[toasty]

Forgot they had raised the price to $25. Luckily, I only have to get myself a stamp this year, but will have to start buying them for my kids next year. I don't know if I will be willing to spend $25 for them to hunt 1-2 times. I'm thinking they can pay for it, but doubt they will want to spend their hard earned money on that.

I have at least 1 buddy that will probably not hunt this year due to the cost. He struggles to make ends meet and rations his shells each year to the point he will only take shots that are 20 yards. The higher the cost, the more it prevents people from hunting. I'm thinking next year, the increased cost will take one buddy and my son out of the hunting pool. It will probably not affect another 5 guys I hunt with.

 

[rjefre]

Dang, in the world of waterfowling, a $10 increase is almost negligible. I hope this doesn't come across a too harsh, but if $10 dollars over the course of a 3 month season is enough to cause a guy to stop hunting, then he may not be able to afford the sport at all. It costs 10 bucks to drive to a hunting spot and back. Please don't take this as being mean or cruel...I just really believe that $3.33 per month for three months shouldn't be the straw that breaks the financial back of the camel.
R

 

[dkhntrdstn]

i got to spend 75 bucks this year on just stamps and then turn around and buy three case of shells for the season. it going to get pricey. I have a feeling it going to end many people hunting waterfowl.

 

[toasty]

Dang, in the world of waterfowling, a $10 increase is almost negligible. I hope this doesn't come across a too harsh, but if $10 dollars over the course of a 3 month season is enough to cause a guy to stop hunting, then he may not be able to afford the sport at all. It costs 10 bucks to drive to a hunting spot and back. Please don't take this as being mean or cruel...I just really believe that $3.33 per month for three months shouldn't be the straw that breaks the financial back of the camel.
R

It is not going to affect the "hard core" hunters. I would pay $100 for a stamp if I had to, but I go out 30+ times a year. I think it is going to affect the guys that go out 1 or 2 times a year, it will be harder to justify the extra cost in their eyes. It will result in fewer people trying the sport and reduce the #s of casual hunters IMO.

 

[Dunkem]

Im still going:!:-8/-

 

[Packout]

It isn't the $10 increase. It is seeing $25 rather than $15. I don't know if that makes sense, but it is a mental thing. I have extended family with plenty of means, but they won't buy one to go out a time or two.

My 16yo said he'd have to think about it because his Dad doesn't take him out enough and he isn't sure if $25 is worth it for 3-5 trips. Kid has to buy gas, insurance, shells, licenses, dates, etc.... Another $25 means more to him than some.

It won't stop me from buying one if I want to go. It will give me a little pause if I end up buying one for each son and myself in a couple years.....

 

[willfish4food]

It isn't the $10 increase. It is seeing $25 rather than $15. I don't know if that makes sense, but it is a mental thing. I have extended family with plenty of means, but they won't buy one to go out a time or two.

Or you could say a stamp costs 166% of what it cost last year. That sounds way worse.

I'm brand new to ducks and hope to get out this fall. I've never known any better so 25 doesn't bother me. It's cheap compared to everything else.

I look at it as a donation to conservation I'd make anyway that happens to give me the ability to get out and hunt.

 

[Joh Fredersen]

When did the duck stamp increase to $15? Do you even remember?
1991.
How much was gas in 1991? $1.10/gal.
A movie ticket cost $4.
The conservation buying power of the duck stamp hasn't been keeping up with the cost of land, construction, materials, water, etc.
Yes, a $10 jump was a big increase over $15, but still a small cost overall in waterfowl hunting.
Crap, a 1 lb. bag of beef jerky is $15-20!!! Skip a bag of jerky.
Or, buy 4 duck stamps, and sit at Farmington Bay at 4AM on the opener and sell 3 of them for $30 each BAM- you're $5 ahead.
Work an hour of overtime. Come mow my lawn.
Better yet, have your 16 year old come mow my lawn. I'm serious. I'll give him a duck stamp for an hours work.
I bought 3 Duck Stamps (so far) this year. One for me, one for my son (11 years old) and one to have in the truck when somebody tells me they forgot theirs. Because you're not hunting with me without one.
Stop duck hunting because of $10? Then the terrorists have already won.

 

[utahgolf]

Well when you have incremental increases in all facets of the hunting world, it definitely starts to add up. It's the same thing with any other sort of fee increase, republicans are great at disguising taxes as fees by the way! Just had to get that in there

 

[hamernhonkers]

Wow are you really winning about a lousy $10?

You want To wine? Try this, every final crimp is costing me $1.38.



That's $140 just for 100 rounds so I can shoot a goose and save some habitat. The bad part, these are only my 50 yard goose shells. The next batch which is my 100 yard depleted uranium loads, will cost me $5 every final crimp.

