Another "hunting club"

[johnsc6]

Sad news,I read in the newspaper the Valley(Skagit) has another profiteerng hunting club in the makes, is thier going to be any place for our youth to hunt anymore?
 

[Special T]

http://www.goskagit.com/all_access/finding-waterfowl/article_26a532a8-b0e8-54d3-8405-eeb1cd88a314.html

This Article?
MOUNT VERNON — Anacortes resident Jonathan Kitchens loves to hunt birds, but he ran into a problem when he moved to the area from Tennessee: He didn’t know where to hunt fowl in Skagit County.

Then in came La Conner resident Dave McCormick.

An avid bird hunter, McCormick was interested in helping others find fields in which to hunt.

Kitchens and McCormick recently partnered to create Know Where To Hunt, a business venture that seeks to take the guesswork out of hunting birds in the Skagit Valley.

“Knowing just where to hunt is the first step,” Kitchens said. “When I moved here with my family, I had no idea where to go. In fact, I have yet to even take my shotgun out into the field since I moved here. That, to me, is really disappointing. And I know I’m not the only hunter in this area in this situation.”

[h2ofowlr]

Crappy part is it states that none of the properties were available to hunters.  Yes they were, just not to everyone, which made the hunting good.  This should be fun.  I hope it goes away quickly.

[PatoLoco]

“Knowing just where to hunt is the first step,” Kitchens said. “When I moved here with my family, I had no idea where to go. In fact, I have yet to even take my shotgun out into the field since I moved here. That, to me, is really disappointing. And I know I’m not the only hunter in this area in this situation.”   

Never had his gun in the field since he moved here?

[WAPatriot]

Stupid quality hunt program already has ruined several of my spots in the Skagit valley I can hardly wait to see what this does

[johnnyaustin44]

Crappy part is it states that none of the properties were available to hunters.  Yes they were, just not to everyone, which made the hunting good.  This should be fun.  I hope it goes away quickly.

seems like that's how this whole world is going. Equality man sheeessshhh    Private spots are getting harder and harder to keep to yourself now days. 

[JJD]

Not just a coast issue, happening over on the far east side as well.  A lot of places that had decent hunting are being picked up by guide services who think they can make a buck.
They tie the property up for the season then hunt it once or twice a year so their clients can limit out in couple of hours and the guide can send them on their way and be done by noon.

Also had more than one instance where a local attorney was advising people not to let anyone hunt their property as it left them open to liability suits if someone were injured.  Guy is anti-hunting

Soon to be a pastime of the wealthy.

[sticky]

My dad told me when the price of a deer tag went from $3 to $5, "Hunting is becoming a rich man's game."  Truer now than anytime since.

[johnsc6]

Crappy part is it states that none of the properties were available to hunters.  Yes they were, just not to everyone, which made the hunting good.  This should be fun.  I hope it goes away quickly.

your exactly right H2O..... except for the fun part.  money grubbers.

[Jonathan_S]

My dad told me when the price of a deer tag went from $3 to $5, "Hunting is becoming a rich man's game."  Truer now than anytime since.

I think life in general is becoming a rich man's game.  Hunting is no longer a means of supporting a family.  Thankfully!  If it were a liable means of support then we'd have no animals left.

[h2ofowlr]

I looked at the website.  $75 for a morning hunt & $65 for an afternoon hunt.  Basically a guide service without a guide.  Almost like doing the reservation QH but now you have to pay for them.  A crappy deal in the making right here.  Teaching all the land owners that they should be paid to allow someone on there field.

[nwwanderer]

Hunt clubs across the nation improve hunting if they are managed will.  The spill over to adjoining public land, often not managed will, helps public hunting.  The price of hunting on public land, your tags, fees, licenses, application fees, cards and parking fees is what puts the sport out of reach for most.  The private guy bends over backwards to help his hunters, the states find new ways to make it more difficult for the hunter and the landowner. 

[johnsc6]

Hunt clubs across the nation improve hunting if they are managed will.  The spill over to adjoining public land, often not managed will, helps public hunting.  The price of hunting on public land, your tags, fees, licenses, application fees, cards and parking fees is what puts the sport out of reach for most.  The private guy bends over backwards to help his hunters, the states find new ways to make it more difficult for the hunter and the landowner.

