Pay to Play

[SilverMallard]

Some of the bird hunting places can be VERY good, but most are "farms" and it's like "hunting" barnyard chickens. But even a mediocre bird club is great for training dogs. And, let's face it, there just isn't enough good wild upland bird hunting left in this part of the US or East to keep a dog tuned up.

We have enough public access for fishing in the Ozarks to give me serious pause about a membership in a fishing place. It would have to be stellar and fairly inexpensive. But it would be worth a day fee now and then to get on a pristine stretch of stream with some quality fish and nobody else around without the drive to Colorado.

[Randall]

even here in mid-mo, there isn't much in the way of game birds. we have one conservation ground with a huntable quail population, and we will see the occasional covey out in the fields when there's a snow on. pheasants are nonexistent except for the places where they put em out. i've been once with my dad and brother to a place here by fayette and we killed more than we bought b/c there were some extras that others had missed during a continental hunt the day before. the birds were on the wild side, not real wild, but there was a chase to it. sure beat the driving to ks or neb and paying for a place to stay and tags it would have been nice to take a long shot though.

if anybody on here remembers pond-fort off n-highway in wentzville, that was THE place in mo for sporting clays and game birds, not to mention turkey, small game and farm-pond fishing.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Hey Randall.

I live in St. Charles and used to go to Pond Fort occasionally with a buddy who kept his Bittany there. It was great. We used to shoot the Sporting Clays league there in the evening.

Now it's a subdivision.

SIO3.

[Rusty]

I would not be able to do it. However, we do buy state licenses and stamps, so I guess you could say we are doing it now. But at a much less price.

[brittsnbirds]

For fishing No! If I could afford a hunt club, such as Mid-America Game bird, Yes. My problem is the initial cost. The guy I got 2 of my Britts from is in M.A. He hunt's roosters alot. But he got into it back when it was starting and it was a little cheaper. He knows the good places and uses it frequently.

Part of the biggest problem right now about going to Iowa, Nebraska or Kansas without a place is, the farmers are getting contracts with the clubs. This keeps us (poor fellers) from getting permission as we did in the old days. I've been turned away because it was on a lease.

Thank god our lakes and streams are still ours!

[Randall]

Hey Randall.

I live in St. Charles and used to go to Pond Fort occasionally with a buddy who kept his Bittany there. It was great. We used to shoot the Sporting Clays league there in the evening.

Now it's a subdivision.

SIO3.

i grew up out there. i haven't been out that way since dierberg swapped it for sorenson's, and i'll never drive that highway again in my life. my dad told me that they flattened the whole thing, drained the ponds, and even tore up the old french fort but they left the sign. progress... excuse me while i go cry.

you don't by any chance remember some of the shooters from out there do you?

say barron, blubaugh, price, kagle(sp?) among many.

[Bob A]

Interesting topic and yes, if I had the bucks, I'd probably go for it depending on what I got for my bucks. But if I had to stand shoulder to shoulder like is often the case in our trout parks, then no way. To me, the angler who pays to play is buying quality time on the water. And quality does come with a price tag.

Bob A (Springfield)

[Kicknbass]

I pay to bird hunt 4-5 times a year and spend less than $400 a year. This gives me several oppurturnities to hunt for much less than a single trip to hunt wild birds.

I go knowing it's not the same as wild birds, on several occasions, my dogs have caught quail and chucker, but never pheasants. I think it depends greatly on how the birds are placed. If the birds are flown into the field. The birds are much more spread out and fly better. You have a greater risk of the birds flying or running to an area off limits to hunt if hunting a small parcel, but the ones that you find will fly. The birds that are disoriented and placed can be a bit difficult to get up if the placer over does it. I believe these are the ones the dogs catch.

I have asked the outfitter to give me the birds to place in the past when training the dogs. This works very well. I know right where the birds are and work the young dog in a manner to make the most of the training time.

Fishing. I would pay a reasonable price to fish for trout in West St. Louis County saving the drive time to waters holding trout........... Not $ 20,000 though. If this is what it cost to fish. I'd give up fishing for trout.

[jdmidwest]

I pay $52 for a out of state fishing license in Ark when an instate license cost about $18 with equal or better fishing. Alot of people pay for the privilege of doing something other than what they do every day just to experience something different. I know of several people that pay for a prime duck lease each year, go to the local conservation area first and draw a pill, then hunt the lease if they don't like what they have drawn. Myself, if I draw a bad pill and don't get out, I fall back to other public options. If I had a lease, I would probably sleep later and hunt the afternoons more.