Projected Corn Shortage and Hunting

[snakeman]

actually with the corn shortage, beef prices will be low for the time being. It costs too much for feed lots to feed them corn and this results in a lower demand for feeder calves. However, once people have sold what they are going to sell, prices will go back up. I sold two calves this week and the price was lower than it had been due to the rise in corn prices. That said, good luck buying deer corn. Personally, I will be trying to feed dry distillers grain to deer. If not then I'll plant wheat or barley soon. Where I live some of the cotton isn't even coming up and what's not irrigated is all dying.

 

[DefiantDad]

There's really no need to be condescending.. it's not like tomatoes or coffee.

I apologize if any of my message came across as condescending. I don't understand why you interpret it that way, but in any case I intended none of that. I was just expressing my empathy for what is going on across the country, generally, and more specifically for kbbailey who said that he expects total loss for his crop. I don't understand why I am not supposed to feel sympathy for that but it might be a shortcoming of how I express myself on messages. Again, apologies for any negativity that came across.

 

[Certaindeaf]

^
Well I apologize then too.

 

[DefiantDad]

No worries.

 

[Art Eatman]

Summary: Corn shortages and the resultant prices affect hunters as well as both producers and home-consumers.

It has been guessed that higher meat prices can lead to more hunting for meat purposes.

Let's stay with the latter, okay?

 

[snakeman]

At this point in time the grain shortage will mean suffering for everyone, including deer. The low prices of cattle right now coupled with the high prices of store bought meats will lead to more game meat withheld by hunters.

 

[der Teufel]

My crystal ball has always been a bit cloudy . . .

I agree that beef prices are headed lower in the near term and then higher, but I'm not sure that it will cause a noticeable increase in hunting. Those who live on or near their hunting place might do a little more, but in my case I have to drive ~150 miles round-trip. Even at $3.20/gallon for gas I pay close to $25 each trip. I only hunt hogs, but I guess I'm not a very good hunter because I frequently return empty-handed. My success rate is typically less than 20%, meaning that I spend $125-150 for every hog I shoot. If I get 40 pounds of meat I effectively pay around $3.50/Lb. just in fuel costs for the privilege of shooting and processing my own meat. That's not really too bad for free-range meat, but I don't always get a large hog. I shot a little one a couple of months ago that weighed less than 30 pounds before I even started to dress it out.

In other words, I hunt because i enjoy it, not because it's a profit-making enterprise. Someone who's more successful might have a better return, but I personally can't justify more hunting activity based on economics.

 

[inclinebench]

I am interested to see what the corn prices do to illegal hunters here in Virginia. In Virginia, it is against the law to put out food for deer. I am not looking to debate this, as I dont really care. However, that being said, plenty of people bait the deer before and during season. This year it could be different if the price of "deer corn" gets too high.

 

[jmorris]

I predict that the country will be hunted and fished harder than in a long time, out of necessity.

I predict that there will be a lot of guys that will try and convince their wife that they need a $30,000 boat, $50,000 truck, $3500 trailer to haul the $10,000 UTV out to the $1800/year lease, so they can meet the needs of the family.

 

[MtnCreek]

Personally, I will be trying to feed dry distillers grain to deer.

Drunk deer?

 

[jmorris]

So, allow me to ask, ranchers are going to liquidate cattle because they expect the feed to either be unavailable or super expensive, going into next year,

We almost sold a lot of our herd last year because we didn't have much hay last year and feeding them hay that rocketed to $180 a bale would not have been reasonable. Good thing our winter, more or less, didn't exist. Had it been like the year before they would have been sold.

In any case "feed" like corn is really only a concern to folks that run feed lots. A rancher lets his cattle walk around and eat what they want only providing supplements like mineral and salt blocks.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I predict that there will be a lot of guys that will try and convince their wife that they need a $30,000 boat, $50,000 truck, $3500 trailer to haul the $10,000 UTV out to the $1800/year lease, so they can meet the needs of the family.

I understand this likelihood/propensity. To pull a salmon out of the water costs around $300 all told (normalized/averaged).. but then again, a guy can wing a line into the water in his spare time and get some pan fish. never know. As I said, only time will tell the full story. perhaps. good luck

 

[Certaindeaf]

.$180 a bale..

Dear heavens to Betsy say what? Holy cow

 

[doorman]

jmorris, remember this from a few years ago?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYbl29zeRyc

 

[Certaindeaf]

^
Lolz. He best shoot him an extry deer!

 

[Rembrandt]

.....I predict that there will be a lot of guys that will try and convince their wife that they need a $30,000 boat, $50,000 truck, $3500 trailer to haul the $10,000 UTV out to the $1800/year lease, so they can meet the needs of the family.

Good grief man, you forgot the new gun, bow, reloading equipment, new camo clothing, game cameras, and ammo!

 

[DefiantDad]

LOL

 

[MCgunner]

All I need is enough corn to bait my hog trap. There is no shortage of hogs around here, none at all. There's no season or rules, either, but I don't trap in the heat 'cause I can't check my trap every morning. I reckon I'll put the feeder out, too, though. I don't think it's going to get THAT bad.

 

[MCgunner]

Oh, BTW, chicken breasts are cheap at HEB. And, hopefully, the price of DiGiorno Pizza won't go up too much.

Wonder how the price of corn will affect Blue Bell ice cream and Shiner Beer?

 

[splattergun]

I'll face consumer price increases and shortages the way I always have. Pay the higher price and grumble.

The deer I hunt will face the corn shortage in a similar manner; they'll walk the 4 miles down the mountain to the nearest planted field and raid the farm. That's about as close as it gets to feeding deer store-bought corn as I care to get.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I imagine there will be plenty of "deer corn", but it will cost a good bit more than last season.

Actually out here in Maryland, when we had a serous drought a few years back, the corn crop failed, and most of the farmers simply left it standing, and then disc'd it under. The deer had a huge supply of corn, and those of us who had access to areas that the deer used to get into or out of the corn fields had very good harvests and very good meat.

So it all depends on the farming practises if the crop fails, and how much of the crop forms before it dies, I suppose, regarding the impact on the wildlife.

Here in Maryland we have been lucky this year, in that we have had a series of storms drop large amounts of rain when we really needed it. My family farming property in Southern IL, isn't doing very well.

LD