I guess we could stock rabbits in some of the city parks and have a special season for the city kids.

Abilene built a prairie dog town, plenty of the little vermin running around inside the wall, we can organize hunts for "neglected" city kids.

Hell, those inner city kids will hunt you. Don't forget to wear your bunny suit.

Hunting and fishing and leisure sports, plain and simple. They both cost out the wazoo. Unless you own land were you can subsistence hunt there are much cheaper ways to put food on the table. So you can scrap that argument from the git-go.

I feel for those who have less than I do (and I do not have a lot). Unfortunately some are there due to no fault of their own. Others are in that spot because they made and continue to make poor choices.

For those who legitimately cannot afford to get on a lease, I have to ask, Shouldn't they be more focused on the basics? I mean, I love offshore fishing but there's no way I can plop down $100,000 or more on a Bertram sport fisher.

As pointed out here and other threads some folks have $50K trucks, $25K campers, $10K ATV/UTV's, etc and complain about a $2K/year deer lease. It boils down to what's important to individuals.

Again, If you cannot save up enough for a lease then the question is, should you be hunting in the first place? Beef, pork and chicken are much less expensive.

word

That's why I started my own place. I didn't get into this because I wanted to sell hunts. I got into this because I wanted a place for my kids to hunt that I didn't have when I was their age.

Whatever.

You started your place so you could high fence your animals and keep them away from the common man

Don't believe me ask Leblanc

In my opinion, which doesn't mean squat, the decline in hunting is our own fault! For the few who still go hunting for the love of the activity and just enjoy harvesting a random deer this doesn't apply. For the rest of us on the otherhand, we have made hunting into a multimillion dollar industry. If you don't believe me and think i'm crazy, watch the outdoor channel. How many dad's take their kids out and explain the outdoors, what it means to harvest a deer and what are the responsibilities of a hunter while you watch? We love to watch MonsterBucks, Lee and Tiffany, Bone Collectors and Whitetail Freaks. How many people would watch a show where they killed a 2.5 yr old 6 pt and were pumped to do it? Nobody! We would be appaulled! Trophy hunting and deer management is where hunting has shifted. When a 12 yr old brings his or her first deer home and puts pictures of a small 6 up on facebook and the kids laugh at it because it's so small that doesn't make you want to hunt anymore. Back in the day, people would of been proud of you and congratulated you. Now we have kids shooting 180 class bucks that there parents bought for them! What blue collar kid can compete with that? I think that there has to be a compromise in all this. Growing 240 class 2.5 yr olds in a pin is crazy! Teaching your children and anyone who might have a slight interest in the outdoors proper herd management, the importance of hunting in our society, land stewardship and hunting ethics is the only way to keep hunting an American passtime and tradition. Bringing in exotics will only allow the people who want to go to Africa a cheaper way. The amount of hunters that would be allowed wouldn't increase hunting numbers unless it was only offered to children below the age of 16 from a population of nonhunters. Having all of us hunters fill up the tags to kill an exotic would defeat the purpose! Not a bad idea, but my guess is the government would mess it up some how and would cost more than the benefits.

Looks like you are kind of selfish like I am. We didn't get our place to share with the world, we got it for us. Paid darn good money, and plan on keeping for us.

We had a neighbor that used to whine about the cost of a lease, kept expecting an invite. It never happened, partly because when we had work to do he was never available. The other was he could afford a lease, all he had to do was change his lifestyle. About 3 times a week a delivery guy delivering "Steak Express" or some pizza. $50 a week could pay for a good lease.

Plus, when gas was $1.30 a gallon the complaints were at a minimum. Corn wasn't $10 a bag and the goverment wasn't trying to nab your guns, the good ol days, pre-Obama era!

I think pen raised deer are the very small far right exception. They might make up 2-3% of the hunting in Texas but get 100% of the headlines.

Most hunters are still doing it the old fashioned way and still quite content to shoot 8-10 pt bucks that might score 120, if that.

Maybe your right

The average buck we shoot on a high fence, managed ranch in south texas scores about 125 and is 5 years old

People cannot fathom this.....after all, it is a high fence pen

I can't believe this is still going on. Back to topic: public hunting for swamp donkey rabbits

And neither exist in Texas in the wild.....and haven't for decades. You have the occasional corrente that wonders across the river, that's about it.

Not to mention most wild horses and longhorns where shot on sight due to their terrible genetics

Horses and donkeys still do. The point is that invasive species are the norm and horses and longhorns cows didn't do squat to hurt the state. And if you haven't noticed the Buffalo, red wolf and Griz are gone too. If you don't like exotics lets wipe them all out.

Let's not forget inflation 260 bucks in 1960 is 2k today

Dude are you kidding? have you been to Big Bend?

Or a population of less than 200 million.

Horses do not...

And yes wild horses and longhorns do do damage..that's why they don't room free in Texas.

Longhorns now are nothing but lawn ornaments... Even the high bred registered ones a subject at best...they cost you more money then you can make off of them compare to other species.

As far as wild horses...even in the Western states where a few roam, they are trying to introduce new genetics because the current pool is worthless, and some left wing nut Thinks that will make them more attractive to own...which is a joke within its self.

Only value wild horses have had in the last 100's died the day the idiots closed the slaughter plants

Lets go back a ways to the early days of Texas. Cowdrives and Cowboys. That sort of thing. Got it now?

Ahh, genetically modified range grasses capable of out competing native plants that have evolved over millions of years... I don't see any problems that could come about because of this.

Let's stay the course? You have any idea why we have a tick fever out break in south and West Texas...wild cattle coming across from Mexico.

Can't put any sign near me because I'm high fenced. Lets find the ones that are looking for a place to hunt. Maybe if we move the sign to their back yard they will stop complaining.

Wait a minute is it toxic to hogs?

Only if there will be a profit to be made from it.