What subsidy are cattle ranchers getting that you're referring to? I have managed ranches small and large and am very familiar with the economics of cattle ranching. While there are consistently profitable operations out there, they are the exception. Those that are able to leverage opportunities such as hunting, energy development and recreation are usually the ones that are economically sustainable.
I get it, but if I were in their shoes, I'd probably do the same thing. I lease rights to an outfitter for exclusive access to the ranch I manage , I primarily hunt public land.
Grazing on public comes to mind as a pretty sweet subsidy. I’ll talk to gramps and pick his brain a bit. Both sides of my in laws ranch in AZ, on has been doing it since 1870’s they are definitely not rich but still have a good chunk started with 10 sections and down to 1.5, but thats more from poor business decisions and relatives selling out than just not being able to afford to keep it. I get this is another option for them. I think it’s a really bad deal for the future of hunting in the US. I do know that my other side that has cattle also owns and operates a construction company and ranches are like gods gift to businessmen, everything is run through the ranch and gets written off…
Grazing permits can be a good deal. About 2% of the US cattle population grazes public land, so that's not a benefit most ranchers have. My point is, it's a tough business, most breakeven or lose money. Ranchers support the bulk of western big game populations, especially seasonally, and are vital to preserving sustainable populations that we can hunt. The argument against ranchers charging for access to their land is misguided. If you want healthy habitat and wildlife, you need ranchers, to have ranchers, they need to be financially sustainable. Paying for access is one way they can improve their bottom line. There is more nuance to the discussion than is appropriate for this format, liability, cost of wildlife damsges, etc. but I hope I made a point. There are some NGOs and Agencies experimenting with habitat leasing arrangement, which could also help ease the financial burden, especially if the landowner is incentivized through hunting access.
I think that what hunters need to think about is that for every landowner willing to supply hunting for money, there are hunters willing to pay. If hunters are serious about slowing the growth of commercialization of hunting they are going to have to work on the demand side of the equation.
