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Comparative costs

Fishbonker

Fishbonker

Life Member
The thread in the Long Beard Conference about NWTF got me to thinking about the cost of hunting. For those of you who do a lot of hunting for various game, which one was the most expensive to get started in? Deer, turkey, duck/goose, pheasant/quail whatever. I’m talking about upfront cash outlays to buy the gear necessary to be successful at finding/killing the game you are after.

Please take into consideration clothing, decoys, gun/bow, blinds, calls, licenses and any other expenses I’m missing.

I’m not asking for how much you spent, just which game was more expensive.

Thanks.

The ‘Bonker
 
waterfowl is by far the most expensive hobby that I have. It started as just duck and canada goose hunting. Then I got into spring snow geese, that is a whole new ball game.
 
Year to Year cost is by far Archery Whitetail. At this point in gas alone.

To get started in... Hmmm Probably waterfowl.

Dean
 
Waterfowl probably to get started just based upon the fact that a dozen goose decoys will run about 400 bucks, plus gun, blinds, etc. etc.

Year to year, definitely archery deer.

Kratz
 
I bought a Winchester Model 37A from a hardware store that was closing in 1975. I paid $23 for it. A box or two of shells and a hunting license and I was successfully hunting rabbits, pheasant, quail and deer. Oh, how simple times were then. I didn't know I need to spend big money to be successful. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

I wasn't a very successful hunting waterfowl, though. I didn't buy all the decoys and calls (forget about a duck boat) that would have boosted my success. So I'm guessing for me, the most expensive hunting, staying in the state of Iowa would be waterfowl.

Then again, once the equipment is purchased, you would be set for some time and the only thing you would really need from year to year would be shells and licenses. Looking at what I spent to get into deer hunting, the stands, the bow, the muzzleloader, the grunt tube, I've got quite a bit of money wrapped up in gear. I spend a lot of money on deer licenses every year, too.

So if I had all the waterfowl gear purchased like I do deer hunting gear, I bet deer hunting would cost me more per year than water fowling. Probably because I'd choose to deer hunt over water fowling any day.

So there's your answer, Bonk. The most expensive hunting is going to be the one where your passion lies. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: doob02</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would say Women were the most expensive and I had the least success.... JK

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NAIL ON THE HEAD
 
Even throwing in gas to go deer hunting- It'll be a long time before I've spent as much on deer as I have on waterfowl. This got me thinking of all the crap I've got for ducks. Here's a list.

Boat, mud motor, blind, waders(2), shotgun, calls(way too many-custom of course) 6 or 7 dozen dekes(although who knows where they're all at), sneak boat, layout blind, dog, mojo, blind bags, heaters, non-toxic shells.

I know I'm leaving stuff off, and I know you don't need everything to get started, but man waterfowling gets expensive fast.
 
Whitetail deer hunting is my big hunting expense every year. The cheapest hunting is Snipe for me. Gunny-sack, flash light and beer. Don't get much cheaper than that! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Looks like waterfowling is the most far and away. That's one reason why I have never gotten into it. That and I can't hit the broad side of a barn when it comes to wing shooting.

I kept track of all my hunting receipts to see how much I spent last year and I'm not going to post it. It was baaad. Although it wouldn't have been so high if I hadn't started filming last year. Still, it was a lot.

I'm keeping track of them again this year and I'm going to try to spend waaay less. It's a good thing to try and do but there's a catch to it: Don't tell your wife or girlfriend you are keeping track because they will want to see the receipts and that's when you get into REAL trouble.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Heart Surgeon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I'm keeping track of them again this year and I'm going to try to spend waaay less. It's a good thing to try and do but there's a catch to it: Don't tell your wife or girlfriend you are keeping track because they will want to see the receipts and that's when you get into REAL trouble. </div></div>

Yeah I would call that evidence
 
I originally started this thread with the thought in mind that water fowling was probably the most expensive, and you guys bore that out. I was going to draw a line between how much money DU takes in each year VS how much NWTF, PF, QDMA etc brought in and see if anybody thought there was a correlation between donations based on having the money to hunt a specific animal. DU would take in more than PF because it costs more to go duck hunting; therefore the duck hunters have more disposable income. But the exact opposite could be true too; you spend all your money on hunting ducks and don’t have any left over for a donation to DU. Then there is another variable, how many members does each of those organizations have? This is an MBA thesis waiting to be written. “Charitable giving of various hunting groups and a comparison of cost to participate in each species hunted”.

The ‘Bonker
 
Education level (as a surrogate for higher salary, therefore more disposable income?) vs charitable giving levels?
 
Bonker...how is "everyone" in your head doing today? /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ghost</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Bonker...how is "everyone" in your head doing today? /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

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That made me chuckle.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ghost</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Bonker...how is "everyone" in your head doing today? /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

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Not well. I wrote that this AM when I got off work insteasd of going to bed. The voices seem to get louder the more tired that I am, so by tomorrow morning they will all be screaming. Hopefully I can just go home and get some sleep. Nights suck. Stay tuned, I work tomorrow night too and then have to go to DSM for an 1100-1500 meeting. You think I write strange stuff when I'm tired, you outta hear me debate/argue. I didn't know I knew so many pollysyllabic words. I'm gonna ask my boss to smack me in the head if I get started.


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Education level (as a surrogate for higher salary, therefore more disposable income?) vs charitable giving levels?</div></div>


Pharmer, I accept the premise of your hypothesis and I do belive it has statisitcal validity as well a humanistic viabillity. Now all you have to do is phrase it as a null hypothesis and let the numbers fall where they may. SOMEBODY PLEASE STOP THE VOICES!!!!!

The 'Bonker
 
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