I was just reading a post about how expensive hunting has gotten here in Texas. Let me start by saying I have about the same annual income as everyone else on this forum. As an added note because I have a son that loves hunting and fishing too, I purchase everything twice once for me once for him. It is not the cheapest hobby I have ever done either.
Here is the takeaway for me. Hunting and fishing means that we spend a lot of days, nights and weekends with my children and family (yes my wife goes to the lake to fish, camp and supports our hunting trips).
It is a true fact that we only have our children under our roof for about 18 years before they head off to college or start spending more time with their friends just due to the nature of growing up. For us our priority is our children, the values they learn from us and the memories we create hunting and fishing. Someone on this forum has a quote that I love and goes something like “when I die I want to be judged by the memories my children have of our time together”.
We decided to eat out at restaurants less, we drive older vehicles (2001 and 2002), our ski boat is a 93 model and we tent camp instead of buying an RV and are completely happy to do so. Just like many of you we make sure that our priority is on Family. Hunting and Fishing are great family activities.
It is expensive to a degree, but we try hard to make sure that we are watching how much we spend when we need to spend. But overall it is well worth it for us. We would do it all over again to spend this time with our family. That's my 2 cents.

Very well put. It puts the $$$ spent hunting into perspective when you look at it more as an investment for your kids. I hope I can still afford the hobby when my rugrats get old enough to enjoy it.

I often refer to my hunting and fishing activities as "therapy". And I'm sure when compared to the cost of weekly visits to see a shrink, periodic trips to the deer lease are much cheaper.

Logante I couldn't agree more.

I started hunting with my 13 yr old son last year. We have spent countless and priceless hours in the stand and working on our lease. We have been fishing 8 yr and we both love that time together. I just found out this spring break that my 10 yr old daughter want to start hunting sometimes with us. She told me "I want to shoot a deer for you daddy." My heart melted.

It is worth every penny and sacrifice.

I agree. I still enjoy hunting, but I would rather watch my wife and kids shoot something nice than myself. I've shot plenty of deer over the years, but they haven't and to see their excitement is what it is all about for me, even knowing I am going to be the one to clean and quarter the deer. In fact, we still have our lease in the hill country, but I'm working on a deal to get another 500acres about 5miles from my house so I can take my wife and kids hunting year round without having to drive 4 hours to get there. I sure hope it works out and I get this new place.

Best memories I have of hunting are with my Dad, it is money well spent.

The important thing is you are investing your time and your money in your kids, whether it's hunting, fishing, sports, whatever. Your kids will appreciate and remember your devotion and time regardless of the activity. The bonus in your case is that the activity is something you also enjoy and you can continue to do together for years to come.

Yall couldn't have said it any better! Each time I'm in hunting, fishing, trapping or gardening, all the memories of my father and grandfather are relived at those moments.

Don't count on it.

For all you dads out there it does not go forgotten. My dad and i started hunting when i was around 9. Now take into mind neither one of us had ever hunted in or lives. It was something my friends were doing so i wanted to do it. We literally could have written the book "Deer Hunting For Dummies" but we got by.

Long sotry short we hunted the next 9 years until i went off to college in North Carolina. 5 years later i came home and we were on a new lease. Im now 25 & my dad is 61, we are still writing our hunting for dummies book. The times we have spent together over the last 16 years will never be forgetten and surley passed down.

my wife hunts everything i hunt, so that means coastal black bear on a 80 foot yaght next summer for 2, that also means when we go to africa we will be hunting for two. When the kids grow up it will be x5 if they want to hunt. Dont realy worry about how much i spend. Only reason i would worry about it would be if i wasnt taking care retirement, bills etc.

my dad was a hunter, but my uncle (who was the landowner) really took the time and teach me the ways.

I can't remember the first time i rode a bike, first ball i hit in a baseball game, heck, barely remember the first girl i kissed, but i remember the first rabbit I shot with my single shot 20 gauge (my first kill) and the first deer i killed while sitting on his lap on a warm, windy november afternoon.

its worth every penny.....just ask your son in about 20 years.

Some of the best memories I have had in my life were hunting with my Dad. Even when we were not getting a long as well when I was in high school, we always could go to the lease and both escape from the teenage drama. I hope to repay him someday. I only wish my Grandfather was still able to hunt when I got old enough too. But I still enjoy sharing my memories with him and I know he enjoys it. My Dad never hunted until he married my mom and went with my Grandfather, we owe it all to him and now we have a great hobby. Money is not permanent, but memories and pictures live on forever, even after death.

I have had more great times with my family hunting than I can count, worth every penny!

X2.

I commend everyone that lives on a budget who also makes sure that they get their kids outdoors. It is one of the most important things as a society to get them out of the mall, out of in front of the TV, and out in nature. I couldn't even begin to tell you how fortunate I am to have a great place to go to do the things that most of the guys on here have to pay an arm and a leg for. I have the pleasure of being a guest on a hunting ranch owned by a great friend of mine's family. They are one of the most generous families I know. They let my family come down, and our close group of friends come down, and make us feel like a part of their family. Compared to the small amount of work that our friends and I are able to do for them on the ranch, we can't even begin to repay the family back for their generosity. To those that struggle to be able to get outdoors, again, I commend you.

I should have posted here instead of the "price" thread. I agree, I've spent the last 30 years on the same lease, never missed a year of climbing in the stand with my dad. Now that I have kids, we all get in the stand together. My daughter shot her first buck within 100 yds of where I killed my first buck 25 years earlier. These kids will remember it, I have, and they are the future of carrying on the hunting tradition. And Texas, there is no other place better to do this. I have to save my pennies to do it and even travel 600 miles one way to get there. In my opinion it is priceless......

Amen, Amen. Spending time outdoors with family
creates memories that last forever.

I have looked at the cost of hunting, fishing, outdoor activities in general with the family this way....lease, hunting and fishing items, corn, fuel, for average family less that 5,000/year. Cost of child in trouble, court fees, rehab cost, time off from work, attorney fees just to start....3,000 to 10,000/ month...

I see no cost...only investment!