The future of outdoor sports.

[FirstBubba]

8.3% inflation
$4 to $7 a gallon for fuel
High cost of ammo
High cost of loading components
COVID-19 (again!)

How many of you are finding your hunting/fishing activities being, if not outright restricted, at least questionable in the future due to costs?

[labrador12]

I'm booked on the Alaska Ferry out of Prince Rupert on June 14. Im expecting surprises at the border, and all along the route. Canada, under the simple minded leadership of Blackface Treadeu is going to be interesting this year. The Biden of the North has inflation and gas prices skyrocketing too! I expect groceries and everything to be pretty high in Alaska too! Yesterday's fill-up of my truck made me think I was already in Thorne Bay. Only two more years of Brandon unless we get that impeachment thing going like gangbusters. Vote GOP, bombthrowers to DC! We've got some garbage that needs to be cleared out of the nations capital.

Let's GO Brandon!!!

[99explorer]

Most true sportsmen relish just being in the great outdoors, and unlike our friend PigHunter, don't derive their satisfaction and pleasure from "the thrill of the kill."

[FirstBubba]

You have something with hunting being the "same old, same old" pighunter.
Same gun, same stand, same goal, alot of the time, same clothing....
but when a deer comes into view, I'm renewed! ....and it doesn't matter to me if it's a shooter or not! 😉

[Danbo]

8.3% inflation
$4 to $7 a gallon for fuel
High cost of ammo
High cost of loading components
COVID-19 (again!)

How many of you are finding your hunting/fishing activities being, if not outright restricted, at least questionable in the future due to costs?

Good topic FB.

I have put a lot of miles on my vehicle Turkey Hunting and fishing this year.
Plus fuel for the boats. I can afford it although I wish it wasn't so expensive.
I feel for the young folks just starting a family living paycheck to paycheck.
No matter what it costs ( unless inflation is like it was in Weimar Germany) I'll hunt and fish.

I bought 30/06 over a year ago and just started finding ammo for it. I buy it whenever I see it.
I also shoot trap and the bulk box of Federal target is now 28 bucks when it's available. Before China released the virus it was 21 and change. 3 of us shoot once a week and that adds up.

[MattM37]

If everything came to a standstill today, I'd be okay. I'll go for quite a while on the shells, slugs, and gear I've got now. All the woods I roam are close by, burning only small amount of gas. I could even walk. I've walked a few times up to the family property and it only takes an hour and fifteen minutes or so. Dragging or packing a deer back would be a different story, so I'd ration the gas as long as I could during deer season.

I do wish I'd bought a lifetime license a while back, not in terms of finances but in terms of simply being able to avoid the hassles that seem to rise up frequently now. In 2020, the conservation dept.'s system and website were majorly screwed up and it was a three-week ordeal to get a fishing license. Last year, everything was much smoother but still some glitches.

[FirstBubba]

If everything came to a standstill today, I'd be okay. I'll go for quite a while on the shells, slugs, and gear I've got now. All the woods I roam are close by, burning only small amount of gas. I could even walk. I've walked a few times up to the family property and it only takes an hour and fifteen minutes or so. Dragging or packing a deer back would be a different story, so I'd ration the gas as long as I could during deer season.

I do wish I'd bought a lifetime license a while back, not in terms of finances but in terms of simply being able to avoid the hassles that seem to rise up frequently now. In 2020, the conservation dept.'s system and website were majorly screwed up and it was a three-week ordeal to get a fishing license. Last year, everything was much smoother but still some glitches.

I'm in good shape equipment wise. Guns, ammo, clothing....but fuel is beginning to take some pretty big bites! 😳
I'm not able to walk to any of my hunting areas.
Nearest hunting area is 22 miles, round trip.
I can afford fuel, tires and oil....but I have to keep costs in mind.
Spur of the moment is pretty much out and planned trips are the order of the day.

[labrador12]

On my farm in Oswego County I walked to deer, ducks, geese, turkeys, and bass fishing. I watched eagles and ospreys, but I had to put up with Coumo, and Schumer and the whole bullcrap theology that warped the Broome County kid. I'm old now and just can't get stuff done.

Let's GO Brandon!!!

[DakotaMan]

It has changed my approach to life for sure. I've always had a boat but I sold mine a couple of years ago. It just plain wasn't worth it anymore and I felt like a fool dumping money into it. The boat maintenance and the cost of the boat is one thing. As my monthly mooring crossed $400 a month and gas went above $5.00 a gallon, chasing stripers all day or cruising 100 miles round trip for king mackerel, wahoo, mahi mahi, etc was just not worth it.

