On a related note…. Has anybody ever thought of how our love of bowhunting and other forms of hunting may not be not be as pure as we think? Every year I just can’t help but look at the amount of money,time and effort I put into bowhunting while other forms of hunting seem so much simpler. It’s almost like an entire industry looked at us all and saw us as suckers that could be sold products over three months while those old dudes that got only 5-9 days to hunt get by with very little invested. Makes me wonder. I love all seasons but have that thought every now and then.
yep. ive sat there and start to add everything up while in the stand. Sticks, stand, lifeline, bowhanger, pack, boots, base layers, outlayers, gloves, waist mit, neck gator, stocking cap, harness, binos, range finder, release, broadheads, arrows, sight, arrow rest, quiver, grunt call, rattle, boot blankets. Just sitting there in that moment can easily be several thousand dollars. But then I remember how long ive had a lot of this stuff, most of it 10+ years, so its definitely got its use out of. If you take care of things much of it can about last you a lifetime. I find myself getting annoyed when I get ready at how much crap I take in/out everytime.
But, no one is making us buy all that, you can just easily go the cheap route. Just use used equipment and hunt out of a couple naturally made blinds/brush pile etc like I did when I started.
I've gone with a group the past four years now first season gun, theres about 12-14 of us. Its mostly older guys that are about aged out, once they are done the group will be done as they are the ones with the access to the properties we go. Driving to/from I dont recall ever seeing other groups out, hardly even pass another vehicle with someone wearing orange.
In one way it sad to see the groups end, it is fun, but in another it should help the age structure for sure I would think.