Is hunting becoming a rich man's sport?

[josephmrtn]

I've been thinking a lot about this lately, why are hunting products getting so dang expensive? Yes I know inflation, current administration blah blah blah, I get that stuff is gonna cost a little more. but I still don't understand why stuff is so ridiculous. For instance some of the new cast aluminum treestands on the Market today. I think they are great products and would love to use them. But I simply can't afford to spend around $1000 for a stand and set of climbing sticks just to get into a tree, most of my older steel stands are either homemade or I got them for cheap or free.

Hunting clothing is the same way,can anyone really afford to spend $1-5k just to buy clothing. I know the stuff from Walmart or a discount store is probably just as effective as something like Sitka for killing a deer but why is it that the whole industry is moving towards you spending thousands of dollars per year just to be comfortable in the woods? Is it because we have shown we're willing to pay the price regardless of what they ask?

[Nomad]

Yes.

[Arcade Hunter]

Not to mention the prices on leasing hunting property now a days.   I remember the good old days when you knock on a door and folks would let you hunt, or your neighbors always welcomed you to hunt thier property  as you did also.  Those days are long gone it seems

[Grouse]

Yep.  Too many guys think money will increase success in the field.  It doesn't, if you don't have the proper skill set mastered to begin with.

I still use gear I've had for years and didn't pay much for when I bought it.  I ask myself, "Is this something I want, or something I need?"  If I don't "need" it, I don't usually buy it.  Spending a lot of money is OK if you have a lot of money to spend, but it is by no means necessary to be successful while hunting.  The basics skills of knowing how to hunt the animal you are after, will trump spending a lot on gear every time.

I truly feel a lot of guys spend a lot on gear because they have never mastered the skills needed to get the game they're after, or learned how to dress to stay warm.  They think if they spend more on the things marketers tell them will help them succeed, they will.  A fool and his money are soon parted.

Sure, a lot of stuff will make a hunt more comfortable, or satisfying, but that will all be forgotten when the bill comes if you spent more than your budget allows.

Hunting isn't becoming a rich man's sport in this land.  But a lot of rich men are into hunting.  Let them pay for all the things they can't hunt without and be confident money cannot buy success, unless you are paying an outfitter to have the skills for you, or a high fence operation that will place a trophy buck in front of you.

[Kmartinson]

I use xop gear and hunt public. I work at my lease to save money, hunting is what you make of it. I can say that it's a learning curve and even on public in ny you can get it done.

Lots of guys on here buy a new bow and guns every year, plus maintain an expensive lease and own every cool new gadget. They couldn't kill deer unless they walk to the plot and run the ozonics in the wrong wind.

I can see this dynamic creating a feeling where spending money makes you more successful. Imo it's an illusion. Pay to play guys seem more successful because they are, that's not pushing me out of hunting even a little bit. 

[BizCT]

There was actually a thread about this on bowsite lately. Sheep hunts are $40K-$80K, people are buying governor elk tags for $300K! It's gotten crazy, but if people are willing to pay things will only go higher. Affording and justifying are two different things. For example, I can afford an elk hunt.....but my mind can't justify $8K for a week of hunting. But I don't fault the industry/outfitters for charging more for clothes, gear, hunts, etc. Quick example:

You are a deer outfitter and take 20 guys per year at $3,000 each = $60K revenue

OR

You take only 10 guys per year at $6K each = $60K revenue, and bigger bucks are killed, and your expenses on meals/lodging are cut in half. It's a no brainer if the market is willing to pay. The same math applies to gear, clothes, bows, guns, etc.

 

Edited October 21, 2022 by BizCT

[phade]

19 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Yep.  Too many guys think money will increase success in the field.  It doesn't, if you don't have the proper skill set mastered to begin with.

I still use gear I've had for years and didn't pay much for when I bought it.  I ask myself, "Is this something I want, or something I need?"  If I don't "need" it, I don't usually buy it.  Spending a lot of money is OK if you have a lot of money to spend, but it is by no means necessary to be successful while hunting.  The basics skills of knowing how to hunt the animal you are after, will trump spending a lot on gear every time.

I truly feel a lot of guys spend a lot on gear because they have never mastered the skills needed to get the game they're after, or learned how to dress to stay warm.  They think if they spend more on the things marketers tell them will help them succeed, they will.  A fool and his money are soon parted.

