Absolute biggest waste of money in hunting...

Gut Shot said:

X 2
I know some folks that will argue with you until they are blue in the face saying that it's cheaper than going to the grocery store and buying meat.

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Deer meat can be the cheapest or the most expensive meat you can eat. Just keep in mind that deer meat can be had pretty much for free-much cheaper than grocery store meat. I can kill a deer without investing more than a shell into it. I can also spend a fortune on it.

The key is that you don't have to spend a fortune on it. I can walk out my back door or drive a couple miles to the national forest and shoot a deer with the same rifle I bought in the 80s or the bow and arrows I made myself, and I have absolutely nothing invested except my $50 sportsman license, which will also let me kill five more deer, a bear, two turkeys, massive amounts of small game, and tons of fish.

I also drive to other states to hunt. And spend money on land and nonresident license and such there. Those deer cost me a lot more. But, I don't have to do that to kill one.

Deer meat can be free, or it can be more costly than Kobe beef. It's all in how you go about it. You absolutely do not have to have a lease, a fourwheeler, a new rifle/bow, expensive camo, a food plot, and all that to kill a deer. Some folks think you do.

DAVE said:

4x4 trucks, 4 wheelers, gps, cell phones, feeders, generators, food plots, deer carts, taxidermy, processors.

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Without my 4x4 I would have to walk a mile or more one way every time I hunted. Unless it doesn't rain for 3+ weeks.

No gonna happen

NCHillbilly said:

Deer meat can be the cheapest or the most expensive meat you can eat. Just keep in mind that deer meat can be had pretty much for free-much cheaper than grocery store meat. I can kill a deer without investing more than a shell into it. I can also spend a fortune on it.

The key is that you don't have to spend a fortune on it. I can walk out my back door or drive a couple miles to the national forest and shoot a deer with the same rifle I bought in the 80s or the bow and arrows I made myself, and I have absolutely nothing invested except my $50 sportsman license, which will also let me kill five more deer, a bear, two turkeys, massive amounts of small game, and tons of fish.

I also drive to other states to hunt. And spend money on land and nonresident license and such there. Those deer cost me a lot more. But, I don't have to do that to kill one.

Deer meat can be free, or it can be more costly than Kobe beef. It's all in how you go about it. You absolutely do not have to have a lease, a fourwheeler, a new rifle/bow, expensive camo, a food plot, and all that to kill a deer. Some folks think you do.

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I'm with you on this. Once you've purchased whatever you are going to purchase, all you technically need to re-buy every year is a hunting license. When you hunt WMA's every deer ya kill gets cheaper and cheaper.

I think this is the best hunting product on the market. I won't use another type of ammo ever!

DouglasB. said:

I'm with you on this. Once you've purchased whatever you are going to purchase, all you technically need to re-buy every year is a hunting license. When you hunt WMA's every deer ya kill gets cheaper and cheaper.

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I spend very little money on deer hunting. I've had most of my gear for a long, long time. I did buy a new (to me) pack this summer for the capacity to pack out my game. It will be used for backpacking trips also once I finish assembling my gear. I traded up a cool little homemade alcohol stove the other day that only weighs a couple of ounces. My licenses, ammo, and the gas to get to my hunting spots are my biggest expenses. I usually dont hunt too far from home but those 10 mile long Forest Service roads eat up a lot of gas.

I'd have a hard time picking any one thing as the biggest waste of money, since I've rarely ever bought any gadgets like yall are talking about. I did hunt with a guy one time who carried a Butt-out, and it made field-dressing a little easier that day, but I'm not going to go buy one.The $450 I spent to join the last club I was in was a total waste. Turned out the club was in complete disarray with the president going through a divorce. Nobody showed up at planned meetings except me, no-one would show me the property lines or where they were hunting, I didnt even know who else was in the club (no camping was allowed.) Opening morning I was sitting over a nice fresh rub-line when another member rode his 4-wheeler right through on his way to his stand. I was living in Gwinnett co. at the time and it took so long to get to my mountain hunting grounds I thought I'd try out the hunting club scene. Now I just stick to the WMAs and Forest Service lands all around me. I hardly ever see another hunter.

T-N-T said:

Without my 4x4 I would have to walk a mile or more one way every time I hunted. Unless it doesn't rain for 3+ weeks.

No gonna happen

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I have never bought a 4wd truck just for hunting, but I've had one all my life. A 4wd truck is an indispensable tool for me, living here where I do. I would not want to be without one, ever. Besides the off-road thing, I often need it on the road from about early November to mid-April. There are few things on earth more useless than a 2wd truck, at least if you don't live in the city.

DouglasB. said:

What do you think is the biggest waste of money when it comes to getting ready for the hunting season?

Personally, I think scentlok clothing is the biggest waste of cash. I don't see the need in it. Never have, never will.

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Extra bullets...

"Premium Ammunition"....You can kill a deer with a 22LR with minimal practice. How can someone justify spending in excess of $100 for 20 rounds of ammunition?

