Your Comments: Gas, Food Prices and the Economics of Hunting Brands

The theme that has emerged early and often in our discussion of the top hunting brands is how gas, food prices and the overall economy are impacting how we are buying gear,and how we will hunt with it this fall. A sampling of your comments, keep them coming:

The signs of the economy are showing...look around the 3-D ranges and you will see a huge switch from Mathews to Fred Bear (Primos’ endorsement doesn't hurt) but the price is a big deal....things are changing fast in leading companies due to the economy, this should be good for the consumer if any of us have any money left after buying fuel!

Right on, fuel is out of control, 3.99 by me and I drive a diesel at 4.49 Damn!

Believe what you are seeing is the economics of the big-box store. Most hunting is done miles away from any of the larger cosmopolitan areas…When you need something you need it quickly (there’s a season on the line!)…you're more likely to head on over to Wally World and pick it up there.

I'm thinking the ratings reflect availability and affordability more so than brand preference.

I've never seen a Browning Citori in a Wal-Mart… In Wal-Mart's rack how many are Mossies? How many are Benelli's? What's the difference in price?

It used to be a joke around my house that it is cheaper for me to hunt/feed my family than by buying beef from the store (my wife always runs the numbers)…with cost of food, etc. rising and fuel…it will be far cheaper for me to hunt this year than buy dead cow. This year my wife told me to apply for as many tags as possible.

I just had a guy on the table to remove 10" of his colon…while checking on him in recovery he asked if I would I cut him a break on the follow-ups so he can afford to buy a new Mossberg slug gun cause he can't afford to buy gas to drive to his hunting lease this year and he can only use a shotgun to hunt around his home. Honest to God no bull that's what he asked me!

If gas keeps going up for those of us several hours away from our hunting grounds we will have to car pool or take the bus. Can you get your favorite muzzleloader or bow on a bus?

I'm sure people who plant food plots are also getting blown over when they see that fertilizer has hit $1000/ton. Just three years ago it was around $250...ouch.

The Bear/Primos Truth bow is going to take an even bigger bite unless some of the really high-end manufacturers come out with an economy-priced bow.

I truly believe the economy is in the s------. I can’t afford to drive up north this season for bowhunting with college @ $26,000 a year (pre-med @ Marquette) and gas prices rising…I can do one of two things: either ask Mr. Hanback for a scholarship to send this broke kid to college, lol, or find an urban hunting sanctuary and take what I can get.

I have long said we have the best hunting forum, and your thoughtful, civil and witty comments reflect it. Never be shy about sounding off, esp. on gear, I assure you some of the companies are reading. I’ve gotten several emails and a couple of calls so far :)

Comments

[JJ]

I am surprised the survey did ask about the top camoufalge pattern--it seems people are always wondering if Realtree or Mossy is bigger. btw, i wear both, whichever is cheaper that day at Wal-Mart :)

[Big Daddy]

My sister's son is a realtor in north central Pa. he told me a few days ago that he has recieved 6 times the normal amount of camps to list for sale since the first of the year.
Yes some of these camps were bought with the recent low percentage lending rates but many have been in the same families hands for years.
Surely the effects of oil hikes is far reaching.
I wonder how much the high cost of fuel is affecting the bookings of outfitters/

[hanback]

BD, I think it's definitely affecting outfitters, I know some guys who have openings in prime times, in the past they were booked for years in advance

[Dan D.]

Mike, Thankfully my hunting and fishing haven't suffered yet. I live in Connecticut, but there's lots of local fishing and my local hunting is all done within a 15 minute drive. Now my trips to Maine may be curtailed a little bit, but one things for sure, my 10 day deer hunting trip in November will not suffer. I'll cut back on food before I miss that trip!

As an aside, I've found at least around here, that unless they are having a sale, the Walmarts, Dick's, etc. prices on the "name brand" shotguns and rifles aren't that much less than the local gun shops. For me, its worth much more to go to my local gunshop and not deal with the hassle of trying to buy a gun at the big stores. My one previous experience buying a shotgun at Dick's took 1.5 hrs. 25 min just to get someone who was permitted to let me handle the gun. Another 45 min filling out the paper work in quadruplicate and waiting for the instant bacakground check. Finally it took another 15-20 mins for the store manager to look over the paperwork and then escort me to my truck. I've walked into my local shop and walked out in 20 minutes witha a new rifle. Can't beat that anyday.

Dan

[J Brunner]

One thing that I am seeing that could be bad for wildlife that relates back to the economy is the amount of ground being put into corn and beans. I don't think it will be bad for the deer herd but other species with soon feel this change. I watched a farmer near my home the other day plant some pasture land into corn that had never been in crops, this had never even been in CRP. I'm seeing fence rows and tree lines getting bulldozed down just to get a few more rows planted.

[Doug In Wisconsin]

Dan, I agree with you. I'd much rather spend a few bucks extra to buy from a small shop and get a little more personal service. The only problem is those stores are fast disappearing. I haven't bought a new gun of any kind in a while and will probably keep buying used from people I know or finding deals I can't pass up.
J, that is some scary stuff. I haven't seen any of that but I have heard of it happening. I guess I shouldn't ask the farmer that leases our ag land if he would leave some edges unplanted so I can put in some small plots, huh? lol.

[jstreet]

I hunt on a piece of ground that's 130 acres. About a 100 acres of it is crop ground. In the middle of the field there was an old house long since abandoned. The farmer that owns the ground pushed the large old trees (that surrounded the old homestead) over and pushed the house all into one big pile and burned it all.

His reasons.......The old house was beyond repair and he wanted the extra ground to grow more crops.

I don't blame him one bit.

Jim

[Jake in WI]

Yeah I agree with the above comments and dont blame the farmers, they break their backs just to make ends meet. One thing I cant believe is with the housing crash and everything else rising (gas) why is land rising or staying the same? I wouldve thought alot of bad loans would be for land as well but it doesnt seem that way around here. Going out to Wyoming this oct. for antelope Im not looking forward to the added expense with the rising cost of gas!

[Lance]

Dan, I agree I go to the big stores to handle the different makes and models but I go back to the local guy to order the gun. I like having him there, and not having to drive 45 min. just to get a license or box of shells.

Jake, in lots of places around the country the prices of houses has gone down (a little) but farm land and hunting land work a lot differently, they where not inflated like the housing market.

[Big Daddy]

Mike: Economics is IMHO a poor excuse as to why outfitters aren't enjoying full booking of late.
IMHO the outfitters in general have out priced themselves to the blue collar worker with expendable income, i.e. back in 1990 I booked a high end horse back trip into BC's Prophet River drainage for 10 days to hunt trophy moose with one of the best known outfitters for moose and stone sheep at the time...Gary Vince. That trip with all the bells and whistles cost me a staggering $2900.00 ( I killed a 54" bull) today a similar trip with the new onwer of that company runs $10,000.00. How do the outfitters justify such increases? Overhead hasn't jumped that much...a horse back ride into a spike camp eating the same food with the same guide working for $80/day plus tips hasn't jumped by 5x in 18 years.
A good Quebec caribou trip not that long ago cost $1800.00 the same trip today, 9 years later costs $5000.00.

There are still those with enough expendable income to make such trips yearly but the average Joe working as an electrican or auto mechanic isn't going to spend that type of money on a hunting trip even if gas was still $.99/gal.