Sad day, Thinking of calling it quits

[Shiloh]

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

That is quite a blow to your hunting. Maybe something will turn around for you. Don’t give up yet.

 

[Mike in FL]

I went through that. Lost a lease to hunting property and had no place to shoot. Resorted to national forest hunting and shooting, both risky activities. Then eyesight got to where I couldn't see the sights. Sold my longrifles. Then I discovered reading glasses for shooting. Moved. Now I'm back at it big time. Bought a Hawken and ordering Kibler Monday. So my advice is NOT to sell anything; we never know how circumstances will change for the better. Best of luck to you.

 

[James Dietz]

Sounds crazy but perhaps you can find a way to mix in the driving of that great Model T with muzzleloading? We used to have a guy show up at my old shooting club in an US Army liveried 1918 Model A in US Army WWI uniform. He would have his 1903 Springfield but would shoot ML!

 

[user 52142]

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.

Thank you for the very kind offer brazosland. I'm in victoria Tx.
I'll have to look up Meridian and see where that is.

 

[user 52142]

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.

Thanks for the great info ! I tried the public hunts a couple of times prob 15 years ago. Someone shot, not paying attention to what was beyond the deer and the bullet impacted the ground prob 25 ft to my right. That was the last time, dangerous not know who your hunting with.

I'll look into the draw hunts, should be less people

Thanks

 

[sheriff john]

Along with public opportunities (which sometimes are pretty good), I suggest making up some "business cards" to hand out to folks as introductions.

Second - either a hard copy or virtual "plot map" that identifies landowners of places you'd like to hunt can be valuable as you make the effort to find hunting spots. Easy to understand some don't want "deer hunters" unless deer are a problem, but surely there's some varmint that farmer wants dead. Heck, I spent a bit of time guarding an ol' boy's watermelon patch against groundhogs & deer. That lead to unlimited access to hundreds of acres of Missouri River bottom for everything. Anyway ... If I had to move to town, I'll always find someplace to hunt. All they can do is say "no".

 

[wiscoaster]

... Nobody is interested in just making a living and enjoying life anymore, they want a new 2500 for every day of the week.

The way things are going you're soon going to need that much to buy groceries and feed the family.

 

[jimairwin]

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

Howdy Bill

Where in Texas are you? What do you have to sell?
I'm just a bit north of Austin.

Jim Irwin
512-294-6331

 

[Juice Jaws]

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

That's what I am doing, slowing moving on, things change, hands and eyes are not what they used to be. Only the rocks stay the same

 

[alcessapiens]

Just my opinion for what it is worth...

This is exactly what the anti's want. Our numbers to reduce down so that they can convince State fish and game departments, as well as the feds (both of which are infested with anti-hunting types, by the way) that hunters no longer make an impact on effective wildlife management.

I fully understand your situation. While muzzleloading is an important part of my sporting life, I enjoy other aspects as well. For the better part of 30 years, it was all about duck hunting with me. Then, just like that I lost my favorite spot. The property was sold. The good news was it wasn't developed. Bad is news is the new owners quickly posted it and let it be known that hunters would not be welcome.

I searched and scouted and just could not find anything suitable that didn't require a boat, which I don't have. So, I shifted and rediscovered my love of grouse and woodcock hunting. I have to travel a little bit to find the grouse, but woodcock are all over where I live in Virginia. I have a pleasant four-year-old Gordon Setter which adds to the fun. I hunt with a 16-gauge double, and occasionally take a muzzleloading shotgun. If you have never tried grouse and woodcock hunting with one of those, you are in for a treat. Try something else and keep going forward. I'm going to hunt until I am no longer physically able to.

I’m in ny and we have enormous amounts of public land for hunting. In texas ( a state you’d expect to be pro hunting) it’s pay to hunt. That’s not antis doing anything, its too much land in too few hands. This guy is being squeezed out due to simple greed and that really stinks. Texas is enormous (many countries in the world are smaller) so going elsewhere is probably not a viable alternative. Keep your guns though, they just keep appreciating in value. Good luck and enjoy your car (this is the value of having more than one interest).

 

[brazosland]

Thanks for the great info ! I tried the public hunts a couple of times prob 15 years ago. Someone shot, not paying attention to what was beyond the deer and the bullet impacted the ground prob 25 ft to my right. That was the last time, dangerous not know who your hunting with.

I'll look into the draw hunts, should be less people

Thanks

If you are able to hunt during the week, you will find the type 2 areas nearly deserted.

 

[user 52142]

Howdy Bill

Where in Texas are you? What do you have to sell?
I'm just a bit north of Austin.

Jim Irwin
512-294-6331

Howdy Jim. I,m in Victoria, prob 1 1/2 hours south of you. I'll pull everything out and shoot you a PM
Nothing fancy, but everything in great condition. Alot of accessories to go with it. Balls, caps, powder (no black unfortunately) powder horns, cleaning supplies etc.
If I do sell out, everything as a package, but will definitely price it right. Thanks

 

[Tenring]

Don’t sell out just hang in there, I lost my place to hunt after 23 years and it was a bedding and a feeding area the deer had one way in and one way out it was good for two or more a year but was sold off for urban sprawl. The very next year we got a new UPS driver that was just getting into hunting and has a farmett with 30 acres that was willed to him and after seeing and talking with him on or about the seventh or eighth package drop off he asked if I would want to hunt with him because he said it seems like every package I drop here is sporting goods related names and addresses in short that’s kinda how it happened.that’s how I found a new place to hunt and only eight miles or so away, so don’t give up thing’s have away of turning around .

 

[brazosland]

Don’t sell.

I get to a friends a ranch near Yorktown pretty regular. Maybe we can shoot sometime together.

 

[NorthFork]

@Wizard1962

When one door closes, another opens. Keep an open mind and your shooting/hunting life will go on! I know, I've dealt with this a time or two in the land of high dollar deer leases. Of which, on principle, I refuse to do. I've hunted every year since 1990 and will do so until I die. Where there is a will, there IS a way. NEVER GIVE UP, EVER!

edit- I'll also add that until early last year, I had given up on ever finding a muzzleloading club in my area. Sure I had somewhere legal (out to 700 yards with a berm) to shoot, but not with like minded black powder shooters. I found such a club in April of 2022. I'm so thankful they let me join. It's a 50 minute drive, BUT I don't care, because when I get there I'm among friends. Don't ever give up.

 

[Wheelman]

Keep the ones you want to shoot.

Dont sell any if you dont need the money.

And if you do, sell the closet queens.

Never know.

Good luck.

Wheelman.

 

[elkhorne]

Brazosland,
I grew up in West Texas and my best friend had a grandfather in Meridian. His name was Mr. Fincher and he had a welding shop in town. He would take my friend and I down to more relatives place down near Moran (near Breckinridge) about the last week in August each year til we graduated from high school. Great fun, we would ride around to all their ponds and shoot bullfrogs with 22s, fish for bass and on September 1 open up on the dove as it usually always opened the first of September. That was some really great country cooked food and some of the most fun hunting I ever did. I am sure Mr. Fincher is gone now but might be some of his family or the Freemans left around. Those were the days!

 

[Yewbender]

Wizard, a new door is opening thanks to brazosland!!! Take him up on the offer and who knows what others will open up for you so don’t sell anything yet!

 

[EdBry]

at 86 don`t walk good,about 15 min standing but still get out ans shoot my 45-70,45cal CVA,12ga 20ga,30-06 7mm and pre-64 win 30-30 model 94 plus all my hand guns. will still i can`t move