Do you spend a lot of money on bow hunting and trad gear anually, or not that much? Just curious...
Bakes
Well if I didn't lose so many arrows making "I can do this-amazing shots!" I probably don't spend that much. Well...except Quebec for bear hunting and Texas for hogs and...I don't want to think about it! :eek: :)
I used the money I got from selling my wheelie bows to buy bows, bought a few dozen arrows and WW broadheads from money I make on the side doing gunsmithing. Have been selling off lots of stuff accumalated over the last 20 years. I usually buy about 1000#s of corn, my tags and scent spray each year for both me and my wife. Sam.
Never added it up-no need to know!
You and me both, Bjorn!
Killdeer :)
QuoteOriginally posted by Bakes168:
Do you spend a lot of money on bow hunting and trad gear anually, or not that much? Just curious...
Bakes
you can't be serious!...................... are you? :biglaugh:
UH-OH My wife is on here again seeing if I will answer this one so she can find out the truth.. LOL :eek:
:goldtooth: Bows are an investment, right?
Gas + food on the way + broadheads + toe warmers = about $400
I know every year I spend around $150.00 for lic and some stuff that I might need.
Probably more than I need to, but nowhere near what I would like to :bigsmyl:
I pay my bills and spend the rest. Ain't that the way your supposed to do it.
I remember shooting at an elk and thinking. "That was a $1,200 arrow!" Fortunately for that kind of money I can really bear down and aim.
ouch.. it it hard this year. a few new sets of hunting clothes and an O.L. Adcock ACS one-piece and an A&H ACS 3-piece.
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Trad Rag | com
Stick & String or Cap & Ball
Wapiti chasing 10 days out of the year and lovin' it!!!
Longbow: ACS-CX 58#@28. Arrow: GT5575 Traditional, 100gr. Brass insert, 125 gr. Magnus 2-blade: 530 gr. total.
I really don't want to know too scary
Never think about money. Long as the bills are paid and family taken care of the rest is gravy.
Danny
:goldtooth:
On gear this year, less than $50...didn't need anything...in fact, been selling stuff off that I had for a while. Probably close to that figure over the past 5 years too. There's no longer a fine line between "want" and "need" with me....I either need it or I don't. I've been shooting bows for close to 30 years now...and the stuff sold 20 years ago works as well now as the new stuff does. One shot...one kill...no different than it was 100 years ago. With these $30+ broadheads, "super straight" carbon arrows, etc... not sure how the old-timers did it...
On gas and licenses though, well, now you got me there...
Gas,gear,license,arrows,tags :just about $2,500
In France there are plenty of bowhunters who spend more that I.
wow-thats a big bag of worms..........
yes,it's a heck of a lot :(
That depends on how much OT I work. I'm coming up on retirement and I know I won't be spending as much on it then, so I've been putting a bunch of money into it the last couple of years. Rose Oak Wildcat-Thunderstick MOAB-CM Hunter II-CM Crusader-20+ dz. aluminum shafts-20+ dz. carbon shafts and around 800 POC shafts. Plus all the small goodies and it adds up to a pretty penny, but I look at it as an investment in my mental health. Hap
I've only been trad shooting for 2-3 years so i try to keep my costs down (mostly so my wife wont know how obsessed with trad archery i am). But this year all in all i'll probably spend between $350-500 dollars.
I can justify spending a few bucks on "stuff". Neither the wife or I drink or smoke so we can spend that money to go the the woods. We buy a lot of yard sale stuff so we get by pretty cheap although ordered up a new Northern Mist longbow this year. First new bow for me in over 38 years.
NEVER write a number like that down...it can be used against you in your divorce proceedings.
I feel guilty sometimes when I think about the money I spend on bowhunting but ya know what? It's who I am. It's what I do. So whatever it is, it is.
Right now as I'm getting older and nearing retirement, the money isn't the problem...it's the time left for my bowhunting passion. So I guess I'd say not nearly enough :) Doc
More then Im willing to admit. A buddy (non hunting) once ask me
"So how much does that free meat cost"
Shhh... Wall's have ears!
I can't put a price on memories, pleasure and the same as it wouldn't be prudent at this juncture in my sort Trad.hunting carrer. ;)
Man this is a scary thought!! But everybody has hobbies they like to spend their money on. This just happens to be one of mine!!! :archer:
'Bout the same here. Don't really want to put a pencil to it.
