I know it would be pricey, but who really cares. If it makes you happy go for it. You only live once enjoy life. Heck if you want to look at how much stuff cost you. Cars are big waste of money.

I don’t know and I don’t care.

so are you going to stop hunting because it cost a dollar or two more then going to a store?? i guess you ride a bike to the market to save $ on gas or ever better yet walk to the store and get more of a work out

honestly i eat meat from animals that i killed maybe one night every other week or two when i want to have some real good eatin other wise it would be turkey, chicken, roast beef, or some other meat that was bought from a store.

if i really wanted to squeazz that dollar it wouldn't be fun to me

i dont know or care at all....and pay a butcher to butcher my deer too.....well.....dad pays now lol.....i love venision....and between me and dad we take about 4 deer per year...and love hunting...if i didnt hunt i dont know what id do....equiptment i buy yearly isnt ALL THAT much....but if you add up everything i own it would be pretty expensive for me being 17......alot of my extra money goes to hunting guns or shooting.....plus work the hours in we prep scout and practice............................i cant count that high lol......but to me its priceless....and truely worth it....nothing gives me the enjoyment hunting brings......

The point I was trying to make is I don't look at it as cost per pound, because in my approach it wouldn't be worth it. I hunt for enjoyment and the meat means next to nothing to me. I use the meat when I get one but that is not my motivation. Like I said, If you have things arranged in the right way, I.E. don't buy gear, don't travel far, butcher own, you could make the meat a bargain. You would also have to shoot the first deer that comes, because you are approaching it as a commodity, not an activity of enjoyment. Time spent in pursuit would also have to be figured in cost per pound. Your labor would count too, would it not? What a way to ruin an enjoyable hobby!!
If I figured cost per pound, it would be cheaper to stay home and buy beef from the store. I buy my groceries, then i go HUNTING!

I'm sure that all of us hunt for the enjoyment. There's nothing better than watching the forest come alive opening morning. Tracking a buck or helping a buddy track his huge buck...nothing like it. It truly is PRICELESS!

Personally, I'm with the rest of you. I could care less what it costs. You can't put a price on a way of life. But just for kicks and giggles this is what I came up with. The first scenario is for a brand new hunter and the second would be for a seasoned hunter with all equipment.

Scenario 1 -

Long underwear, pants, shirt and blaze orange hat. - 100.00
socks and boots - 90.00
gloves - 15.00
Savage rifle/scope combo - 500.00
bullets - 20.00
license - 20.00
hunting knife - 40.00
weekend at camp - 60.00

Total- 845.00

so if you shoot a deer and get 70 lbs of meat out of it, it cost you $12.07 / lb.

scenario 2 (seasoned hunter)

License - 20.00
weekend at camp - 60.00
bullets (maybe) - 20.00

Total - 100.00

so if you shoot a deer and get 70 lbs of meat it would have cost you $1.43 per pound.


I amost forgot scenario 3- HUNTING ADDICT !!!

new state of the art gps navigation unit - 250.00
New weatherby .270 vanguard that won't fit in gun cabinet - 600.00
New rocky 1500 gram thinsulate mossy oak breakup hunting boots - 200.00
New bushnell range finder - 150.00
State of the art self heating battery operated long underwear - 50.00
Mossy oak breakup boot blankets (they have to match the boots of course)- 50.00
New swarovski pocket binoculars (just so you can tell everyone you own a pair) - 539.00
New grunt call, big buck grunt call, doe bleat, can call, rattling antlers and rattling bag - 85.00
Doe in heat, doe estrous, dominant buck urine and cover scent - 40.00
Flambeau colapsable life size doe decoy (Hey, you need something to look at all day)-120.00
and of course a matching micro fleece, scent elimination parka and pants set in mossy oak breakup to match the boot blankets you just bought - 450.00

Total - 2534.00

Therefor the total per pound for you if you got 70 lbs of meat would be $36.20 / lb


but chances are you were to busy making sure everything you were wearing matched while you got lost cause you couldn't figure out your gps but luckily you stayed warm because you just charged the batteries in you underwear. Only to ruin them while crapping your pants as you see a 800 lb grizzly charging you through your binoculars (but it is a really clear picture). Luckily you bought a new rifle but too bad it jammed so you decided to run but couldn't get too far because of your moon boots. So you turn around nocking the bear unconcious with your weatherby shattering it to a million pieces just as you 5 bottles of deer scent draw a 180 class 12 point directly into your shooting lane.