We are seeing a time of great opportunity for our love of the outdoors, but also a demand on it.
With covid-19 taking away so much of what people do outside of work we see them looking for what they can do to unwind. They are turning to the outdoors in droves. Go look at fishing tackle sections in Walmart and see what's left on the shelves. We saw more people in the woods this spring. It will only put more demand on our resources, but it will also bring more attention and hopefully funding to outdoor sports. we can gripe about it or engage those coming to the wild new. We can help mold how they do things and help them learn. It's both an opportunity and a concern. Let's discuss it.
I wrote a new blog on it today at :https://woodswaterandword.wordpress.com/
It won't take me to your story, what is it called?
This is just a temporary thing. Many people are out of work or working from home (which can't be controlled by their companies) and are using their additional time and company time to get outdoors. Since kids are at home as well, the parents are going NUTS!!! Once we recover from this, and we will, everyone will be back to normal and outside activities will cease. People can only be HOMEBOUND for so long. Let the vegetative state begin again!
I dont think it will be long lasting either. Once things get closer to normal people will turn to other things for the most part. Might be a while till we hit " normal" again though.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Quote from: Happy on July 01, 2020, 04:25:18 PM
I dont think it will be long lasting either. Once things get closer to normal people will turn to other things for the most part. Might be a while till we hit " normal" again though.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
X2 .. I agree with you Happy , i don't think it will last ..
Not being in school is resulting in a deterioration in their ability to read, as in 'No Trespassing'. It was almost unbelievable this year.
I fixed the link
I agree most will go back to their old ways, but some will discover a new hobby. It will certainly be boost for wildlife agencies as they get increased license sales and excise tax on gear
I actually hope they do. Spring woods filled with truckloads of wanna be turkey hunters put a huge damper on the hunt. I like to roam the woods to get away from people not to rub elbows. I like bumping into sure enough turkey hunters and talking with them a bit but there was a bunch I bumped into that I wished I hadnt.
Quote from: shatcher on July 01, 2020, 04:41:06 PM
Not being in school is resulting in a deterioration in their ability to read, as in 'No Trespassing'. It was almost unbelievable this year.
I AGREE 1OO%
Quote from: Spitten and drummen on July 01, 2020, 06:37:37 PM
I actually hope they do. Spring woods filled with truckloads of wanna be turkey hunters put a huge damper on the hunt. I like to roam the woods to get away from people not to rub elbows. I like bumping into sure enough turkey hunters and talking with them a bit but there was a bunch I bumped into that I wished I hadnt.
I agree. We love a quiet, solitude woods my friend. It will be back next spring for sure......be safe
I hope there will be some that will rediscover a part of them they never knew they had and will stay with it, but I just hope that will be the well mannered respectable bunch.
X2 my friend.....
I'll be glad when the whole thing is over. And I really Hope the covid part timers go back to whatever they did before and stay out of the woods. More people even if adding to the game dept. money wise does not offset their detriment to the sport by just being there and doing stupid things.
Turkey hunting is not an entry level sport. Most of them should take up bank fishing or kite flying.
Quote from: LaLongbeard on July 01, 2020, 09:11:05 PM
I'll be glad when the whole thing is over. And I really Hope the covid part timers go back to whatever they did before and stay out of the woods. More people even if adding to the game dept. money wise does not offset their detriment to the sport by just being there and doing stupid things.
Turkey hunting is not an entry level sport. Most of them should take up bank fishing or kite flying.
All hunting is an entry level sport, we were all new to it at one time.
Quote from: Sir-diealot on July 01, 2020, 09:14:43 PM
Quote from: LaLongbeard on July 01, 2020, 09:11:05 PM
I'll be glad when the whole thing is over. And I really Hope the covid part timers go back to whatever they did before and stay out of the woods. More people even if adding to the game dept. money wise does not offset their detriment to the sport by just being there and doing stupid things.
Turkey hunting is not an entry level sport. Most of them should take up bank fishing or kite flying.
All hunting is an entry level sport, we were all new to it at one time.
Nope.
You can teach an 8 year old everything he needs to squirrel hunt in an afternoon. Sitting in a dove field waiting on the noon arrivals that's also entry level. Turkey hunting, the real kind takes a long time to become proficient, some never get there.
I think the "we need more hunters " has been beaten to death. When this tired old saying was new, they were meaning more " Hunters" period. Why would you need more of a specific kind of hunter? Do we need more Turkey hunters but we are good on snipe and Big horn sheep hunters lol. No body's trying to stop turkey hunting and adding a few thousand wannabes to the woods wouldn't help if someone was.
