i love to duck hunt and upland bird hunt.but this past year i dove and teal hunted.but during big duck season this year,i only
hunted 3 times.fished pretty hard all year.i like fall and winter
fishing.probably the same this year,2007.have not deer hunted in over 15 years.hate to say it but it is no fun anymore.

I havent really been hunting in about 2 years. Yea there were a couple of dove hunts here and there, but nothing serious like i did in college. BUT, and i say BUT i had an oppertunity to go to Pierre, SD this year and go pheasent hunting. One of the best times i have ever had in my life! I plan on going back every year to do this.
It really was an event, i would almost put it up against catching a 10 lb Bass.

I enjoy hunting , but with the cost of a leaseing I lost interest. I usually go fishing on the first day of deer season and have the lake to myself. Of course fishing is expensive too but it outweighs hunting. Waiting for a deer to come to a pile of corn is no challange. I get the thrill of hunting down the fish and feeling that thump on your Texas rig. Now that's excitement to me.

I'd give my poles away before I'd give up Bow hunting. Learn to shoot a bow and lease prices are cheaper and you will quit complaining about baiting. I guess hunting over corn field in Iowa is not considered baiting....

My last hunt was Mid-November 1996, Mule deer in Palo Duro Canyon.
The cost of that trip and the Deer it yielded, forced me
to look at what I really could have done with that money.

3000.00 plus to an outfitter for 5 days 2-guy's "with my Dad"

Or fish for a whole year *back then* I chose Fishing and have never looked back.

I do miss a good bird hunt every now and then.

RED

SSSShhhhhh...... The best time of year to fish is in the fall less pressure on the lakes. All the hunters off the water less tournaments etc. and this thread is trying to convince hunters to give that up. I say let them hunt Bambi leaves more bass for me. LOL

you're kidding, right? Give up hunting? Never. I'm a Texan.

I see what you're saying, though. It's getting VERY expensive to hunt in a place that at least affords you the opportunity to take a "quality" buck, say, 140-160 class. Some consider this trophy size (I do to, to an extent).

Fortunately for me, I have extended family that own ranches and allow us to come out on a regular basis to help them manage their herd.

My brother will preach until he's blue in the face about this topic.

It makes great financial sense, but, I couldn't give it up. He says, "Why spend 30K on a boat, God knows how much in tackle, gas, permits, hotels, licenses, etc....when you can take a trip to Huites twice a year and catch just as many fish (or more) with a chance of a true lunker????

I tell him, "When God calls my father home, I'll thank him until the day I die for the memories that He allowed us to make each time we backed our boats down the ramp."

I gave up hunting bacause of the cost. When I did hunt I did not like hunting over a deer feeder,and on most leases that is the only way they allowed, no stalking. I have a friend that has a lease in Del Rio, but you can only kill a deer that is 5yrs or older, hell I dont even know the ages of my children, much less a deer. Fishing is not free, but not near the money it takes to hunt. I hope not, but I can see my grandsons never owning a gun.

I will always dove hunt since my family owns 200 acres of the best dove hunting land you'll find in texas, but I'm beginning to worry my deer hunting days are numbered, they already would have been gone if I hadn't taken up bowhunting 10 years ago. Like I said in the fishing lease thread by Mark Perry $$$ is ruining hunting here in texas, I know several young kids who will never go deer hunting because there fathers can't justify the cost. I mean really would you rather send your kids to college or have a deer lease every year, its getting about that bad.

I'll never give up hunting. I am fortunate that my family owns a little land outside of Breckenridge. It's not great hunting, but we are working on making it better. Yes, leases are expensize and I understand why the average person is getting out because of the cost. I just love to hunt/eat deer. My wife enjoys it as well. I also love to hunt dove/duck/quail. Predator hunting facinates me as well. Fishing is my #1 passion but it does take a back seat for a few months. I try to sneak in a fishing trip from time to time during hunting season.

I gave it up too! Grew up on a huge ranch and hunted from the time I was 10, until I turned 19. That is when they told me it was mandatory that I take a safety education class because my birthday was 3 days past the cutoff. I said screw you I know more about guns than your instructor anyway. I moved off, family sold place, and now I don't have a lease or a safety certificate and it doesn't bother me much. My wife will fish with me, but would make noise to scare the deer away before I could shoot it.

scada1

ttt

I can't get enough of either one....If it's got fins, feathers or fur I'm going after it.

Pray for rain.

I am with you. I used to get excited about hunting season. I would get my gear out weeks before, start organizing, etc. Now I have no desire to sit in a blind or put out decoys. I went on my first duck hunt of the year on closing weekend.

I would much rather be on the water.

And yes I did srtart selling off some of my guns to buy fishing gear.

I gave up hunting for fishing. Mostly because I do not have the time to spend in the woods like I used to. I was an AVID bowhunter (In Ohio), but I just don't have the time. I miss it, but I enjoy being on the water.