Dilemma: What would you do?

I have to make a decision. This economy, although not killing me, is making me tighten the belt, along with most of the Country. I enjoy both fishing and deer hunting. I was thinking about rejoining a hunting club I haven't been involved in for the last two years. Prior to that I was a member for about 12 years. My wife told me that if I join the club I have to cut back on any fishing trips. When I told her I would only go twice to Oconee and once to Blackshear she thought that was too much. So now I have to make a tough decision. Skip the hunting club and just hunt a small 60 acre tract a friend owns, who will allow me to hunt at no cost, allowing me to get more fishing trips in. This would allow me to make the Blackshear slabfest. If I were pressed I think I would admit I enjoy crappie fishing more than hunting.
You know, after typing all this I think I know what to do. I was just wondering if anyone else has been or is in this same predicament and what you would do.
I will post my decision in a few days.

fishing hands down!

The only thing you can't buy in this life is time, just use yours wisely and do what makes you happy. Go fishing and ponder it.

You don't have a short season for crappie. I figure 9 mo. Go fishing.

Probably asking a crowd with "just a bit" of bias on this topic.....I basically gave up deer hunting when I started crappie fishing but ain't either one cheap to do the right way.

Jim ,I would hunt the small place, and fish when ever ,like the fist week of gun season ,not many on the lake that week

I'm in agreement with AUTiger on the bias part and that I quit hunting after I started fishing for crappie.

I use to be a big time rabbit hunter in VA, gave that all up for the winter time slabs. Sometimes I miss it, but all I have to do is go catch some 2lbers in Nov and that feeling is gone. Never really been into deer hunting, but I know how buck fever feels. :)

I refer crappie fishing in the fall but my youngest son likes to hunt so I take a few days hunting with him and the rest fishing. We hunt a small 50 acre tract that also belongs to friends so I don't have the issue of hunting club fees.

Jim, I would just hunt that small tract and then you would be able to at least still fish some of the Slabfest. I know I am partial to Slabfest because of what they have done for me. Jim, you are part of Slabfest and it sure would be sad not to have you there.

Go fishin :D

I was sorta in that same situation last year, except we lost the lease on our land in Macon County....It was an excellent tract of land with plenty of deer and hogs on it...Several trophie have been seen and taken from there. So I decided to just fish and not hunt as much as I have for the past 30 years...I never even picked up my rifle last year and had the best Fall and Winter of my life. The money I spent on fishing last year is money I don't have to spend again this year and I am already set up for the Fall fishing season....I aint saying I'll never hunt for deer again but I aint spending all that money for club dues any more. I'll be fishing!!

Both times I went out and got a new wife.

For the past 25 years I have not been faced with this problem.

LOL

h4c i would hunt the small trac of land and make the slabfest. i hunt all hunting season from sept till jan and in jan i go back to fishing. just do what you want if your wife lets ya,,,lol!

Hunt slabs. If you compare the per pound cost for venison from a lease to beef filet tenderloins......you'll be eating Chateuabriand.

I appreciate all the comments. Glad to see other's have been in the same situation before.
I called the guy with the small tract of land to see if his offer to hunt it was still open. He said it was so I took him up on it. Even though it is a small tract, I know it is loaded with deer. I have just as good of a chance getting a deer there as I do on a large club that I have to pay for.
So now I should be able to make the Blackshear slabfest. The only problem is that is our wedding anniversary weekend. My plan is to convince her to go by renting a room at the hotel at the State park. With the money I will be saving not paying for a hunting club I will be able to afford treating her right at night and we can fish during the day.

Hey Jim, I may be able to get the people that want to stay there a discount. I will be talking to the manager this week and will let everyone know by Friday I hope.

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Originally Posted by Ragfly Jig Man

Hey Jim, I may be able to get the people that want to stay there a discount. I will be talking to the manager this week and will let everyone know by Friday I hope.

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I have to call them. Their availability for the time I want is limited. I plan on staying from the 8th thru the 11th. For some reason the 8th was doubtful. They must be having some sort of convention to cause issues with a week night.

Crappie fishing wins hands down.........Last three deer I harvested were with vehicles. Sure hope I don't harvest another one.

lightwirehooker

For 20 plus years I lived bowhunting for deer! Killed my last buck about 8 years ago. He was a handsome devil and right then and there I decided I no longer wanted to kill another deer. If I could figure a way to bowhunt catch and release style I'd probably hunt again. Nice thing about fishing and a livewell, you can throw them back if you care too.
I know I'd be a richer man today if I kept bowhunting instead of fishing. Boats and fishing are an expensive hobby compared to bowhunting. Never had to pay for a hunting lease, lots of public ground in PA.

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Originally Posted by Shellback

For 20 plus years I lived bowhunting for deer! Killed my last buck about 8 years ago. He was a handsome devil and right then and there I decided I no longer wanted to kill another deer. If I could figure a way to bowhunt catch and release style I'd probably hunt again. Nice thing about fishing and a livewell, you can throw them back if you care too.
I know I'd be a richer man today if I kept bowhunting instead of fishing. Boats and fishing are an expensive hobby compared to bowhunting. Never had to pay for a hunting lease, lots of public ground in PA.

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Take pictures.

love both but I have a 11 yr. old thats dying to kill his first bow kill. He practices weekly and pretty good I hope I got him one ready to shoot next week been sitting watching a few. He told me to find him a good one and he would stick him

The increased cost of doing most anything has hit us all hard. I managed to pay off my 2001 Sea Chaser 175 and spent several thousand $$ rigging her to fish for anything from stripers, bass and crappie to redfish and sea trout.

However, with a tow of 9 hrs round trip to get to salt water I had to step back and see what really counted. It was time on the water not looking thru the windshield heading for the coast - not to mention the fuel cost was nearly what one of my boat payments used to be. I was driving past some very productive waters just to spend a few hours plugging for toothy critters.

I'm 15 minutes from Lake Allatoona which has become one of the south's best striper and crappie lake with some really nice spotted bass thrown in as well as the many quality PFA's that Georgia operates.

I'm also refurbishing my 20 year old Gheenoe for use on electric only lakes.

I guess the bottom line is whatever gives you the most time for the $$ spent is the way to go.

Just my thoughts.

Gary you hit the nail on the head.

Cost effective fishing, or any recreation for that matter.

I'm glad I live within 1 hr of both salt and freshwater fishing, and it being some quality rated areas.:D

not bragging but about all the thrill has taken place with deer hunting got a table full of bragging size racks in a utility building plus 4 or 5 nice mounts for the wall...to make a long story short fishing for slabs never gets old to me

Well I've got 3 kids and neither of them want to do the same thing at the same time, my daughter like to ride in the boat and hunt doves, 1 of my boys likes to hunt hogs and loves fishing of any type, my other boy he's my shadow and loves to hunt what ever is in season as well as fish, so I give each one the choice to do whatever it is they want when we head outdoors and I figure whether we catch or kill anything or not as long as they have a good time they'll have memories that will last a lifetime, and at the end of the day that's all that really matters.


Mike

I quit joining high priced hunting clubs a long time ago. I still enjoy the sport but I guess each person has to put a limit on their spending. To me....deer just aint worth the costs of all that's involved AND the high price of a lease. I still hunt with my son and whenever my daughter comes home from school and wants to go, along with a friend. We still enjoy the hunt and an ocassional kill, but I guess it just isnt what it used to be...gfor me anyway. Besides, once you 'get' a deer you cannot throw it back like you can a fish!;):D

It might just be easier to ...., well um , .... well, do you feel love there?
Fishin I mean.