HUH? these guys aren't doing anything to improve habitat, there making money off hunters that are to lazy to ask permission themselves. Buying a hunting slot from them doesn't change price of a small game license and duck stamp.

[Jonathan_S]

nwwanderer said if they are managed well, they improve hunting.  Just because you don't like this particular change because it alters your area doesn't mean they are all money grubbing thieves 

[Colville]

Private Land.  Tough crap.  I have no right to hunt free on private ground. If the land owner wants to make a buck leasing or on a per client/day basis that's his call.  Is it going to restrict access based on $ yep.  Tell me what part of this society's private goods and services don't work on the exact same basis?  The animals aren't there's, the land is and it's in demand and that will drive value. I only get bent when the states get in line with those land owners and grant them a certain number of tags to re-sell. As long as all they can sell is access, have at it.

[Stein]

I looked at the website.  $75 for a morning hunt & $65 for an afternoon hunt.  Basically a guide service without a guide.  Almost like doing the reservation QH but now you have to pay for them.  A crappy deal in the making right here.  Teaching all the land owners that they should be paid to allow someone on there field.

I have no problem with someone charging for use of their property - or any other asset.  Or, they can give it away for free.  They own it and pay tax on it every year so they get to do whatever they want.

If someone wants to hunt on private for "free" every year, they can go out and buy a chunk.

[johnsc6]

You Fellas are clearly missing the (my) point. I also believe nobody has a"right" to anything, including others property, if land owners want to charge so be it. And yes I know some clubs put thousands of dollars into feed and habitat to improve hunting. These folks don't own any land, in fact the founder is from out of state and clearly stated that he had not even hunted since he moved here, leading me to believe hunting or the improvement of hunting is not what he is interested in. (ie money, control). As a landowner myself, and friend of several others I can tell you individuals that try to lock up the resource for themselves or thier "members" that drive the Demand, no the landowners (supply). I can afford to join a club if i wish, however the vast majority of the future of our sport cannot, our youth, after a few years in the blind I just wish the kids now could be afforded the same opportunities we all had.  Old fashioned and wishful thinking I guess. We don't have to agree as long as we stay on the same team. 

[AWS]

There is so much public lands available in this state that can be accessed with a little effort that the loss of a few private areas that weren't available to everyone anyway wouldn't bother me.  I can hunt most of the season and see few other hunters.

Going out and starting a business is what this country is about.

And as with any other hunt club it opens a lot of private land to hunters that they wouldn't have access to anyway.  It may be cheaper for them to pay to hunt than drive around all the time knocking on doors to find just one place.  For a younger or less experienced hunter that is putting in 50-60 hours a week working and another 10 or more hours a week commuting having a place to hunt just a phone call away can sound pretty appealing.

[JJD]

One or two properties does not a hunting club (or guide service) make.
I have been hunting water fowl for a lot of years.  Experience has taught me that geese land where they want and if you are not set up exactly there, you are most often wasting your time.  You pound'em couple of times in a spot at the start of the season and you likely wont see them there for a month or more.  Maybe in other parts of the state, feed is more limited and they are more concentrated due to fewer feeding opportunities.

To rent/lease a spot on a specific piece of property months in advance, sounds like a scam to me.  Unless they have multiple properties lined up, and offer at least a reasonable chance of success, how can you in good concious expect someone to pay for the opportunity to lay in the dirt?

Renting in advance, a property for a day that the geese are not landing in, uh, no thanks.

Ducks are a different deal, get into a decent area on water and you have a decent chance on any given day.  If the migration is on (hope we have a real one again someday) your chances increase greatly.

[h2ofowlr]

The spots this guy has listed may be more of snow goose areas and those are hit and miss.  Just because this guy locks of these lands doesn't mean they are good.  We would hunt them when the birds were there, if there.  Guys paying may be disappointed in some of these locations.  He may also be getting some of the old QH fields which weren't that good.  The improvement would be if they allowed them to set up where ever. VS a blind that stuck out that was hunted daily with minimal results.

[James]

I know Jonathan Kitchens pretty well; he is a stand up gentlemen. I can assure you he is a hunter and gun enthusiast to the core, much like most people on here.

