Do a cost comparison on hunting and backpacking. For the price of one high end rifle, you can almost completely outfit yourself with high end gear. Make it a custom rifle with a custom scope, and you can buy a full backpacking set-up with a custom pack and sleeping bag with tent and a bunch of other high-end stuff for the same prize. Shoot (no pun intended) my very cheap rifle from Walmart with a cheap scope from Cabelas cost as much as a very high end sleeping bag, $400.