The cost of hunting
- Thread starter cnelk
- Start date
Depends on how you do it. If you wait until the week before the season to buy all your stuff, then yes, it\'s really expensive. If you buy your stuff throughout the off-season, though, and don\'t buy into the hype that you need all the latest greatest junk to kill an animal, no, it\'s just about right. You don\'t need all that Sitka camo, top of the line pack, bow, rifle, boots, and all the accessories. Figure out what you need vs. what you want. Budget right, buy smart, and kill your critter.
I think the tags are a little high but most of a hunters cost is gear and travel. I have collected most all i need to hunt over the years so now it is just fuel and tags. I spend about 1000-1200 a year and that is a lot for some people. I don\'t do much else for entertainment that cost a lot the rest of the year so I can manage a hunting trip once a year. I work hard all year so I can take off 3 weeks and relax in the mountains. Relax Ha hunting is harder than work, but it is work I like. 
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,278
I said \'about right.\' It is definitely not a cheap sport to get into, but neither are other sports. Take golf for example...a new set of irons is almost $1,000, drivers are $400, fairway woods are $250, putters are $100-$300, golf bags, balls, gloves, shoes, etc. It all adds up. A round of golf is $75 or more at most places these days. Add it all up and I would say you could be in for a very similar deal with hunting. Some things you won\'t have to buy every year, but it all adds up in one way or another and to start off, it definitely isn\'t cheap. Once you build up all of your equimpent, the costs can be managable. Bottom line is it\'s the cost of a hobby and there are a lot more expensive ones out there!
I just wish I could hunt as many times as I could potentially golf in a year! :lol:
I just wish I could hunt as many times as I could potentially golf in a year! :lol:
Compared to my horses?
It\'s downright cheap!
It\'s always possible to spend as little or as much as you\'d like.
I think non-resident western-states hunting tags are getting quite pricey. That said, entry price for last year\'s Tevis Cup (a 100 mile endurance ride in California) was $1500 per horse/rider. For a 1-day event. (No, I didn\'t participate, but I have a couple friends who did. Interestingly, neither is what I would call wealthy. Yet they trailered to and from California, took a couple weeks off of work, etc. It\'s all about what your goals are, I guess.)
It\'s downright cheap!
It\'s always possible to spend as little or as much as you\'d like.
I think non-resident western-states hunting tags are getting quite pricey. That said, entry price for last year\'s Tevis Cup (a 100 mile endurance ride in California) was $1500 per horse/rider. For a 1-day event. (No, I didn\'t participate, but I have a couple friends who did. Interestingly, neither is what I would call wealthy. Yet they trailered to and from California, took a couple weeks off of work, etc. It\'s all about what your goals are, I guess.)
archery bum
New member
- Sep 28, 2013
- 159
too expensive, but worth every penny because I\'m doing what I love and its my choice.
Colorado_Lew
New member
- Mar 4, 2014
- 189
I guess for a resident it would be just about right while for someone coming from out of state they may say it is way to high.
License cost IMO is about right as compared to other western states. Others may say the NR license could go up a bit more.
So, are you talking about the cost of tags or the hunting as a whole?
The way I see it is gas, and food is pretty much a wash as I would be spending about the same more or less if I wasn\'t hunting.
There is a limit on how much most can afford to pay to play but I think Colorado hasn\'t hit that for the masses yet.
License cost IMO is about right as compared to other western states. Others may say the NR license could go up a bit more.
So, are you talking about the cost of tags or the hunting as a whole?
The way I see it is gas, and food is pretty much a wash as I would be spending about the same more or less if I wasn\'t hunting.
There is a limit on how much most can afford to pay to play but I think Colorado hasn\'t hit that for the masses yet.
\'The cost of hunting\'?? I thought it paid!
The actual cost can be pretty much what you make it! For me there was minimal cost until I decided it was now or never for elk. A resident landowner permit, 8 year old camo, Old Browning bow and home-made stands and a nice buck would cost in the neighborhood of 65 bucks. Do your own processing and it was pretty much a wash.
Elk hunting is definitely different but there are still ways to save. My son and I hunt together and we switch caller and shooter every year which means that we split the cost of the tag but we both \'hunt\' every year. Travel costs are split also (more or less)
The actual cost can be pretty much what you make it! For me there was minimal cost until I decided it was now or never for elk. A resident landowner permit, 8 year old camo, Old Browning bow and home-made stands and a nice buck would cost in the neighborhood of 65 bucks. Do your own processing and it was pretty much a wash.
Elk hunting is definitely different but there are still ways to save. My son and I hunt together and we switch caller and shooter every year which means that we split the cost of the tag but we both \'hunt\' every year. Travel costs are split also (more or less)
