Not everyone is blessed to have a lot of public land to hunt on as do many of the states. In some states most if not all accessable hunting land is private. If you live in a state that has a great deal of public land then count your blessings because those of us that don't have to learn to make due with what we have. Many land owners have begun to realize that hunters will pay exorbitant fees to hunt, thus the game ranch and outfitter explosion. You can see it any night on the Outdoor channel. Hunting in states that have mostly private land has become a big bucks ($$$$) industry. Excuse the pun. Many who pay those exorbitant fees are out of state hunters. You don't see many poor good ole boys on those shows. Many land owners are learning that it is more profitable to sell hunting rights than livestock or increase your profits and do both. Really can't blame them.
I have tried both. Where I live there is some limited public land. Back in my younger days I spent most of my time there and learned every acre of it like the back of my hand. I hunted it with both gun and bow and had good success, but as the years went by and the population of the area increased and interest in hunting increased the demand on the area also increased, thus the regulations that governed the area also increased. Once I could hunt any of the public areas from October through December any amount of days any time the urge hit me to go with little or no interference from other hunters. My last few attempts to hunt at one of the areas was met with confrontations from lazy unethical hunters capitalizing on your hard work. The other area is so regulated now and is divided into numerous small areas that your only chance for seeing an animal much less taking one is mostly based on pure chance.
About 6 years ago something terrific happened which has afforded me a most valuable opportunity with regard to hunting. My uncle works on a ranch about 17 miles from my home, and knowing how much I loved to hunt asked the land owner if I could hunt there. For about the last 6 years I have had the opportunity to hunt on as good a hunting as there is in all of Texas. I know it will not last forever because my uncle is old and when he no longer goes out to the ranch I will most certainly no longer be allowed to hunt there. So I count my blessings and am truly thankful to have this wonderful opportunity. When it is gone I don't know what I will do. I might could afford a year or two of the ever increasing pricing of private land leasing, but I hope to retire in a couple of years and all extraneous spending will come to a halt. I am too old and crotchety to try the public land here any more. Would still like to go a few more times to the mountains to pursue the elusive elk or mule deer. Boy, I envy you guys in the mountain states. Might just spend the rest of my days killing foam and telling stories to all you younger guys.
By-the-way, I spent plenty on all those elk and mule deer hunts to New Mexico and Colorado. Spent enough going multiple times on my own to have paid for a couple of delux guided hunts. Guess I should have. Hindsight they say is 20-20.
Count your blessings and be thankful for what you have.
Louis
Topic: Do you pay for hunting access? (Read 3070 times)
