Texas Hunting Forum
Hunting Costs
Posted By: Sully
Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 05:04 PM
I was just curious what most of us spend on hunting, annually. I know it's a very costly, but necessary hobby. There's nothing I'd rather be doing. Anyways, luckily, I've had the opportunity to hunt land owned by family friends for the past 6 years. So, I've only been out supplies, license, guns, ammo, corn, processing and taxi bills. The owner doesn't hunt, but loves the meat, so I'll get a doe for him each year and give him the meat. He has myself, my dad, his son in law and about 3-4 other hunters out every season. The place is about 600 acres.
It would be nice to have a place of my own now though. That I could go whenever, without notice or worrying about someone else being out there. What can I expect to spend for a annual lease for year-round hunting/fishing? Something within 2 hrs of the DFW metro-mess.
Posted By: Sully
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 05:05 PM
Or should I just hang on to a good thing, and stay where I'm at?
Posted By: Curly
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 05:08 PM
Posted By: texfork
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 05:12 PM
Can I have your spot on that 600 acres when you leave ?
Posted By: Sully
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 05:13 PM
That's funny.
Posted By: Sully
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 05:14 PM
He won't lease to anyone, just let's friends and family out. He had a bad experience with some hunters about 6-8 years ago and doesn't want to do it again.
Posted By: BMD
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 05:22 PM
Spend more than I tell my wife!
Posted By: Exbellicus
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 05:36 PM
our lease in central oklahoma is about 400 acres and its around 1200/year
Posted By: taco bender
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 05:37 PM
Heck! I'd stay. I'd make sure I take care of the gentleman that's letting you hunt there.
Posted By: Txduckman
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 05:39 PM
Anywhere from $1,200 per gun for marginal hunting on a small property to $2,000 and up for good hunting. Best way I see is to find friends on an established place with an opening. Those will be your best deals.
Posted By: BMD
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 05:44 PM
u guys aren't figurin in all costs gotta be between 5k and 10k easily
Posted By: RICK O'SHAY
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 06:05 PM
BEST I CAN FIGURE I PROBABLY SPEND ABOUT $5000. A YEAR.
Posted By: Sully
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 06:15 PM
Sure makes those mounts special when you get em.
Posted By: BenBob
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 06:27 PM
Consider corn, deer blocks, fuel to get you there, keeping 2 households for 3 months (deer camp and regular), lease costs, feeder costs, upkeep on blinds, taxidermy work, days taken off of work, ammo etc. Do NOT show this thread to my wife. Scary amount.
Posted By: BMD
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 06:36 PM
Now we are talking
Posted By: Bud1Pointer
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 06:38 PM
year round Lease in Erath Co. $3200
Trip to Montana for Mule Deer $4000
West Tx Blue Quail Lease $600
Trip to Ks for Pheasant $400
Trip to Tx panhandle for Pheasant $400
Trip to Shamrock,Tx for Quail $400
Trip to Sonora,Tx for Axis $2500
Trip to Rock Springs,Tx for Aoudad $1500
I'm gonna quit counting there in case this makes it back to my wife, cause none of these include the extras.
Posted By: BenBob
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 06:47 PM
This is not fair. I think some of you are spending more on hunting than I am. I am going to have to really get after it since you brought it to my attention.
Posted By: jim1961
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 07:25 PM
easy 5-10k with lease, feeders, blinds, trips, food, corn, protein, weapon, bullets, fuel, clothes...... It is a scary amount
Posted By: copperhead
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 07:32 PM
License, fuel, food, needed items, I'd say approx 900.00.
Posted By: rstewlandman
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 07:41 PM
1500 to 2K avg
Posted By: tkuehn5410
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 07:48 PM
Last year I spent right around $7k by the time I got everything paid for: corn, feeders, built a couple blinds. The lease costs around $1000 per gun and my wife and I have a place I hunt for free.
This year I expect it will run around $6k.
Best money I spend all year.
Posted By: BMD
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 07:49 PM
you guys are low balling especially with cost of fuel preseason
Posted By: BMD
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 07:51 PM
Tk is being honest give real numbers
NO WAY am I going to post that data in a public forum where my wife or the IRS could look at it...uh-uh, nope, not going to happen...
