$15,250 to take the family deer hunting in Minnesota for 5 days

[lakevet]

Looking at an deer hunting outfitters site for SE minnesota. To take my family hunting there for 5 days, it would only run me.....

$4000 for myself

$3500 for son #1 ($500 off for kids!)

$3500 for son #2

$3500 for son #3

$750 for the non hunting wife to tag along

$15,250 total for 5 days

only 25 hunters are allowed to hunt the 4000 acre piece per year

I will just say deer hunting in Minnesota continues to change from when I was a kid.

lakevet

[RumRiverRat]

That is a Bargain!

You must be guaranteed to kill at least a 125" class deer for that price!

[Steve Foss]

Ouch! I mean, ouch!

[scott b]

For $10,000 I'll let you use my house and shoot anything you want out of my windows here in the city.

[Rippinlip]

Well atleast the wife gets a heck of a deal.

It's only $150 a day for her to do nothing....

[heat checker]

I had thought about taking the boys one year. Thought in-state,Mn license, might be reasonable. Wrong! Was quite surprised when I checked into the prices! Needless to say, the trip never happened. Too bad, would have been fun.

[PurpleFloyd]

No wonder so many guys leave the wives and kids at home.

Maybe it can be classified as a business trip.

[matchset]

You must be guaranteed to kill at least a 125" class deer for that price!

i guess thats why i have more respect for the "professional" hunters like the Drury Brothers.... they hunt their own properties for the most part... any joe blow can show up at X-outfitter and sit in a pre-hung stand and kill a buck in 5 days....

i enjoy the chase:)

[someday]

If the 25 hunters all only took 1 buck and no doe that would be only 4 deer taken per square mile and little effect on reducing the population. This maybe one example where earn-a-buck might be the neighbors only solution.

[Ufatz]

Looking at an deer hunting outfitters site for SE minnesota. To take my family hunting there for 5 days, it would only run me.....

$4000 for myself

$3500 for son #1 ($500 off for kids!)

$3500 for son #2

$3500 for son #3

$750 for the non hunting wife to tag along

$15,250 total for 5 days

only 25 hunters are allowed to hunt the 4000 acre piece per year

I will just say deer hunting in Minnesota continues to change from when I was a kid.

lakevet

Absurd. Disgusting. Does anybody really want to kill a deer that badly? There are many opportunities to enjoy a family deer hunt for way less money than that. Will you get a big buck?...maybe not. But so what. Believe it or not getting a big deer, or any deer, is not what its all about.

Stuff like this makes me want to puke.

[Surface Tension]

Its just another reason to hang onto the public land we have.

[someday]

Apparently there are people from out of State willing and able to spend this and much more. This is why the County Commissioners in Wabasha County voted to setup a committee to research the economic potential.

[PerchJerker]

I will just say deer hunting in Minnesota continues to change from when I was a kid.

Not just in Minnesota.

[InTheNorthwoods]

It would be pretty easy to run up a similar sized tab taking your family on an all inclusive vacation to the Carribean.

The point is, you aren't paying for just a hunt. You are paying for the experience - "a vacation". While such a "vacation" isn't how I'd spend my money, some people find enjoyment in such a guided hunt/vacation.

On the other hand, for some people spending the money for a guided hunt may be cost comparable to those who have purchased hunting land and are making payments on the land, a cabin, land taxes, food/drink during deer hunting, etc.

Obviously this type of an expenditure isn't for everyone, but I can see how and why some people choose to do so.

[Bear55]

Gotta love that public land!

[ozzie]

well some people like mentioned probably come to Minnesota for there out of state hunt just like we go to Montana or Wyoming or Cananda for hunts......the people that live in those states laugh at the prices guides get and that some of us pay.....to each there own and I would imagine that the guide must get that kind of money otherwise they wouldn't be charging it.....

[laughterin]

And some people have more dollars than sense.

[bowhunternw]

I sure don't want the state to turn into an Iowa or Illinois were most of the huntable land is tied up in outfitters and leases. It is getting harder to get permission all the time and that will make it even worse for the average guy. There is no way I am going to pay a couple of grand to hunt.

