Sad day, Thinking of calling it quits

[user 52142]

Great big THANK YOU to everyone for your advice, kind words and encouragement. I truely appreciate it.

I'm going to step back and start doing some research and talking with some locals. See what might be available within reasonable distance.

Hunting in Texas has turned into a big money making venture. High fences, exotic game, trophy only hunts and extremely high lease cost.
There is a few state owned places to hunt, but way to many people and getting dangerous. Not worth the risk.

But as some have said, life changes and sometimes you just have to accept those changes and adapt.

Been hunting and shooting for 51 years. Alot of great memories to reflect on.

Bill

 

[user 52142]

Yup. I try to shoot my air rifles and pistols every day. If you have a basement you can shoot there.

Guess I could try that. Done have a basement, but do have a large fenced backyard.

 

[user 52142]

To paraphrase Jose Wales “Don’t give up. When things look bad, you gotta get mean, mad dog mean!”.

I like that... thank you

 

[user 52142]

Guns and outdoors (and all that THAT implies) are in my blood, they aren’t hobbies.
As long as I am sound in body and mind I will never give them up.

My other hobbies have come and gone, and I don’t miss them much.

It's in my blood also. Raised up on a farm and ranch. Spent many hours hunting deer, hogs, coon, rabbits by myself or with my buddies.

 

[Juice Jaws]

Contemplating giving up ML and hunting.
Lost my hunting lease last year when the gentleman that owned the land I have hunted on for 20 years passed and his kids decided to sell it off in sections for homes.

Looked at getting on a new deer lease. But the prices here in Texas are ridiculously high. Just cant justify it.

Then my local gun range closed up and the next closest is 1 1/2 hour drive, and they really dont like ML folks.

So everything just sits in the gun safe. Only time they come out it is to get cleaned and wiped down.

Might just sell out and find a different hobby.

Maybe I will pull out my old 1926 T model hotrod. There is a group of old farts like me that get together and cruise a couple of times a month.

If I do decide do sell out, maybe I can find someone that will take everything I have as a bundle. Hate the thought of selling everything individually. The sale ads and shipping would take forever.

Well enough of the pity party, just mainly wanted to vent.

Thanks
Bill

Sell out and get a new hobby, I think you would be more happy

 

[user 52142]

Sell out and get a new hobby, I think you would be more happy

You might be right Juice. With all the obstacles nowadays regarding the cost of hunts, ranges closing etc.
Might be time to change.

 

[Sudsy]

It could be worse, you be like me and live in NJ where everything having to do with shooting and hunting has always been an uphill battle.

You can win that battle ! You have to get out there and keep talking. Sooner or later you'll talk to the right person that want's those #$%&# deer out of their small farm and/or will let you target shoot.

 

[Mtman725]

Times are changing, but we adapted,overcome,impressive. always looking forward, I live my life out of the windshield not the rear-view. Was going to sell my toy, then someone said to me, your at the age were you can start going to the car show's.

 

[user 52142]

It could be worse, you be like me and live in NJ where everything having to do with shooting and hunting has always been an uphill battle.

You can win that battle ! You have to get out there and keep talking. Sooner or later you'll talk to the right person that want's those #$%&# deer out of their small farm and/or will let you target shoot.

I have some talking with a few locals, but nothing so far. But like you say, might run across that 1 guys.

 

[user 52142]

Times are changing, but we adapted,overcome,impressive. always looking forward, I live my life out of the windshield not the rear-view. Was going to sell my toy, then someone said to me, your at the age were you can start going to the car show's.

Used to take my old hotrod to shows, it's really a driver and nowhere near a show car, but it was fun.

 

[brazosland]

Used to take my old hotrod to shows, it's really a driver and nowhere near a show car, but it was fun.

Wizard, where do you live?

I, at least, can take you out to the lease I run near Meridian. 2000 acres. No openings right now but happy to let you shoot a doe as a guest.

 

[brazosland]

Also, take a look at the Texas Type 2 hunting permit. It gets you into public lands, and private lands leased by the state, to hunt. Tens of thousands of acres across the state.

Lastly TPWD conducts draw hunts. Register online. Most cost $2 to enter. Some prime hunts there. Some are even black powder only.

 

[Sam squanch]

be careful hunting near the Mexican border. Don’t go alone. My friend in Houston goes dove shooting very close to the border, they always hunt in large groups. A border patrol agent told them cartels will ambush hunters to get their guns to sell in Mexico.

 

[brazosland]

This is true. Sniper overwatch can be fun. Hunt them.

 

[Cubreac]

From what you see on YT it looks like Texas is being overrun by feral hogs. It looks like farmers are begging hunters to come shoot them. Pork isn't the same as venison, I know.

A decade or so ago the state outlawed hunting with hounds because the public thought it is cruel. So now we have cougars and bears around here and a cougar killed a young man on a bicycle a couple years ago. Still, the state hasn't figured out why there are so many big cats prowling the suburbs.

 

[wiscoaster]

Ah maybe some people don't appreciate the size of Texas and distances between civilized areas of state.

I once departed HOU heading for LAX and two hours later was still over Texas.

 

[brazosland]

I once departed HOU heading for LAX and two hours later was still over Texas.

El Paso is closer to LA than it is to Houston.

In more ways than one…

 

[JEBMs]

Great big THANK YOU to everyone for your advice, kind words and encouragement. I truely appreciate it.

I'm going to step back and start doing some research and talking with some locals. See what might be available within reasonable distance.

Hunting in Texas has turned into a big money making venture. High fences, exotic game, trophy only hunts and extremely high lease cost.
There is a few state owned places to hunt, but way to many people and getting dangerous. Not worth the risk.

But as some have said, life changes and sometimes you just have to accept those changes and adapt.

Been hunting and shooting for 51 years. Alot of great memories to reflect on.

Bill

A friend of mine’s son in law inherited a stupid amount of money, a lodge that was featured in Southern Living Magazine (fantastic duck and deer) and an island in the Mississippi River with a lodge there also (on a trophy deer program). With all that he still goes to your state 3 or 4 times a year to hunt which drives the price sky high for you locals. That has happened to us but we still have plenty of state land right now.
Back in the late 60’s and early 70’s we had permission to hunt and fish an incredible property complete with a lake for fishing and duck hunting. At the end of one season we made up a box of deer tenderloin, fish, and a turkey and took it to the landowner He said that we could keep it because he didn’t eat stuff like that but asked if we got all of that off of his land. We said that we did. A couple of months later we got word from him that we no longer had permission to be on his property but we’re welcome to join his new hunting club. It’s a shame but it has been creeping up on us for quite a while.

 

[COTNTOP]

Spent a lot time in the Texas Hill Country and miss it dearly. I hear it is being encroached on now also. Farmers are buying the land here and selling the road frontage for huge sums so they will not have much in the rest. Nobody is interested in just making a living and enjoying life anymore, they want a new 2500 for every day of the week.

 

[longcruise]

How about starting a local club. There might be others near you in your same predicament. Maybe even a land owner member who would work with you on a place to shoot.