Woods shouldn't be crowded. Let 'em enjoy baseball and leave the spring woods to me.
They may take up deer hunting if they wish. ;D
La Longbeard. You nailed it. My thoughts exactly. All these " we need more hunters " is a joke. What we really need is better habitat management and rebounding turkey populations.
Quote from: Tail Feathers on July 01, 2020, 09:42:31 PM
Woods shouldn't be crowded. Let 'em enjoy baseball and leave the spring woods to me.
They may take up deer hunting if they wish. ;D
Amen brother!
Quote from: Spitten and drummen on July 01, 2020, 09:44:34 PM
La Longbeard. You nailed it. My thoughts exactly. All these " we need more hunters " is a joke. What we really need is better habitat management and rebounding turkey populations.
X3 .. So agree
Quote from: Spitten and drummen on July 01, 2020, 09:44:34 PM
What we really need is better habitat management and rebounding turkey populations.
I agree with this part anyway.
Maybe we should push for a social distancing order for the spring woods....Only one hunter for every 200 acres of public forest.
I agree that in today's hunting world it is getting more and more crowded as available space decreases every year. The rub comes in how far do we let our sport fall until it is no longer self sustaining and relevant? When states no longer get enough license revenue they will have to have more tax dollars. Do we really want the politicians managing our sport and wildlife? There's no easy answer.
Quote from: eggshell on July 02, 2020, 07:31:49 AM
Maybe we should push for a social distancing order for the spring woods....Only one hunter for every 200 acres of public forest.
I agree that in today's hunting world it is getting more and more crowded as available space decreases every year. The rub comes in how far do we let our sport fall until it is no longer self sustaining and relevant? When states no longer get enough license revenue they will have to have more tax dollars. Do we really want the politicians managing our sport and wildlife? There's no easy answer.
Have the hikers, birdy watchers, and tree huggers pay a yearly fee to get an access pass onto public lands. Hunters shouldn't be the only ones paying
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Quote from: Happy on July 02, 2020, 07:58:55 AM
Quote from: eggshell on July 02, 2020, 07:31:49 AM
Maybe we should push for a social distancing order for the spring woods....Only one hunter for every 200 acres of public forest.
I agree that in today's hunting world it is getting more and more crowded as available space decreases every year. The rub comes in how far do we let our sport fall until it is no longer self sustaining and relevant? When states no longer get enough license revenue they will have to have more tax dollars. Do we really want the politicians managing our sport and wildlife? There's no easy answer.
Have the hikers, birdy watchers, and tree huggers pay a yearly fee to get an access pass onto public lands. Hunters shouldn't be the only ones paying
Agree that everyone who has the opportunity to use the woods should share an equal fee of some sort... They are all enjoying the benefits, whether they have a gun in their hand or not. Something in the way of a "general use license" to help with the financial burden required to maintain government lands because it all takes money- gravel roads in national forest and WMA's aren't free and someone is paying for that.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Excellent post, Redleg.
I'd go for that redleg....boy I can hear the whining now. Hunters have paid the bill for the free loaders for long enough. I bet 8 out of 10 don't even realize who's been paying the bill.
Quote from: Happy on July 02, 2020, 07:58:55 AM
Quote from: eggshell on July 02, 2020, 07:31:49 AM
Maybe we should push for a social distancing order for the spring woods....Only one hunter for every 200 acres of public forest.
I agree that in today's hunting world it is getting more and more crowded as available space decreases every year. The rub comes in how far do we let our sport fall until it is no longer self sustaining and relevant? When states no longer get enough license revenue they will have to have more tax dollars. Do we really want the politicians managing our sport and wildlife? There's no easy answer.
Have the hikers, birdy watchers, and tree huggers pay a yearly fee to get an access pass onto public lands. Hunters shouldn't be the only ones paying
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
X2 .. I've said this for years , they should pay also..
Yup can't wait for the pro sports to start . Nothing like a Sunday afternoon football game and all the jock sniffers are running home to watch some flag burner run a ball around .
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Using Louisiana as an example. Tags for residents are two for $5.00. If 1000 extra people bought tags that would be 5 thousand dollars. How much of that 5 grand do you think would actually go to anything related to a turkey? And even if all 5 grand was used exclusively for turkeys how much of a difference could you make state wide with 5 thousand dollars?
I can guarantee 1000 extra mouth breathers stumbling around the woods would be a detriment to the enjoyment of Turkey hunting.
Whose state uses Lisence sales income directly for the individual animal the Lisence or tag was sold for? Take your time I'll wait.
