I'd draw the line a little differently... In my opinion, when you pay a trespass fee, or pay for a lease - you're using your cashflow to tilt the table toward you. How? By eliminating or avoiding the competition of public hunting.

Same goes with buying your own land and keeping it off limits to the public. You're hording deer on restricted-access land to boost your own odds at success. Again, eliminating competition and using your wallet tobolster your odds. Same with paying a guide orbuying into a hunt club.

Is it unethical to buy land or pay a lease? Absolutely not. But, in my eyes, does it devaluethose accomplishments? Absolutely. To what degree? That's debatable.

Maybe it's big buck mania. Maybe it's greed. Maybe it's just human nature. But more and more frequently, I'm seeing guys taking advantage of every conceivable avenue-just to help them get the advantage over the competition.

Maybe I'm jaded because I've been sobroke for so long that I've just grown accustomed to doing things the hard way, and balking at anyone who is out there using his financial firepower to eat my lunch... Maybe it's because I really could never be proud ofsomething that wasn't fairgame to everyone else. Maybe it's justthe way I'm programmed. Maybe it's a personality flaw. It is what it is, I guess.

Either way - good stuff guys.

Justin - I agree with that.