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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 152,183 Likes: 35
Campfire Savant
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OP
Campfire Savant
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 152,183 Likes: 35 |
How many of you all hunt for free, I have a lease In east Texas that's 800.00 and a lease in west Texas that's 2000.00, Dove hunting is 50.00 a day. Do any of you get to hunt for free? There is very little free hunting in Texas unless you hunt on family or friend land. Is there free hunting in other states?
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,441
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,441 |
Come on man what are you trolling for this early Friday morning.
You want all the western guys out saying how they have all this welfare hunting out west?
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,738 Likes: 3
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,738 Likes: 3 |
I can walk out my back door and have at least 3 sq. miles of free hunting. In this little patch, there are deer, bear, moose, partridge, snowshoe hare, geese, ducks, fox, coyote and now turkey. I can walk out my side door, go 300 yards, and fish for native wild brook trout up to 4 pounds.
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 11,223 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 11,223 Likes: 1 |
There is about 4 million acres of public hunting opportunity in Pa.
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 18,033
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 18,033 |
There is about 4 million acres of public hunting opportunity in Pa. Right there with you Pat. I can walk out the door of our camp and shoot a deer between the cabin and the outhouse. Deer cross that close to us. Virtually the entire mountain we're on (Boone Mountain in Clearfield County) is State Forest Land. Even in the area of northeast Ohio that I'm from we had no trouble finding spots to hunt that we didn't have to lease.
molɔ̀ːn labé skýla
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,198 Likes: 7
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,198 Likes: 7 |
Hunting in Texas is sort of a rich mans game, and getting worse.
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 20,281 Likes: 22
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 20,281 Likes: 22 |
I guess I will take the bait.
Yes, there is "free" hunting in most all other states, but you have to share.
The general seasons are getting stupid crowdd though for deer and elk hunting. Every bend and wide spot in the road had 35+ foot campers parked.
Hiking and willingness to be in bad weather does allow one to find solitude though. Eastman and monstermulies, etc. has really ruined some areas though...like the Wyoming range. There's folks everywhere during the Sep 15 rifle deer hunts...even way in the back country.
Other hunts and seasons such as pheasant/chucker and winter time coyote hunting finds me alone for days on end, even on public land.
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 11,223 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 11,223 Likes: 1 |
There is about 4 million acres of public hunting opportunity in Pa. Right there with you Pat. I can walk out the door of our camp and shoot a deer between the cabin and the outhouse. Deer cross that close to us. Virtually the entire mountain we're on (Boone Mountain in Clearfield County) is State Forest Land. Even in the area of northeast Ohio that I'm from we had no trouble finding spots to hunt that we didn't have to lease. If a hunter can learn preferred food sources and basic good deer habitat they can be very successful hunting public land in Pa.
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,154
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,154 |
That's the reason I don't hunt Texas very much. For $2000, I can hunt moose in Alaska, hunt some monster mule deer in Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, or Colorado when I can get a draw. I've got a little advantage in this because during my working career, I was either a resident of these western states or my job caused me to work in remote places in them.
The exorbitant lease fees in TX, l think are a result of Maw Richard's head of the TP&W. I can't remember her name, but she was not pro-hunting, and promoted land owners charging high fees. Kind of like raising the price on cigarettes to reduce smoking. Course that did stop a lot of people from hunting, fewer kids getting to hunt and now kids that don't have any hunting traditions in thier families. Her plan is working. I guarantee I will never pay $10000 for one of those farm raised whitetails in South Tx.
My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost....
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,587 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,587 Likes: 1 |
i have a hunt club thats 2500acres in va. that cost me 300.00 per year ,650acres that i hunt free and another small 20 acre track next to my house that i hunt free.
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 17,101
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 17,101 |
I hunt public land and also have a 600 acre lease.
The lease offers us legal benefits that do not come with public hunting. I see benefits in both systems
The government plans these shootings by targeting kids from kindergarten that the government thinks they can control with drugs until the appropriate time--DerbyDude
Whatever. Tell the oompa loompa's hey for me. [/quote]. LtPPowell
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 31
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 31 |
If you pay a lease you are just promoting pay-for-hunting. Stop it.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 299
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 299 |
I hunt public land and also have a 600 acre lease.
