Cheapskate Pay by the Day Hunters... How Do You Do It?

[McPatrickClan]

I am in a similar situation. What I do is look for ranches with leftover MLD tags after general season closes. Can get some pretty good hunts.

Are these private day leases or just landowners?

[easeup]

.................................................. .........................
1. Public Land
2a. Private Land you Rent
2b. Private Land You Own

Choice #1 is cheap and can be good, but it is a pretty big time investment.

Choice #2a is expensive, can be good and is a time-saver if you go with a good day lease.
.................................................. .................................................. ....

So I keep looking at #2a... .................................................. ................. I have such a hard time paying the base fees knowing you may kill nothing...

You other cheapskates who do the day lease route, how do you justify it in your mind? Do you have a spending limit or way you go about it?

how do you justify anything you do?

Is hunting just a go do activity, follow a couple of rules, and then get a door prize, then somehow become satisfied with the whole deal?

I was think about your avatar....I presume maybe a son...maybe not.....the pic makes one think of the pride that comes after some athletic accomplishment after years of time, expense, hard work, commitment, and maybe pain and suffering with injury. why? How is all of that justified? What if there was no payoff? Especially if ones efforts went unrecognized by extended time on the bench waiting for a chance to play. What if one is cut or hit by serious injury? Is it really about a big payout?

Well back to hunting and fishing, I recall years back my son asked me one time, dad how do you find all these places we go? Well.....the answer is simple. I went and looked. All of the days and expense of checking out the loser places I tried he didn't need to know about. He didnt ask me what it cost me. Right? He was asking, how do I........make life good!

how do you justify it in your mind? or way you go about it?

[bow newby]

Are these private day leases or just landowners?

I have done both. There are day lease groups on Facebook. Just need to be careful due to typical Facebook stuff. Look in ads on Texas Hunting Forum also

[hpdrifter]

I have resorted to #1. Super cheapskate!

I don't hunt just to kill anymore. I enjoy the whole experience; sunrise, anticipation, frustration, exploration, etc.
I just go once a year now(most years) on a couple of day trip. If I am fortunate and kill a deer, I thank the Creator for the blessing.
Even at today's prices, beef is a lot cheaper than venison.

[McPatrickClan]

Thx HPDrifter- this is where I am seeing opportunity- shifting my mindset to enjoying the entire experience regardless of successful shot.

[hpdrifter]

Thx HPDrifter- this is where I am seeing opportunity- shifting my mindset to enjoying the entire experience regardless of successful shot.

BTW: I used to get the Annual Hunting Permit. Not any more. I've come to "think" that the crowd goes to the WMA's thinking that it is a sanctuary. I've found it to be quite the opposite.
Seems there are hunters every 500 yards or so. When I go to just the National Forest I hardly ever run into other hunters(except for special occasions; opening and Thanksgiving.) Even Thanksgiving isn't that crowded.

[txtrophy85]

Thx HPDrifter- this is where I am seeing opportunity- shifting my mindset to enjoying the entire experience regardless of successful shot.

In all seriousness, maybe a camping trip with hiking or a little creek/river fishing mixed in will fulfill you.

It doesn’t sound like the hunting aspect is all that appealing to you

[McPatrickClan]

In all seriousness, maybe a camping trip with hiking or a little creek/river fishing mixed in will fulfill you.

It doesn’t sound like the hunting aspect is all that appealing to you

Good comment. I'm fulfilled by all three. I've not been a very successful hunter but had a few wins afield.

The interesting thing is that my question was originally about stomaching paying hundreds of dollars regardless of getting a shot (day lease). Frugal guys on the board get my Q.

What's developed is a side conversation between guys that are sick of spending weekend after weekend with no quality shots/looks and others who feel like the whole point of hunting is being outdoors, enjoying God's creation, regardless of whether you fill your tag or not.

I'd love to be locked into the latter mindset, but I'll admit, the former nags at me pretty consistently.

[hpdrifter]

In all seriousness, maybe a camping trip with hiking or a little creek/river fishing mixed in will fulfill you.

It doesn’t sound like the hunting aspect is all that appealing to you

I like hunting. It's quite a difference going out with bow or rifle in hand than just a walk in the woods. Sounds are different when you are in the "prey" mindset.
Muffled wings in the forest, a coyote howl, or an animal scratching in the leaves all mean a little more to me when I am in the hunting mode.

I guess it's just the romance of it all, but it's different than a walk in the woods.

I like hunting, but paying $2000+ puts pressure on me to utilize the whole season and I am not that dedicated anymore.?
I've killed my share of deer, but I could always use one more in the fridge!

Not appealing? Wrong word(s). Not important enough to be squeezed into a corner; maybe.
So, I go the relaxed route and take my bounty when it presents itself.

[BTLowry]

Can you explain this? Thanks.

Sorry, just checked back

1) Cheapest (usually) but least likely to connect on a good deer.

2a) When I posted I was focused on day hunt on a well managed place, was not even considering a season lease. Someone else has put years of feeding and managing so you can come out and get a good deer. Using $***x.xx for the cost of hunt, most people will spend many times that on an annual lease to kill the same quality of deer.

2b) Owning your own place is great. But it also comes with a bigger price tag and requires you to put in lots of sweat equity. Lot's of people do not have the time required to work to pay the mortgage AND work to maintain.

That is just my opinion and may not reflect what others think

[McPatrickClan]

Thanks BT