Can We Afford to Hunt

When will the madness of these prices stop? I mean we now have bows over $2000.00 (Mathews Safari Series), sights for over $500.00 (Trijicon Bow sight), broadheads for nearly $30.00 each (Rage Titanium). The clothing prices have gone through the roof. Not to mention what some states get for archery tags. And then throw a lease or property or top of that, WOW.

I know we don't all NEED the best and most expensive equipment out there. But as the top end prices go up, so does the middle and lower prices. And it is nice to get some new high quality gear once in a while.

We always talk about recruiting new hunters into the ranks. I personally think the price of the equipment and the hunt is keeping a lot of people from giving bowhunting a try. It's a big investment if you don't like it. What dad wants to spend $500-$1000 on a set up for a teenager, just to have the bow sit in the basement.

 

I honestly think that getting a new starter bow for hunting has never been cheaper. Look at the RAK series that bowtech has out. You can get a great performing bow with all accessories for just over $600. Plus now that we have a bass pro close you can get some decent camo fleece shirts for like $30 or so.

I am however surprised that with the little bit of depression that we are in, that it's now that the top dollar products are coming out and selling surprisingly well. The problem with some people is that they want to spend the money just to say they have a $500 sight or a $2000 bow. Not necessarily cause it shoots the best or is the best.

 

Compared to some of the other sports/hobbies/interests of mine, bowhunting/archery is relatively cheap.

 

what in the world are your other hobbies??

 

Strippers.

 

It will stop when idiots quit paying for it.

There is still just as much cheap **** as ever out there. Difference is, the expensive stuff is marketed out the wazoo to make us think that everyone has it...which in turn makes everyone buy it....which in turn makes their marketing right. Stupid circle isn't it?


And to play devil's advocate against myself... I am done buying cheap stuff. It gets you no where. Clothing is expensive for a reason. Cheap clothes suck...If you do anything more than sit in a treestand while hunting, it will hit you hard when you realize this.

And I will agree, that archery is still rather cheap to get into. It's the compulsive attitude most of us have towards the industry that makes it expensive.

Why on earth would someone buy a new bow every year, or better yet...the guys that kill maybe 1-2 deer a year but trade up and keep an arsenal of 2-4 brand new bows each year....most of the time, these are the same guys griping that they can't afford an out of state hunt. lol

 

I would have to agree with force. I'm into motocross and that is fairly expensive for maintenance and equipment. I'm also into golf and to buy new clubs is no cheaper than a good bow setup plus each time you want to use them it costs you 60-100$. I am getting into wakeboarding and bought myself a boat. That wasn't the cheapest. haha.

 

-Racing motocross
-Sportbike trackdays (riding motorcycle race tracks w/o actually racing them)
-firearms shooting (looking into competitive shooting, though may skip and do archery leagues instead)
-triathlons (coaching fees, equipment costs, races)

Although, they would save me some money if that was the only hobby I was into.

 

Buy used. You can get that high end bow for 50% or less if you don't need it the minute it is available. Wait a couple years.

Also, don't buy FPS you don't need. So many seem to be caught up in buying something that shoots 10 fps more than last years model.

Same with other stuff, like arrows. Victory now has "armor piercing" that will cost upwards of $140 a dozen and all they really are is a heavy arrow with a fat tip and thin shaft. But they'll sell a bunch because they are "armor piercing". You can do the same thing for 60% of the cost.

There is no reason to pay the prices they are asking today, or tomorrow, but, people will and that is why they keep going up.

 

Trev,

There's a huge difference between being "cheap" and being "frugal".

Cheap is when you buy something "crappy" knowing full well it's going to break, and there's no way to fix it. You toss it away...a total waste of your assets.

Frugal is when you make the absolute best use of your resource, the item is fixable, and eventually erodes away from wear and tear. Your life changes without the item.

"Expensive" does not necessarily adequate to the "best" and vise versa. Within my life experiences and as a rule of thumb, "higher maintenence" and "expensive" go hand in hand. There are trade offs one must pay...

"Time" is still my most precious and sought commodity. I will make sacrifices to get it-time here for time there, for example. I have never been swayed by the concept of, "Keep up with the Jones".

Hope some of this helps...

 

Prices of bows, arrows, accessories, are ridiculous. Who said you had to get the latest and greatest though? Technology made things very expensive. Gotta love technology. I have always shot aluminum arrows but decided I'd give FMJ's a try a couple years ago. I killed things just as good before I bought Into the technology In arrows. A person doesn't need all of this junk to bow hunt and be successful with.

Non Resident hunting license's are a fricking joke In many states. I've been to Montana 5 or 6 different years elk hunting. I went there because the elk hunting was good and the licenses were fairly cheap at $475.00 for a combination tag (elk and deer). This year they jacked the elk tag to $800.00 and the muley tag to $500.00 or so. Don't think I'll be going their again. It's sad as I really enjoyed my time there. As far as I'm concerned you can blame the guides and polititions for the Non Resident license Increases In the USA. This world Is struggling economicly but yet the state jacks these prices up.

 

You sir just made my day with that comment

 

All good posts, and each of them right in their own way...

Steve nailed it for me, as I can do as suggested here if I had to and buy used (Bruce's suggestion is spot-on for those wanting to upgrade bows without plopping down full retail)... but I can't negotiate out-of-state license fees.

That aspect of our sport is really starting to hurt the average Joe.

 

LOL

 

Hear. Hear.

I guarantee you I could outfit a hutner with everything he needed to kill deer with.....under $500.

Everything.

For anything more than this, refer to Trev's post. That last part is odd, to me, also.

 

I agree it is getting more and more expensive. I try to buy descent gear so it lasts and take care of it the best I can. It drops the price significantly. This is why we all stress "shoot a bow that fits you and is enjoyable to shoot." your bow may loose a little speed over the years but it will still make a kill 5+ years from now. If you are buying the new flagship bow every year that's great for you. The average Joe like me can't afford it.

 

I think the question should be can we afford to hunt the way we want, where we want, and with the gear we want?

You don't need a top end bow, you don't need top end accessories, you don't need a lease, you don't have to own property, you don't have to hunt out of state. Those are all wants. There is plenty of bowhunting gear out there I would love to own,but don't. There are plenty of other places I would love to hunt, but don't. Yet somehow, I still hunt every year.

 

What cracks ME up is the guys that buy the latest and greatest bows and equipment and act like gun hunters are compromisers cuz of the weapon they hunt with...lol.... recurve and longbow hunters are the REAL bowhunters, IMO .... the modern compund gets closer and closer to a xbow and a pistol as they advance......time to duck

 

So, you're not a real bowhunter then either Tony?

 

I got a fully loaded 2006 Hoyt Trykon with a dozen ACC's in 2007 for $550 from a guy on AT because he wanted the latest and greatest. I have used the bow since 2007 and could not be happier. The bow I had before that was a Alpine Silverado that a chick bought for me. Had that bow for 10 years?

I try to teach young hunters, hockey players, etc. that equipment does not make you good at something, your heart does.