Posted By: BenBob
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 08:12 PM
I don't think that I even want to put it down where I can see the cold hard facts of my own hunting costs, much less let someone else see it.
Posted By: tkuehn5410
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 08:12 PM
The fuel would be triple, but I drive a Honda Civic back and forth and do a lot of morning only or afternoon only hunts since I live 45 and 75 miles from the two leases:
Posted By: Tx_Phantom
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 08:19 PM
super combo license 64
tree stand 110
hunting boots 82
used camo jacket/pants 50
1 box ammo 20
feet/hand warmers 12
backpack 10
mississippi license 300
self processing 30
horn mounting kits 30
Total so far 2008-09 $708
TxP
PS - this does not include buying fresh pink rags.
Posted By: BenBob
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 08:19 PM
Man that buck has got some browtines. If I could kill deer like that I would consider a Honda Civic for my lease mobile.
Posted By: Sully
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 08:29 PM
Well, you guys have me beat by thousands. I think I got up to around 1400 counting the taxidermy bill. It does pay to have a free place to go.
Posted By: Txduckman
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 08:30 PM
The dude already buys supplies and feed. I believe he was just wanting to know what a lease costs since he already has all the other expenses which he listed out. A blind is amortized. You built/buy it once and it is good for many years. Mine cost $800 and is 5 years old with zero maintenance and good for another 10 to 15. That's pretty cheap overall. You don't have to spend a fortune on all that feed. Just throw corn Aug to Feb.
Posted By: helomech
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 08:30 PM
Got all my stands, and feeders a few years ago, so corn, bullets, batteries for my cameras. Under 1k not including my mortgage (does that word look stupid to anyone else). Got to have somewhere to live. My trip to hwy mans probably cost a thousand, but worth every penny and then some.
Posted By: steel shot
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 08:32 PM
Quote:
NO WAY am I going to post that data in a public forum where my wife or the IRS could look at it...uh-uh, nope, not going to happen...
That is soooooo true
Posted By: Sully
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/16/08 09:02 PM
Quote:
The dude already buys supplies and feed. I believe he was just wanting to know what a lease costs since he already has all the other expenses which he listed out.
I was talking lease costs, but this is fun.
Posted By: Earl
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/17/08 02:19 AM
Hmmmmm...I sure as hell ain't showing this to the wife:
Young County Lease: $1500
Bandera County Axis hunt: $750
Bandera County W.T. hunt: $750
Taxidermy charges (1 axis, 3 WT): $1600
Processor charges (4 animals): $700
Fuel charges (estimate): $500
Hotel stays (no camper): $800
License Fees: $80
Corn expense: $150
Miscellaneous crap: $500
Food estimate: $600
-------------------------------
Total for stuff I can think of = $7930
Oh Good Gosh, no wonder I'm friggin broke....like I said anyone tells my wife your a dead man
Oh hell I forgot the doctor bill of $1000 for "chest pains" after the Bandera Whitetail hunt....crap, crap, crap...I gotta cut back but all I want to do is hunt more...I have a problem. I need a hunters anonymous group or something...
And we aren't even getting into the thousands I spent last year for surgery to re-attach a torn biceps tendon I messed up on my red stag hunt...no wonder the wife doesn't like the heads hanging on the wall
Earl
Posted By: Screwdriver
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/17/08 04:33 AM
That's something I don't even want to think about.
Posted By: BenBob
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/17/08 02:53 PM
And all the while I thought this was a therapy group that would help me get past the addiction of hunting. I guess the first step is to admit your addiction. OK, I andmit it.
Posted By: Curly
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/17/08 03:54 PM
Quote:
The fuel would be triple, but I drive a Honda Civic back and forth and do a lot of morning only or afternoon only hunts since I live 45 and 75 miles from the two leases:
MY HERO! 
Posted By: Deerhunter61
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/17/08 04:10 PM
My costs this year...
Lease - $1500
Two Feeders - $700
Two Stands - $500
Corn - $400
Diesel - $1000
Food - $400
Total - $4,500.00
Then on top of that...
