I personally can take anyone to a preserve where I am very sure there will be no kills made over the course of a weekend , so in my experience....there are super preserves that are no different than the wide open woods that most people hunt yearly.
One fact is that people , most times create a less challenging hunt for themselves on thier own property than could be had in a typical preserve.
(I am talking about good preserves)
The wilderness (where we went last year) was a disappointment because of the time of year that we were there.
Also , conditions caused the hogs to be simply weak and lethargic
Not a good example at all
However...had we waited three more months , I can assure anyone that this would have been a hard hunt.
Harder than the deer woods of NY anyway.
As was said....cheaper then the grocery store (about half) and far better table fare IMO and that of others.
A good preserve should offer you the opportunity to fail.
If you cannot and do not fail then it's a poor preserve IMO.
This last years summer hunt at the Big Boar Lodge was typical of a good preserve hunt.
We narrowly made our take and if the sun would have set 15 minutes earlier that day , we would have finished with one man having missed the opportunity
That's hunting!
We spent 14 hours and saw 2 pigs in the first 8 hours....in an area that had perhaps 25+
**Actually....if I hadn't of just plain 'ol lucked out there would have been only one pig taken that day had cloud cover moved in on us.
The money issue has nothing to do with it for me.
I spend upwards of 5K a year (sometimes more) on archery.....another 1000 on game related products perhaps.
Hell!....I'd be better off hunting preserves 12 preserves a year with a recurve
;D ;D
Money shouldn't have any weight on the question if your eating pork at the rate of 250# a year because the preserve offers that same 250# for half the cost!
(I have to point that out a couple of times
)
Testing or follow up testing is another bonus for me
If I am going to launch a questionable head , I want to do it where recovery is guaranteed
Preserves offer that same advantage to youth hunters.
If a state wont allow a kid to hunt then a preserve is perfect and allows a near 100% chance of recovery on the shot.
Nothing worse than a kid losing thier first animal
A preserve would be the first place I would take my kids before allowing them in the woods.
In fact....that's just how my kids did thier first few hunts.
Also....handicapped people who are severely handicapped can get out and enjoy something that they might have lost....perhaps forever without the preserves
You can be pretty busted up and still get into the woods but without a partner
.... what about the fact that if they ever want to take an exotic
Some folks just aren't ever going to have the time or money to travel to the animals that they want to pursue
Talk about money spent
Lets go to Florida
There's a few thousand bucks gone
By the time you lose a weeks pay and then pay for room/boarding , licences ,yada yada yada...3K is easy to pee away
For people that just cant....this is a great option
For those who can....this is still a great option
