Your thoughts on " paying to play"

Puddlejockey

Puddlejockey

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Without getting into the drama and details, I don't have anywhere to deer hunt ( primarily bow). Other than a few years of owning a small parcel which we've since sold, it's been a major PITA finding a safe reliable place to hunt. It's to the point that it's kept me from hunting on more than one season.
I actually have access to a family owned deer camp; but it's 900 miles away, and burning up all of my vacation annually for a few days of hunting is a tough sell to my bride.

I love to hunt. I'm not good at it- particularly with a rifle. I've taken mature doe with a bow, pistol, and rifle... but the last buck I got was with an F150. 6Pt, if it matters. :)

Realistically, I can't buy property unless I sell my boat ( 1st world problems!) . Leases are extremely tough to find, and I'm on the waitlist for a hunt club.

A big part of the joy of hunting, for me, is stand placement, strategy, habitat creation, and all of the things that "owning" the property allows you to do. I also love venison, but I've found that how the animal is treated immediately after being harvested is a HUGE factor, particularly in the early season.

But I'm considering a semi guided ranch type hunt - which seem to run in the 800-160/ week range; for an early season hunt this year. Mostly because I've had to skip two seasons now ( 2 years ago it was health, as I was recovering from heart surgery, this past year I had no place to go that wasn't COVID' locked down) . I've heard that game lands are getting more pressure than ever, even during bow season. Has anyone done one of those paid hunts, and what was your experience, based on the whole " sit here, hunt now" aspect, rather than getting to do the fun stuff yourself?

TIA..
 
Been on a few payed hunts in the past. As long as the food and lodging is good I am ok with paying because I know those guys work hard at maintaining herds food plots Etc... But be careful if you do shoot,a wounded deer is as the same as a dead deer and your hunt is over and if its too small (AKA 8 points or better or rack width of ?) alot of places have a fine.
 
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It's tough to find private land to hunt but that's how I used to find land to quail hunt. Some spots took me a couple of years before I got permission but I finally did. Bow hunting for deer should be much easier because you don't need near as much acreage as quail hunting does. I'd spend time knocking on doors and trying to sell myself to a private landowner to bow hunt. Deer are a nuisance to lots of farmers.
 
During bow season, I should think you could have pretty good success on game lands, if you are willing to search out the areas other hunters won't. During rifle season, I never had luck on game lands, but before rifle season, was another matter entirely. Way fewer hunters in the woods, particularly with bow.


As for your question - nothing wrong with paying for a hunt.
 
I dont pay to deer hunt, but have been going on guided duck hunts for decades and I love it. I get to rent all of the stuff I need to hunt, including the land, decoys, blind, boat, dog, and guide. That way when its all over I clean my shotgun, cook my birds, and go on with life. Sure, there are benefits to owning the land and doing all that fun stuff yourself, but there is also a whole lot of bother skipped by not having to keep up with all the moving parts yourself. So, in my opinion, pay to play is perfectly fine, if not preferable in many ways.
 
cubrock said:
During bow season, I should think you could have pretty good success on game lands, if you are willing to search out the areas other hunters won't. During rifle season, I never had luck on game lands, but before rifle season, was another matter entirely. Way fewer hunters in the woods, particularly with bow.


As for your question - nothing wrong with paying for a hunt.
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The use of crossbows during archery season is changing that. Every body and their brother has a crossbow now, and they get to use it during "the early" season, archery season.
 
As someone with no family to teach me to hunt and no land to hunt, I’ve gone guided quail hunting a handful of times. I’ve done high end guides with work and very basic on my own dime, all were a great time and I’d do it again. In fact I’ll likely do a guided wild boar hunt with a few friends in the next few years.

A friend wants to do some local deer hunting, but we have minimal private land access so it’s tough. I have looked into public land but that’s not my first choice.
 
Nothing wrong with paying to hunt, but go check out some farmers within decent driving distance from home.
I've found some good places in the past like that. Some guys will let you hunt on their farm for like $50 a day. They will even tell you where the deer will come out and when.
I am a member of a club in central Ga now so I haven't done that in a while.
 
scmoose said:
The use of crossbows during archery season is changing that. Every body and their brother has a crossbow now, and they get to use it during "the early" season, archery season.
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Been a while since I bow hunted. Didn't know crossbows had gotten that popular.
 
Schattenreiter said:
Hunting is just like sex. Their are two options. You can pay to play or you can pretend you don't pay for it. Let that soak in for a minute.
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Excluding the rifle and round of ammo used to harvest a deer, there is no cost in NC to private landowners hunting their own land and processing their own meat.
 
Railsplitter said:
Excluding the rifle and round of ammo used to harvest a deer, there is no cost in NC to private landowners hunting their own land and processing their own meat.
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And just how does one go about excluding those costs? Add to that the cost of storing the processed meat and the tools to process it. You see there is always a cost.
 
Schattenreiter said:
And just how does one go about excluding those costs? Add to that the cost of storing the processed meat and the tools to process it. You see there is always a cost.
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There's a cost for everything obviously, but the OP's post was about the annually reoccurring, added cost of leases and guided hunts, not about the rifle, refrigerator/freezer and set of knives that most people already have in their homes.
 
