Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Pay for leases vs hunt for free

I hunt on public and family property in NYS and on friends property in VT some years. These hunts are free or at least don't have direct land costs.

I also try to go one or two other places every year to hunt and these I usually pay for these days. This year it will be moose in Canada and Deer in NC. In years past I have done public land DIY hunts out of state for elk deer and bear, but as I get older and work and family responsibilities mount I seem to have far less time and a little more money than before, so now days I tend to find an outfitter/guide and let them do more of the work for me. True it's less rewarding than DIY, but the older I get the more I appreciate just being able to show up having a nice couple of days hunting.