How much is too much?
Equipment
Contributors to this thread:
To pay for a:
A: Bow
B: Broadhead
C: Deer tag, annually
D: Elk tag, annually
What are your limits? Don't set a bunch of parameters, and "ifs." Keep it simple. A pod cast got me thinking about this.
A: $1000 B: $39/3pack C: $30 D: $1000
The most iv paid for a bow is 600 I really want an Oneida Phoenix but the 1200 price I just can't bring myself to do yet but there may be some nice trad bows for sale soon
VA hunt & tags. Bow- muzzleloader =82 & bonus doe tags bring it to 100. Which I personally feel is pushing the limits to hunt in a state that already has to much taxes
Never elk hunted
No limits, I make my own selfbows and cedar arrows. General resident and non resident hunting licenses are cheap in the scheme of things.
I don't think there is a limit for me. I've structured my life and career around being able to bow hunt. I don't imagine there being a price where I would say "To much, I'm not hunting any more".
What would I do with myself?
Make bows
Have lifetime supply of BHs
Deer tags are free to me
Any elk tag under 2k is cheap. Gas or flights is more.
K
I've never paid more than $500 bare bow, or $30 a three pack for broadheads. With some time and work on Ebay or Archerytalk you can find killer deals on 1-2 year old bows. I do support Sam Walton when he clearances quality broadheads at 75% off. For tags you gotta pay to play unfortunately.
A: 500 bow only
B: 50/3pack broadheads
C.350 deer tag
D: 1000 elk tag
Bow $650, Broadheads $50 for a 3 pack, Deer $75, Elk $100
I pay whatever it costs to get or do whatever I want. They aren't going to throw any leftover cash in my coffin. When I'm 80 and dreaming of hunts gone by I doubt I'll think, "Sure glad I saved a thousand bucks by not hunting elk in Wyoming back in 2020"...
Lou,
I like the way you think.
Ask the Warden (aka: my wife).
;-)
Matt
I don't believe any of you who say you will spend whatever and that you have no limit.
I also don't really put a limit on those. Whatever it takes. I don't have an issue with the non-resident elk tags either for all the enjoyment I get out of it. Beats being stuck on a beach in Mexico for a week! Would like to see the residents pay a little more of a fair share though.
I remember years ago when Colorado raised the non-resident elk tag to something like $250 and my wife said "I suppose you won't go if they raise it much higher." My response was they couldn't raise it high enough for that. She laughed and said she knew I'd say that.
Did I mention wandering the Colorado mountains the month of September looking for elk is my favorite thing?
Whocares would you pay $10,000. every year for a Colorado nonresident elk tag?
Another here who will spend what I feel like on those items. Also i have no limit Peco. Someone asked once how high fuel would have to be to stop me from going...
$1000 maybe a little more, every ten years or so? $40 for 3 $100 for multiple tags in my home state Not sure on the elk tag?
Sorry guys, thought I was on bowsite, not the billionaires who hunt site.
I still do not believe any of you who say you have no limit. You have a financial or a f-this, not worth it breaking point.
Lou is spot on! If I want it and can afford it I'm buying it. Elk tags are cheap for me, but I live in WY.
Well Peco you know better than that! Within reason! But I don't have to ask permission. Cost that and more for sheep etc though. So guess that's food for thought. And guys pay big bucks for guided hunts. Guess I'm glad doing my solo thing.
Agree with Lou. If I want something related to hunting or fishing, I’ll get it.
I always find it amazing/amusing that there are those who expend so much energy worrying how others spend their damn money. SMH!
Never count another man’s money.
One mans life savings is another mans loose change between the seat and the console of the Maserati. Literally.
No Maserati for me... even if I won the Lotto for a couple hundred million. A new ford Truck would be in order. Maybe a Chevy.
Most I have ever spent for a bow has been about $400. Broadheads I can see spending $50 a pack..... Whatever the state charges me for a deer tag is OK by me. I don’t buy an elk tak every year....
Trapping, hunting, fishing licenses free. I am over 68. Extra deer tag, turkey tag, 30 bucks. Newfy fishing license, $12.50. If I buy a moose or caribou tag, My buddy guides me for free. I help him fish.
