How do you decide?

[noonebil]

I am going to be looking for a new hunting club starting in January. The club I am currently in is being cleared for housing.
The poll is not asking about stand location, but general acrage for hunting. I know all of these are valid reasons, but all else being equal, which factor is most important to you. Also, note how far you currently travel to hunt your usual club, management area, or public land.

I currently travel less than 5 miles to my hunting club , but 2 of the clubs I am considering are over 60 miles from my house.
My current hunt club dues are $500. The 2 clubs I am considering have dues of $550 & $600 per year.
My current hunt club has small & fewer deer (no turkey or hogs). Both of the other clubs have large plentiful deer. Both have generous amounts of turkey & hogs.
My current club is a loose group that barely know each other. The others I am considering have almost a family atmosphere.
My current club has several rules I don't agree with that are rarely enforced (although I abide by them). The other clubs have reasonable rules that I agree with & also have penalties & fines for breaking the rules.

Please help me decide

[BlueNorther]

Number and type of game for me.I travel over a hundred miles one way to hunt where we do.There are closer places but the game where I hunt is plentiful and I have many choices.Elk,mule deer,white tail deer,moose,bears and even bighorn sheep.All those tags are available over the counter except for the moose now .This is also public land and there are bonuses too like wolves,coyotes,lynx and cougars.

[Shorthair]

Game abundance and variety matters most when joining a club for me. The club I belong to is open all year for any hunting that is in season and for fishing in the ponds or Briar Creek. We have limits on where you can hunt on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays during the gun season because we run dogs on parts of the club.
There are many clubs in our area that are deer hunting only and that would not fit my hunting dollars very well.

[flhuntress]

yeah what they said...lol
and
i hunt the freak zone because of the peace i feel when i'm there.....it's like i'm home.
try findin' that feeling and when you do you'll know.

[deerslayer11]

I chose other. I was in one club because it was less than a mile from the house. I was in another club because I knew there were an ASS of deer in that area. Now I hunt public cause both clubs shut down....

[mudfish2]

I chose other because I was lucky enough to buy a GREAT piece of property 10 years ago, but if I were in your shoes I would consider the type of game...but I wouldn't want to be hunting with a bunch of slobs either..hard choice

[hunt4fun1]

Variety of animals to hunt for sure. If you find a lease (in Texas) that has deer, turkey and hogs, you can hunt meat all year. Throw in some coyotes and bobcats.......big fun.

[Davidmil]

It used to be sightings. Then it became sign. Now it's just plain old common sense. There's some of "All the Above" thrown in with a little of where can I get away from the crowd? If I were a deer where would I go? Got to be some sign. I don't really pick a spot based on actual deer sightings to often... more on sign, terrain, cover etc etc etc. I have several places to hunt in Maryland and NY. Some are far.. some are close. Some are big... some are small. Some have a variety... some only have deer or other minor critters. I hunt them all. I've driven 7 hours to hunt for a day and I've driven 5 minutes. Sometimes it's just a social deal... sometimes it's just me and the woods. All the above for sure and more.

[noonebil]

I think I have made a decision. I am going with the club in Waycross that my bros-in-law are in. The biggest deciding factors were type of game available & availability of sleeping quarters.
The club in Alma I looked at was great, but I was limited to mostly deer & turkey (maybe a few hogs or coyotes). Also, I would have had to drive an hour both ways or buy a camper to hunt there.
The club in Waycross has just about any type of game available in Ga. Deer (still & dog), Turkey, hogs (lots of them), bear, alligators, etc. Also, I can stay at my mother-in laws or in my bro-in-laws camper.
I am still going to miss the afternoon 'quick hunts' I have right now, but I think I will get over it.