Deer Processing - $230
Shoulder Mount - $495
Fox Mount - $500
Totals - %5,725.00
I am sure I am leaving something out but here is what I have so far...Man now I am depressed!!!
This is the first year I hunted on this lease so I incurred start up costs that I will not have to suffer through this coming year...
Now if the owner will not raise the cost!
Posted By: RedBone
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/17/08 08:20 PM
First year hunter:
Lease: 600
Truck: 5000
Trailer: 4500
Rifle: 450
Feeder and Corn: 250
Gas: 300
Wal-Mart/ M&G for hunting crap: 500
Processing one deer: 150
Total: 11,750
The truck and trailer where the big expenses. I should cost them out over several years to make this number more reasonable.
I told my wife it would cost 600 bucks plus a couple hundred for food and gear. Once I got up there I could see my 4 door Lexus was not going to cut it and that the old, rotten, roach infested place they had for me to stay in was just too nasty.
Also I got the truck from my father-in-law for a very fair price. I figured I could get a 4 wheeler or truck - I chose the truck.
Posted By: Curly
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/17/08 09:24 PM
Spotlight- $20......oh wait, nevermind....
Posted By: frognot
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/17/08 09:33 PM
Quote:
Spotlight- $20......oh wait, nevermind....
Eight track tapes of Lynyrd Skynyrd . . .(need an East Texas price check)
Posted By: HuntingTexas
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/17/08 09:49 PM
Well this year bought a 2009 Polaris Ranger 700 XP Camo and trailer, two 1000 pound feeders with lower units, 1 fiberglass 5' x 5' Octagon blind with staircase, landing and handrail, 1 4' x 4' blind with 10' base, 4 Weatherby's ( sold two ), 2 Kahles ( sold 1 ) and 1 Swarovski scope, 1 Browning Micro medallion, 1 Savage .338, 80 bags of corn, 5 trips to the lease at 700 miles round trip ( 14 mph deisel ), too many knives to remember, more hunting clothes, a used cabover camper, oh yeah Remington 7mm STW with Leupold ( thanks JCB ), many other rifles and shotguns and pistols that aren't for deer hunting, $2500.00 for Ozona lease, afraid to add it all up but the Polaris , trailer, lease and feeders are about $20,000.00 by themselves. I think I need to lay down now ..............
Quote:
Quote:
Spotlight- $20......oh wait, nevermind....
Eight track tapes of Lynyrd Skynyrd . . .(need an East Texas price check)
From a guy with name like frognot... knew a girl from frognot once... she left the country though...
I do have an awesome camper with an 8-track though... if I could just find the t-top camaro to hunt from....
Posted By: Earl
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/18/08 01:16 AM
Oh God reading you guys lists I remembered the platform feeder and 4x6 blind I purchased this year too - not to mention the truck last year (wife didn't want dead animals in the back of her Explorer and they weren't gonna fit in my Mustang don't ya know)....now I'm really depressed, no wonder she's allways complaining about "your hunting crap".
Posted By: Txduckman
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/18/08 01:53 AM
All capital costs should be amortized so you really can keep spending this year! Just divide it by 15.
Posted By: ytsejam
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/18/08 02:09 AM
This is my first year to hunt, so so far:
gun 400
coat 70
gloves 10
overalls 30
boots 80
ammo 30
lantern 18
trips to shooting range 40
stuff for camping trip 200
$825 so far, and haven't shot a deer yet.
Posted By: okbowhunter
Re: Hunting Costs - 12/18/08 02:28 PM
775.00 Lifetime Oklahoma Lic
65.00 Texas Super Combo
60.00 New Arrows
100.00 WalMart Hunting Crap
300.00 Gas
0.00 Lease (no lease costs this year hunting public land)
200.00 Academy Hunting Crap
325.00 New Rem Model 700 with 3x9 .270
170.00 New pair of Boots (good ones)
50.00 Camping stuff
1300.00 except the lifetime suppose I need to amortize that over my lifetime so I guess I won't know the true value until I die.
oh and I haven't killed a deer yet this year either still trying.