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

[russ]

Good for them if they can get people to pay that for spending 5 days with family to shoot deer. To each their own.

[bottom-bouncer]

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

[hockeybc69]

Its been said already....

To each his own.

If you dont like the price this particular outfitter is charging, then keep looking for something else.

Try and take your family to Africa on a full safari if you want sticker shock.

As long as there are people out there willing to pay the price, not much is going to change to lower the cost.

People have different vices in their lives. I have known people that spend incredible amounts of money to golf every weekend of the year. I have known people that have to have the fanciest/most expensive cars they can get their hands on. I have known people that blow money on pulltabs that would put a lot of people in the poorhouse.

Hunters aren't the only "crazy" people out there.

To each his own. Its not just hunting that people are willing to spend a ton of money on.

[bottom-bouncer]

Hey hockey whats wrong with spending money on golf? someday if I spend enough I might get better.or not

[mrklean]

hunting is becoming a rich mans sport more and more every year

[hockeybc69]

Oh I forgot Mrklean, that the rest of the world came to their senses and they dont go hog wild on anything.

[bottom-bouncer]

hunting is becoming a rich mans sport more and more every year

I am just praying for that $5.00 a gallon gas hopefully by fall. that will ease up some of the pressure down here and maybe free up some more land.

[Fowlmouth]

How has it changed since you were a kid? When you were a kid did pops take you on game farm hunts like the one you're looking into? How about finding some public land and doing some scouting. Stop being lazy and complaining.

[whitetail_freak]

When it comes down to it, Large outfitters have to keep doe numbers down in order to keep their success rates for big bucks high, otherwise all of their land they buy and lease would be nothing but a huge herd of does.

Secondly, for those people who lease large tracts of land for lots of cash, more power to you. Keeps the farmers happy, and as long as they are willing to pay it, whats wrong with it? I for one lease quite a few acres myself, mostly by trading for farm labor and up keep of the property. Overall, there's no way in hell I would drop 15k on a deer hunt, or any type of hunt.

[bowhunternw]

When it comes down to it, Large outfitters have to keep doe numbers down in order to keep their success rates for big bucks high, otherwise all of their land they buy and lease would be nothing but a huge herd of does.

Secondly, for those people who lease large tracts of land for lots of cash, more power to you. Keeps the farmers happy, and as long as they are willing to pay it, whats wrong with it? I for one lease quite a few acres myself, mostly by trading for farm labor and up keep of the property. Overall, there's no way in hell I would drop 15k on a deer hunt, or any type of hunt.

My only problem with it is I don't want it to turn into a rich mans sport. Some rich lawyer or doctor leasing 10,000 acres because money is no object. That is why I am somewhat opposed to trying to grow big bucks. I think it could negativley affect hunting in MN. Unfortunately I am not wealthy and most likely never will be. JMO

[hockeybc69]

Big bucks are not the enemy....

Where I used to waterfowl hunt in ND, its become a big lease area. Several of our favorite spots are now leased by a banker out of Fargo. We are locked out.

Hmmm, leases for pheasants in SD..... You bet there are.

Lost one of my favorite turkey hunting spots to a guy that showed up at the farmers door with cash to lease the land for turkey, deer and waterfowl.

Its a sign of the times. More people, and they aint making any more land I am afraid.

[TRZ II]

5K can get you a nice down payment on land in the north country, 40's can go as low as 30K, not real nice but huntable. Poor people can still hunt plenty good on public land just have to work. The guy is from GR! Scout some of the 1000's of acres of public land in your back yard and shoot a nice buck for gas money and license fee. Many years my deer has cost me under 100$.

[bowhunternw]

5K can get you a nice down payment on land in the north country, 40's can go as low as 30K, not real nice but huntable. Poor people can still hunt plenty good on public land just have to work. The guy is from GR! Scout some of the 1000's of acres of public land in your back yard and shoot a nice buck for gas money and license fee. Many years my deer has cost me under 100$.

Nice

[TooTallTom]

Being against the ability of someone with enough money to buy a lease on some hunting land from someone who wants to sell it to them is not very good Capitalism. In fact, you might say wanting to control others' economic activity to that extent is Socialism...