You know that "Sticker Shock" could kill an old person.
Gene
I NEVER speak the number aloud....LOL
In 2001 I promised myself that I would do what it took to go off and bowhunt, everywhere...
I would guess that a low cost year would be in the $1000-$2500 range. It doesn't take many trips and taxidermy to add up to a crazy amount.
Traditional Bowhunting is what I love to do. I bust my rear end (two jobs) all year to make it happen. Sure I could save that money for when I get old, but getting old without any memories... Whats the point?
Alot in the beginning but like others have said I don't think I want to know! So I don't think about it as much. If I'd had Tradgang around ten years ago I probable would have spent less because I was on my own. Not just with trad bowhunting and gear but hunting in general. If I'd had people to give me insight into what I should try, I might not have blown so much money on "cheaper" blinds that didn't work out. I quess now I can give some advice. Cause I've been there. I've spent alot on quivers too. And arrows. :D
Bows+Hunting= Happiness
I spend more then I NEED to spend but far less than what I would LIKE to spend. And I'll leave it at that.
I haven't bought a new hunting bow since about 1992. When I find arrows that fly well out of my bows, I generally buy 3-4 dozen shafts and enough fletching materials, etc. and they last me a LONG time. Many of my broadheads have several kills on them, and once again if I find something that flies well and I believe in, I'll get a bunch and stick with them. All told, this year I haven't spent one dime on these items.
I do generally lose a tab or two during the season and have bought a couple of those to replace them. In fact, I kind of feel guilty at shoots walking by The Nocking Point, Kustom King, or Three Rivers and NOT buying anything. But this season, I really haven't needed much of anything.
I really find myself at a point in my life of wanting to downsize my stuff. I don't have a ton of bows and many things I can't get rid of, but I've been going through a major reduction in the hunting clothing department, banking that my new Sitka Gear will be more versatile and outlast my previous closet full of stuff. And in selling most of the latter, my closet space has opened up tremendously (and packing for trips has been much easier).
Now spending money on tags, gas, etc., that's a different story. But I do think we traditional guys are a bit more frugal than our compound cousins in the archery equipment category. Either that, or our trinquets cost a lot less money than their releases, sight systems, expandable broadheads, new bow every year, etc. Sometimes I wonder how our traditional vendors can make a living because of that...but I'm glad they can because they are there when we need them.
Outfitter $1,500.00
plane ticket to Maine $350.00
rent car $250.00
PSAIII $900.00
GK Head $30.00
The image of my arrow striking exactly where I was looking on a 250 pound Bear...Priceless
When I'm too old to chase stuff all over the country, I will still have my memories
I'm with Danny............the gravy sure is good!!!
for doing something i love! i spend everything i can afford to. i even have a "Bowhunting only" savings account :D
Hey Buff,
Keep it up, that way I get to watch a lot of good video. :goldtooth:
I think my wife is really Bakes168, and she is trolling..........;-]
I gave up my gym membership,and bought a basic weight set, I train at home, swim and I spend the free hours of daylight in my garden and the local park, some weekends I push off to the bush, back to reserves I worked in, sharpens up my bush eyes again, now is that for my hunting...?
I don't think I spend more than $250 a year directly on archery/hunting gear,any game is far cheaper per kilo than store bought meat if you take out the trip costs, and those costs are the price of a trip, hunting or holiday.Works out way cheaper than the gym and paid safaris.
Chrisg
Not much for my freshman year of Archery. My wife loves me because I can do this...
Bear Bow: Traded w/a refinished bamboo fly rod I did (orig $35). Bow now refinished too.
Pearson Bow: $45 purchased from another site for back-up. Bow now refinished too.
Quiver: Plains Style- made from thrift store leather jacket $3 (and found $7 in a pocket! LOL)
Arras: 17-1916s Traded w/another quiver made. $3
Broadheads: 6 Steelforce? craigslist $10
Boots: Rocky Snake Boots $4 garage sale find
Camo: Army green Extreme Weather Clothing $12
----- Army green BDU pants (3) $18
----- Army desert BDU shirt/pants $19
Knife: Queen given to me from Dad 25 yrs ago.
----- Drop point made w/TG How-To (old saw blade and scrap wood)
----- Swiss army rec'd as a gift from an old boss.
