I have had the unique opportunity to watch an area go from almost zero deer population to an area that today is like most others in that it now is above ideal carrying capacity. This has occurred over a 23 year period.

How has it changed. 23 years ago, it was a BIG deal if you even saw a deer. Now it is a big deal when you go out for a morning or evening hunt and don't at least see something.

It is Texas and is all private land and back then, you could hunt just about anywhere by just asking.

Then as we got more deer and the word got out, the city folks started coming in and leasing the places that I used to hunt for free. There are deeer blinds all over the countryside and most of it leases for $5-$10/ acre.

Luckily we have land of our own and a fewneighbors that I am still able to hunt.

Is it for better or worse? Like in most things, it depends whether your pitching or cathcing. While some of you complain about the high costs of leasing etc, I see the other side of it where a lot of older landholders have some cash flow that they would not have otherwise. It is called supply and demand.