Most people hunt for the same reason they fish, for the enjoyment it provides. And while it's cheaper just to buy fish rather than spend money on a boat and all that goes with it to fish for them, the same is true for deer hunting. The very best beef costs a lot less than what you'll pay to get an equal amount of venison.

Fish hunt golf beat me to it. It's a hobby and hobbies are expensive. Bonuses is meat. In golf you spend a lot of money and get nothing but heartache and frustration. Cars you put blood sweat and tears in and end up losing money when you sell it. If your looking for a investment put the money in your 401k. Or better yet open a sporting good store and take advantage of all uS addicted 2 hunting. Hunting is a escape.

And usually cost a lot less than periodic trips to see a shrink.

Guys, this is a troll. Remember, we have anti's on the site that just gather responses to use against us. Don't feed the troll.

Only complete morons would be anti hunting. Asus, are you a moron?

I agree....I think this is the same guy from California that started out friendly pretending to "research" hunting for a project or documentary....something to that effect. He started out friendly then eventually called hunters "murderers". Somehow, I get the picture this is the same person that found a new way to enter THF and stir up trouble. I suggest to the moderators to keep an eye on ASUS.

Hmm. I don't know why asking legit questions would be offensive to you... At least the responses started out friendly

Been talking to the wife about it, and she doesn't think the expense justifies the result. I don't expect to pay the same as a cheap ground beef at Kroger, but I don't want to spend a fortune either. I'm still on the fence on it. Long term, I can see it working out if I went each year and managed to get 1 deer on public land. Figuring 80lbs of meat or so, that's about all I could store in my home anyway.

I'm going to continue looking into the public land hunting option. Maybe I'll just spend this year with a pair of boots and an orange vest and a weekend trekking through the woods with a camera. I can see how practical it is to locate deer that way. My local shooting range also has a hunting class so I'll start there.

Thanks for all the helpful advice from the friendly hunters.

If you own land and the only expense would be a license, then you can do it cheap.

You don't own land so you're going to pay.

Now, the question is, do you pay because you enjoy the sport or do you pay because you want the meat? If the answer is the latter then you won't come out ahead. You can buy "venison" (like axis deer or other exotic) at various outlets cheaper.

Again, you cannot justify the purchase of a $30,000 boat so that you can have "free" fresh fish. You can buy it way cheaper. Same principle applies here.

I'm interested in the meat and a reasonable cost of learning a new skill. I don't really know if I'll enjoy it as a 'sport'.

Might just do some deer exploring and a gun course this year. Any suggestions as to where to buy venison in the greater Houston area? Getting the family hooked on deer meat would go a long way towards a stamp of approval and my allowable budget might go up next year

That would be a good idea, you may also be able to find "mentor" for lack of a better word. Allot of hunters hunt for the meat, but many, my self included Choose not to shoot at times, depending on personal management goals. Harvesting meat is the smallest component IMO, But harvesting meat
is in itself a management tool.

As the guys have said, most Hobbies don't come with cost saving benefit.

You'd have to look where I'd have to look...The internet.

I would say that if you're not in it for the sport aspect, you probably won't enjoy it. There's a lot of work and expense involved. Most of us enjoy the work and don't mind the expense. It's the price you pay to do what you enjoy.

Women like to look pretty and wear fancy clothes. They spend untold thousands on their hair, nails, make-up, jewelry, clothes, shoes, facials, cosmetic surgery, etc.

Some guys like to fish. They spend thousands on boats, fuel, tackle, rods, reels etc.

Some like to hunt. We spend thousands on guns, optics, camo, leases, trucks, ATVs, blinds, feeders, corn, game cameras, etc.

Get the picture?

x2!

If your looking at it from a price perspective your looking at it all wrong and missing the whole point. Not trying to be rude or an [censored] that's just what I see. Most of the people on this sight where prolly raised hunting,fishing,trapping ect and it's something that's down in our bone's, in our very soul's. Just my thought's

If all you want is meat why not ask some of the good hunters in this site for some. Most of us give some or part of our deer to friends and family,is a hunter tradition to share. In my side any way!