Stir, stir, stir

[bowhunternw]

Being against the ability of someone with enough money to buy a lease on some hunting land from someone who wants to sell it to them is not very good Capitalism. In fact, you might say wanting to control others' economic activity to that extent is Socialism...

Stir, stir, stir

True. I guess what bothers me more than anything these days is the wealth gap. Eventually a handful of people owning and controlling everything. I am probably getting off topic so I am finished.

[TRZ II]

Poor white trash like me still get plenty of deer!

[mainbutter]

Wow.

For that price, I could fish close to half the entire year in Ontario.. by myself of course, but still!

[lakevet]

5K can get you a nice down payment on land in the north country, 40's can go as low as 30K, not real nice but huntable. Poor people can still hunt plenty good on public land just have to work. The guy is from GR! Scout some of the 1000's of acres of public land in your back yard and shoot a nice buck for gas money and license fee. Many years my deer has cost me under 100$.

My point was that deer hunting has become more commercialized than when I was a kid. I am like my Dad. I would quit hunting before going on a hunt like that. Just me and the way I was raised. Having someone else scout , place stands, etc, etc just turns you into the shooter not a hunter. Just me, not looking for an argument. I agree that if you want to do the work, there are nice bucks out there to be had, on public land, as well as a lot of good eating deer. Just wonder how many kids used to hunt that 4000 acres that is now tied up by the outfitter. Now, according to the outfitter HSOforum, only if the kids have the $3500. And $5K down on property is a lot for some families, not to mention drive time to get to the property, payments, insurance, taxes.

Yes there is public land, but the loss of access, especially for kids in the south half of the state, is what gets me. My kids & their friends have access to family farms, friends farms, family hunting camp lands and of course as you mentioned, lots of public close by. It is less than it was, but that is the trend.

Just was thinking about how wonderful it was to be able to go out the door of my parent's place and have access to most neighbors land for us neighborhood kids to hunt. Hopefully these outfitters/large lease guys would consider some youth hunts on their property for the neighborhood kids. Maybe some do already.

lakevet

[Gopher_Guy]

Find some good public ground - there's plenty of it. I'm almost positive I know the area you are talking about - Houston County right?. I have hunted within a few miles of it for several years. It's great land, but not that great.

[delcecchi]

Rent a nice motel room in Rochester (or St Charles) and hunt the public land. Or ask some of the farmers in the area, many of whom have more deer than they want eating their crops. Lots of places to hunt around here. Heck you could base in Winona and double dip into Wisconsin if the seasons line up.

Of course some areas down here are into some sort of QDM, so you have to watch those rules.

Do your homework and it will be fine.

[Gordie]

I might have to start a new bussiness adventure

[skee0025]

$15,250 total for 5 days..Thats only if you dont shoot anything!! You can expect to pay much more if you shoot anything with antlers. I've been looking and I have yet to find an outfitter anywhere that does not charge a "trophy fee" You pay for your buck by the inch on top of the thousands you already pay them to hunt the property. If you do end up shooting the Buck of a lifetime you can expect to fork out another 7-10 thousand.

[InTheNorthwoods]

$15,250 total for 5 days..Thats only if you dont shoot anything!! You can expect to pay much more if you shoot anything with antlers. I've been looking and I have yet to find an outfitter anywhere that does not charge a "trophy fee" You pay for your buck by the inch on top of the thousands you already pay them to hunt the property. If you do end up shooting the Buck of a lifetime you can expect to fork out another 7-10 thousand.

This simply isn't true. Most fair chase outfitters don't charge any trophy fees, and the few that do usually only do so for deer in excess of 170" (or higher). At the same, the few that do charge trophy fees often have lower initial prices for the non-hunting costs.

High Fenced operations are different. They almost always charge by the inch. But those "hunts" are not what is being discussed in this thread.

[mrklean]

you are correct North, most people will only charge the trophy fee if it is indeed a trophy 170"+ but they also charge a fee if you shoot anything under 140" as well. The high fence operations you pick your deer before you even go half the time so you know what your gonna pay