# Never seen so many club openings!?!?! Is it a Trend??



## Muygrande (Aug 12, 2008)

Just curious guys, in 2004 when I moved to Montana you couldn't find a place to hunt it seemed.  Now I look on here and there's a pile of clubs that can't fill up!  
Are hunters getting tired of the exorbanant costs to hunt?  Or are we losing hunters that have just given up due to costs of land and such?? 
I got back in december last year and my trips back home from Atl to Americus/Sumter/Lee county I didn't see near as many Florida tags on trucks as I once saw either!
Florida guys tired of getting gouged/burned or is the price of gas keeping everyone from making the trips?

Just Curious as to whether land prices have about reached their peak and topped out!!
Is there any way to find out if there has been a drop in licenses purchased in the last few years?
Is it the younger crowd that's missing or the older crowd if any?

Thoughts?


----------



## frankwright (Aug 12, 2008)

I think "all of the Above"

Land prices are way up for one thing, add high gas prices and people are saying if I do come up with the $500-$1000 for my lease membership, how many times can I afford gas to get there.

 We all know and said you cannot really put a price on recreation, it would be cheaper to eat steak every night than what it costs us for a couple of deer. 
 We always have known that but we hunt for the pure joy of it. But for some people, probably more than ever, trying to pay the mortgage, fuel prices, kids in school and the general increased cost of everything else, it is coming down to an either-or choice for some.
It is also true that the younger generation, many growing up in homes with no man or no hunter are falling away from the hunting tradition.
I remember when you had to really scramble to try to get in a club or lease land, now it seems as if clubs are having a hard time getting members.


----------



## Dudley Do-Wrong (Aug 12, 2008)

I agree, couple this with ever increasing lease costs and you get a formula for disaster.


----------



## 7Mag Hunter (Aug 12, 2008)

Yep Combination of factors....
Timber companies allowing bid process or continuing to raise
annual per acre lease price is making it harder to justify...


----------



## hevishot (Aug 12, 2008)

fuel fuel fuel...I believe that is whats keeping folks out of leases more than an increase in lease costs..not worth it if you live hours away from your club for just a weekend...


----------



## Sterlo58 (Aug 12, 2008)

strangely enough our club is filled up with a waiting list. That has not ever been the case in the past. We always had an opening or two every year. We are seeing the opposite of what you are seeing.
I bet the woods will be less crowded, however, because people will not be hunting as often with gas prices up.


----------



## HCA59 (Aug 12, 2008)

*Leases*

Just talked to a fellow today with 100 acres. Now I don't know what the average lease price is for my area but the gentleman wants $21 per acre. From what I can tell from posts on here that seems mighty high or am i wrong?


----------



## yellowhammer (Aug 12, 2008)

*Less hunters*

Maybe I`m one example.I was in a club for 14 years,going from mediocre to quality.The last year I was in ,the owner doubled the price.I quit.The next clubs turned out to be not quite what was represented up front.I went to join one club,arrived,and found that the rules were opposite what were told me over the phone.I had a timber lease for five years.There were more problems than there were deer,and the price steadily went up.Fuel is not a concern to me.Investing in someone else`s land is.You don`t know if you`ll have it more than a year,or you`re continuously gouged for money.Timber co.s harvest,spray,etc.with NO warning(Temple-Inland),and cut your locks off because someone doesn`t have a key with them.I`m ready to retire and am going to hunt WMAs.They`re getting more and more crowded,but at least I can hunt during the week before  the crowds arrive.Yes,there has been a big decline in license sales in Ga.


----------



## Eyeluv2hunt (Aug 12, 2008)

hevishot said:


> fuel fuel fuel...I believe that is whats keeping folks out of leases more than an increase in lease costs..not worth it if you live hours away from your club for just a weekend...




Amen. We were short 3 members this year of our 20 member roster. Because its a 6000 acre lease, it cost us an extra 300 bucks each to make up for the members we were short. I have heard thru the grapvine that if gas prices dont come down, we will be losing almost 1/2 of our members after this season.


----------



## 01Foreman400 (Aug 13, 2008)

I would say that gas and lease prices and the biggest factors in clubs not filling up.


----------



## flogator (Aug 13, 2008)

Maybe some of the lack of interest for Florida hunters is Georgia ending the license agreement for seniors? Can't afford gas and license fees if you are a senior! This was Georgia's idea to raise revenues just maybe it backfired.


