WAS IT WORTH IT?

jeremydhinds · Oct 23, 2007

LAST EDITED ON Oct-23-07 AT 10:40AM (MST)[p]I'm just wondering if there's any of you out there that have paid $5,000 or $10,000 or even more for a deer hunt? When it was all said and done and you were headed home, WAS IT WORTH paying that much money? Was there any remorse or guilt? I'm a blue collar worker like many of us on MM and cant imagine how I would justify paying that kind of money to tag an animal.....just curious.

Gdog, you don't know how much I got! just answer the question genious.....hope you enjoy what you can afford.

nmtaxi · Oct 23, 2007

A little off subject, but I got back in September from Alaska where I tagged a caribou and moose. The hunt cost around $5500 and was worth every penny. It took a couple of years to save the money to do it, and I don't regret anything. I went to AK 3 years ago, came home empty handed, paid the same kind of money, and don't regret that either. For me, I only regret the things I don't do in life, never the things I do.

gdog · Oct 23, 2007

You can't imagine it...cuz you don't have the $$. It really is that simple. For some $10k is years of savings, for others it's a weeks work or less.

I was out with the wife this past weekend looking for a new car for her. We stopped by the Mercedes lot and checked out a few cars. They had a car on the lot that was stickered at $140K. Is it worth it?....I'm sure it is to the guy who's able to buy one....

slamdunk · Oct 23, 2007

gdog is exactly right.

The clients we guide wouldn't even bat an eye at paying even 20K for tags, and they are lined up 3 years out to do it, and several of them come back year after year.

There is a big difference between 5 or 10K to one person as to another.

If you are scrimping to go a kick arse hunt, better bite the bullet and go all the way, or you just might feel your hard earned money was wasted if you come home with less than you feel you paid for.

Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"

gdog · Oct 23, 2007

Slamdunk...

Of course I was right.....;-)

YukonDall · Oct 23, 2007

LAST EDITED ON Oct-23-07 AT 11:17AM (MST)[p] GOOD QUESTION......I WONT SPEND ANY BIG $$$ ON A DEER HUNT, GOOD DEER HUNTS ARE JUST TOO EASY TO COME BY IF YOU PLAN. (180 BNC PTS. AND UP IS A BIG BUCK TO ME). I WILL ONLY SPEND BIG BUCKS ($$4000.00 BUCKS AND UP) ON SHEEP,ELK,BEAR, & GOOD COMBINATION HUNTS IN LOW PRESSURE AREAS..IE CANADA, ALASKA, AFRICA AND THE LIKE. NO, I WOULD NOT FEEL GOOD ABOUT SPENDING ALOT OF $$$ ON A DEER,.. THE BALANCE YES, AND I HAVE.....YD.

gdog · Oct 23, 2007

Fair enough...my point wasn't a stab at you, but the truth is that there are folks out there with very deep pockets and it really doesn't matter what the cost is. $10K is irrelevant, it's the fact that that's the only way they are going to get on a good buck.

Plus, if your in an area that doesn't have mule deer, elk, sheep..whatever, many guys don't have the time/ability/drive to go on their own. Everybody puts their own worth on everything.

By the way...it's spelled "genius".....

slamdunk · Oct 23, 2007

gdog-
Go for the Benz, you have deep pockets and i'm sure your wife is well worth it!!
you'll never regret it or go back to anything less.

Love my E320!!
Ok...it's momma's car, but when i've been a nice boy she let's me drive it. ;-)

Skull Krazy
"No Bones About It"

oakbrush · Oct 23, 2007

LAST EDITED ON Oct-23-07 AT 12:47PM (MST)[p]It's all about what you are into. Some people pay $6000.00 to go on a cruise. People say "Wow! sounds like a great vacation". Was that worth it to them? Same person pays $6000.00 on a deer hunt and you get the "wow, I wouldn't spend that much to shoot a deer" speech. I just don't get it.

oakbrush

utahwapiti · Oct 23, 2007

I think it is a realtive thing. If I had a couple mil in the bank I might work with a couple good guides, but better yet become one myself as a hobby when I have to find things to do. I personally think some of the wealthy hunters get a little carried away with canned hunts. For me the "process" of the hunt is every bit as exciting as pulling the trigger. Rumor had it that a local NBA star paid $15k to go out and hunt elk on a limited unit. He showed up, pulled the trigger, and left as the guides pack out his kill. To me that does not make a hunt, but I don't make $14mil a year dribbling a ball either. It's tough to realate.

DallanC · Oct 23, 2007

LAST EDITED ON Oct-23-07 AT 02:58PM (MST)[p]Spending 5-10k on anything you love is nothing anymore. Go price a new Snowmobile, some are running over 17k! Good trucks are over 50k, good boat 30k, houses 500k. Heck a standard rifle with a decient scope is over a grand, ammo $40 a box. Spending 5k on a hunt pales in comparison to a 50k truck or a new sled yet I see people buying new ones yearly.

/shrug the moral is to study hard in school and get a better paying job!

Edit: Well said Oakbrush!

-DallanC

257Tony · Oct 23, 2007

I agree with Dallan.....Its all in where your priorities lie! A guy could hunt a good CWMU self guided every year if he stopped eating out for lunch every day and took a PB&J from home....

ktc · Oct 23, 2007

I am with gdog. I probably would not feel good about 8k to shoot something. I would feel guilty. To many 8k is chump change so they do it. Others may save a lifetime to do it once and never look back. To me "Is it worth it" is like asking "how high is up?"

jeremydhinds · Oct 23, 2007

Let me re-phrase a little since most of you think its not a big deal, and I asked the question WAS IT WORTH IT. Have any of you that have saved for a few years and spent the $10,000, (and I use $10,000 cause $5,000 is "chump" change) returned home and wished you'd of bought a 17K snowmobile instead.

thanks nmtaxi for the input, thats what I was lookin for not the sky's the limit, or my wife wants to buy a mercedes benz cause i can afford it.

gdog · Oct 23, 2007

No, never wished for the $17k snowmobile. I've taken a few guided/outfitted trips, but have yet to spent $10k. Probably the most expensive so far was about half that. Some of the trips were hunting and some fishing...all were a good time. Didn't kill the buck/bull of the lifetime or record fish on each outing, but the experience had and time spent with friends and family was priceless.

I try to keep the odds in my favor by booking with an outfitter who I have researched and received lots of good feedback on. Most guys who get burnt on trips are those who don't do their research or those who go with unrealistic expectations for the trip. Even on big money trips, your still hunting and there's no guarantee's.

That better??