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The game cameras here attest to two families of black bear. Two different sows with cubs. I have to dodge deer on the way out at least 3 times a week. We are blessed with game and not so blessed with coyotes. They are getting braver. I might just have to turn @n’ Cream loose on em.
 
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Railsplitter said:
There's a cost for everything obviously, but the OP's post was about the annually reoccurring, added cost of leases and guided hunts, not about the rifle, refrigerator/freezer and set of knives that most people already have in their homes.
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The OP's title was :

Your thoughts on " paying to play"​


The fact that there is a cost associated with everything you do was my thought on the matter.
 
as Schattenreiter says: "The fact that there is a cost associated with everything you do was my thought on the matter."
we agree. "pay to play" hunting can be good or bad, just like most everything. we like PTP saltwater fishing since we do not have to buy/maintain a really good boat and equipment or keep up with taxes/fees or....you get the idea.
 
Brother I can speak from experience when I say it can be much cheaper to pay for a guided hunt depending on your goals and available free time. I was in your shoes 15 years ago. No where to hunt. I found a land lease that had been well prepped and cared for. I leased it for $2400 dollars. I spent another 1K on food plots and corn. Sure I could go any time I wanted, but we only took four deer off of that lease. Granted they were nice, but all the work and expense was a dead reckoning on my time and bank account. Pay for the hunt. Let them do the work. You can rest and enjoy the memories.
 
scmoose said:
The use of crossbows during archery season is changing that. Every body and their brother has a crossbow now, and they get to use it during "the early" season, archery season.
Click to expand...

Agree wholeheartedly; and I think if you're anywhere near Charlotte the pressure is even higher. I try to see it as a positive ( and I fail); but the number of brand new boaters and inexperienced hunters/ firearms owners has increased dramatically. I know that Tenpoint said their sales this year were better than any previous year, and increased over 30% in the last 12 months...

10 years ago, you'd have a Gameland pretty much to yourself during bow season, and Lake Norman wasn't that crowded on a Sunny Thursday afternoon, either... *sigh* . We should change our state motto to " No Vacancy".. lol
 
I know the second largest land owner in Iredell county, first is Duke energy. Unfortunately he's not happy with me currently so I haven't asked to hunt. I also have a friend that goes on elk and deer hunts on public land in Colorado. 1614212102239.png
 
Had a great place to hunt and killed a lotta deer 2miles from my house for 5 yrs. Land owner died and that was the end of that. I had paid a little yrs before for a place to hunt for a couple years. Good ole boy hunt clubs are not my cup of tea. I want exclusivity if I'm going to pay to lease. If I had the money I'd hunt with Tom McMillan or Kip what's his name for a spendy deer hunt. Those guys crack me up. If I really had some money, I'd head to Africa and spend a month. I have 7 to 9 does in my back yard about every day. 2 miles away on the 40 acre parcel I hunted for 5 yrs, nothing but bucks but no trophies. If you got the money to burn, go for what makes you happy. Life's too short otherwise.
 
I've thought hard about just selling my hunting gear. Haven't had a place to hunt regularly in over 10 years. Maybe get invited once in a while. My bud told me he could get me in his club for $1500 a year, I politely declined as I figure I can fill up a freezer with some good beef for that. I do accept excess deer from anybody that wants to contribute.

Had bad experiences on game lands, not for me.
 
The boat would have to go!!!!! 😂 😆 😂
 
What the OP is faced with has been an ongoing,, steadily creeping up issue for many in the entire country.
The desire to hunt,, yet,,, very little access to good land to hunt as you wish.

Public land CAN be a good option,, but you HAVE to put in more work. First, get away from the roads & all the easy places. If your health won't allow lots of hiking or walking,, then, as noted,, use your boat if you can. As a NC Hunter Safety Instructor, this is an often discussed issue in class. Public land is there for all,, so it can have it's own set of issues & potential problems. You can't hang a stand & leave it,, for fear of others finding it. Planting food plots is almost impossible,, so, again,, that's an issue.
However,, there is a public hunting opportunity that you may want to explore. There is an "Urban Archery Season" where participating cities, towns & villages have a different option to help control the deer population. You will need to look at the NCWRC regulations & get a list of the potential places you may be allowed to hunt. Often,, you can find good hunting "in town" that is a lot easier for those who have health issues.

As for private land.
I own a small amount of land,, yet I USED to enjoy access to a much larger place to hunt. Land expenses by the owner have made many people find creative ways to pay the taxes & fees associated with owning the land. Hunting leases, are just one of the ways. And others have discovered they can have a business of guiding hunts & such. Fees associated with guided hunts can vary,, according to the services provided. Owning land has become harder & harder due to the MONEY involved in developments & expansion by many areas. I know a lot of "farmer" families,, where the kids didn't want to farm, and have sold off the land to developments.
I traveled to Idaho to visit a good friend, and meet a few new friends several years ago. Our excuse was to do a cull cow elk hunt on a private high fence ranch. But it was a LOT of fun, and while the knowledge of having a 100% chance at an elk took away from the normal hunting I prefer, it was an excellent trip. We all took elk, and we all (with one exception) used handguns.

So, paying to play,, is basically the new "normal" unless you already own land AND can afford to keep it if you desire the real "wild" hunting experience.
 
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