----------



## jimbo4116 (Aug 13, 2008)

flogator said:


> Maybe some of the lack of interest for Florida hunters is Georgia ending the license agreement for seniors? Can't afford gas and license fees if you are a senior! This was Georgia's idea to raise revenues just maybe it backfired.



You may be correct, but don't blame it all on Georgia.

Florida could have included saltwater and made the agreement more equitable.There was a little greed on both sides.

However, it is not just Floridians that have lost interest in Georgia clubs.  Have three members in a seven member club saying this will be there last year.


----------



## walters (Aug 13, 2008)

*economy*

i think think the economy is the biggest blame, turn on the tv there is a plant closing daily in ga, ,gas prices is a certain next n line


----------



## gadeerwoman (Aug 13, 2008)

The looking for members entries in the GON magazine this year were actually lower than they were several years ago. I think a lot may be due to more clubs moving toward qdm and going to fewer members with more dues costs.


----------



## ryano (Aug 13, 2008)

Gas


----------



## Big Mike (Aug 15, 2008)

I never dreamed I'd have such a hard time finding people that wanted to get on a lease.


----------



## Walkie Takie (Aug 15, 2008)

*clubs*

Just wait till next  year   
   most clubs  are trying to hang -on   this year 
  but next year  they will STILL  be short on ( members  ) 
  and tried or mad  about paying more to cover the lease's 
    so many are paying more this year  out of pocket money             ( to keep what they have  )   but it only   time and money   now      
 and  we will lose more hunters  next year because of the  gas prices   
  I know  alot of you guys still hunt ever weekend or week 
   but  that's only   about  10 % of the hunters in Georgia 
    ( not like the old days   )  
 hunter's  are just tired of  bad clubs  ,  problem clubs , 
  high lease prices  and now  the GAS MONEY         
  it  will cost me almost  double  for each trip I make, this year    short or long   ..   just in GAS    
 I feel so bad for my friends  from Fla and N.C.  with the 4-5 hours drives  ////  
 man the  good old days are gone for sure     
    good luck to all  
     w/t        stillhangingon  lolololol


----------



## Robk (Aug 15, 2008)

Just got the news yesterday that my dues this year went not for the tract of land he showed me but rather towards a new truck, prefab building for a camp and a new rifle.  now he tells me we need to come up with another $17,000 to pay for that block of land.  never been as ticked as I am now.  I'm out after this season.  I'm gong back to hunting private land that I have access to and WMA's.

Rob


----------



## backroads_n_GA (Aug 15, 2008)

I think too many people are trying to make money on leases.  Also, I think that gas prices are an indirect factor.  Because of gas prices, the cost of living has gone up drastically.  Food has gone thru the roof.  Jobs are declining.  People are having to decide what they will spend money on...food, shelter, or medicine.  Quite sad if you ask me.  I joined a club after a 4 year layout. But ONLY because it's a good location and $600 for me and my sons which is cheap by most dues I see on here.  In business there is this thing called Law of Deminshing Returns.  I think we have reached and passed this now.  QDM?  Expensive!  Sitting around the camp fire talking and telling stories...shouldn't be.


----------



## JoeyWommack (Aug 16, 2008)

Hunting is a business now, couple that with increased gas, food, and every other thing.  The writing is on the wall.


----------



## Hunter922 (Aug 17, 2008)

backroads_n_GA said:


> I think too many people are trying to make money on leases.  Also, I think that gas prices are an indirect factor.



This is a correct statement.. Gas is somewhat of a factor over the last two- three years. When you have a lease you are in it for the money or the deer there is no middle ground. To many people are in it for the wrong reasons these days. The well ran clubs that are in it for the right reasons are seldom if ever looking for members. There is one looking for members on this site the president is making a killing off of the property and does little for the members or the herd.


----------



## bevills1 (Aug 20, 2008)

Some don't want to pay increasing cost while far too many increase membership to reduce cost to the point where too much hunting pressure either drive deer nocturnal or off the property.  Personally I won't even consider a club that has 50 acres or less per member for that reason.  Unfortunately leases are likely to continue to increase, and we are all going to have to choose between paying more to have decent hunting or increasing members and endure mediocre, less enjoyable hunting.


----------