The lease offers us legal benefits that do not come with public hunting. I see benefits in both systems
"legal benefits"? I hunt public land in Pa and I'm not sure what you mean?
Last edited by coat4gun; 08/25/16.
Luke 22:36 εγώ δεν θα συμμορφωθεί
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 47,256 Likes: 13
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 47,256 Likes: 13 |
God bless Texas----------------------- Old 300 I will remain what i am until the day I die- A HUNTER......Sitting Bull Its not how you pick the booger.. but where you put it !! Roger V Hunter
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,325
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,325 |
After years of over crowded public hunting I, joined a few leases over 30+ years but that did not suit me either. So I bought 35 acres on a mountain stream here in SW Arkansas. Best investment I ever made. My only problem now is the deer and critters eat as well as I do out of my gardens and orchard.
There is a war on America and America is losing
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 67,797 Likes: 9
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 67,797 Likes: 9 |
There is an awful lot of public hunting land in Florida. A lot. State run WMAs, several National Forests, and State Forests. There are also a lot of hunters, and on public lands, it is always a crowded, dangerous mess. I have spent much of my life hunting public land. I have been pretty successful as well. It is always a hassle, with quotas on the number of hunters allowed, times and dates, reporting issues. This year, I will be hunting on land my son bought. Not a lot of acres, but there won't be anyone else there. There are several other farms in the area I can, and do hunt.
Sam......
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 10,600 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 10,600 Likes: 1 |
I hunt public land in my adopted home state for “free” using less expensive resident licenses, but the money I have left on the table for the privilege of living here is multiples of what it would cost to pay for leases in Texas. Also, as T_Inman indicated, it is stupid crowded during the short gun seasons for big game. (I bowhunt to avoid crowds and to hunt the elk rut). I am satisfied with the tradeoffs that I have made. Life is about choices.
"Don't believe everything you see on the Internet" - Abraham Lincoln
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 17,101
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 17,101 |
I hunt public land and also have a 600 acre lease.
The lease offers us legal benefits that do not come with public hunting. I see benefits in both systems
"legal benefits"? I hunt public land in Pa and I'm not sure what you mean? Can you till up public land, or build permanent stands on public land? Can you clear trails and manage habitat on public land? We also flood some of the crop land and timber...all per the lease agreement because the landowner understands that habitat improvement makes his land more valuable. Are you allowed to do any of that on public ground in pa? I can on my lease per the written lease agreement. We also have it in the lease that once the crops are off the farmer who works the ground cannot be on the property until it's time to work the ground again
Last edited by gitem_12; 08/25/16.
The government plans these shootings by targeting kids from kindergarten that the government thinks they can control with drugs until the appropriate time--DerbyDude
Whatever. Tell the oompa loompa's hey for me. [/quote]. LtPPowell
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 19,131 Likes: 4
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 19,131 Likes: 4 |
My part of Arkansas is mostly pay unless you own land as I do. There is free hunting through the G&F, but you have to draw for it except for bow hunting. There is also National Forrest in the West part of the state that is free, but I have never hunted there. I remember when it was all free, then the timber companies started leasing, and it snowballed. We also have a lot more hunters than there were then. When I was young, you seldom saw a posted sign, and could hunt almost anywhere you wanted. miles
Look out for number 1, don't step in number 2.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 299
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 299 |
I hunt public land and also have a 600 acre lease.
The lease offers us legal benefits that do not come with public hunting. I see benefits in both systems
"legal benefits"? I hunt public land in Pa and I'm not sure what you mean? Can you till up public land, or build permanent stands on public land? Can you clear trails and manage habitat on public land? We also flood some of the crop land and timber...all per the lease agreement because the landowner understands that habitat improvement makes his land more valuable. Are you allowed to do any of that on public ground in pa? I can on my lease per the written lease agreement. We also have it in the lease that once the crops are off the farmer who works the ground cannot be on the property until it's time to work the ground again Ok, I see what you mean. There are definitely advantages to leasing. I just didn't know what you meant by "legal benefits"
Luke 22:36 εγώ δεν θα συμμορφωθεί
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