Hunt Pack: $14 at Wallyworld (closeout)
***4 Days lugging around the deserts of NV= PRICELESS!***
(Secret: Focus on what you need not what your want.)
If we all went back to 1949 there would be little money to spend... We'd have to make our own archery stuff! Those were the days.
... mike ...
PS... I spend too much money on this trad stuff anyway. Gonna take up bird watchin'. ;)
Shucks guys I LIKE spending money on bowhunting.
That's what it's for isn't it? If it weren't for the mortgage payment JIll says we have to make every month I'd spend a bunch more!
Guys call me and ask if I want to go on a hunt I hear about the hunt and decide yes or no. Then they say, don't you wanna know how much? Oh yeah sure, ok. LAST consideration. I can work an extra job between now and the hunt date to pay for it.
You won't catch me sitting in a rockin chair 20 years from now wishing I had gone somewhere bowhunting, I'll be tellin the stories!!
Danny Rowan nailed it on the head!!!
Ya caught me Foxtail!
But really, readin' what you guys have to say really makes me feel less guilty about what I spend. Compared to you guys it ain't much but for a 17 year old...When it comes to my passions, my Dutch side don't show :goldtooth:
I may not have thousands saved up for college like other kids but I'm out in the woods doing what I love! (Don't worry, I do have savings for college)
Bakes
Bakes my boy, you are about to determine your hunting future. Study hard in college, get an above average job and the bowhunting world will be yours.
Flunk out or don't go, and you'll be one of the guys that HAS to make his own gear and hunt public land.
Now is the time to prepare for all the wonderful outdoors adventures you read about!
Not to much (been saving for the house) but as soon as I move into to the new house GAME ON!!!!
When I get to old to pull back my bow to hunt I think I'm gonna sneak up on a grizzly bear and kick him in the @ss. At least that way I'll have a funny story to tell while I'm waitin in line to see if I get through the gates.
Spend what ya wanna spend, every damned one of us are gonna die anyway!
For the first quarter century I bow hunted I spent as much time and money as I possibly could on hunting (after paying what I then thought were 'necessary' living expenses). Since starting the study a quarter century ago I've spent about $300,000.00 on it alone - not counting 'durable good' (bows, camping gear, hunting vehicles, clothing, etcetera) or any of the other bow hunting I've done along the way. When I retired 15 years ago I sold everything except my hunting library of books and my hunting equipment and tools, then proceeded to spend all that on more hunting.
As I sit here in 'exquisite pain', lower back totally stuffed (from things not at all related to shooting my bows) with some leg muscles that won't move even move one inch when I tell them too and contemplate the surgery that's in my near future do I regret that? No. I wish I had been able to spend even more! Only thing I regret is the money I wasted on the animals I had mounted during those early days. I wish I had spent it on doing more hunting. The memories are irreplaceable in today's world.
Ed
Like Irish said: Bows are an investment! So between them and collectible elvis plates from the Bradford exchange, I should be set well into my golden years! :biglaugh: At least that's what the commercials tell me.
Bakes-Listen to Biggie, that is some of the best advice [free or paid for] that you will ever get! Hap
can we change the subject before my wife reads this?
Ed-your best days are still ahead of you!
Good recovery for you-we will all be saying special prayers.
Yes a big thanks to you Dr Ed for 'wasting all that money' so us knuckleheads can benefit! No doubt at all you have followed your dream AND you have had the generosity to share it with the world. Thanks for that gift. I really trust that you will get your back sorted. I shoot modified 160 grizzlies, now where did I get that idea...?
chrisg
I think Jmatt was just kidding
QuoteOriginally posted by Dr. Ed Ashby:
...Only thing I regret is the money I wasted on the animals I had mounted during those early days. I wish I had spent it on doing more hunting. The memories are irreplaceable in today's world. Ed
Amen to that - that's why I don't have stuffed animals all over my walls. No animal is a "trophy" to me. Instead, I simply look at it as we just happened to cross paths in the natural world and I was in the game-taking mode.
Tom they're not "trophies" but memories. I sit in my den and look at the critters there and honor them everyday. It's a no brainer to me. Money is nothing, the memories are what keep me alive.
I don't regret a penny I've spent. Hope I never have cause to.
Considering what a shrink charges these days Archery is cheap. :biglaugh:
Biggie- I checked your web-page; money well spent. I've begun to regret not mounting more or taking more pictures. Guess I thought I'd live forever. Grant