Ok, I think its cheaper to get a nice steak at the supermarket!  I bought a rifle, a scope and had it bore sited, Ammo.  Orange camo coat and pants, boots, License.  Bait and scent kill, travel expenses etc.  Processing of the deer.

At this rate I think I paid over $30-35 per pound of edible deer.  

I guess the good part is that I got to freeze my butt off for several days!

Ok, first of all, you'll have that gun for life (barring theft, or sale) so consider it an investment. And if you're already a gun owner, I can't believe you didn't already have a rifle suitable for deer hunting. Shit, I hunted with my MAK-90 for years. Got several deer with it.

Secondly, unless your turning it all into summer sausage, why not process it yourself? Not as hard as one might imagine. Believe me, it will taste alot better if you do it yourself.

And even if you do turn it into sausage, the price you'll pay is not that more than you'd pay for bologna by the pound.

I paid $12.00 for my tag this year, and got probably 30 pounds of meat out of it (I shot a SMALL buck, hardly bigger than a dog). That works out to less than fifty cents a pound.

But then, I don't have to travel to hunt deer (a five minute walk and I'm there), I don't have $100 invested in camo (actually I never hunt in camo), no tree stand (hunt on the ground), and I process it myself.

Its a huge seasonal econmic boost to the folks in the upper parts of Michigan.  We are talking mongo bucks.  But its more fun then actually bagging a deer.  An article was stating that the average hunter goes 7-8 years without a deer.  Some of my friends get 2-5 every year! I also forgot the cost of beer and poker losses!

Good hunting rifle setup... $800

Camo gear... $300

Travel expenses...  $150

Hunting license... $100

100lbs of venison in the freezer and the stories to tell... Priceless.  

What is a good duck hunting shotgun? I am going with my uncle next year and I want one for myself. Will a Mossberg 590 do? If I buy a firearm, I want it to be used in different scenarios. Not just hunting.

If you add using vacation time or missing work?
$60 a pound at the least.

You're looking at it the wrong way.  You aren't hunting to put meat on the table, you're hunting because you want to.  If you try to put a price tag on it, yes you are going to pay a lot less for a steak at the grocery store.  Don't cringe, but I give all of my meat away!  (well all except the tenderloins and back straps).  Aahhh the freezing cold.

                      Guess if somebody does`nt want to hunt, they should`nt.....and not bitch about it....that130lbs of FRESH venison I just put in the freezer...well,@40 a lb. -about $550.00..that is IF a person was to buy that much.....seems to be the going rate, last time I checked...37 or 40 $ per.....I know guys that shoot em and don`t eat em...can`t imagine that either.......[NI]

Heck I always thought the meat was just a bonus while on vacation with your buds.

Who cares what it costs, I do it for fun and to chase country women in the dive bars.

[i]Finally[/i] the truth!  [:D]