'd rather comradery a lease provides. Either way, as long as you're hunting.

[Drycreek3189]

Only you can answer this question.

[Phillip Fields]

That is a tough call. There's a lot to be said for being on a good lease with friends. On a $6500 +/- budget you could do some great out of state hunts. I really enjoy hunting new animals and places. For me I would lean toward going for the different people, places and animals. I've met some great people in hunting camps from Alaska to Africa.

[Swooshski]

Only you can answer this question.

This.

Years and years ago in a younger life I really connected with this song because of things going on with me at that time, and through the years whenever I've had tough life decisions to make I find myself always going back to it. As I have gotten older, and lost good friends, I have learned to appreciate time with them more than the taking of an animal.

Maybe it will help you with your decision?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n46-IXL79Tg

[TKRanch]

One question might be what makes up the $6500? I mean, you certainly have the lease price and the feed and travel. Other than that, what makes up that $$. If the lease is $6500 by itself then the issue is whether or not the entire package with friends and everything is worth it and if you would like hunting on a "bucket list" hunt by yourself? If the lease is something like $3000, and the rest is various expenses, I would first look if I could cut some of those expenses enough to eek out a an exotic hunt here and there since you presumably have all the necessary gear and only would need the $ for the hunt itself.

Now, when you get to the BIG Game like Elk, Mulies, Alaska and stuff like that, It might be a tougher decision becuase those are going to most likely cost an additional $5000 minimum...... but boy are they fun!

I have been lucky enough to do some of both and have enjoyed them both, but to be honest, I have never even wanted to go do a hunt by my self..... lease or paid hunt. I always wanted to have a friend to share it with and I am glad I did.

Good luck, tough decision!

[BrandonA]

For me personally I would look at the Bucket List

[J-Bob]

I would probably go bucket list if I had a hunting buddy to share the experiences with. If not I would stay on the lease. Sounds like a great group and set-up.

[Codie]

My dad and I just went through this decision over the last month - We ended up sticking with the lease route again because the "hunting trip" budget was not going to get us very far as a family with 4 hunters and my oldest son (about to be 8yrs old) is as eat up with the outdoors as I am and I don't think we could handle only getting into the woods 1-2 times every year. My dad does not hunt, but pays for everything and enjoys sitting in the camp watching animals in the mornings at the camp feeder while he drinks his coffee. Not a whole lot of time to do that if all you are doing is going on 1 weekend hunting trip. Hopefully the drought has been the reason for our poor antler quality and age structure of the herd and we will have a better season this upcoming deer season. This will be year #3 on this place and I think it is about time that we at least see a buck over 125" on camera. Time will tell

[flywise]

If you have never experienced other types of hunting I'd say go on some trips
Like you mentioned, new places, game, and experiences

[JTeLarkin08]

Lots of really good hunts that you can go on for 6500$. Ill be honest i could care less if i shoot another whitetail in the next 15 years but you can bet ill be going on cool hunts for other stuff.