Sure, a lot of stuff will make a hunt more comfortable, or satisfying, but that will all be forgotten when the bill comes if you spent more than your budget allows.

Hunting isn't becoming a rich man's sport in this land.  But a lot of rich men are into hunting.  Let them pay for all the things they can't hunt without and be confident money cannot buy success, unless you are paying an outfitter to have the skills for you, or a high fence operation that will place a trophy buck in front of you.

Money can indeed buy success short of the ability to execute a shot. I don't think that is unique to hunting though.

While hunting can be done cheap - a la public land and basic supplies....land access is shrinking and more hunters are playing in smaller and smaller swimming pools. Prices are definitely increasing as a result in alot of spaces.

The one caveat to alot of gear is USA made is $$$. China made is $$$ now compared to before because of tariffs. The cost to bring over a container full of goods has gone up many, many multiples in the past 24-36 months. Factors of 10X plus in alot of instances.

[phade]

8 minutes ago, Kmartinson said:

I use xop gear and hunt public. I work at my lease to save money, hunting is what you make of it. I can say that it's a learning curve and even on public in ny you can get it done.

Lots of guys on here buy a new bow and guns every year, plus maintain an expensive lease and own every cool new gadget. They couldn't kill deer unless they walk to the plot and run the ozonics in the wrong wind.

I can see this dynamic creating a feeling where spending money makes you more successful. Imo it's an illusion. Pay to play guys seem more successful because they are, that's not pushing me out of hunting even a little bit. 

Who is this? I actually think this forum is quite different in that regard compared to most other forums.

[phade]

7 minutes ago, BizCT said:

There was actually a thread about this on bowsite lately. Sheep hunts are $40K-$80K, people are buying governor elk tags for $300K! It's gotten crazy, but if people are willing to pay things will only go higher. Affording and justifying are two different things. For example, I can afford an elk hunt.....but my mind can't justify $8K for a week of hunting. But I don't fault the industry/outfitters for charging more for clothes, gear, hunts, etc. Quick example:

You are a deer outfitter and take 20 guys per year at $3,000 each = $60K revenue

OR

You take only 10 guys per year at $6K each = $60K revenue, and bigger bucks are killed, and your expenses on meals/lodging are cut in half. It's a no brainer if the market is willing to pay. The same math applies to gear, clothes, bows, guns, etc.

 

You got that right - read about Disney and their theme parks! They are openly saying they are raising prices to price out the lower middle class so they can drive the same or better revenue with fewer attendees. It's happening everywhere.

[land 1]

its as expensive as you make it or as cheap thats up to the indvidual .... so no not a rich mans sport

[biggamefish]

8 minutes ago, BizCT said:

There was actually a thread about this on bowsite lately. Sheep hunts are $40K-$80K, people are buying governor elk tags for $300K! It's gotten crazy, but if people are willing to pay things will only go higher. Affording and justifying are two different things. For example, I can afford an elk hunt.....but my mind can't justify $8K for a week of hunting. But I don't fault the industry/outfitters for charging more for clothes, gear, hunts, etc. Quick example:

You are a deer outfitter and take 20 guys per year at $3,000 each = $60K revenue

OR

You take only 10 guys per year at $6K each = $60K revenue, and bigger bucks are killed, and your expenses on meals/lodging are cut in half. It's a no brainer if the market is willing to pay. 

 

This is it. If people pay it they will keep pushing the rate higher till people won't. 

[airedale]

I guess everyone has their own idea of what hunting is, I started hunting at a time before today's fancy designer equipment came into vogue, no cameras, tree stands or hunting shacks  with all the comforts of home, most guys did not even use scopes on their firearms. For gear I splurged on Woolrich clothing, wool socks, Bean hunting boots and a hotseat, 60 years later am still basically hunting with the same stuff using the same techniques and still having hunting success. To each their own.

Al

[suburbanfarmer]

3 minutes ago, land 1 said:

its as expensive as you make it or as cheap thats up to the indvidual .... so no not a rich mans sport

Not yet but getting there 

[Moho81]

It's a rich man sport right now only if you want it to be. You can still use that old gun, old clothes, public land etc. But as the cost of things rises that you can't avoid like gas, bullets, arrows and broadheads it's defiantly trending to be more and more expensive. And what happens when NY decides to raise the license fee's? 