A; $1,200. B; $40./3pac C; $0. (Lifetime licence ) D; $? ( I believe they have doubled sense I started buying and will probably be done by the time they double again mabe.)
Never seen a Hearse pulling a U-Haul, they won't be throwing cash and passed up opportunities into the fire with me. Do what you want whenever you can, before it's too late.
Really Peco? If you had to spend $700 on a bow you'd quit bow hunting?
Now I dont believe you! ;-)
If nonresident CO elk tags cost $10K, that would mean resident tags would be around $1000, and there would be so few hunters that every unit would be like 2-201. If I was a nonresident under those circumstances I'd find a way to afford that every year while still physically able.
PECO has a point, however, in that everyone's financial situation is different. But his question was, "How much would YOU pay for bow, broadheads, deer tag, elk tag, no "ifs"" So his question about "if" an elk tag cost $10K is moot.
I wouldn't pay $20K for a guided AZ elk hunt, for instance, because I can hunt elk on my own and have killed big bulls on my own. Somebody else might and have no qualms about it. But I gladly pay $7K to go fly fishing for six days in Patagonia and it's worth every penny. To most other guys, that would be ridiculous since they can go fishing at the pond down the road for the price of a license and a jar of Power Bait.
I have spent a mountain of money all through my life to hunt all over the states and beyond. Only regret that I have is that you can not buy YOUTH. When we were just getting started in hunting a group of us hunted the morning and gathered to hear the stories. Some seen deer and others not. One guy said he saw a dandy eight pointer. I said did you get a shot. He said, I just bought these broadheads so I did not shoot. Never could understand the reasoning to that statement. Forget the money and go hunt.
Jaq, that guy that can go fishing at the pond down the road would be me. Only difference is I’d only have to get a jar of Power Bait. I get a free fishing license for being 50% disabled. Now I also get a free game bird license, small game license, and conservation stamp since I now qualify as a pioneer. That should really piss PECO off! lol!
Mt buddy has 27 pounts 201 is coming soon. I be with him.
Gonna be epic.
K
To pay for a: A: Bow
$1000, they aren't Worth that much but I like buying them
B: Broadhead
$150ish
C: Deer tag, annually depend upon the tag, sorry I know you want a fixed number. but there are whitetail/ mule tags I would hunt every year for 500 or even 1000 and some I wouldnt pay 100 if they gave me a fist full of tags
D: Elk tag, annually I would be elk tag in good unit for 1500 every year from now till I couldn't draw bow back.
What are your limits? Don't set a bunch of parameters, and "ifs." Keep it simple. A pod cast got me thinking about this.
"Really Peco? If you had to spend $700 on a bow you'd quit bow hunting?" I didn't say you had to quit. Lots of great bows today, new or a few years old for $700. or less. I like the 11 year old compound I have and if I needed to replace it, I'd be happy with a $700 bow, for me, not to trade next year for the latest and greatest. I'm not telling you that you can't. I'm not telling you how to spend your money.
"That should really piss PECO off! lol!" Why should that piss me off? That should piss of the guys who want to price everyone else out of the game so they can have all the elk for themselves.
" his question about "if" an elk tag cost $10K is moot"
It's not moot. Just give me a number, what is your limit?
"I didn't say you had to quit"
I guess that's how I took your op when you said "what's your limit" meaning if if have to spend more than that I'm quitting.
If your asking will I spend $700 on a bow of I can get by with $650 then heck no, I'm going to spend the least amount possible. But if the cheapest bow available is $2000 and I need a bow then, yes, I'm spending 2000. I'll modify my lifestyle, career, other hobbies, etc. to be able to afford it.
If heaven forbid it ever gets to the point that tags are $10000 then I wouldn't be able to afford that every year BUT I would save up and buy a tag every few years to still be able to hunt.
For those that say they wouldn’t spend a grand on an elk tag your already putting yourself out of a bunch of states. Arizona(with points), Nevada, Montana elk combo and Wyoming special elk are all tags I have drawn or have applied for that are over that threshold. I don’t like it, but I sure like elk hunting!!!!!
1500 for a bow, but it's gotta last 10 years easily. 50 for a 3 pack of quality fixed bh's. 75 for an either sex deer license. 120 for elk in a limited unit.
