I agree with your sentiments 100%.
I really don’t care for the wild meat. You pay for processing (cut and wrap) and then it stays in your freezer until it gets freezer burned.
The long term prospects of hunting as a sport is not good. Young people today are not taking to the woods as my father took me. When they are adults/parents, I seriously doubt they are going to take their children out.
My family has a ranch in SE Colorado and the hunting prospects are not good unless one wants to deal with public hunting. The cost for hunts is terrible! Where I used to hunt deer in Southern Kansas 30 years ago for free (I knew the family and they afforded me the privilege to hunt) is now outfitter controlled.... @ $5,500 per hunt.
“is now outfitter controlled.... @ $5,500 per hunt.”
Yep, they regulated and priced themselves right out of business.
There are huge areas that aren’t Outfitter controlled.