Any thoughts on todays stocker sale?

Wild Rivers Whitetails967241409497544



All we will say is have you heard of any hunting preserves raising their prices?





I agree there are some high priced preserves but the majority aren't pricing hunts high enough to justify any higher shooter prices that pay the feed and medical bill..   I agree the prices suck but if you pay half what you sell a hunt for and loose a few big bucks then you aren't making any money on that end either.  I wish prices could be pushed up to where they are in Texas then we could all make decent money.  There's more money in the no risk items, selling products to the farmers and the preserves and hauling deer and auctions etc than there is in raising deer or having a preserve in my opinion.  I want to have a preserve because I love deer like everyone else here, but I see no reason to actually sell hunts on deer less than 200".  I'd never spend that kind of money on a hunt but that's where prices start breaking even.  You'd be better off donating the smaller hunts to charity and writing them off your taxes.  At least that's what it looks like to me

TRUTH970391409890993



I agree there are some high priced preserves but the majority aren't pricing hunts high enough to justify any higher shooter prices that pay the feed and medical bill..   I agree the prices suck but if you pay half what you sell a hunt for and loose a few big bucks then you aren't making any money on that end either.  I wish prices could be pushed up to where they are in Texas then we could all make decent money.  There's more money in the no risk items, selling products to the farmers and the preserves and hauling deer and auctions etc than there is in raising deer or having a preserve in my opinion.  I want to have a preserve because I love deer like everyone else here, but I see no reason to actually sell hunts on deer less than 200".  I'd never spend that kind of money on a hunt but that's where prices start breaking even.  You'd be better off donating the smaller hunts to charity and writing them off your taxes.  At least that's what it looks like to me




So you dont think the farmer should get half of what a hunt brings? For the guy that takes the chance for 3 years over the guy that takes it for 3 days?


Am i reading this right?

Four Seasons, most preserves will pay half of cost of hunt and will sometime get up to 60% for good unique ones.  I think most on here are complaining about getting 30% and wished they were getting 50-60%. The cost for a preserve is far more expensive than for a farm.  I have been in this since 1999 on both sides.  Right now the best money maker out there is a guy who can raise bucks only and turn over 15 to 25 per year for half the hunt price.  I would change places with that guy in a heart beat.

Hotrod970461409923032



Four Seasons, most preserves will pay half of cost of hunt and will sometime get up to 60% for good unique ones.  I think most on here are complaining about getting 30% and wished they were getting 50-60%. The cost for a preserve is far more expensive than for a farm.  I have been in this since 1999 on both sides.  Right now the best money maker out there is a guy who can raise bucks only and turn over 15 to 25 per year for half the hunt price.  I would change places with that guy in a heart beat.




That 50/50 is the way it should be i believe but 70/30 is a bit much. Why would anyone on here only be getting offered 30%

Mike, I was offered $1450 for a 160s. Same preserve was gonna sell that hunt for $6250...

redgolds970521409933677



Mike, I was offered $1450 for a 160s. Same preserve was gonna sell that hunt for $6250...




Yeah that i see as a problem. I know there are many things to look at like how many bucks around and such but that offer is a slap in the face if the price of the hunt is what you say. There are so man pieces to the puzzle and we all need to work with our local preserves but that goes both ways!

Guys, preserves are try to get there best deer for there dollar. Different states you will find pay more, for example Indiana will give you nothing campared to oklahoma where you will get top dollar. It takes YOUR time to contact diffrent preserves. When we buy bucks there will be a big game changer on who we buy from and that is......Delivery!!!! I have said it many times before....DO NOT SELL YOUR BUCKS EARLY then you wont be complaining about the stocker prices. And for operating a preserve compared to a farm. It all veries on how big your farm is and how big your preserve is. You cant compare apples to apples. Theres differences between big farms and small preserves and vice versa. Another thing that is big with me is, I DO NOT want to buy 10 bucks from 10 farms. I want guys that will save us time trying to find bucks year after year, so the more you have the better for us.

It makes a difference if you own the land,own the lodge, and are not trying to pay for them with income from the preserve. Splitting hunts selling price 50/50 on smaller bucks is fair to the producer but I don't think it is a fair method to the producer on high dollar hunts. There are far fewer stockers available in OK, MO, and IL than people realize because of the recent EHD issues. Contacting preserves in these states and transporting your deer to them yourself will get you top dollar. Wait to sell. Soon it will be evident how few mature hunt bucks are available. There are over 900 deer farms in Pa and only around 50 hunt bucks have been consigned. From a state that cannot export much right now that is not very many bucks from 900+ deer farms. Putting deer on a site and waiting for a preserve to call is a poor way to get good money for your bucks. Take the time do a little work and find their phone numbers and Email them clear pics. This will also help you get top dollar.