[Grouse]

I bought a lifetime license years ago because it was a good investment.  I knew license fees would continue to rise.

As far as land to hunt goes, there are thousands of acres open to the public to hunt around me and most sees very little pressure.  Hunting can still be affordable to everyone if you do the work to find out how to do it.

[Five Seasons]

I think board is a great example of the diversity of hunters and how success isn't unique to one group. There are guys here who haven't bough new camo, if at all in decades, they hunt out of cobbed up old blinds, I've seen a guy tape his broken rubber boots together. Hell, Dino makes all his stuff from scratch. Then you have guys running 7 cell cams, buying $30k tractors to make food plots and always into the latest greatest. Success has found both groups.

Tech and money will never replace woodsmanship and "free time". 

However, and this is a big however. Land. If you don't have land or aren't close to good public land than yes that's where money for a lease or owning property does come into play. 

[Five Seasons]

1 hour ago, Kmartinson said:

Lots of guys on here buy a new bow and guns every year, plus maintain an expensive lease and own every cool new gadget. They couldn't kill deer unless they walk to the plot and run the ozonics in the wrong wind.

ummm I'm not sure you're right here. At least I can't think of any of the active members who do this. 

[phade]

2 minutes ago, Belo said:

ummm I'm not sure you're right here. At least I can't think of any of the active members who do this. 

Reminds me of the people who wear Public Land Owner t-shirts and bash anyone who is on private.

Live and let live, I prefer.

[Five Seasons]

41 minutes ago, Moho81 said:

It's a rich man sport right now only if you want it to be. You can still use that old gun, old clothes, public land etc. But as the cost of things rises that you can't avoid like gas, bullets, arrows and broadheads it's defiantly trending to be more and more expensive. And what happens when NY decides to raise the license fee's? 

The cost of a tag to hunt turkey in 2 seasons, 3 season of deer including 2 bucks and multiple doe, bear in the fall, small game for most of the year and fish all year long for under $100 is not a big deal. Most guys spend more on batteries for their trail cams. 

Considering that all goes to conservation/enforcement helps even more. There was an interesting study done on the price of a duck stamp showing where it is inline with inflation and it's like sickeningly dirt cheap today compared to what the duck hunting community started it out as decades ago and of course even a small proposed increase and hunters lose their shit.

[Lucky118]

https://youtu.be/MruWt2jkvzw

The " Whatsup peasants " had me rollin

Edited October 21, 2022 by Lucky118

[Moho81]

14 minutes ago, Belo said:

The cost of a tag to hunt turkey in 2 seasons, 3 season of deer including 2 bucks and multiple doe, bear in the fall, small game for most of the year and fish all year long for under $100 is not a big deal. Most guys spend more on batteries for their trail cams. 

Considering that all goes to conservation/enforcement helps even more. There was an interesting study done on the price of a duck stamp showing where it is inline with inflation and it's like sickeningly dirt cheap today compared to what the duck hunting community started it out as decades ago and of course even a small proposed increase and hunters lose their shit.

100% agree. I'd even say that $100 is dirt cheap for all of that. I'll spend over $100 just on beer and whisky during the hunting season. 

Not saying it will happen but what if that $100 turns into $200 then maybe $300? It wont stop me but it may stop some people. 

[SpacemanSpiff]

Hunting had become more of a hobby/past time than necessity. So much more hype and marketing than years ago. Hell its a year round venture now. Hunting, shed hunting, land prep, planting plots, over seeding plots, tweaking stands, deploying cameras, checking cameras, on and on and on. So much to spend money on. 

[BizCT]

100% agree. I'd even say that $100 is dirt cheap for all of that. I'll spend over $100 just on beer and whisky during the hunting season. 
Not saying it will happen but what if that $100 turns into $200 then maybe $300? It wont stop me but it may stop some people. 

Yea it’s definitely cheap when you think about all the tags you get. It’s also still very cheap for non residents. That’s where other states make their money. A non Rez elk tag can be $1K or mule deer $650. I think I still paid under $150 for all my NY tags


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Jeremy K]

You don't need the best of anything to kill a deer. What's the point of working everyday if you're not going to spend the money?

[grampy]

You "can" spend a lot!!!

But you "don't" need to, to be successful.