No way in hell I'd pay a grand to go hunt some state that won't let me hunt the wilderness or is infested with wolves - or both.
$1000 + $500 in accessories is too much! $40+ is too much for broadheads.
Whatever I paid for NM and CO elk deer this year was too much.
Still i paid the price for my passion.
Like Jaquomo said, I too don't want to say that's the best $1000 I saved by sitting at home and wondering what if.
I guess its all about value relative to financial situation. All of us perceive value differently and all are in different financial situations.
This summer I paid $1200 for a new Bowtech RealmX, more than double what I'd ever paid for any custom recurves and longbows, because I liked how it shot and thats how much it cost, bare.
Broadheads? I have several lifetime's supply of Muzzy 125s so I wouldn't pay anything for them. But I'll pay $100 for 3 IWs because I believe they're worth it.
For CO OTC I wouldn't pay more than $100 for a license to hunt elk as a resident, and that would only be if I didn't draw any other state. For WY general I'd gladly pay $3000 to hunt every year and not bat an eye.
For mule deer in my elk area I wouldn't waste a dollar. But I'd gladly pay $5K to hunt them for the whole rut in my plains spot (thankfully I'm only charged two weekends of cowboying). But the $5K value is what I measure - and most outfitters charge $700-$1K a day, so $5K for 24 days of hunting would seem like stealing.
Today...$2k for a bow if I was really impressed, $50 for 3 BHs, $1k for nonres deer, $2k for nonres elk. I could see us paying plenty more than that in all categories 10 years from now the way things are going.
Ill play -
To pay for a: A: Bow = $600
B: Broadhead = $50/3
C: Deer tag, annually - $250 [NR] - $40 CO Resident
D: Elk tag, annually - $100 Colorado / $1300 Wyoming
E. Alaska DIY Moose = $5000
If you have to inquire about the the price- you can’t afford it.
Bou is speaking the truth.
My daddy always taught me to never discount the financial worth of men who drove old pickup trucks or wore overalls or khaki work pants !!
I paid $2000 for a Ravin Cross bow but I sold a custom .460 revolver for most of the money. Can't use the .460 in my county and I don't hunt in Delaware any more.
"If you have to inquire about the the price- you can’t afford it."
Nope. Only a fool is parted from their money, and the only way to find out if it is worth the investment is to first know what is scribbled on the price tag.
bow $1,500 arrows $100/3 deer tag if i could hunt iowa every year on my farm $5k elk tag $1k
just when I figured I've seen the dumbest Bowsite post ever someone comes along and surprises me.
Wth guys?
Thanks for this gem of a post
I can afford whatever hunting I care to do. Is that enough, Peco?
Matt.
Bow - $1200 BH - $50 Deer- NR - 1k Elk - 5k Obviously all relative but if deer and elk in good areas im in even for high prices
I think a good additional question would be; how often? I spent $400 on my bow, but that was close to 10yrs ago. I don't quite feel like I've gotten my money's worth out of it yet.
There is no amount of time and effort that I wouldn't spend to hunt. Practice, late nights/early mornings, scouting, fitness, etc. I get fully invested. But there are quite a few hunting trips that I just won't spend money on that I would love to do; elk, sheep, caribou, brown bears... I guess I do have a monetary price.
All these tags together cost me less than I’ll pay to hunt one javelina in AZ, next week.
But it’s still a good deal! Everything is relative.
OK, this is way more complicated and stirring up way more feeling than I intended. It was suppose to be a simple survey to get some numbers and take it to further discussion. Like I said, a podcast got me thinking about this topic.
mn archer, you are welcome
How much I’d be OK to pay or how much my wife would let me pay? Cause we share a bank account, and those are very different numbers! Lol
For a hunt? I’d say about $3500 anything more than that and I can’t swing it every year
PECO - there are no simple surveys on the Bowsite.
I shoot a recurve that cost over $1000. It hits maybe a bit better than my $300 recurve...
Deer tags - I don't think $100 is too much for an out-of-state license. Never bought an elk tag, out of my budget range, especially when you consider the 4000 mile round trip!
A; $1000 B; $30-$50/ 3 C; $200- $400 (I pay way less in state) D; $400 and more depending on the area. (I spend way less in state)
About 90% of my hunting trips are my vacations. Hunting trips aren't "THAT" expense unless you go guided.
