At least we hope it'll only be $4+/gal.

How will increased fuel costs affect your hunting ?

For me it'll mean more multi day trips and fewer one day excursions.

Add to $4 gas higher food and electric bills like I have never seen....expect my phone bill to go up next because of high gas/diesle for service trucks.
Two years ago when gas hit $3 for the first time it cut my fishing trips in half and my bowhunting in half and it hasn't recovered yet. I expect I will fish very litle this summer and bowhunt not at all and save my money to rifle hunt in my home state and cow elk hunt in New Mexico in late December. I am already contemplateing driveing a car (30 mpg) to New Mexico instead of my 13 mpg Dodge Ram.

$4 gas has me so upset, I'm going to retire in August so I don't have to use so much gas. For the first time in my life I will go to the woods in early October and someone will have to give me a reason to come out. $4 is bad but there are bigger issues in life bearing on the average American.

since 1999 I've been going once a month to the Texas hill country. This is usually 650 to 700 miles round trip. I drive a ford F350 diesel that gets 13 miles to the gallon.
I have two leases and depending on which one I go to I buy gas for a 4 wheeler, a lease truck and a generator. I usually stay 3 to four days so I buy food, adult beveraqes and enough ice to fill two 150 qt ice chests. We feed corn and protien year around. For two guys our trip last week cost over $700 (not including the cigars). My hunting bud and I discused the cost for the first time. Its now costing double what it cost two years ago. As I said to him, there is absolutely no way a person can justify doing this once a month. I think we're going to cut back to once every six weeks!
GWB

"Going to cut back" already happened. I'm about to get pissed enough to cut out the Dish TV and any other extraneous expenses. I haven't been fishing since March and my boat has become a storage container in the garage. I've been to the ranch twice this Spring and those were both work weekends. I started cutting back back months ago and I can't even see the results of my efforts in that regard.

Alan

I can't help but wonder how this will affect the price of hunting leases. Less demand, fewer people willing, or able to pay the high lease prices, especially in a time of lower hunter recruitment??????

I wish I could buy gas for only $4/gal! We have been well over that for some time and are now averaging a bit over $5/gal.

There will still be hunting leases but you won't be alone. I foresee poaching going to the next level, either for food or because of the criminal attitude that hard times breed. At some point no one will lease land for hunting because they won't be able to drive to it. I know how much money I make, and I don't know how anyone making less than that is coping.

Here, we expect to see gas going over $4 this Summer (that's in one month). The problem is not, as has been pointed out, gasoline alone. It is every damn thing else. If gas was all we had to worry about then that would be one thing but everything else has gone through the roof too! A gallon of milk is $4.50, an apple is $1, etc. Everything is double what it was last year. I could care less why, I only know that it IS, and that the current trend cannot continue for very long. Our dollars are not worth anything to anyone else in the world and they will soon not be worth anything to us.

When people just stop buying milk because it costs too much, I figure there is not a dairyman in the country who is still going to get up at 2:00 am to milk cows! If you can't afford to grow it and get it to the store and once it's there people won't buy it cause it cost too much, then we are going to see a real breakdown.

Then we are going to turn to our incredibly inept Federal Government for some kind of answer and quite frankly, they aren't going to know what to do except blather about something that really doesn't matter (just like they've been doing). We are going to be making $1 bills on the copy machine by then ,for all they are going to be worth, and the only real thing of value that a person is going to have is going to be something they can put in their mouth and swallow.

I'm usually a pretty optimistic guy but I don't see a happy ending to this current mess.

Lastly I don't see this as the fault of any one entity, group or individual. What we have in this country is a societal ill that has eaten the core of our moral and ethical values and left an emptiness that greed cannot fill. We have forgotten our roots of struggle, deprivation and delayed gratification. A time when doing without and frugal use of resources and not wasting one damn thing was the common way.

We are about to get a refresher course.

I hope I'm wrong.

Alan

Unfortunately, Alan, you are absolutely correct.

And I do foresee poaching and flat-out theft as becoming a serious issue. At this rate, even the sunfish in the creek will be a hot item...and protecting personal property will become a full-time proposition.