Don't know where you are, but check the guide section. There will be some doe hunts later. However, if you can find one, get a yearly lease for hunting. However it will cost more in the ling run than just filling the freezer

hunting national forest is free.

These guys are advertising elk for $500. Not a bad $/lb price. Don't think it would be much of a hunt though.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/grd/3282587008.html

I hunt, fish, and camp. I would be much better off financially if I bought beef at Kroger, fish fillets at Sam's, and stayed in a Ritz Carlton when I traveled out of town.

Actually, when it comes to fishing, I only Bass fish and I release all of those so fishing is REALLY a money losing hobby!

If all you want to do is save some money on meat, consider contacting your local high school FFA organization. I buy a steer from our local high school FFA club and the taste is far superior than anything you can buy at the grocery store and it has none of the hormones and steroids that commercial packing houses have in their beef. You do have to invest in a large freezer.

I would NEVER advise hunting, fishing, or camping to save money. I have lost THOUSANDS doing all of that. However, with three boys I have gained memories (and they are still coming) worth MILLIONS.

Not exactly. You have to buy a Public Hunting Lands license in addition to your regular hunting license. There are very few places (like Corps of Engineers lakes)where you can hunt for free, and you still have to get a permit or enter a drawing, and most of them are archery only. (which is even harder for a novice hunter).
Looking at hunting as a way of getting cheap meat is definitely the wrong idea. But it doesn't have to be outrageous. I've seen the ads for trophy bucks in the thousands of dollars, but I've also seen the ads for "meat" hunts where you can take a doe for a couple hundred dollars. Last year, I took my son on a doe hunt right at the end of the season. It cost us $150 for a day of hunting, and he shot a fat doe that we cleaned and dressed ourselves. We salvaged just about everything except the skull and the guts, and put meat in both of our freezers.
But the real payoff was not the meat. It was the time in the woods, enjoying nature with my son the same way I used to with my father, getting away from the office and the phone for a while, and the pride I felt seeing my son shoot his first deer.

[quote=asus]My target was $10/lb-ish. Including gas for transport and renting a flat trailer, processing, licensing, ammo, etc, not including the cost of the gun/gear which would be a one-time-only purchase. The cost estimation that I've assembled gets me nowhere near that.

For cheap freezer meat I could hit Kroger's $2.50/lb beef section. Is wild hog much different in taste than what you would find in a standard grocery pork?


OK with that being said.... find another hobby, hunting is not for you (not in your budget)
If you want to eat meat, go to Kroger for$2.50 lb
If you want to hunt and get meat count on about $100.oo lb or more

Back when I was early married, we ate a lot of deer meat. I hunted on family land and already had a lever action Marlin. Processing was all done by me and was very basic. Meat didn't cost much doing it that way and we needed the food.

no, the AHP is not needed for National Forest land, unless they are hunting on a WMA within the National Forest. all one would need is a hunting license.

So many ways to 'cut' this kind of question. If it comes down to trying to save money on meat-ain't gonna happen. So the utilitarian aspect isn't always the majority case. However, I have a friend I hunt with who has 5 kids. We kill LOTS of pigs and the majority don't go to waste! For him, since he lives 5 minutes from the 'piggy woods', there is some utility in it for saving money. Most of us don't have that kind of luxury because we have to drive a long way and lease a place to hunt.

From a 'why we hunt' standpoint, for many folks, the kill is not necessarily the success or 'draw' of hunting. While it is certainly a goal, the experience in the field, learning and being out in nature, all that stuff goes into each person's definition and desire to 'hunt'. It's a connection with the land and also a nod to what it takes to be self-sufficient in world where everything is done for us and we just trade our shiny stuff (money) and fill our bellies.

If you want to take some money out of it, go to a National Forest, stay in a tent, shoot and process everything you're allowed to, bring it home and eat it all. BTW-if you have to outfit yourself with all your hunting gear beforehand, you still lost money!

If you're trying to do it on the cheap, your 2 options are:

1. Find a friend with some land that'll let you take a deer for free.
2. Take your chances on a public land hunt.

Not many of us hunt because we're trying to save money filling the freezer.