BigGameHoundsmen.com

I think we need a new thread topic 'Selling out'.
Seems like there are a half dozen posts each week of guys selling out. "No time to hunt anymore" or something similar. It would be one of the more popular threads.
Are guys jumping into hound hunting for a year or two then figuring out how time consuming it is? Too expensive? Loose interest?

I think its more then just the hounds ... although I think your right many get into it and then realize how time consuming it is and actually how hard it is to be successful ...the thing that I have noticed up at my camp is that people just aren't going to the mountains much anymore.. 9 years ago just about every weekend during the summer on the 8 mile road leading to my place there would be 2 or 3 camps .. familys or just couples out camping.. now most weekends its empty.. maybe because we don't have cell service or our pokemon population is way down now lol

This is all over the country. Like stated above, people get into dog hunting for various reasons but realize quick how much work & time is involved in training & raising a pack. The people who stay in it tho are your true die hard dog people, They literally live, breath & die, thinking about what crosses work best, training, hunting & everything else involved with dogs. I really think it is a disease & these crazy people are thinking about dogs 24/7. In fact, the only time they are not thinking about dogs, they are either sleeping or having sex. lol

Well, no one mentioned money, so I guess I will.

I know of someone who gave up about $80,000 in less than a year by what he spent and by what he did not make because of hunting hounds five or six days a week in a few different states for six months instead of working at his job.

I know of another man who spent more than a million dollars on his hounds over the course of his life time.

When a person thinks about the cost of living in a place where he can have hounds, along with all the expenses of owning, transporting, and hunting hounds, it can be sobering.

If these things brought a man closer to his family, he might decide it is worth it.

But for most new hunters who do not have a hound tradition in their family, it does just the opposite. It separates them from their family.

Well, maybe it would be worth it then if it brought him closer to his friends. But if he is a bobcat hunter, he has discovered hunting with other packs is counterproductive. So he becomes more isolated from all of humanity.

It sure is a great sport though. And awfully hard to see why anyone might decide to sell out. Lol.

As more and more family farms go under and subdivide, a shiny new double wide pops up on every crossing, with some tree hugger on 2 acres who thinks they own the whole block every time you cut loose your at risk for tickets . Makes you wonder if it's worth it. Traveling farther and farther just to try and find a "safe" place to run. Unfortunately I'm one who will be running till the end, although relocating is inevitable,NY is shrinking

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I'm SELLING OUT myself, One diesel dually and every concrete tool you'll need. Truck and tools can work everyday have video and pictures No trial will sell on job site. Reason for selling work cuts into my hunting time . Price depends on how bad you want it.

That's just what I was thinking, load wheelers sled dogs traps and guns and tools and head west. Run until out of cash and then sell tools

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I think most people selling out dont have very good luck, ability or time to make good dogs. You either got it or you don't. I don't think your going to be "selling out" after 2-5 years of owning dogs with 4 or 5 great dogs to show for it. I just bear and coon hunt an we all know you go thru a whole lot of sh#t before you find the sugar. And when u do find um...... THEY AIN'T FOR SALE

I think there is many reasons to sell out that are more honorable then lack of ability to make quality dogs. Life happens, family, school, other priorities that proceed hound dogs. I sometimes think about what motivates me to keep hunting and unbelievably it's a short list, I love dogs and hunting. I have nothing to prove about my dogs to me or anybody else so why keep doing it? I think quite a few of high quality trainers become successful but decide to tackle life's other obstacles after reaching a cross road. The same things that motivate people to be exceptional hound hunters can motivate them to be exceptional entrepreneurs, fathers, students or whatever else thatll spark their passion that led them to being successful hound men.

I'll agree with guy. Only because his statement makes houndsman seem honorable. I think we are all nuts and have accepted it. There's many reasons I do what I do and few are logical or cash motivated. I've built kennels all over the country and I'm sure they're mostly garden's, chicken pens or maybe goat pens but I bet few have any dogs in them. I don't pretend to even track the money I spend on it and any I get from it goes right back into hounds somehow. If I but a new truck its suitability for hauling dogs in the future is always considered. Just like everything else its has a impact but its better then many hobbies or addictions and my family is ok with it and some actively support my insanity. We all make choices in life the only drawback is the dogs that are wasted or ruined by short timers. Other then that they provide reasonable sources for second hand gear and someone to keep the same old conversations going

A lot of people I know that have gone out of dogs, just simply lose interest. Most move on to something more expensive but less troubles involved.

I really think that a lot of it has to do with more work for less access. Our hunting areas are getting smaller and smaller. We all know countless areas that we just can't run anymore without the threat of problems or even maybe a ticket. I guarantee that the grater the number of parcel owners you have, the much likelier it is that 1 or more are going to be a pick and will not be happy when a pack of dogs is roaring near their land early on a Saturday morning. Or that you're ruining their deer huning, berry picking, whatever. Top that all off are the wolf problems that have made turned good public hunting areas into danger zones for our dogs. I get a knot in my stomach in some spots until every last dog is caught up and back in the truck.

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Nolte hit the nail on the head for my area. I know a number of guys that have quit hunting because of the wolves. Either because they had dogs killed or just didn't want to take the chance. It also doesn't help that the forest service is opening up less and less gates. And they are also going in and obliterating perfectly good roads.