I agree Frank, our lease runs at $2,000.00 each there are 10 of us including my Dad. We hunt for the meat and antlers, BUT the main reason for all of us is the ability to get away from the city, have a cold one at camp and just set back, unwind and enjoy the outdoors.

Hey Frank, I'm 26 years old and have been hunting in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Iowa for years now. I used to get sick at my stomach paying those super high out of state licenses and hunting dues. I really got sick when I would pay all that money and not kill anything. It finally hit me last year that we weren't paying to kill big deer, we were paying to enjoy the outdoors a cold beer and the few family members you truly do love and care about, the big deer on the ground was an added bonus. I paid almost  500 bucks for iowa tags (just tags) last year and came home with no deer, but I made new friends and enjoyed a part of the world that I never would have seen and I was happy with that.

Have to agree with you Frank, you can't really put a price tag on spending quality time with friends and family.  I love that it allows my dad to spend a lot of memorable moments with my son hunting and fishing, something I didn't get to do enough of with my grandfather. 

Very well said!

nothing is free except a hard time and bad advice, hunting in texas is great even if it costs a little money my lease is 1000.00 each four of us on the place about 600 acres year round deer turkey and dove, it's the best place good friends camping working hunting cold beer

AMEN TO EVERYONE--It's not all about the big one on the ground. To bad the anti's and Liberals will never understand. To all of my fellow hunters, have a great season and when you get back to camp have a cold one and feel sorry for "THEM"----OR NOT!!!!!!!!!!

Now that I am older, I would not even want to step foot on a $2000 a year round deer lease, if its the usual cliche it will have no or little in facilites, imature deer harvested just for meat and will be in a run down condition, landowners are waking up and learning that it is a sellers market, they can raise prices by adding improvments and hunting only trophy bucks and have more fun and make more money!!!  To many it is about the trophy, its the sign of maturity as a hunter and as a better stewart of the land.

I agree. Some of the most treasured memories are those when we are hunting and or sitting around the camp. It is way more than killing. The fellowship and watching you kids grow up is priceless. I just hope the current adminstration doesn't change that.

Hunting and fish is not a cheap hobby. I suppose if you have a single shot and hunt dove on public lands.. Or fish the jetty's... But any more than that $2000 is a drop in the bucket.

http://www.texashuntfish.com/app/forum/27190/Texas-hunting-costs-/Texas-Hunting-Texas-Deer-Hunting

You make a good point, but a lease is not like Starbucks where you drop $6 here and there.  Also, one does't pay $1500 upfront for his/her yearly supply of coffee. If they had to pay that, they most folks wouldn't be drinking coffee. They same goes for leases. If I could pay for a hunting lease in monthly installments, I would have one.  It seems the owners want at least half upfront.  If I had to pay 50% or 100% upfront for all my big items such as my house, trucks etc; I would NOT have them.  That's why I pay monthly installments for my big items. 

For a $2000 lease, I would be more than happy to pay $500 upfront and pay the rest in installments.  I can't find anyone willing to take on such a "risk". It's not like they won't know where to find me on the weekends. :-) If anyone can find a lease in central Texas where I can do this, let me know.