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.

Allot of truth to what you said.

They're free here.....

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?"

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.

CRP = Conservation Reserve Program

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

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.

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.

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