Quote from: Happy on July 02, 2020, 07:58:55 AM
Quote from: eggshell on July 02, 2020, 07:31:49 AM
Have the hikers, birdy watchers, and tree huggers pay a yearly fee to get an access pass onto public lands. Hunters shouldn't be the only ones paying
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Georgia did that a few years and now horse riders and bikers are welcome and disrupt a lot of the hunting.
Be careful on what you wish for, they contribute very little overall but have equal rights for usage.
Quote from: Sixes on July 02, 2020, 05:32:10 PM
Quote from: Happy on July 02, 2020, 07:58:55 AM
Quote from: eggshell on July 02, 2020, 07:31:49 AM
Have the hikers, birdy watchers, and tree huggers pay a yearly fee to get an access pass onto public lands. Hunters shouldn't be the only ones paying
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Georgia did that a few years and now horse riders and bikers are welcome and disrupt a lot of the hunting.
Be careful on what you wish for, they contribute very little overall but have equal rights for usage.
Yep! And once you open the side door to them paying their way, they'll expect more and more. They'll want zones and times set aside for their exclusive uses. Opportunities to hike, bike and ride horses and never have to encounter us hunters. Our hunting lands will become more like national parks.
Quote from: Spurs Up on July 02, 2020, 05:47:56 PM
Quote from: Sixes on July 02, 2020, 05:32:10 PM
Quote from: Happy on July 02, 2020, 07:58:55 AM
Quote from: eggshell on July 02, 2020, 07:31:49 AM
Have the hikers, birdy watchers, and tree huggers pay a yearly fee to get an access pass onto public lands. Hunters shouldn't be the only ones paying
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Georgia did that a few years and now horse riders and bikers are welcome and disrupt a lot of the hunting.
Be careful on what you wish for, they contribute very little overall but have equal rights for usage.
Yep! And once you open the side door to them paying their way, they'll expect more and more. They'll want zones and times set aside for their exclusive uses. Opportunities to hike, bike and ride horses and never have to encounter us hunters. Our hunting lands will become more like national parks.
That's a distinct possibility gentlemen. However around here people can be in the woods anytime they want so I dont see making them pay a fee to really have much of a draw back. I could be wrong but I would suspect it might thin them out a bit. Another thing is that most of the yuppies would have a panic attack if they ventured off of the main trail so their hunt interference woukd mess with most of the serious fellows
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Time will tell, but with COVID potentially becoming a seasonal disease in the future, there may never be a "normal" again. There may not be a surge like what we saw in the spring and this summer, but there will likely be a net gain in revenues and participating, reversing the downward trend.
It's good if agencies decide they can stick with relying on monetizing sportsmen's use of public lands as the primary source of funding. Otherwise, as others have speculated above, hunting rights could be limited over time if granola-eaters gradually supplant sportsmen's share of contributions.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
On a related note to non-consumptive users paying their way, some new changes for Colorado state wildlife areas:
Hunting, fishing licenses required (even if you don't hunt or fish) for hundreds of Colorado wildlife areas
Rule approved last month applies to State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands, which can contain popular stretches for boating and other recreation
https://coloradosun.com/2020/06/25/hunting-fishing-licenses-colorado-state-wildlife-areas/
The above is good, but also has some 'bad'. The 'bad' being those users will eventually have some say in how the areas are managed and there is a good chance their 'say' won't always align with hunter beliefs and even sound wildlife science.
So true, I tried to help my nephew out by pointing him to a spot that holds turkeys on public.
He calls me and says Uncle Ted I don't hear anything.I tell him to try another spot but he would not drive his new lease truck through the mud hole to get there.So be it the kid missed out in some good hunting.
National forest land is already paid for by all of us rather you hug the trees when your there or sit next to them, or even if your scared to get out of your Honda civic and prefer to just wave at the trees as you go buy. No turkey hunter recruitment will help or hurt this fact. Hikers, campers nature weirdos are already using the NF. You haven't hunted the NE very much if you haven't seen an obese woman squealing with delight at finding a mushroom while your trying to work a Gobbler lol and I doubt they contribute much to the upkeep of the land.
Tell me how adding Turkey hunters to the already crowded land would help the turkey. Unless your hunting and living in one of the Super liberal weirdo populated states like California or Washington when's the last time a group of tree hugging vegans tried to stop turkey hunting? The last attempt at stoping some form of hunting was baiting bears or hound hunting bears and mountain lion hunting. There is no organized boogeyman group trying to stop turkey hunting. If you sell hunting related products then yes you need more hunters if you need more likes or subscribes to your utube channel so you aren't forced to get a real job then yes you need more hunters. If you hunt 4 weekends out of the season sitting in a blind on private land you need something but it ain't more Turkey hunters lol.