I have been on some great hunts that some of you would envy. Never paid 10 cents above equipment costs. I still won't. Pay to hunt is not a good thing. I will never participate.

Own an 80 acre farm that borders my son in laws family farm that is another 240. Have 4 acres that our house is on that borders my wife’s grandparents (century farm) that is close to 400 acres. My sons and I kill deer every year, but last year was the first year in 40 that I didn’t tag a buck. Had opportunities but used tags to kill does off neighbors pumpkin patch as they were doing damage.

We have a fair amount of public ground but it gets a bit “sporty” from out of state hunters that take advantage of our cheap licenses. I refrain from hunting the public ground.

Swamp, I know there has to be some good game wardens, but I haven’t seen or met one in far too long. I still remember the story of a warden getting caught turkey hunting on land he didn’t have permission on and it got him ran out of Maries County. I still have and use one of their turkey box calls. These days we get a new warden every 2 to 3 years straight out of the academy. All gung-ho and ignorant of how to work with the public and short on humility. They cannot build relationships that would help them be more successful or even try to become part of the community.

I know. This is a serious problem here in Ga too. The applicant pool is thin and pathetic. I dont know what to suggest that will fix this that will work on a statewide level. These young folks have little outdoor knowledge or experience and even less people skills....which is what a law enforcement job is....its ALL people management.

I was on Georgia's DNR LE hiring board one year. We interviewed 50+ applicants in a week. We had one young man that had made it thru the process to this interview.....a feat in itself! When I asked about his outdoor experience he stated that he had been a WalMart shopping cart gatherer which was mostly outdoors and that was his only experience. I just about lost my mind.....had to hold back. This guy had made it thru the written test, the physical abilities test - running & swimming, background check, etc.

Out of all those applicants we interviewed that week only about 5 knew what a trap was. Only about 7 or 8 produced a current hunting or fishing license when I asked. It was shocking and this same mess is occurring at the state interviews today.

Got pics?

We all pay to hunt....some more than others....

Gun/Bow
Ammo/Arrows
Licenses
Clothing...ie cold weather gear
Treestands/Blinds
Other gear...binoculars, rangefinder, etc
Fuel to get there
Lease/membership cost (if you don’t own the land)
Property taxes (if you do own the land)

The pre job " skill pool " is very poor at this time in my lifetime. I have witnessed it so frequently that I have real concerns for what is in store for this country and its employees in the years to come.

Young folks that know very little and have very little basic practical hands on skills to bring to the table. Many could care less in their performance or quality of work. I get applicants interested in a wildlife control job that have no experience with animals at all of any kind. It isn't worth the time vested to train them. Might as well do it yourself.

They think like..... Just give me an easy job that I can do, pay me good and let me do what I feel like doing.

You are lucky to have me kind of attitude.

My first real experience with land leasing and pay to hunt was really exposed to me in Kansas years back. I thought, what is this all about? It was an eye opener until I learned more about it. I ran into some complications when trapping some nice cat country.

These desk job folks would want to go quail hunting on these places a few times a month. Of course, they were using dogs so I had to cover or pull my cat/ coyote sets for a few days in a month to keep peace. Which I did, but it was a pain and likely lost some opportunities at some cats as a result.

Sometimes you just have to play the cards you are given and make the best. It is better than having no place at all.

Amen!

Glad you enjoy paying for it.
I need about six to eight a year to keep the family in meat.
Usually doable off my land. Groceries ain’t cheap and “paying to play” adds an additional cost that some of us see as unnecessary.

Lots of slugs in our area. The buggers can really work over my young sunflower plants and my mushrooms on my logs that I cultivate. You wouldnt think slugs could do that much damage but they do pretty quick.

We don't many leaches around here except in some of our spring run stream areas. I get water at a local spring head that the locals go for drinking water. The larger bodies of water have some but I don't see many unless looking for some under rocks for fishing.

It ain't free for you......if you're the one paying the annual property taxes on your land.

Unfortunately I don't own hunting land, so I have to lease to have a place to hunt. Just the way it is for me. But, I also don't have any property taxes to pay....so it sorta evens out.

never have never will. deer eating hay, elk busting fences, bears coming around dwellings, lions killing young horses, coyotes killing sheep chicken calves. if money exchanges hands it will be from theirs to mine.

Bob,
I guess that's the story of life. Gotta do what ya gotta do. We are all blessed in different ways. Im thankful for the blessings....even the ones that I don’t understand at the time. I try hard to always see the positives.

But you are paying to hunt......just not for access.

Been lucky so far with family land, and 2 national forest that makeup 400,000 acres.....Only been on one paid hunt, but if everything changed tomorrow I would pay to play in a heartbeat before not hunting.

A good friend owns 375 acres of timberland (no residence on the property) here in the county where I reside.

I don't know his property's valuation or whether his land is enrolled in a conservation program for reduced property tax.

But he told me about 10 years ago that his property taxes for that 375 acre tract was $3500/annually. So, there that is.

I can hunt the property and it won't cost me any $$. I basically have free reign there as he lives about an hour and a half away. He has always told me to treat it like it was mine. I do some of the road mowing and maintenance and assist with his food plot some years.

I rarely hunt there as he deer hunts there. But, he doesn't hunt turkeys and told me those were at my discretion.

He is a good friend. He has deer hunted on my lease too.

I tend to agree. I knocked on doors as a kid and teenager. Got a lease in my early 20s and still had free permission. Buckled down, sacrificed and bought a farm. It's about priorities.

I will however admit I paid way, way less per acre 25 yrs ago. Today is tougher.

So after reading this thread I would be lead to the conclusion that Ga. Has no public hunting land
But they do have a decent amount of public hunting land
What is the problem with that land Swamp Wolf?

Holy cow!
$3500 property tax on Steve’s 375?
That is completely ridiculous.
The property tax on my 134 acre duck farm is $364 a year in comparison.
Dang near $10 an acre a year down yonder!
Is that pretty consistent with timberland in Echols county Patrick?

It's public land. I can't do any management/harvest control on any of that 1 million plus acres. The staye would frown if I brought my tractor, mower, and harrows there....lol. Some of Ga's public land is great deer hunting with quality buck regs on several areas too and limited quotas.

But, if I can't do what I enjoy most, which is the management aspect, then it isn't near as satisfying to me. Oh..I still like taking a good buck, but its not exactly the same if I didn’t have a hand in doing something for that buck. Its hard to explain.

Ive killed dozens of deer, hogs, and a few gobblers on Ga's public land. But, I enjoy controlled access the most (you know..like landowners do) so I can do my thing on the tractor with the bush-hog and disk harrows. The killing is in 2nd place. When I'm on that tractor doing something for wildlife or to make access to the place better...that is how I punch my reset button. Can work all day on the New Holland on my hunting property and not be one bit tired. Come back the next morning and see deer & turkey tracks in the dort I just planted....it's just special to me.

If something I've done leads to me taking a mature buck or gobbler, then that is just icing on the cake.

Yes. Now, he may of had some timber tax added in that year he was referring to...Im not sure. Here in Ga, landowners pay property taxes and when they sale timber from that tract they pay timber tax on that sale.

When Garrett and I checked on that tract that was for sale outside of Keytesville on Musselfork Creek we found out that the property tax on that 150 (?) or so acres was only a few hundred dollars annually. I thought that was an error....lol

The largest timber company in this county pays an annual tax bill to the county in the single digit millions and they get a discount on their 75,000 +/- acres.