Devaluation of the dollar as much as world demand is causing the gasoline crunch along with everything else going up. America is not quite the top dog they used to be in this new world order. However, hydrocarbon economies are going to rule the roost for some time to come, probably all of our lifetimes. That being said, America has ALWAYS waited until the last possible moment to solve her problems and I can foresee big ass F350's and their counterparts getting high mileage. Why? Becaues it's we have to and it's our way of life. How long before they show up? I dunno but it ain't gonna be pretty for awhile.

I've been wondering if it might cut down on the ludicrous amount of road hunting that goes on out here??

FN

quote:

We are about to get a refresher course.

I hope I'm wrong.

I for one agree with you on your assessment of the future of our country, and in fact go one step further.

I feel that the U.S. is fixing to experience the most tumultuous times it has ever experience, up to including the Civil War and the Great Depression.

Many disagree, but with no end of increasing oil/fuel prices in sight, and the continueing increases in everything else due to the rising fuel prices.

Couple that with the real prospect of a complete pull out of all U.S. Troops from the war zone, bringing those troops, along with ALL the Iraqi's and Afganistani's that want Political Asylum, and the continueing influx of illegal aliens into the country, I really can see no bright spots for our future.

As you said, I hope I am wrong.

Any vehicle can get high mileage on the highway. All that has to be done is slip a super duper overdrive gear into the transmission. you can't haul anything or carry any weight but you can get lots of mileage. I really don't think it's going to help us any. We are going to have to change our lifestyles. We can't just keep getting fatter because we like to eat! Somewhere the system is going to break down and the domino effect will kick in.

I'm not sure what the effect of these "stimulus" checks we are going to get are going to have. I already know what happens when I borrow money and spend it all. I can only guess that it will have the same effect on the Federal govt. I think it's craziness myself. I could go out and buy $600 worth of gasoline and be losing money by the end of the day or I could buy $600 in
Anheuser-Busch stock and be making money right-a-way.

One way or the other, me and everybody else are going to spend $168,000,000,000.00 or therabouts on "stuff". By the end of the first day Uncle Sam (us) is going to owe somebody $168KKK+% interest. I'm not sure that's going to work. I've been trying that method for years.

Alan

While no body likes the price of gas, I see very little change in driving habits. Speeding, running up to red lights, jack rabbit starts etc. When you see personal change in driving habits, gas will probably be $6. Most have not even began to improve driving habits.

What ever the price of gas is come deer season
it won`t change anything. Except to say, we`ll just have to pony-up more per person.
That goes the same for food as that seems to be going up as well.

quote:

I'm not sure what the effect of these "stimulus" checks we are going to get are going to have.

We aren't getting one. Maybe you are. Remember when you get yours it was taken from someone else who deserves it just as much as anyone else.

In Britain we pay the equivalent of $9.06 for a US Gallon of fuel, (Diesel, petrol is very slightly cheaper) if that makes you feel any better. One thing that strikes me though, is the mpg figures you guys talk about; very very few people in Europe would consider driving a private vehicle that returned 13mpg, around the farm yes, on long journeys, no!

My car will do approximately 40miles to the US Gallon, and is by no means exceptionally economic; its a normal family saloon! I can fill the trunk and the back seat with stuff and I don't get significantly lower mileage from it either.

The new BMW 3 Series E90 will return 51 miles to the (US) Gallon, and its by no means a small, slow or ugly car.

I'm not trying to be inflammatory or anti-american, but it is simply true that years of cheaper fuel mean that US Car manufacturers have never had an incentive to produce vehicles as fuel efficient as European and Japanese manufacturers. They have some catching up to do.

Fewer non-resident hunters will want to drive here that's a given.
Fewer road hunters
The greatest distance I have to drive is a bit over 200 miles one way for antelope. Elk, well I guess I could hunt near home at about 20 miles or my regular spot at about 90. Fishing, all within 75 miles. I also don't have much driving when I get there as all my "spots" are strictly walk-in hunting. I might cut out a couple of prarie dog shooting trips out towards Miles City though.
Overall, I doubt it will have too much effect on us "hill-billys" out here in BF-Nowhere but a real pain for the hunter that must commute from a major urban area.

Generally we only go once a year anyway so the impact will be nada. If we take my trailer I'll get about 13 mpg going up to the Grand Canyon. If we take my partners I will get about 16.5. Either way I'll make it up there on less then one tank of diesel. The return trip is noticably better as it's down hill . If we went multiple times per year I would bet it would make a difference.

