Can We Afford to Hunt

If a person doesn't like threads that degenerate into a mess then you would think they would avoid posting in them with inflammatory posts.

 

Sounds like your priorities are right where you want them Dan. Although, your complaints about the cost of fuel, time off, missed work, wages, eats, et al suggests a change in your business model. These are all things which can be overcome! Remember the adage, "Work smarter not harder"? Surly, there's more you can do to achieve better results from your efforts, eh?

Dan, I will always encourage people to do more... it's your choice.

And, THANK you for all your hard work.

 

I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks.

 

I hope everyone it was directed at does.

 

Wow, I read this post and thought it was great and quite similiar to many areas I've hunted. I have hunted all over VA and some of NC lands including public, private, military bases, management areas, etc. Without a doubt I have met at least as many if not more hunters that I would not care to hunt with for a ton of different reasons. There are a lot of slob hunters out there and that is a sad fact. I'd agree that there are definitely different levels of slob hunters and some really take it to the "next" level but I find it all equally depressing wheter it be a guy shooting more deer than he has tags for, a guy who poaches off of others land(while dui = next level), spotlighters, trespassers, etc.

VS I get what you're saying and I can relate to you as well because I hunt many military installations and yes Quantico, A.P. Hill, NAS Oceana, Fentress Airfield all run very tight programs you are not going to see the type of blatant stuff you might see on just random public or private hunting ground in rural NC/VA. That doesn't mean some of those same guys you hunt with would act the same under different circumstances and I'll give you an example:

I hunt an area Called Northwest Coastguard Annex in VA/NC. It's controlled by the natural resource coordinator for NAS Oceana. They run a very tight ship ie qualifications for all weapons, IBEP, VA hunter safety, indoc, check in/check out through security. Every year they have minimal violations on 4 installations they control. Less than 15 miles away they opened a piece of public land called Cavalier which is open to the public but has rules through VDGIF that must be followed but no real enforcement other than a random game warden. The 2009 season the first week of firearms season they wrote something like 80-90 tickets, by the end of the season it was in the 200+ range. At the indoc this year they stated that over 70% of the violations had been from active duty & DOD hunters stationed or working nearby, many of whom were qualified and hunting the militay bases nearby. I'm just throwing that out for reference that doesn't mean they were all top level slob hunters but they were taking shortcuts somewhere. I guess i'm in the minority but I have encountered a lot of d-bag hunters.

Back on topic, no I can't afford to hunt off my regular income, so I got a job bartending a couple times a week to help cover my extracurricular expenses. It is what it is.

 

Dan, good post but didn't you see my wink? Just In case you didn't I'll throw this one In there.

 

Back at Ya Steve

Dan

 

so where is jmbuckchunter (the mod) who started this thread.. 6 pages ago.

 

Sitting here laughing at you guys. :D

Somehow I kinda thought it would end up like this. These type of threads usually do get ruined. Some guys always have to have the last word. Sometimes it's just better to walk away.

 

Classic..

 

I got my unemployed friend into hunting a couple years ago.

- We got a used 10+ year old bow from a cousin with enough arrows to get started. (free)
- Shooting shoot at the public range until he was hunt ready. (3 bucks a trip)
- Cheap walmart camo and gloves. Orange as well (maybe 60 bucks for everything...maybe)
- Same boots he had (free)
- Hunting license (cheap in Delaware) (<50)
- Hunter safety course (cheap in Delaware) (?)

I think the most expensive purchase his first year was broadheads at 40 bucks.

He also sprung for a small target and some new arrows after a few weeks into it. (90ish)

So, for less than 300 bucks he became a hunter. Imagine that!