I know what a week in Cancun, Cabo or Cozumel cost, and I don't spend near that on my hunting trips!
I let the guys above spend "whatever it takes" money on new bows and equipment, then 2 or 3 years later I buy it from them for 1/2 off or less. Haven't spent over 600 for a fully loaded top of the line bow ever. Usually works out that you get all of the accessories or the bow for basically free.
A) $1,000ish+ . I'll buy the top of the line, BUT I fully expect it to last and be serviced by the mfg for at least 10 years. I found that Elite was no longer going to service my 2013 Answer and I'll never buy another bow from them again.
B) $30ish per. I guess. I would try Iron Wills on heavy game, but I don't think I'd use them for whitetails my VPAs work great.
C) Hunting public land, I'd really be feeling ripped off anything over $250 out of state. I won't hunt Ohio since they jacked theirs, the public land hunts aren't any greater than some other nearby states. I guess I'd draw the line around $400-500 total costs of license since there are some midwest states on my bucket list in that price range. But no way I can justify doing that every year. My $75 dollar license at home provides some pretty awesome hunting if you aren't caught up in antler scores.
D) I don't know. I don't go elk hunting every year, but $750 OTC sure is getting into crazy land and anything over $1,000 better be a frickin primo tag.
To pay for a: A: Bow - $1000, but if I did, I wouldn't buy as many used bows as I do now.
B: Broadhead - $40/3, but I haven't ever paid that much. It took me about two weeks to finally pull the trigger on a $36.99 package of Magnus Stinger 4 blade 150 grain heads a couple years ago. I've found great deals on the Steelheads, Hellrazors and Stingers I have in my tackle box.
C: Deer tag, annually - Resident - $100, Non-resident in a certain state - $1000
D: Elk tag, annually - $1000. But I don't have the elk bug that would make me want to go every year.
For me.....year in, year out.....there's a few factors that come into play. I strongly believe NR's get ripped off by the high NR license costs and taken advantage of. For the cost of some of these elk/deer tags (plus the points and waiting) and the cost of the other expenses, I can get close to 2 bear hunts with fishing in Ontario or maybe Quebec. Secondly, there's a regional factor too. Being about 3 hours from the border, it's cheaper for me to go to Canada than out west. Both of those are value plays. Also, IMO those high costs are one of the primary drivers why interest in hunting is declining. If you wonder why hunter numbers continue to drop....think about those high license costs (Some res but mostly NR's) and their long-term affect on cultivating new or prospective hunters. Older folks who have hunted for years or decades are willing to tolerate the overpriced license cost while younger folks (or maybe their parents) get sticker shock and walk away. We have ourselves to blame for that.
For the equipment....that has a different approach for me. Once ya buy something it is tangible and will still be yours after the hunt is over. If I needed something like a bow and the matching equipment that fits me well, I'll get it.
A: Bow - $1500
B: Broadhead - $10
C: Deer tag, annually - $300
D: Elk tag, annually - $500
According to national surveys, hunting license costs are way down the list of why hunters are dropping out. Everyone who wants to hunt can hunt their own state for bargain prices. When inflation, average income, and COLA are factored in, resident hunting license costs are essentially the same, sometimes less, than 50 years ago. So this discussion should really be about willingness-to-pay for NR hunts (unless talking about theoretical huge resident price increases, which may happen in 10-15 years in some states when hunter numbers drop off a cliff and DNRs need revenue). Anyone who finds the current resident license costs a legitimate financial burden shouldn't be hunting in the first place.
I'm not a guy that requires...or even cares about...the latest and greatest gear available. Thanks to guys that do/are, I've never had to pay more than $700 for a bow. Due to inflation, I expect that number will go up in the future. At my age, the $1,000 ceiling is probably a safe bet.
Have used the same broadheads for many years. Typically can buy a 3 pack for roughly $35 on sale. Would definitely pay more based on price/demand if it meant I wasn't going to the field feeling inadequately prepared. Example: Land in Fairbanks for a drop hunt and find I left an extra pack of broadheads at home. Would definitely pay the price/demand cost in Fairbanks for a pack of broadheads before flying out to the tundra.
