Why do people complain about the rising price of deer hunting...

[Encinal]

1. Because hunting is too expensive.

2. Because nobody likes ****ographic antlers.

What if they aren’t?

Seems like we have two different things for sale maybe?

Access to land VS chance shooting a deer... and any combination of the Two is more valuable but either by itself?

[Texas Grown]

I lease my land (Federal public lands) from Uncle Sam when I pay my Fed taxes. Seems my taxes are always going up. So I guess my lease price is always going up.

[kyle1974]

apples and oranges. the reduction in prices for "big deer" on book hunts has little to nothing to do with lease prices. land prices go up, leases prices go up. "big deer" market is flooded, but it's still not a deer lease.

people die, land gets split among their kids, ranches get turned into ranchettes, and fewer big places are available decade after decade.

if you want a discussion, we could talk about the true "big money" in deer hunting and why they're angling to stop deer breeding

[CaptainDave]

I think it's just a mix of a lot of variables. However, population growth of the State can't be ignored. Combine that with urban sprawl and the overall decrease in available hunting land; prices will increase. Also, there may be less hunters as a percentage of the total population, but there are more hunters/fishing licenses sold today than years before.

As for the OP question, I don't think deer breeding and pen raised deer have had all that much affect on prices. As someone else mention, that's not really the market for the average hunter.

I would also agree with the notion that people just like to complain. Let's be honest. Some hunters are willing to drop a grand on a new I-phone, pay $200-300 cell phone bill monthly for a high-data family plan, drive a 3/4 ton diesel that typically pulls an invisible trailer...then complain about an annual lease fee. It's really no different than the guys down on the coast with the tricked out, custom flats boats, complaining about the bait camp raising the launch fee from $5 to $10.

[lovemylegacy]

But then hate deer breeding which has lowered the price to the consumer of big deer?

Note:

This is a discussion thread, not a bash thread.

Let’s explore our core values as hunters and be introspective about what we truly value, because all of us value things slightly differently.

You can sale me a trophy hunt for $1300?

[BrandonA]

for a couple reasons I think. First, some hunters do not know how much it actually takes to own a farm and the owner passes some expenses off on the hunters. Such as the taxes when property values go up.

Another thing is many have gotten away from the basics. They want all the newest gear, apps, toys. Don't get me wrong, I have them too but my grandfather hunted in blue jeans and just sat next to a tree. Times have changed and people like taking the easier road than our parents took.

Marketing has been big. If you watch a hunting show you will see about 11 minutes of product commercials for a 30 minute hunting show. Everything gurantees you will harvest a better buck, bird or whatever without them smelling you.

The last thing is inflation. Everything has gone up over the last 20 years except jack in the box tacos. They are still 2 for .99 cents. Either they hold their value really well or Jack in the box has been screwing me over for 20 years.

This is about how I feel. We make hunting a hell of a lot more expensive than it has to be. Lease cost is usually the cheap part.

[elgato]

Answering the question from a different perspective, there is no way I could charge enough to hunt the few native genetic home grown trophy deer I can grow each year and even cover feed seed and labor cost. If I were selling enough of the top end bucks each year to cover cost much less make a profit in short time there wouldn't be any top end bucks.

[M16]

You can sale me a trophy hunt for $1300?

Try asking if he can sell you a trophy hunt. Not everybody understands “TBH” English.

[M16]

Answering the question from a different perspective, there is no way I could charge enough to hunt the few native genetic home grown trophy deer I can grow each year and even cover feed seed and labor cost. If I were selling enough of the top end bucks each year to cover cost much less make a profit in short time there wouldn't be any top end bucks.

Truth! Talk about a money pit! It’s cheaper to get on a $25,000 a year lease.

[lovemylegacy]

Try asking if he can sell you a trophy hunt. Not everybody understands “TBH” English.

When I typed it, I knew someone would say something.

[elgato]

Truth! Talk about a money pit! It’s cheaper to get on a $25,000 a year lease.

Amen!!! $25,000 doesn't touch it

[Encinal]

You can sale me a trophy hunt for $1300?

Im not a deer breeder.

[Jspradley]

Has deer breeding actually lowered the cost of anything?

I'm genuinely curious about that because I seriously doubt that is accurate, could be wrong though

[Arrowthreat]

Not sure how deer breeding has anything to do with the rising cost of low fence deer leases.


People charge more because they can make more. Not sure inflation has that much of an impact. Every year the price of the leases seems to go up because guys know someone will pay it. I don’t blame them. Some people do it for a living.

Also, I think more people are leasing land now than what they use to. I grew up on a Ranch outside of Llano. There’s always been a lot of hunters in the area, but there’s way more now. It seems like every property is leased for hunting. These old school ranchers are dying off and not being replaced. Their kids are figuring out they can make more money off leasing that property out for hunting than trying to raise cattle. They just want to make money like everyone else, so their practically just naming their price.

[Sika]

I don’t think the people complaining about the ever rising cost of leases are in the same market as people buying trophy deer hunts.
Supply of trophy deer is high now because of an abundance of breeding operations...which is great for buyers of trophy hunts.
The supply of season leases is low, and getting lower all the time. It’s gotten to where landowners can charge almost whatever they want for a lease and somebody will snatch it up.
Just to be clear, I believe deer breeding has nothing to do with the rising cost of hunting in Texas. Though it’s hard to convince some folks.