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Old October 18, 2012, 10:37 AM   #22
twobit
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 25, 2010
Location: Coyote Creak, SW Texas
Posts: 597
Putting a cost per pound on meat and trying to make it justify a hunting trip is comparable to a cost per plate of fried fish on a fishing trip. Hunting and fishing trips are sports and the meat or fish obtained are just extras.

No one makes a living hunting or fishing North American game by profiting from the meat or fish. No one pays for their hunting or fishing trip with the meat they harvest. At least with both sports, you can bring home something to eat occasionally. Try a day of expensive golf with the goal being a bucket of boiled golf balls for supper!

I live out in the country and most years I will harvest a doe or two for freezer meat. I see deer every day here. They are about as tame as a herd of cows. You can set your watch as to when they move through a certain area. When I harvest one it is usually from my back porch. It is not hunting. It is harvesting some good tasting meat for the cost of a license. I butcher it myself because just the cost of having it processed, defeats the purpose of saving any money vs. buying the same poundage of beef.

Here is the true value of hunting;

I have a friend that still lives in the big city 400 miles from here. This friend and I grew up together, but over twenty years ago I moved away and out to the country and he stayed put. We kinda lost touch with each other. We are in our fifties now. Recently we have gotten back in contact with each other. He has a teenage son who has never had the opportunity to shoot a deer. Both are good and safe shooters because the father teaches hunter safety courses and the son shoots often at the range. Unfortunately the son's firearms experiences are mostly at gun ranges or hunting small game. Very hard for them to find an affordable place to hunt deer . He has taken the boy deer hunting before, but no deer were seen.

This year I have invited them to travel down to see us (800 mile round trip) and hunt on my land for a few days. Although I will not charge them to hunt, just the trip will be expensive for them, considering the cost of gasoline. I can't promise that a big buck will be seen, but they will see some does. I feel certain that my friend's son will be able to get his first deer.

My friend will NOT be calculating the cost per pound of any venison they take home. To him it will be a PRICELESS hunt because he will be helping his son to get his first deer. I think it will be just as important to his son as it is to him. I know it makes me feel good to be able to help them with that father and son bond that comes with hunting together. I know I still cherish the hunt 46 years ago when my Papa took me on my first deer hunt and I got my first deer. That is the value of hunting.
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