To date, non-resident elk and deer tag costs have not stopped me from applying. Can't imagine non-resident tag pricing ever being a determining factor. At my age, I am seriously considering landowner and auction tags. That's not something I would consider annually, but quickly becoming a consideration on years the western draws don't yield a quality tag. Price limit would be dependent on location/quality, but somewhere between $5k-$10k for elk/deer is not out of the question. After all, such hunts ARE my vacations. Would rather spend that cash on a quality bowhunt than an all inclusive tropical resort.
Damn Ambush I would rather look at all those tags with my name on them than a naked super model. I think, maybe.
All license fees are a bargain in my opinion.
I'm with the no-limit guys. Doesn't mean I could afford to do it. But I'd pay for whatever will bring me personal satisfaction. If I win the Lotto tomorrow I'm gonna book a 3 week hunt with Shikar Safaris for a plus 60 inch Altai Argali. I think that hunt is well north of $300k right now. . .
There's just too many "ifs" in this situation to answer the question. I don't know that I'll ever pay money to hunt CO OTC again unless it's on private land. But I'd happily pay several thousand every year for a WY tag, as Jaquomo mentioned
I wouldn't pay $10 for a deer tag or waste vacation for a deer in some of the eastern and gulf states. But I'd happily pay several thousand for an Iowa tag every year.
Too much goes into this.
I'll pay whatever I can save to bowhunt. I'm not rich by any means, but I love bowhunting too much to be priced completely out of the game.
Problem is you asked a mostly hypothetical question. We've all already decided what's not to much, cause we are still playing the hunting game! Asking what it would take to stop you? Thats' mostly impossible to answer. I know I don't buy the top of the line carbon $1500+ bows cause when I shot them side by side with one half the price I couldn't tell, so I didn't have to decide if that was to much.
Hell I moved across the country so I wouldn't have to decide if an out of state elk hunt was worth it :-)
It’s a silly question to ask WRT equipment, because you never HAVE TO pay any particular amount. Given time and sufficient motivation, I’m sure I could put together a perfectly adequate Elk-hunting set-up soup-to-nuts for less than an entry-level compound, stripped bare. And that’s if I were to insist on a stick bow. It took me under 2 minutes to find a perfectly good, finger-shootable compound in my area. A couple packages of broadheads and new cables/string/tune-up and I’m out the door under $350.
I’m used to the idea that there are plenty of things which are fairly priced, but still more than I can swing. You can’t say that something is “overpriced” when there are 4 people lined up behind you, all praying that your credit card won’t go through.
But you can’t buy a used tag, and so far the states have managed to keep the ticket scalpers out of this. (Thanks be to God!)
So how much is too much for a tag? No clue. Maybe when it’s more than the travel to get there? Airfare from NYC to Denver is a chunk, but compared to the cost of driving it at 50 cents/mile and the physical drain of 36 hours at the wheel on each end, it’s pretty much worth it.
Bow: $1500
Broadhead: $10 bucks a piece or less
Deer: Wooden nickle for a whitetail but $500 for a mule deer, blacktail, or coues.
Elk: $1500, gladly pony that up annually for a decent elk tag, not even a good one.
Those are my limits, some guys might be higher and some lower. More power to them, I just worry about me and mine.
I didn't realize how much tags cost in some states. I live in the 40 acre woods that I own. Plenty of deer and I don't even have to buy a license to hunt on my own property. I buy a license every year though in case I want to hunt my neighbor's farm. I can legally kill at least 10 deer at no cost. My fishing license is $5.
Wonder how Bigdan and Kelly Harris would respond to this question? Or the military hero I was guiding who died in my arms on the mountain on opening morning of his first elk hunt with his son..
Whenever I wonder about "how much is too much" I think back to that beautiful, sad morning sitting in the snow beside that great man, waiting for paramedics to arrive. Puts everything into perspective.
I agree with Lou. Most/all of my hunting experiences with friends and family,you couldn't put a price to. I've hunted Colorado,Missouri,Kansas,Oklahoma,Texas and Mississippi, and each has its own special priceless memory.Hoping to make it to Alaska this Sept. Definitely not cheap,but worth it I trust. Can't take it with me.....
