I am a property owner in west-central Illinois (golden triangle). I have seen the devastation that these outfitters have done to my area. Illinois has so many financial problems due to very corrupt politics they are selling out; 25,000 non resident tags were issued last year alone. My propety is about 5 miles away from Heartland Lodge. $4000 for a 3 day gun hunt; guys must have more money than sense. Hell; I bought my 206 acres for $60,000 albeit that was in the early nineties. Folks have paid for decades to hunt out west; just a matter of time for it to creep eastward. I see the trend continueing. Can't really blame the farmers; its tens of thousands of dollars they are making without lifting so much as a finger. Farmers in my area were gettting $60 per acre for an annual lease. My neighbor has 300 acres he leases for $18,000 a year. Thats not bad coin.

I hear you. We pay to hunt private land in Colorado mainly for the ability to get away from the crowds of jerk hunters and masses of road hunters shooting at everything that moves. Plus, we generally don't have to worrk about getting shot by some yahoo. It's not exactly big bucks, but I understand what you are saying.

Unfortunately, these days you either have to know people or own land yourself to do anything without a fee or be on an over-crowded spot. To me it seems like there is a fine line that we walk. We moan about any decrease of people who hunt and fish while we get annoyed at those who come along paying a lot of money to get into the field. Its difficult to have it both ways.

I don't have to pay right now, but I might someday. If you've got the money, then go for it. Its a free country... for now.

I pay to use land I do not own, its called public land. As well as I work at an orchard, a golf course and farm, for free so I can be the exclusive guy that hunts there.

But it really bums me out when I see trespassers of any sort. These people know they are trespassing, but still do it, man does that irratate me.

Shermantor, so if I understand you correctly, you'd like all the perks of being a landowner without the investment? Consider just some of the costs: horribly expensive equipment, taxes, maintenance, fences, insurance, etc. Farming/ranching is a tough business subjected to all sorts of variables, grain and livestock market fluctuations, weather extremes, fuel and fertilzer costs to name a few. Bottom line for me, and I come from a farming background, is that if you have a product or service and someone wants it, theres nothing wrong with charging a fee.

Not sure I follow your views on respect. There are slob hunters everywhere. Some have big money and are out-of-towners, some are your local average Joes. I dont allow anyone to hunt my place unless I know them or they have a reference. I tell everyone straight up whats expected of them BEFORE they hunt. If you want to get a landowner fired up, leave his livestock gates open, dig some tire trenches by driving on wet ground or leave trash on the farm.

If you dont want to deal with pay-to-hunt, someone will be more than willing to sell you some ground. For those not fortunate enough to have the funds to buy their own land, you've got public hunting areas.

I would hunt more if in Florida they didn't charge you to hunt pigs that they consider a pest. Yes, I would pay some money but $200 bucks is too much for me. I do not have a lot of money. I also understand paying for tags and such. It gives money to the DNR and conservation that allows us to continue hunting. I just wish hunting wasn't so expensive. Then I would be able to go more than every couple of years. But I can't say I wish it was free because then farmers wouldn't let you hunt their land and conservation would disappear.

The landowner have the right to do as they please with their land!
Alot of hunters trash the land they hunt on and it makes all us hunting and fishing people look bad.In the future we will see more and more fee's imposed onto the hunter and fisherman.
Just going to have to get use to it,its here to stay!