Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

After a brief hunting trip back to the family farm I came to a disturbing realization of what hunting may come to within the next 10-20 years, and it sad to say but I have no idea on what can be done about it. After spending my whole thanksgiving break bowhunting the area of western kansas and seeing more deer than I ever have, my dad and I planned a trip out there being as he had a tag legal for the firearms season. After trying to put a couple stalks on a muley, we met my cousins and uncle up on the road in search of a deer. While in conversation I hear of many bucks taken a couple days before on opening day, some paying over $6000 per deer on an adjacent property at a local outfitter. Yet that isn't it these hunters go on to tell that they don't think the price is high enough for that caliber of deer.

This all led to finding out that land is getting leased up all over the place, people who put their acreage into CRP (the crop reduction program) are finding out how much more they can get paid by leasing their land out to outfitting instead of gettin paid by the gov't to put their land into crp for public hunting. Within the next few years the Walk-in hunting areas that I grew up hunting and have for over 12 years are now dwindling down. So what an upper-class business man can come unload his billfold, sit in a nice and cozy box blind and pick out a trophy buck within the bunch of deer? Now where does that leave the common hunter?

Sorry for the long rant, but the sport of hunting is going into the wrong direction as a whole. Ill tell you one thing is that Kansas is all that it is cracked up to be, but who knows ifthere will even be a place for me or any other common person to hunt. Granted I will alway be able to access the family farm, it isnt the point. What is going to happen to the ones that won't dish out 6 grand for a deer? I know Im almost being over dramatic, I wish I wasn't. This has happened to the land my dad grew up hunting as a kid chasing big bucks with a bow, now access to this land is almost impossible. Imnot here to give you my sob story, I just would like to share with you what this commercialized hunting can turn out to be.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Allot of truth to what you said.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

They're free here.....;)

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Thats the sad truth, someday it will be even more of a rich mans sport. My generation will have it rough.[>:]

P.S. Dosent CRP stand for "conservation restoration program?"

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Ehh well I don't know now that you say something. Ive always been told crop reduction program, and I always found truth in it just because of all the crops out there. Without CRP wildlife wouldn't have much due to farming. It wouldn't suprise me if I was wrong though.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

CRP = Conservation Reserve Program

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

BTW, if you think it's bad in Kansas, come to IL.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

And then you could always go to one of those pens and pay up to $20,000 for a mega deer. People do it every day. I pay $200 to have access to 2000 acres with 12 others. None of them bowhunted it this year. LOL I got in late. Next year, I'll have it scouted and be a hunting fool.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Ahh yes, we USED to call it the conservation restoration program, but are now updated with the other hip states...

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

They are free here too.:)

Sure primo spots will be reserved for those who pay for them, but I would bet a pretty penny that even my grandkid's kids will have ample opportunity to hit the woods to hunt...may not be out the back door, or where I hunted as a kid...but hunting is here to stay. Just think of all the public land out there.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

I'll bet it really ticks off those outfitters when someone shoots one of their $6000 deer just on the other side of the fence![8D]

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Capitalism at its finest....

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Part of why I despise HF hunting, and won't partake in a guided hunt. Not that I could afford either one anyhow, but that's not the point by any means, I believe you are correct, and this schit is well on it's way to making "HUNTING" and upper class "Rich Man's Sport."

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Same thing I was thinking. Sad thing is it just keeps getting worse

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Exactly. Where I'm from is starting to get pretty hot with Outfitters now. I have hunted a 140 acre tract for 9 years now. Three years ago half of it (right down the middle) was sold to an outfitter.

I have since hunted the other half, and just found out that this half will most likely be sold to the Outfitter in the next year. And this is some prime hunting ground around here. Multiple 160's and 170's killed every year within a mile of the place.

It really sucks, but what can ya do.

I talked to many of the guys that he brought in this year. He had hunters in from:

Texas, Michigan, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky,and CANADA.

Just crazy. The sad thing is, they have put stands all over the proprty lines, and on more than one occasion I was sitting in my stand and had his "customers" come wandering past my stand looking for a deer they had just shot.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

No doubt that money takes away some hunting opportunities from the common man. I think we are barking up the wrong tree blaming the demsie of hunting on this however. I strongly encourage everyone to read the article I have linked. It was in the last Field and Stream and looks at this very question. Dwindling numbers and we are to blame for not passing on the tradition.

There will always be land to hunt. I live in Western SD and there are 1.5 million acres of public land out my back door. Full of deer, turkey and elk. There will always be opportunity, may just not be as easy as it once was.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/article/Hunting/Why-Johnny-Wont-Hunt

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Theres nothing they could do about it though is their? If we had operations like that around here, i would be attempting the same thing.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Its not so much high fence hunting. Actually high fence hunting is a very small percentage. Its outfitting in general.

I beg to differ. Sure there are dwindling numbers but the lack of access is the biggest culprit IMO. I know a few local hunters who gave up hunting because of losing their places, and due to the lack of accessing new areas. And not every state has millions of acres of public land.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Come to New Jersey you may only see one (probably none)120"+ buck a year but its free and i dont know of an outfitter in the southern part of the state.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Well after 20+ years of hunting and finally getting my biggest (168)in 06 it probably cost that
much if not more.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

I have nothing but respect for that, I know that you worked for that buck. After 20+ years that would be a well deserved buck because it wasn't just your billfold thrown at him.

I also understand that Kansas isn't the worst, but its pretty sad when you've got a grumpy landowner trying to run me off a piece of property that has been in my family for ages just because it is next to ahis "hotspot" for deer.

I have no problem that they are out there to make a living just like everybody else, Its just the fact that its what hunting may be coming to as a whole because of the profit in it. In no way will it take away from hunting oppurtunities from everybody but it could take alot of oppurtunities away from a few people in big buck states that are all over the TV.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

Haha I wish I could arrow one and find out. We did drive by an outfitters poacher cams right off the edge of the road with my buddy's first deer in the back of the truck with the tailgate open, so who knows how heated he'll get over that. :DOh well we were just headed back to town and stumbled upon them anyway.

RE: Anyone after a $6000 deer?
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: HNI_Christine

BTW, if you think it's bad in Kansas, come to IL.


Kansas is the new IL.


Hatchet Jack