Deer Hunting on a Budget

Deer season opens Saturday and the 500,000 hunters that usually turn out for opening day are busy getting ready.
Deer hunting takes a lot of planning, and sometimes, a lot of purchasing.
A four month-old baby was right at home inside Fort Thompson today, but how could he not be, with a name like Westin Hunter?
"I hunt and his grandpa's a big hunter... he probably doesn't have much of a choice, says dad Robert Baltimore.
Westin's dad has been deer hunting since he was a teenager and he admits you don't need to drain your bank account to enjoy the great outdoors.
"You're on a budget? New England makes a little single shot rifle you can get for a couple hundred bucks... it's not a rich man's game," Baltimore says.
And that's a sentiment officials with Arkansas Game and Fish echo, especially when it comes to buying deer hunting equipment.
"You don't have to have all the latest gadgets and gear to go out there to kill a deer in Arkansas, says Steve Wildman Wilson.
The first thing to consider is your firearm.
We saw one rifle today that cost about $350, scope included.
Compare that to a custom rifle which retails at $2,900.
And there are cheaper options still.
"Even buy a used shotgun, you pick one of those up for 100 bucks, Wilson says.
Employees at Fort Thompson say some hunters prefer to buy the latest and greatest, including expensive tree stands.
But if the down economy is putting a strain on your budget, hunters agree that's not necessary.
If you build your own hunting blind instead of buying, or walk a trail instead of driving an ATV, they say it won't lessen your experience.
"The guy that spent 3,000 on the gun and 1,000 for the stand or the one that spend 350 for the gun and is sitting by a tree. You can do it. It's been done, always has been, always will be, says Ray Paladino with Fort Thompson.
Here's another small money saving tip.
You can buy a small game license in Arkansas for $10.50 and still shoot one deer.
A big game license costs $25.
Read more atarkansasmatters.com.

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