The "value" of hunting

[Deco]

Having a laugh with a mate earlier after his first hunt.

Saving a buck catching your own food comes up with talking hunting of course.

Old mate got his first rabbit yesterday, so a bit of satisfaction there.

For a laugh though it occurred that between buying his gun, cleaning gear, safe and all the rest. The current tally is about $1,300 per rabbit

Bargain, hey!

[Gwion]

Lucky he didn't shoot two!

[Oldbloke]

Having a laugh with a mate earlier after his first hunt.

Saving a buck catching your own food comes up with talking hunting of course.

Old mate got his first rabbit yesterday, so a bit of satisfaction there.

For a laugh though it occurred that between buying his gun, cleaning gear, safe and all the rest. The current tally is about $1,300 per rabbit

Bargain, hey!

Strange, reminds me of fishing.

[duncan61]

I did pro roo culling for 10 years part time and I may be even.I would have to own Kallis seafood to break even on fishing and fosters to break even on beer

[scotty87]

I weigh this up everytime I plan a hunt since I only have access to state forest hunting in NSW, I can drive 4hrs one way and get 2-3 rabbits, drive 6 hours and hopefully get deer.

Current trip I'm planning is 1300km return to check out two or three forests so $250-300 just in diesel in the old pajero. Can shoot a meat/cull deer at a farm up in Gympie for not much more.

It's the satisfaction of getting onto ferals in state forest that makes it worth it though.

[Daddybang]

As the ad says memories are priceless!!.

[Gwion]

You are paying for the "experience", not for "the meat".

True "bag" or "pot" hunters/fishers have a minimum of the cheapest gear and go where they are guaranteed to bag out in the shortest possible time, then think nothing of it until they are planning to fill the freezer again. I don't consider them enthusiasts, they are utilitarians. For instance, i could have one Kmart fishing rod and the cheapest of 22lr, a bag of 200 hooks and a brick of the rifle's chosen ammo all for about $300 an it would keep me in trout and wallaby meat for about 5 years for the extra cost of about $100 a year for licences. I wouldn't have to drive anywhere and would have an adequate meat supply year 'round.

Lets just say i have FAR more fishing gear than that and a few more rifles and i rarely eat trout (catch & release) and mostly feed wallaby to my dogs or throw them to the devils...
To me it has nothing to do with economics.

[Bent Arrow]

Your doing the wrong maths. Try adding a factor for mental well-being and personal satisfaction. Suddenly you're way in front of the $ outlay. I've lost count of how many blokes I have met that don't have hobbies and are miserable. Of the couples I know who's relationships have fallen apart, most of them don't have hobbies..........

[Archie]

Your doing the wrong maths. Try adding a factor for mental well-being and personal satisfaction. Suddenly you're way in front of the $ outlay. I've lost count of how many blokes I have met that don't have hobbies and are miserable. Of the couples I know who's relationships have fallen apart, most of them don't have hobbies..........

This. Expensive rifles and a backpack full of carbon-fibre everything is still cheaper (and healthier) than therapy or divorce lawyers.

[Stix]

Having a laugh with a mate earlier after his first hunt.

Saving a buck catching your own food comes up with talking hunting of course.

Old mate got his first rabbit yesterday, so a bit of satisfaction there.

For a laugh though it occurred that between buying his gun, cleaning gear, safe and all the rest. The current tally is about $1,300 per rabbit

Bargain, hey!

That IS DEFINATELY a bargain...NO JOKE...!!!

Ive just taken delivery of a new high end production .22 cal centrefire varmint rifle.

Now lets add cost of scope & mounts (nearly doubling the cost of the rifle), brass, consumables (powder projs etc), fuel to & from the range to find a load, fuel & food for first hunting trip with it...
At this stage we wont add in the comp seater die & concentricity gauge i plan on adding to it as soon as i can afford...

By the time i pop my first subterranean spring legged bush chicken, (assuming i shoot one & its clean in the head on my first trip), with very quick calculations, i hazard a guess it will cost me in the order of $10,000/kg...!!!

Yes its a humerous way of looking at it.!!!

And if i hunted from that point of view i should be truely certified ...!, because i have access to 7 existing rifles & 2 shotguns that can do the job....infact ive access to a heap more in my ol'mans collection.

Guess i live for being crazy...& wouldnt change it for the all the money & hottest sheilas in the world....!!!!...

[YoungBuck]

I've weighed up the costs of all my gear, ammo and petrol and I am waaay behind. The bunnies shot and scalps collected aren't going to come close to recouping costs.
But financial gain is not why I shoot and hunt, its the opportunity to get outdoor, hike, camp and live a little. Heck I bought a new car with half the purpose of getting me to the places I want to hunt! Definitely not recouping costs there

[Oldbloke]

But financial gain is not why I shoot and hunt, its the opportunity to get outdoor, hike, camp and live a little. Heck I bought a new car with half the purpose of getting me to the places I want to hunt! Definitely not recouping costs there

+1 +1

[Die Judicii]

I'm guessing I'm definately not the only one to do the following,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Regardless of $ invested in equipment,, and $ spent in travelling etc,,,,,,,

I get a very large reward whenever I choose to just look at what I've got, and feel and pat.

Maybe crazy, but there is a lot of enjoyment brought forth by memories and sentimental values to be had,,,,,,,,,,

And that my friends is far better than paying a shrink and even then getting sweet F#*# all out of appointment.