So Bye-Bye Miss American Pie

[Hunt anything]

Compare an entry level truck from 30 years ago to an entry level truck today. For better or worse, there’s no comparison.

Another thing about trucks, an entry level truck today has all of the bells and whistles of a mid level truck from times past. Our farm used to get plain Jane chevies for our workers, manual windows basic radios and I don’t know if they even make them anymore.

 

[R eight]

Yep. Exponential growth of influencers + exponential loss of habitat (due mostly to carving up accessible land and making it into private game preserves) = extremely expensive hunting. The bone collector phenomenon boosted by influencers and their sponsors has turned North American hunting into a Frankenstein monster that is no longer what hunting was supposed to be. Every year I return home to Montana and see more and more non-residents floating the highway in giant trucks dragging skyscraper camper trailers and luxury SxSs, together worth three times what my home would sell for. Or more and more "ranchette" McMansions perched on remote hills surrounded by fancy fences and "No Hunting" signs that lie abandoned for all but two months every year. Increased demand + increased supply of influenced bone collectors with more money than they can spend = more $$$ required to hunt.

Hunting should be 90% experiencing the outdoors and 10% putting stuff in the freezer. Today it's 50% putting stuff on the wall and 50% buying crap. All about showing off how much money can be spent. Consumerism. It's a disease. I have the dollars to spend but I won't get caught up in that crap and become part of the problem.

A lot of what you wrote could be correct.

 

[CZDiesel]

I can live with the black rifle craze because there are still alternatives, but the ballistic turrets on scopes I find very frustrating. Some scopes I understand, but I can’t understand on every scope. If I buy a 1-5 Leupold scope for DG I have absolutely no need for a CDS dial. It’s just an item to fail. It’s getting more difficult to find scopes without ballistic dials. I see Swarovski’s new line states with and without dials so hopefully that’s a positive step.

There is zero need for adjustable turrets on a DG scope! And really not much need for 95% with the right reticle. Leupold Boon and Crocket reticle works just fine if you know you cartridges ballistics.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Damn, I was only out bid by 1.299 million. That’s crazy I can’t even begin to fathom that kinda money for anything!

And I think to myself... imagine AAALLLLL the African hunting trips I could take with that kind of money...

 

[Red Leg]

I've been hunting CO and a few other nearby states for a long time and I think one of the big things that changed everything was the advent of publications/scouting publication services like the Huntin Fool. When that thing came along, it was as if anyone and everyone could hunt other states and know exactly where to go and what to expect for trophy size, etc. This changed all the bonus point and preference point systems and point creep started. Then it became increasingly difficult to draw tags that used to come around every once in a while without any point systems in place for tags. People started paying to play and now it's completely out of hand.

A month ago, I booked a caribou hunt in the NWT for myself and my son. We couldn't get anything sooner than 2028 and the price wasn't even locked in because they don't know how much the hunts will be worth by then. But, it'll be somewhere north of $26k each. I did a moose and caribou hunt in 1989 for $5500 in the Rogue River country of the Yukon. Combo hunts there now are $50k+

Times change and prices do too but I'd have a hard time as a parent now introducing my kids to hunting. It's simply out of control for most people now. Sure, you can go whack does or cow elk for less money but who wants to do that for very long? Good antelope hunts in NM are now $8k. Elk hunts if you draw a good tag are $10k+. Who can afford things like this for themselves, much less a passel of kids. It's sad to see it going this way.

$52K for a pair of caribou for you and your son?!? For goodness sake take him to Africa and shoot a pair of buffalo or land cruiser full of plains game.

 

[Tom Leoni]

I dunno. I've hunted Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Alberta, Texas and many other states on behalf of my companies (Beretta USA, then Benelli USA). But when it comes to paying for my own hunts--which I do most often--I see the cost and the hassle associated even with a half-decent elk hunt here in the USA (I won't even mention sheep), and I shake my head.

While standing in line to get my exhibitor's badge at SCI 2025, I was chatting with a gentleman who owns an outfitter's business in several of the Western states. He was telling me that his clients spend upwards of $110,000, just for a tag. Between that, the Byzantine out-of-state licensing and point system, and the fact that if you're lucky you end up getting one animal only, the opportunity cost is simply too high.

With 10-15 grand, I can hunt Africa for several species, including dangerous game. Life is too short to complicate things too much.

 

[Bonk]

Hunting should be 90% experiencing the outdoors and 10% putting stuff in the freezer. Today it's 50% putting stuff on the wall and 50% buying crap.

I agree.

 

[Bighorn191]

$52K for a pair of caribou for you and your son?!? For goodness sake take him to Africa and shoot a pair of buffalo or land cruiser full of plains game.

He's chasing a list of NA big Game so a Kudu instead of a Caribou doesn't really work...but yes, I agree, $52k will go a long way in Africa. I'm heading to SA myself in June to blow some money.

 

[Hunt anything]

He's chasing a list of NA big Game so a Kudu instead of a Caribou doesn't really work...but yes, I agree, $52k will go a long way in Africa. I'm heading to SA myself in June to blow some money.

I would go to Greenland for a caribou since they have classified them as Barron ground caribou and now qualify on the NA 29 list. Unless he’s going after mountain caribou.