NCHillbilly said:

Deer meat can be the cheapest or the most expensive meat you can eat. Just keep in mind that deer meat can be had pretty much for free-much cheaper than grocery store meat. I can kill a deer without investing more than a shell into it. I can also spend a fortune on it.

The key is that you don't have to spend a fortune on it. I can walk out my back door or drive a couple miles to the national forest and shoot a deer with the same rifle I bought in the 80s or the bow and arrows I made myself, and I have absolutely nothing invested except my $50 sportsman license, which will also let me kill five more deer, a bear, two turkeys, massive amounts of small game, and tons of fish.

I also drive to other states to hunt. And spend money on land and nonresident license and such there. Those deer cost me a lot more. But, I don't have to do that to kill one.

Deer meat can be free, or it can be more costly than Kobe beef. It's all in how you go about it. You absolutely do not have to have a lease, a fourwheeler, a new rifle/bow, expensive camo, a food plot, and all that to kill a deer. Some folks think you do.

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All fair points, but if are truly trying to debate the economics of deer hunting to feed your family (as many like to do) then you also have to consider the fact that if you are doing it to provide for your family that you have to consider what you could make working during the time you are hunting instead then just buying meat with that money. Which will never provide an economic justification for hunting as a reasonable source of food

Biggest waste of money ever would be a high fence with no does inside of it. Just saying.....

Crakajak said:

Biggest waste of money ever would be a high fence with no does inside of it. Just saying.....

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True.

Crakajak said:

Biggest waste of money ever would be a high fence with no does inside of it. Just saying.....

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Not if you are the Ranch owner...Cant be mad because the business had the smart outlook to position themselves in a great position. If someone was willing to pay me in excess of $5,000 to shoot a deer in my back yard...Pretty sure I would allow it.

Teh Wicked said:

Not if you are the Ranch owner...Cant be mad because the business had the smart outlook to position themselves in a great position. If someone was willing to pay me in excess of $5,000 to shoot a deer in my back yard...Pretty sure I would allow it.

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You wouldn't have any deer unless you start importing them after a couple years.Trophy bucks go for a lot more than $5000.00

Roughly $25,000 a pop up into the $250,000 for a mature trophy buck depending on class and size of course.

Most of those "High Fence" ranches actually don't have many hunts. Simply put its to expensive for 95% of the population to hunt them. But they do however sell their off spring from the already established mature deer. And that gentlemen is where the big money is at in Deer hunting.

Got a distant family member through marriage in this business in Penn. and he sells whitetail's all over the United States just like a farm animal. Hunting getaways buy them at young ages so they can get in the population and produce several years of offspring before the deer is harvested. Usually only takes 1 good buck to establish a property if the land is managed properly. This family member has about 400 different bucks on his property to choose from. Some down in the 130-140 range and some that range in excess of 200" non-typical.

Teh Wicked said:

"Premium Ammunition"....You can kill a deer with a 22LR with minimal practice. How can someone justify spending in excess of $100 for 20 rounds of ammunition?

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Everyone knows that premium designer ammo is required to hit a buck that is in a flat out run at 500 yards from 80 ft up in a climbing stand.

Duh!!!

Trail cams that last one season! i have probably spend $800 on trailcams over the past few years and I will never buy another one. I have gotten to the point that I would rather not know what is in the woods around me and be completely surprised when I see a nice buck.

Teh Wicked said:

Roughly $25,000 a pop up into the $250,000 for a mature trophy buck depending on class and size of course.

Most of those "High Fence" ranches actually don't have many hunts. Simply put its to expensive for 95% of the population to hunt them. But they do however sell their off spring from the already established mature deer. And that gentlemen is where the big money is at in Deer hunting.

Got a distant family member through marriage in this business in Penn. and he sells whitetail's all over the United States just like a farm animal. Hunting getaways buy them at young ages so they can get in the population and produce several years of offspring before the deer is harvested. Usually only takes 1 good buck to establish a property if the land is managed properly. This family member has about 400 different bucks on his property to choose from. Some down in the 130-140 range and some that range in excess of 200" non-typical.

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If you don't have any does your not going to have anything reproducing unless you buy them all.

biggest waist of money

a spinner feeder.

Deer like it a whole lot better just poured out on the ground. (big smile)

s&r

spurrs and racks said:

a spinner feeder.

Deer like it a whole lot better just poured out on the ground. (big smile)

s&r

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Its easier to kill them if you pour it in a straight line vs pouring it in a pile.

Crakajak said:

If you don't have any does your not going to have anything reproducing unless you buy them all.

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Does are easy long as you have property big enough to keep them in the area and not wonder off. Which if you mange property you know how to have bedding area, food and water source and plenty of deep cover for them to get away from the action in the heat of the season. Knowing how to pick out the ones that need culled from the group and harvesting mature does is all important.

But getting does on a property is easy business...Corn will do that.