[quote]VanderLaan wrote:
Schwarzenegger wrote:
I am thoroughly jealous. What do you spend on equipment maintenance, traveling to hunt, ammunition, and permits? I’m sure the meat makes up for it, but I’ve heard from some hunters that it can be expensive.
You are correct that the equipment and tags can get a bit steep. I am fortunate enough to live about ten miles from a very large state park where I can hunt birds and rabbits for the price of a hunting/fishing license and habitat stamp - about $25 a year. They also hold controlled pheasant hunts where you pay $15 for two birds (and up to six quail and four rabbits). Deer and turkey tags are over and above your general license and cost $15 each.
I have friends that shoot four five deer a year and they know who to call to get rid of any extra (tip- do not ever turn one down, even if you end up regifting it). I also pick up roadkilled deer when possible (of course, I have to see them get hit). Processing a deer at the local locker costs $65 and a good sized doe will get you about 60 lbs of meat.
If I travel out of state, say to Kansas or North Dakota for bird hunting, I will spend about $200 for a non-resident license, a $150 for gas, $100 for lodging and $100 for food. Last fall I brought home 15 cock pheasant and 30 ducks from North Dakota. I usually travel about every other year. I intend to take my father to Iowa this fall, as he is getting up there in age. That trip will be shorter and closer to home, so it will cost less.
As far as equipment goes, like every other endeavor, you can spend what you want. My favorite shotgun is a Browning Citori that cost me $1,000. I have a rocket-fueled face licker for a bird dog that cost me $900. My windproof wool sweater, chaps and shooting vest are from Filson and cost me about $450. I used to buy cheap stuff, but have since learned that you buy quality once and it lasts forever (except my dog - which I would trade all of the above for in a heartbeat). That said, lots of guys kill lots of birds with a $300 870 pump and Carhartt bibs (that is how I started).
With regards to fishing, I have access to several private lakes and farm ponds in the area and there are several public lakes within a half hour drive. I usually fish from a friend’s bass boat or my canoe. I have over a dozen fishing rods, but my favorite pole is a $8 fiberglass cane pole. With that pole and a $3 tube of crickets, I can put 35 palm-sized bluegills in the boat in a spring evening. I also ice fish in the winter and have caught 5 gallon buckets of bluegills. If you are ever in central Illinois, drop me a line and I will take you fishing. I will also treat you to a fish fry. Fried gills and crappie, with fresh slaw and fries are the best - be sure you are bulking. 
In short, I have spent a good chunk of change on hunting and fishing gear. While I could buy a hell of a lot of meat with the money that I could get for selling all of my gear, the reality is now that I have all the gear I need, the cost to me is usually gas, tags and shells. My dog has a list of costs too, but I am a dog man that would have one whether it hunted or not. The truth is, I would hunt whether I got all the food that I do or not. The freezer of protein is a byproduct of doing what I enjoy - being outdoors, watching the dog I trained work a running rooster and seeing a big bluegill streak across the shallows to inhale my cricket. I am sure that many outdoorsmen feel the same.
Sorry for the long answer. I hope that answers your question.
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Envy has just set in…lucky bastard!
What kind of dog? I have a German shorthaired pointer. My favorite bird dog of all time. He’s 13 but still goes like a bat out of hell this time of year.