I don’t really waterfowl hunt anymore and have never been into the hunting club thing, so I will probably not partake, but I can’t conceive of a day that he would try to screw people.

[Tealer]

Hunt clubs across the nation improve hunting if they are managed will.  The spill over to adjoining public land, often not managed will, helps public hunting.  The price of hunting on public land, your tags, fees, licenses, application fees, cards and parking fees is what puts the sport out of reach for most.  The private guy bends over backwards to help his hunters, the states find new ways to make it more difficult for the hunter and the landowner.

HUH? these guys aren't doing anything to improve habitat, there making money off hunters that are to lazy to ask permission themselves. Buying a hunting slot from them doesn't change price of a small game license and duck stamp.

None of that is true. I help run a club that feeds 10k plus ducks. We shoot 500?  The rest got free meals. Many of the public hunt areas near by shoot very well due to the feed we plant. After rent on the fields the price to have it farmed the blind maint and decoys we lost a touch. With out clubs a lot of guys wouldn't have birds to shoot.


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[johnsc6]

Hunt clubs across the nation improve hunting if they are managed will.  The spill over to adjoining public land, often not managed will, helps public hunting.  The price of hunting on public land, your tags, fees, licenses, application fees, cards and parking fees is what puts the sport out of reach for most.  The private guy bends over backwards to help his hunters, the states find new ways to make it more difficult for the hunter and the landowner.

HUH? these guys aren't doing anything to improve habitat, there making money off hunters that are to lazy to ask permission themselves. Buying a hunting slot from them doesn't change price of a small game license and duck stamp.

None of that is true. I help run a club that feeds 10k plus ducks. We shoot 500?  The rest got free meals. Many of the public hunt areas near by shoot very well due to the feed we plant. After rent on the fields the price to have it farmed the blind maint and decoys we lost a touch. With out clubs a lot of guys wouldn't have birds to shoot.


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  Quite a bit of it is true my friend .....Misunderstanding might be I am not refering all hunting clubs,many give back much more to the birds and sport than they take.Cudos. This one in particular is NOT imporving habitat, just locking up land for profit just rubs me wrong. Everyone has thier opinions,

[h2ofowlr]

Hunt clubs across the nation improve hunting if they are managed will.  The spill over to adjoining public land, often not managed will, helps public hunting.  The price of hunting on public land, your tags, fees, licenses, application fees, cards and parking fees is what puts the sport out of reach for most.  The private guy bends over backwards to help his hunters, the states find new ways to make it more difficult for the hunter and the landowner.

HUH? these guys aren't doing anything to improve habitat, there making money off hunters that are to lazy to ask permission themselves. Buying a hunting slot from them doesn't change price of a small game license and duck stamp.

None of that is true. I help run a club that feeds 10k plus ducks. We shoot 500?  The rest got free meals. Many of the public hunt areas near by shoot very well due to the feed we plant. After rent on the fields the price to have it farmed the blind maint and decoys we lost a touch. With out clubs a lot of guys wouldn't have birds to shoot.


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This specific club that is being thrown together isn't enhancing the local area.  Just secured land that he is charging an access fee to.

Tealer, your club and his are not the same.

[NW-GSP]

Hunt clubs across the nation improve hunting if they are managed will.  The spill over to adjoining public land, often not managed will, helps public hunting.  The price of hunting on public land, your tags, fees, licenses, application fees, cards and parking fees is what puts the sport out of reach for most.  The private guy bends over backwards to help his hunters, the states find new ways to make it more difficult for the hunter and the landowner.

HUH? these guys aren't doing anything to improve habitat, there making money off hunters that are to lazy to ask permission themselves. Buying a hunting slot from them doesn't change price of a small game license and duck stamp.

None of that is true. I help run a club that feeds 10k plus ducks. We shoot 500?  The rest got free meals. Many of the public hunt areas near by shoot very well due to the feed we plant. After rent on the fields the price to have it farmed the blind maint and decoys we lost a touch. With out clubs a lot of guys wouldn't have birds to shoot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This specific club that is being thrown together isn't enhancing the local area.  Just secured land that he is charging an access fee to.

Tealer, your club and his are not the same.

I agree, paying just for land access vs a hunting club that maintains and rests Fields.