I would like to know why in Texas are they getting so much more for their hunts and stockers. There are more producers and hunt bucks raised there than any other state. Is it because they still have mostly typical bucks in their preserves and don't have the man made looking hunt bucks we have in the north? Is it really the grey coats and white sox that are so sought after by the hunter? Is it because people like the guy that ripped Tom's dream and Charlie off aren't in Texas undercutting everyone else's hunt prices? Obviously preserves in the north have been undercutting one another to try to get market share. New preserves are opening up because producers are sick of it.

Jonathan,  There is a lot of oil work in texas which allows a lot of expendable money by young guys.  Also, everyone like to go to texas because you can hunt high fence there and its not really considered high fence. lol.

Your right about the oil money. Most people with big money got it by being tight wads. A smart business man will go to where he can secure the same product for half the price. I can't see where the hunt experienced by the client there is worthy of twice the price of hunts in the north.

Also its closed borders. Alot to do with good prices to farmers. Same here in Alabama. Prices, are good

In the short term closed boarders will pad a select groups pockets. Many of those will then leave the deer business once suckers become harder to find. Isolationist business ideas are destined for failure always in the long term.

Texas is a unique state. It is large enough that with the oil and gas money they almost have their own economy. It would help the deer industry long term if they were able to move deer interstate and not just intrastate. Once Texas becomes saturated with deer farms like PA and if almost no other states will take their deer they will be in the same boat. The boats edge is synonymous with a closed boarder. Someone more educated than me can probably explain better why isolationism doesn't work economically.

Four Seasons Whitetails970431409918154



So you dont think the farmer should get half of what a hunt brings? For the guy that takes the chance for 3 years over the guy that takes it for 3 days?


Am i reading this right?




 


That's not exactly what I mean.  My point was at those prices I don't think anyone is making money or at least not what their time is worth.  Half is fair in my opinion as well, but prices need to work their way up across the board both at the preserve and at the farm.  They will have to go up at the preserve before we can get more at the farm though.  Thus we will have to feel screwed for a lake of better words for a year or two until they feel prices are stable then farm prices can increase.  I think profit depends a lot on the agreement made with the preserve as well.  Say if the buck walks off the trailer and dies? Say you hauled it to him vs he hauled it home?  Who bears the loss?  Best case I would think is to find a couple preserves and build a relationship so that things like that would be fair losses.  Also note I'm thinking of the average preserve with average prices not the elite.  So if you sell a 200" 3yr old for 4500 and a preserve shoots it for 8000 and maintains a lodge year around grounds and either takes time off or hires a guide at best you both broke even. The big fancy lodges that sell that same hunt for 10-15000 probably are making money but I don't think they all are doing that well in the grand scheme of things.  Hopefully I am wrong and we are all making more money than I think.  From my view point to make a decent profit looking at average prices as this may be different in different areas 2yr need to be 200" 3yr old 300" or have some dang special qualities. Personally I would have a hard time releasing a deer 3 days prior to a hunt if I were the preserve owner.  Things like that is what gives them a bad name and hurts every one of us.  I'm sure it happens a good bit but I sure hope it is minimal.  I've meet some preserve owners that release the majority of their deer in the spring and only minimal numbers in the fall.  The hunter side of me wishes they all did this.  The best hope for profit is if you have a healthy doe you can live breed for multiple years and she consistently produces 200" or better 2yr olds, that would be nice right?   If you have annual vet and AI bills there is not much profit for the farmer or the preserve.  I've got 3 year old native deer in my area that are 140-150" so if my does produce this they will be turned loose with a big ole target on their side.  No one is making money on these deer and they should be sold in lots with larger deer as a package.  Travis

Bell970931410020708



In the short term closed boarders will pad a select groups pockets. Many of those will then leave the deer business once suckers become harder to find. Isolationist business ideas are destined for failure always in the long term.

Texas is a unique state. It is large enough that with the oil and gas money they almost have their own economy. It would help the deer industry long term if they were able to move deer interstate and not just intrastate. Once Texas becomes saturated with deer farms like PA and if almost no other states will take their deer they will be in the same boat. The boats edge is synonymous with a closed boarder. Someone more educated than me can probably explain better why isolationism doesn't work economically.




I completely agree however I think it will take a long while in Texas because of the cost of land and huge ranches that are already in place.  I would have loved to started up in Texas but I couldn't afford to so I moved across the border.  The initial land cost would have prevented me from ever setting the first post.