Ken....

My gas bill for hunting this year will be 2k at $4 a gallon.

I'm blessed to have above average income and am truly thankful for that, but what upsets me is the folks that make small incomes. I just don't see how limited income families are going to pay for fuel, the added increase of all other goods and services, and still be able to support their families let alone be able to hunt & fish. It's just absolutely ridiculous.

If gas were not so high, I would be able to squeeze in another hunt or two.

The increased fuel cost is a sad situation.

I've always been a 4x4 full size truck kind of guy, but I could definitely see me in a Honda Civic or similar. Never thought those words would come out of my mouth I could make most of my hunts in a small car when I think about it, hauling ice chest in the trunk and having an atv at the camp or using an outfitter's atvs/trucks......


Reloader

in minnesota we are seeing it already in the resorts. people that used to come for 1000 miles away to fish just aren't coming.

It won't change a thing for me ... my company currently pays all my fuel costs, regardless of the need/use!! I pay a weekly charge to 'use' the vehicle .. $15.00/wk = $60.00/month and they supply everything else!!

Expensive fuel is not at least at this point going to stop me from hunting where I want to but I had thought I would drive to BC this fall to hunt with a client. I put the pencil on the costs and found overall that flying was cheaper noticeably than driving my F350. I'm flying and saving the 3 days travel each way and a bunch of cash.

Mark

First, it was the ever increasing non res tags and licenses!
Now it's the fuel to get there!

I mostly hunt at or near home, but do take a few medium (couple hundred miles) trips per year, and usually one LONG trip.

One things for sure, I DO think about each trip, and if it's REALLY needed tehse days.

And since coal is also skyrocketing, and most power plants are coal and/or oil, I guess electricity is going to keep on climbing as well!

I tell you one thing.I'm planting a BIG garden this year, and things I have never planted before,as well as stuff for alternate livestock feed.

We may well NEED it!

Heck,

I caused me to hunt 2 miles from home instead of 40 to 50 miles from home last season...

this year it will probably cause me to WALK those two miles instead of driving over there...

It is not so much not being able to afford the fuel prices, as it is my anger over them blatantly and openly screwing over the entire US Population....

of course they can tell OPEC they will pay higher barrel prices, if it means that they can get away with charging even higher pump prices..

I have had no trust for oil companies since the 73/74 fuel "crisis"....

the Sherman Anti Trust Act was passed a long time ago to stop oil companies from setting monopolies and price fixing.... what the hell are the worthless feds doing about that??? NOT a damned thing... they look the other way if it means they can get more tax reveneu...

of course the Feds think they even deserve tax revenue on illegal dealings of drug dealers......

what we need is an open season on Politicans and Oil Company Presidents and Execs.....or at least do the Dick Cheney thing...

My first thought is also on the people who call driving around the woods all day "hunting". It won't impact me too much as the places I hunt are close but it will be noticed.

Gidday Guys,

Try $9 per gallon for petrol and $6.75 for diesel. $110 to fill up the Landcruiser makes you think twice about where you are going to hunt.

I normally travel about 3-400 Km per week just for hunting but this is being knocked way back now.

If I could get Sue to move out of town we would move to somewhere a lot nearer the hunting but with her elderly parents just down the road that aint about to happen anytime soon.

I just mope around doing townie crap getting more and more pissed off.

Happy Hunting

Hamish

quote:

of course they can tell OPEC they will pay higher barrel prices, if it means that they can get away with charging even higher pump prices..

What a stupid comment. If that is the case then why are refinery stocks dropping. The only reason Exxon is holding their own is because they are also on the producing end. The ones only on the refining and retail end are taking a beating.

quote:

I put the pencil on the costs and found overall that flying was cheaper noticeably than driving my F350. I'm flying and saving the 3 days travel each way and a bunch of cash.

Very true, My bud from Tenn flew to DFW where I picked him up on the way to our North TX turkey hunt this spring because it was far cheaper to fly from Nashville to DFW than driving his F150 @ 16mpg. I think it was around 200 round trip. he took his shotgun and turkey meat/fans back w/o a problem.