Wow just wow!

 

[toasty]

Well when you have incremental increases in all facets of the hunting world, it definitely starts to add up. It's the same thing with any other sort of fee increase, republicans are great at disguising taxes as fees by the way! Just had to get that in there

I agree, it starts to add up. I will have conversation like this later this year. "Hey non hunting brother/nephew, do you want to try out duck hunting with me?" He says "Sure, what do I need?" I say "I will provide the waders, decoys, truck and gas to get to the spot, all you have to get is a license." "How much is the license" I reply, "It is only $59, you need a $34 hunting license and a $25 duck stamp." He says "I'll pass."

I don't blame them, my brothers and nephews have gone a time or two as a tag along and hunted a couple times, but they can see a lot better uses for their $59. If it was $10-15 a day, I feel like I have a better shot recruiting some of my family members.

Like I said before, this isn't an issue for the avid waterfowl hunter, however, I think it may be an issue for some of the guys that like to got 1 or 2 times a year.

 

[goosefreak]

$25 or $100 don't matter to me, i'm still gonna stack them greenheads up!8)

 

[utahgolf]

Wow are you really winning about a lousy $10?

You want To wine? Try this, every final crimp is costing me $1.38.



That's $140 just for 100 rounds so I can shoot a goose and save some habitat. The bad part, these are only my 50 yard goose shells. The next batch which is my 100 yard depleted uranium loads, will cost me $5 every final crimp.

Wow just wow!

I bought some classic doubles non tox for my .410 that I intend on using this year and that was pretty pricey. I think I will shed a tear for each missed duck :grin:

 

[Clarq]

I bought some classic doubles non tox for my .410 that I intend on using this year and that was pretty pricey. I think I will shed a tear for each missed duck :grin:

I went on a goose hunt with a guy who almost got that upset when he missed with his Hevi-Shot coyote shells. $5 a round, according to him.

Geese would possibly be worth the $5 each to me if I never missed. For now, I'll stick to my 3 1/2" steel.

 

[duckilla]

The way I look at it duck hunting has never really been a cheap mans sport so this is no surprise to me the cost of everything to hunt is going up and for those that don't want to pay it I say that's fine that's just less people I have to deal with and i would rather spend 25 dollars for my boy to go then spend that on video games or whatever else that would not get them out in the outdoors 25 dollars is a small fee to pay for the memories that are made IMO

 

[Clarq]

The way I look at it duck hunting has never really been a cheap mans sport so this is no surprise to me the cost of everything to hunt is going up and for those that don't want to pay it I say that's fine that's just less people I have to deal with and i would rather spend 25 dollars for my boy to go then spend that on video games or whatever else that would not get them out in the outdoors 25 dollars is a small fee to pay for the memories that are made IMO

That's kind of how I looks at it (though I don't have kids of my own). And if your kids really enjoy waterfowling, that may motivate them to work hard and get a high-paying career so they can afford the boats, decoys, trips, etc. that a waterfowl addiction brings.

 

[Jedidiah]

Some people earn $10 for an hour and a half of work, then pool it with the earnings of someone earning a similar wage and try to support kids with it. I'm not saying we should all commiserate about the increase but maybe just lay off a little at this point. It used to be that hunting was a way to offset costs and now we seem to be poised at the point at which it is going to become purely a sport and I don't see how that's a good thing.

 

[Critter]

I don't think that hunting has been a way to offset cost for the last 100 or so years. By the time that you put gas in your vehicle purchase ammo and the rest of the doodads to hunt what ever you are hunting you might as well as just go to the store and buy some hamburger, you will come out money ahead. I don't think that you would ever say that you saved money by going duck or goose hunting unless it is right in your backyard.

 

[hamernhonkers]

I bought some classic doubles non tox for my .410 that I intend on using this year and that was pretty pricey. I think I will shed a tear for each missed duck :grin:

Just block out the cost with how much fun your having thumping ducks with the pea shooter and you'll be fine.

 

[hamernhonkers]

I don't think that hunting has been a way to offset cost for the last 100 or so years. By the time that you put gas in your vehicle purchase ammo and the rest of the doodads to hunt what ever you are hunting you might as well as just go to the store and buy some hamburger, you will come out money ahead. I don't think that you would ever say that you saved money by going duck or goose hunting unless it is right in your backyard.

I figure the cost of a goose I shoot comes out to about $10 a lb on average a season which I can justify very easily but imagine if I went to the store and that was the price on a turkey, oh my.

Another interesting way to look at it is, 107 day season and $25 for a stamp. That works out to .23 cents a day for the season to hunt. If I really want to hunt I can cut my soda pop intake by 25 sodas a year and pay for it. We just have to decide what's most important to ourselves.