Just have to share my opinion!

I go to Illinois every year to bowhunt but I never use an outfitter and I always hunt private land. It's usually a farmer who wants to manage his deer population a little and at the same time supplement his income! I do my own scouting, stand set-up, deer processing, and I find my own lodging and food. There is actually a group of us who do this. We are not rich but working class folks with working class incomes, but we do not mind paying for the privilege to hunt the whitetails that we love to hunt. At the same time, we get to help a farmer with his deer harvest and we don't mind taking plenty of does too. And yes we do have buck opportunites too, but the hunting experience is what we are all about. Our experieces are great ones and I for one will do this as long as I can afford to do so. It just plain fun!

I for one would not hunt with a full-service outfitter because their prices are not for me and I don't have as much control over the methods and the stand locations. I want to do the work and reap the rewards.

I hate it for the local hunters who want to hunt and are losing their properties to outfitters, but at the same time I believe that it is an outfitters right to grow his business and be successful. It is also your right as a hunter to 'beat the bushes' and seek out new hunting spots should you lose one. Thats what I do. Also, times are changing and hunters who truly love to hunt willfind a way to get property access, even if they have to pay to secure it. Maybe prices will run folks out of hunting, I don't know. I really don't think that in the long run, the prices that outfitters are getting will be sustainable though.

Bottom line...if you love deer hunting you will hunt and you will find a way to make your hunts successful and affordable and fun, no matter what income level you might be.