[Cheetah]

15 grand is insane. If the kids are younger and ok with shooting does, I'd look out west for some antlerless and/or youth tag opportunities. Maybe you can find a farm with a herd management problem looking for people to hunt. Many states publish lists of farmers that get money for crop damage and are required to let people hunt. It won't be a big buck easy kill kind of deal, but the kids would probably get opportunities to put a deer on the ground.

When I was a barely big enough to shoot a rifle my dad would take me and my brothers out to Montana to chase mule deer does. We all piled into the station wagon and slept while dad drove all night. We would hunt for a few days, usually get a couple deer for the freezer and come home. It was great!

[bottom-bouncer]

If the 25 hunters all only took 1 buck and no doe that would be only 4 deer taken per square mile and little effect on reducing the population. This maybe one example where earn-a-buck might be the neighbors only solution.

Yeah none of the outfitters shoot does or do anything to balance the deer herd they just lease and buy up land and then hope there are big bucks there! are you kidding me!

[smnduck]

Welcome to horn porn or the politicly correct name, antler point restriction.

[bottom-bouncer]

I sure don't want the state to turn into an Iowa or Illinois were most of the huntable land is tied up in outfitters and leases. It is getting harder to get permission all the time and that will make it even worse for the average guy. There is no way I am going to pay a couple of grand to hunt.

Land owners who want to line there pocket books and people who are willing to spend money and lease land are not the biggest reason its getting tougher to get on private land. There are alot of hunters that are rude, slobs. and have no respect for others property and many more that lack common sense. That is the reason its getting tougher all the time. Example I have a few buddys who got in on a lease 4 guys split it. each guy paid $150. so for a total of $600 they got just under 500 acres to hunt. the land owner asked the main spokesman for the group if they would mind if he hunted with his twelve year old who had decided that he wanted to give deer hunting a try. He thought he would ask since they had already paid the lease and that was not part of the original deal. spokesman for the group told he didnt want them hunting they paid for the lease and they wanted it for them selves. Well within there rites but if they had a ounce of common since. When I heard this I just laughed when you have a land owner giving you that kind of deal in houston county you should maybe think it through. you do not get that much land to hunt for that cheap. this was two years ago. last year the farmer told them to find another spot. I tried to lease this piece and was politely told nope dont really need the money so I think I will just leave it for my boy. I have also been denied acess because hunters in the past thought it was a good idea to clean out there truck were they had parked and left there trash laying all over the field drive. so dont just blame greed and big horn hunters. Common hunters are responsible for the tough land acess to.

[Rippinlip]

Land owners who want to line there pocket books and people who are willing to spend money and lease land are not the biggest reason its getting tougher to get on private land. There are alot of hunters that are rude, slobs. and have no respect for others property and many more that lack common sense. That is the reason its getting tougher all the time. Example I have a few buddys who got in on a lease 4 guys split it. each guy paid $150. so for a total of $600 they got just under 500 acres to hunt. the land owner asked the main spokesman for the group if they would mind if he hunted with his twelve year old who had decided that he wanted to give deer hunting a try. He thought he would ask since they had already paid the lease and that was not part of the original deal. spokesman for the group told he didnt want them hunting they paid for the lease and they wanted it for them selves. Well within there rites but if they had a ounce of common since. When I heard this I just laughed when you have a land owner giving you that kind of deal in houston county you should maybe think it through. you do not get that much land to hunt for that cheap. this was two years ago. last year the farmer told them to find another spot. I tried to lease this piece and was politely told nope dont really need the money so I think I will just leave it for my boy. I have also been denied acess because hunters in the past thought it was a good idea to clean out there truck were they had parked and left there trash laying all over the field drive. so dont just blame greed and big horn hunters. Common hunters are responsible for the tough land acess to.

+1 Common Sense, not so common

[someday]

If you read your (2010 Zone 3 Deer Season Recommendations) bottom page 4

Cornicelli wrote " There is also a belief among some that leasing will increase and large blocks of land will act as refugia, thereby exacerbating problems to adjacent landowners. Such problem currently exist in the Southeast" Dose the DNR not currently give up to 10 doe permits to the neighbors of some of these large leases.

[rymcneil]

For $15,000 a person can put that down on a nice chunk of woods for yourself.... just saying!!