If the sport continues where its headed, you will see outfitters start posting pictures throughout the year of their managed properties showing their inventory of deer. Some are already doing this. There are also a growing number of people, in my opinion, that don't want to sit in a tree every weekend and when they run the numbers and put a value on a 3 to 5 day hunt, $3,000 isn't much if the experience is good. Heck, take a three day trip to Chicago, stay in a nice hotel, go to a nice dinner every night and you likely have spent close to $1,200 for that. I believe that in the next twenty years, hopefully I'm wrong, that a huge percentage of folks hunting today won't hunt any longer because the sport will price them out. Good for the landowner and good for those with the disposable income to spend on hunting. What I've learned from following a couple of outfitters who offer 3 and 5 day hunts in "good" deer areas is that there is an abundance of guys who are willing to pay close to $3,500 to have the opportunity to see and possibly shoot a 150.

Everything in this paragraph is true and I agree.

However, if hunting heads toward paying #3500 for a three day hunt...doesn't leasing for a fraction of that per hunter actually make it more affordable for hunters?
Lastly, (wife is now reminding me that we need to leave)since my daughter wasnt' on our lease this year and wanted to hunt opening day, I found a place with some friends to take her for free. Private ground. We got walked in on 5 times in two hours! Never saw a deer. It wasn't worth the gas in the tank to hunt that opening day with my daughter.
My fault, but that won't happen again.