Costs me nothing. I'm sponsored..... All I have to do is find where she hid that card......
Sure glad I'm not waiting on any inheritance from some of you guys... =D
Where I'm at, seems to be a glut of folks that had lots of money and no life left to really live with it..... but their kids don't seem to mind at all....
Jaq, Your last post really grabs me, very touching. How do you put a value on something like that ? One cannot put a price on some memories garnered while bowhunting IMHO........Bob
GF-
I'll assume you never researched NM landowner elk tags....Plenty of "scalpers" in that game...
I’d probably spend quite a bit... I just spent $5500 on another horse and signed for $42,000 for a tractor I kinda need.... heck, I paid $500 for a dang sleeping bag last year. I’m glad I live in the middle of elk country or I’d go broke.
The last time I checked, you can't take it with you.
Do what makes you happy, because we're not getting out of this one alive.
I've only elk hunted in Colorado. Is it really that awesome in Wyoming to pay thousands of dollars for a tag there? If I loved it that much, I wouldn't spend tens of thousands a year to hunt Wyoming , I'd just move there. Can't be that expensive for a resident. Is whitetail hunting in Iowa worth thousands of dollars a year for a tag? If so, I'd just move there. Really, I just love to hunt, not a trophy hunter, just like to kill and eat it. I am happy with hunting in Colorado. Happy enough to not pay thousands of dollars for tags elsewhere.
And I’m sure some people in those states are happy that you don’t just move there or hunt there.
My wife questions why I spend so much on a fly in fishing trip when I can only bring back 4 walleyes. I tell her I would still go if I couldn’t bring back any walleyes. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As a wise man once told me: if we all had the same interests, it would get mighty crowded out there.
A. $500
B. No more then $10/head
C. Not a thing for a whitetail. I have a lifetime license here. Mule deer I'd pay quite a bit if it was a combo elk hunt. Guessing $500. However, Kodiak island blacktails would push that $500/tag exponentially higher.
d. Tag alone I'd go $2000.
Of course this is all dependent on having the funds. Something that is a little hard to come by right now at this particular moment.
I'm in the same boat as WV- sole bread winner with 1 kid in college and 1 in H.S. And paying off some medical bills that were not covered by insurance(probably for the next 4-5 years)
A) $400
B) $50 for 3 pack
C) deer is included in our hunting license, but if not would probably spend $100
D) Being on the East Coast and with a VERY small hunting budget, I'm lucky if I get to go on an out of state hunt every 10 years or so. Been on 2 so far- Quebec Caribou in 2005 and Montana Elk in 2011. Probably be another 5 years till I can afford to go.
My current bow cost $899 when I bought it in 2010. The bow I had previous to it cost $203 after tax and it killed everything I shot with it just as dead as the more expensive bow does now. That said, I will likely buy mid-priced models from now on given the quality of their performance. I collect broadheads and just pay whatever they cost if I seek them for my collection. I will pay $300 dollars for an out of state antelope hunt in South Dakota, but likely no more should they raise their prices, and an equal amount for a mule deer. Don't see the need to hunt whitetails beyond MN and WI and their tags are fairly inexpensive and the chance for a trophy is good. I doubt that I will hunt elk but $400 would be my limit, given the added expenses that would accompany that particular species. Great question. Very respectfully - Rich
I was on the market a few years ago for a different bow due to the poor performance of my Mathews. A rain storm caused me to duck in a pawn shop whose yard I was mowing. A customer was leaving with a bow case and I asked them why the pawn shop didn't buy it. They replied that the shop already had too many bows and they didn't need any more. It was a Bowtech Assassin fully equipped and I bought it right there for $200 in brand new condition. Dang thing shoots flat with the first pin out to almost 35 yards and I've killed several bucks with it already. I have a hard time spending $1000 on a bow because they depreciate so much. I've never had a hard time spending $1-$3k on a good rifle or shotgun though.
Never count another mans money, and the U haul attached to the hearse sums it up for me. Going this way one time. Will spend what I can afford and still keep the mortgage paid and the lights on. Just spent $478.00 on a Sitka jacket. My wife was ok with it . Yours? Tape measures getting very short. Turning 72 in Feb. Hunt till U drop. 42 hunts in 2019. Not to bad for an old fart.