Reloader

quote:

Originally posted by Reloader:I've always been a 4x4 full size truck kind of guy, but I could definitely see me in a Honda Civic or similar. Never thought those words would come out of my mouth

Reloader

I traded a Nissan Sentra in on my 4X4 a few years ago. I've since riden in a couple of small cars. I have no clue how I used to drive one. Feels like your butt is dragging on the ground . No way I can go back to a car after driving a truck for this long.

Ken....

4.00 gas won't slow my hunting at all. neither will 5.00 gas. i email my 2 senators every week asking when thy are going to get involved in allowing us to drill for and refine more oil. always get the same blah blah response, same as the standard democrat party line.

the prices haven't gotten too high as yet. you hear some people complaining here and while in general conversations with folks, but until they start addressing their cdoncerns to their political representatives at the national level, little will change. for now we'll just sit back and suck on it.

it amazes me how we have allowed our elected politicians to remain in office. are you satisfied with your two state senators?

I will have to take a buddy hunting on some of my private spots. ill let them come but they will have to drive.

Well, I usually go home to hunt in Nebraska, but I am starting to doubt the wisdom in that.
Might still go to South Dakota for a praire dog hunt, but my wife will be seeing her best friend at the same time. Other than that I might be just shooting old milk jugs for awhile.

I will make fewer, longer trips.
Same # of days in the field, just fewer miles on the truck.

I will also back down from 75+mph in my 2500 diesel to a more fuel efficient 65 or so and see my mileage bump up 10% or more.

The majority of drivers I see on the road have not changed their driving habits one bit. I set my cruise control in my truck at 62 mph on the interstate the other day. Not one other driver was going that slow and most were passing me like I was standing still. The speed limit here is 75 and even the 18 wheelers were staying right up there.

Goes to show that people would rather complain about something than DO anything about it!

quote:

Originally posted by HUNTS:
The majority of drivers I see on the road have not changed their driving habits one bit. I set my cruise control in my truck at 62 mph on the interstate the other day. Not one other driver was going that slow and most were passing me like I was standing still. The speed limit here is 75 and even the 18 wheelers were staying right up there.

Goes to show that people would rather complain about something than DO anything about it!

GREAT! Why not go back to a 55 mph National speed limit.

I am fortunate to hunt within 4 wheeler distance from my house here in Texas, but my families place in NW Oklahoma is 1200 mile round trip. My 2006 F350 diesel gets about 15-16 mpg on these trips. I generally go at least 3-4 times each year, but I suspect that I will not make any scouting trips and only hunt muzzleloader season.

L2S, I know that what I've seen doesn't indicate a slowdown. We went to Austin to the State Track Meet last weekend and the stadium is right next to IH35 and we could see the traffic from our seats. There was not a time when the Interstate was not solid with vehicles. I think it stays packed day and night. I can't fathom the amount of gasoline we must use in this country in a day. That it only costs $3.XX a gallon is really kind of amazing. Most people are not limiting the amount of driving they do really except me and other ultra conservatives who hate to part with their $$$$ for trivial reasons.

#2 son needs an alternator, but it takes a 60 mile drive to get it. We found one (salvage yard) for $35 instead of a reconditioned $139 + core. So the $104(savings on alternator) + $14(savings on going to get the alternator combined with another necessary trip on Thursday means the alternator will actually cost him $21. So that's $118 / $3.50 = 33.714 gallons gasoline = 505.714 miles average. This will get him back to school in San Antonio and maybe home again during the Summer.

It's crazy that we have to think this way. Weighing the cost of a purchase against how much it costs to travel to buy it. Man, I've driven that distance to buy fishing lures. I damn sure wouldn't do it now.

Alan

I drive a 2003 dodge w/ a cummins and I'm getting 24-25 on the highway. Screw em.....come on hunting season!

quote:

what we need is an open season on Politicans and Oil Company Presidents and Execs.....or at least do the Dick Cheney thing...

BUY BULLETS LOTS OF THEM AT THIS RATE YOU WILL NEED THEM.

IT'S BEEN SOME 75 YEARS SINCE THE LAST DEPRESSON
MAYBE WE NEED ANOTHER TO GET THIS GRREN SHIT OUT OF ALL SHEEPS HEAD PLUS FIGURE PAYING FOR ALL THE ILLEAGLES AINT SUCH A FEEL GOOD THING.