Taking Mark Perry's advice, I wanted to post this question. As a kid growing up in LA I looked forward to hunting season that would keep me sleepless for 2 weeks prior to opening day. Joining the Navy and moving around put a little damper on the hunting experience but I always managed to sneak it in where I could. Since moving to TX 14 years ago I have sold all my guns and decided to concentrate on fishing. I'd have to say the prohibitive cost of a quality dear lease is the biggest reason. I have run into several other people through the years who have done the same thing. Since most of us are introduced to hunting through our parents, there are going to be fewer and fewer kids being introduced to the fine sport of hunting. Please don't mistake this as a bash on hunting leases. If I won the lottery, (I don't play) tomorrow, I might jump back on the hunting bandwagon. But the truth of the matter is, that ain't gonna happen. As for fishing leases, as long as our resevoirs and community ponds are free fishing options, that is where I'll choose to cast my lot and lines. Sorry for the rambling.
And for those of you with fishing leases, I wish you the best of luck.

i find it more appeasing by fishing rather than spending a gawd awful amount of money on a lease to shoot dog-sized deer. SO yes- I gave up hunting for fishing.I still have my .243, .22, and 12 gauge. The rest of the guns are gone.

I gave up huntting doesn't get cold enough for me here....untill this time of the year and the season is over ... Hunted all my life...

But I fish all year now ... never a dull moment....but I'll hunt if I get a invite ... but not untill then still got my Gun...

Love hunting, have not nor will not ever give it up, postponed it for a time.

Kids have kept me out of the woods the past 6 years, I take the rifle out and zero it every couple of years, prior to that I always deer hunted public lands, plenty of it cost very little.

The problem is, rifle hunting is last of the methods to be used.
Meaning most decent deer are picked over by the time I get out there, after black powder, archery, and youth hunts, there somewhere else.

However,squirrel, dove and turkey are strong where I go, and the kids will be getting a couple calls in the next month or so for the spring gobbler season, which they will participate in.

Looking at the math, hunting public land is cheaper than being a non-boater in a Bass Club for sure.

I've done the fishing more lately, but hunting will be there for me and my kids always.

after moving from west texas where I chased quail, sat for dove and ambushed a few turkey, it seems I have given up hunting for fishing at tawakoni- wife loves to go fishing, we hardly ever go home empty handed, would rather eact fish (although quail are hard to beat)and the grandchildren love the boat
i will still go chase a few pheasant but that's mostly a social thing

well cant say ive given up hunting but its getting hard to afford deer leases.
still looking for a good family lease 4 hunters if anyone knows about one give me a shout

grub worm

As father of a special needs child, my resources are limited. I would consider a bass club, (boater or non boater) an expense I couldn't afford. Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge anybody thier fortunes. My son is loosing his eyesight along with his other issues and prorities have to be set in this house. Fishing is still relatively inexpensive and easy. Besides, fortunes aren't in what you can spend on a lease or fishing equipment, it's in family and friends, I've got fortunes where it counts. Do I miss hunting, you bet, but I've got my priorities straight. Thanks for the replies!

I gave it up becuase of the lease cost as well. Plus the fall fishing is really my favorite fishing of the year. I still have all my guns, but sometimes wonder why.

I have been thinking about giving up the deer hunting as I have to pay for my season lease this week. As long as my son still wants to hunt I guess I will pay.

I do not know why they call it hunting. Feeding or Baiting should be a better word.

I honestly gave it up after moving to Texas about 15 years ago. I was born and raised in Tennessee for the most part and we were blessed to have a few hundred acres of family land that most of us lived on. Hunting was simply walking out our back door or even sitting in the back yard. We had plenty of deer, turkey, and hogs. We even had a few bear, squirrel, and other animals.
After moving here it just seemed to take the fun out of it due to cost and hassle of securing a lease. I still go with buddies here and there but I honestly rarely hunt. I usually just hang out at camp and enjoy the camraderie. Even if I shot something my wife and kids do not care for venison so the end result is not worth it to me.
Fishing is my passion and I also do not want anything else taking me away from fishing except work and family. So I guess I am one that gave up hunting for fishing.

still Dove hunt but only bow hunt when I get invited now. Never enjoyed rifle hunting, too easy. When I moved to CC Lake I got off my lease and havent returned, due mostly to the cost of the lease & travel expenses.

I used to hunt anything and everything there is in the hill country. Growing up in Fredericksburg there werent very many good fisheries nearby. by nearby I mean within an hour or so. Hunting was just more feasible for me growing up on a ranch. That all changed when I went off to college. I went to Tyler Junior College for 2 years and had no land to hunt. So to cure my thirst for the outdoors I began getting heavily into Bass fishing. Tyler was the closest thing to heaven on earth, with all of the nearby lakes.

That was the most addicting habit I ever started! I then transfered to A&M Kingsville and kept on fishin. Now I am in Corpus Christi, graduated and employed, and fish every weekend either saltwater or at Choke Canyon. I get to sleep in mon-fri untill 6am, sat and sun I get up earlier to go fishing.
No time or place to go hunting, so to answer your question, Yes I gave up the guns for the poles. (I still have all my guns just very rarely use them)

I bow and gun hunted everything when I was a kid here in central Texas but as I got older and the cost of life began to climb and obligations of family and work increased my hunting time dwindled. Now it's an ethical decision that I wrestle with, I cannot justify for myself sport hunting. Hunting needs to be for food first and sport shouldn't play much of a part. To kill anything for sport is just wrong. C&R sport fishing is almost as crazy but at least we aren't killing much but our own time. Anytime I hear about leasing land for hunting I consider how much beef I can buy with the same amount of money. Is that big buck worth 500.00 a pound or more... not to me it ain't. I'm still very conflicted about all of this, even hypocritical because we have a cabin and land in Michigan's U.P. where as often as possible we will deer hunt the old fashion way like your Dad and Grandpaw did. It's the adventure of it all not the killing or competition, it's about being with my family and friends. I use a camera more often and use the same skills to get good shots with it as with a gun or bow.

Come to Wyoming, and see the wild-life! The animals, are everywehre. Its TOO easy, to BLAST anything, in season. I may like to eat (some) wild game, but hunting here is a joke. Fishing is much HARDER, and more fun. You see the animals here everywhere, and you cant usually see fish in the water?...