I've always liked to shoot A LOT so I was used to reloading at least a couple hundred rounds a week. Sometimes shotgun shells, sometimes rifle bullets. The last few years it has been almost a show stopper trying to find reloading components, rifle parts, etc. I've spent around 3 hours daily for much of it just looking for something I need. I'm dropping from about half the competitions I like to shoot just to ration my ammo. I don't practice as much any more for the same reason. I'm wasting bullets testing new powder because I can't get what works. Since retirement in 2009, I've been making long range precision rifles as a hobby. By now it is barely worth it. I hate wasting my life looking for parts to say nothing of the outrageous cost. I recently paid $75 a pound for all the Varget I could find in America (2 pounds) after six months of looking. That was God's way of telling me to take up bird watching. An elk hunt in Montana?... you've got to be kidding me!

[bowhunter75richard]

I am living on my memories of Colorado elk hunts, Glacier NP backpack trips into the back country, successful whitetail bow hunts and moose hunts in Newfoundland. It is now not only the present economics of the times that would make such activities difficult, but father time has finally said it is time ! There has been much that has changed over those years, and I am sure it will be very difficult for today’s younger hunters to have the good fortune we older folks have enjoyed, and I am sad for that fact ! Things will never again be as good and I do not say that with a smile.......

[bowhunter75richard]

I'm booked on the Alaska Ferry out of Prince Rupert on June 14. Im expecting surprises at the border, and all along the route. Canada, under the simple minded leadership of Blackface Treadeu is going to be interesting this year. The Biden of the North has inflation and gas prices skyrocketing too! I expect groceries and everything to be pretty high in Alaska too! Yesterday's fill-up of my truck made me think I was already in Thorne Bay. Only two more years of Brandon unless we get that impeachment thing going like gangbusters. Vote GOP, bombthrowers to DC! We've got some garbage that needs to be cleared out of the nations capital.

Let's GO Brandon!!!

I wish you the very best lab, on your trip in June, I am more than a little envious !! Take care and keep us up to date on your happenings. If you don’t, I will miss your posts greatly.

[rock rat]

I saw the biggest bull elk scatt I've ever seen on Sunday, way up where the snow is still deep. Fires eliminated one season, covid the next, plus my unit is real tricky with private. I'm looking forward to taking time off to hunt real soon. I think all together it costs around a hundred bucks to get lined up with a tag, have to get a habitat stamp and either fishing or small game. Fishing now is discounted for over 65. I heard that scat is from an 8 pointer that never came down. My get around truck is now a 6 cylinder Taco, 24 mi per gallon.

Hunting will end. they'll outlaw it. Oh well. Hunters can't join together and the wealthy ones pay more than the locals out for meat.

[FirstBubba]

I am living on my memories of Colorado elk hunts, Glacier NP backpack trips into the back country, successful whitetail bow hunts and moose hunts in Newfoundland. It is now not only the present economics of the times that would make such activities difficult, but father time has finally said it is time ! There has been much that has changed over those years, and I am sure it will be very difficult for today’s younger hunters to have the good fortune we older folks have enjoyed, and I am sad for that fact ! Things will never again be as good and I do not say that with a smile.......

Yes sir, Father Time ain't done me no favors either! 😜
.....and I don't think he's gonna get any kinder! LOL!

[labrador12]

I saw the biggest bull elk scatt I've ever seen on Sunday, way up where the snow is still deep. Fires eliminated one season, covid the next, plus my unit is real tricky with private. I'm looking forward to taking time off to hunt real soon. I think all together it costs around a hundred bucks to get lined up with a tag, have to get a habitat stamp and either fishing or small game. Fishing now is discounted for over 65. I heard that scat is from an 8 pointer that never came down. My get around truck is now a 6 cylinder Taco, 24 mi per gallon.

Hunting will end. they'll outlaw it. Oh well. Hunters can't join together and the wealthy ones pay more than the locals out for meat.

Who's this THEY Ratty?? You mean the people that you support. The power mongers that ace you out. Keep licking THEIR boots. Not smart enough to stand up for himself and his family. Lets the Davos people run his life, their way. Sad way to live.

Let's GO Brandon!!!

[MattM37]

I saw the biggest bull elk scatt I've ever seen on Sunday, way up where the snow is still deep. Fires eliminated one season, covid the next, plus my unit is real tricky with private. I'm looking forward to taking time off to hunt real soon. I think all together it costs around a hundred bucks to get lined up with a tag, have to get a habitat stamp and either fishing or small game. Fishing now is discounted for over 65. I heard that scat is from an 8 pointer that never came down. My get around truck is now a 6 cylinder Taco, 24 mi per gallon.

Hunting will end. they'll outlaw it. Oh well. Hunters can't join together and the wealthy ones pay more than the locals out for meat.

What examples are you thinking of, when you mention hunters not joining together? Do you mean locals being shaded out by the wealthy sports coming in from out of state? Are you thinking of a scenario that brings public land issues vs. private access into play? And even if it came to a financial blockage for the common man, how do you envision that leading to anti-hunting legislation? I'm thinking there might be some points you're thinking of that are western issues and not necessarily eastern ones ...?