 

[jpr9954]

So bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ol boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

The last 15 years or so were spent on my career and then on my health. Somewhere in that span everything changed! No more wood stocked rifles, no more scopes with normal turret caps as they all have adjustable turrets now, and most of all the hunting prospects are upside down!
Fifteen years ago an Elephant hunt was way out of reach but a Brown Bear hunt was attainable. A Buffalo hunt was a serious endeavor but a trophy Elk hunt was an easy get. Plains game was still an expensive deal and maybe a once in a lifetime hunt for someone where as a Mule Deer in a trophy unit could be had!
Now Elephant hunts are less expensive than Brown Bear hunts are! Elk hunts are as expensive as Elephant hunts in trophy units! Mule deer tags in trophy units are so scarce one can go a lifetime and not draw!
Brown Bear up to $50k! New Mexico Elk hunts up to $35k! Lottery Mule Deer $500,000+!!! And I won’t even go into what a Sheep hunt can cost SMH
One can hunt trophy Elephant, Buff, and most plains game for less?!?! Sometimes much much less

When was it the music died for North American hunts and firearms and accessories? It all happened so fast and not only did I see it pass me but I never thought it would happen!
I have to wonder what caused it all? Did the wars push all the black rifle craziness and silly turrets? Did the anti-hunters push the prices on trophy hunts to the point of being unattainable for most?
It’s now less expensive to hunt Africa than it is for trophy hunts in North America…

And them good ol boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die…

Speaking of whiskey and rye, have you seen the way the price of bourbon has skyrocketed. I mean you can still get decent bottom shelf bourbons but the premium stuff has gone through the roof. It used to be $50 was a lot to pay for a bottle of bourbon. Rye, likewise, has been "discovered" and is way up in price.

 

[Doug3006]

Compare an entry level truck from 30 years ago to an entry level truck today. For better or worse, there’s no comparison.

Oh I agree. Trucks have much more content and capability now than back then. Still, try to find a new truck under $30K. The hunting industry has changed too. There were few if any luxury elk hunts in the 70s. Now there are many lodges that a hunter can choose where they will be in the lap of luxury when back from the mountains. Fine Scotch in hand standing by the 2-story fireplace waiting for their Prime Rib to be ready. (Not knocking it BTW. I’m partial to luxury, Scotch and Prime Rib!)

 

[Aaron N]

Oh I agree. Trucks have much more content and capability now than back then. Still, try to find a new truck under $30K. The hunting industry has changed too. There were few if any luxury elk hunts in the 70s. Now there are many lodges that a hunter can choose where they will be in the lap of luxury when back from the mountains. Fine Scotch in hand standing by the 2-story fireplace waiting for their Prime Rib to be ready. (Not knocking it BTW. I’m partial to luxury, Scotch and Prime Rib!)

And an outfitter better not be picking a client up at the airport in a 3k truck!

 

[R eight]

I reckon we’ve just got too many people. We’re carrying more stock but the farm didn’t get any bigger.

 

[CBeck]

I’m partial to luxury, Scotch and Prime Rib!

Amen brother!

 

[Doug3006]

Speaking of whiskey and rye, have you seen the way the price of bourbon has skyrocketed. I mean you can still get decent bottom shelf bourbons but the premium stuff has gone through the roof. It used to be $50 was a lot to pay for a bottle of bourbon. Rye, likewise, has been "discovered" and is way up in price.

I think we have just gotten past “peak bourbon.” The rapid increase in consumption that drove prices up, and led to the release of dozens and dozens of new labels, has run its course.

Good article on the end of the fad is here: https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/b...mic-hangover-as-consumption-declines/91107063

Maybe some bargains are on the horizon?

 

[Raven]

It follows from this that we need to take our chances and hunt whenever we have the opportunity. In 10 or 15 years, we may not be able to shoot the beast that is available to us now.

 

[Flbt]

I think modern war movies made the black plastic gun craze
And once they became feesible and attainable the craze took off

Its a sad state of affairs

I think the black rifle got so popular with the people that used them in some type of government service. Then they just became popular.
I have a few of them not so much as a hunting rifle. Except a 350l set up for hogs.
But because of so much time on the range and mucle training.
Most of my hunting guns are wood amd blue
As I am on this now it’s all most the end of deer season a 1896 Mauser in 6.5x55 is with me

So no I rely don’t know
Most of the people I worked with that hunt keep there work rifle separate from there hunting rifle

 

[C.W. Richter]

That’s why I hunt exclusively in Africa won’t hunt in states prices are just not worth it

'Just think of how we're treated in-flight, minute 1 otw to the adventure in Africa, in comparison to America (when the planes aren't crashing due to DEI!) LOL We need more realy Africans in America, apparently (i tell all my African American friends that!) I could say more....LOL

 

[C.W. Richter]

It follows from this that we need to take our chances and hunt whenever we have the opportunity. In 10 or 15 years, we may not be able to shoot the beast that is available to us now.

Own private land. No worries.

 

[LivingTheDream]

I heard a rumor that a probable World Record sheep has been sighted and whereabouts known, which might help explain why someone was willing to pay that amount. They weren't necessarily just bidding on a sheep tag, but a potential World Record sheep tag...... we shall see in time.

I have seen pictures of it and I dont think it is the world record, I think it will be the new New Mexico State Record, and will be over 200 inches.