Where is this ship headed?

[coyote1]

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I do support any legal means of hunting. I couldn't care less if you use decoys, a blind or shells that cost $55 per 5. Whatever floats your canoe.

What I can't understand is why this younger generation relies on space book and tweeter to learn everything. They don't like guns or eating meat but don't have a logical reason for either. Save all the animals they cry but when fluffy gets eaten by a coyote who do they call to shoot It? The very people they complain about hunting. I have done ADC coyote trapping and hunting for some of these type of people, the irrational thinking blows my mind.

Is society so disconnected that people don't realize animals die for our survival and has been that way for millennia?

What happened to using the grey matter and common sense the good Lord gave us to figure out how to do things instead of listening to some podcast?

[Happy]

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First off, this wasn't meant to be a winefest. Just people's opinion on where we are trending. I have my opinions on hunting and fully respect others opinions.
The selfish side of me loves the new trends in hunting as it frees up a lot of real estate and competition for me. My fear is that we are loosing the skills required to be good hunters and now it is becoming more based on technology and basically farming with game animals. Skills are being lost as well as a respect for the animal itself because it now has no status unless it's a "trophy". I may be viewed as an elitist but I am not. I have never considered myself a master hunter. The only difference I see between myself and a guy hunting over a corn pile is that I am willing to loose more often and want to challenge myself to be better and learn more.

[coyote1]

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Not a whinefest.

The short answer is the ship is sinking. Most of the reasons are outlined above in one post or another. Unfortunately this is the sad reality of it.

[Sir-diealot]

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I get ribbed on here because I hunt out of a blind, before my car accident I never used one, love being out there seeing the morning come to life, I miss chipmunks on my shoe or squirrels on my head. I miss looking to the side and seeing spiderwebs with the morning dew on them glistening in the morning sun, I lose all of that in a blind, I don't hunt out of a blind because I want to, I hunt out of a blind because my pain makes it so I have to shift around a lot, not just because of my back and hips but because of my knees and my left ankle and toes. I am pretty unlikely to get anything outside of a blind because of this movement.

Last year I was able to get out of the blind and give a try at sitting on the ground (with back pad and padded seat) and I did much better than I thought I would, I want to try it again this year and hope I do even better but if my body says no then I will go back to the blind and sitting on a chair and being able to fidget and stretch and stand up so I can stay out there longer. I find people that think blind hunting is going to guarantee somebody a turkey hilarious, it is harder to hunt from a blind because you are stuck where you set that blind up whereas those that are not in a blind can chase the turkeys like I used to do.

As far as things used I think there is both good and bad in some of the new things just like I think there is some good and bad in some of the old things. These lyrics about sum up what I feel, though I hate the liberal that sang them.

I believe there's a best of both worlds
Mixing old and new
Recognizing change is seldom expected
As i long suspected
They believed that strange was a word for wrong
Well not in my song

[Ctrize]

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Yes new hunters lack the skills, everything from wind direction to scent control is done for them.I guess learning to use these gadgets  can be considered  a skill but they pull you away from the connection with nature just as the phone has pulled us away from communicating with each other.

Where this ship is headed is not good when you consider 40 to 50.percent of families are divorced and 40 percent of those have no father in the picture . Exposure to hunting for these kids is limited  then add the exposure they do get from media that  involves 1000 dollar guns and bows it is going to be a tough road to keep a high number of kids involved.

[THattaway]

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Not a whinefest.

The short answer is the ship is sinking. Most of the reasons are outlined above in one post or another. Unfortunately this is the sad reality of it.

Not if you take the time to mentor a new hunter it ain't. Plenty here do that, would wager you do or will at some point. Good on those who take the time to share the outdoors.

[SD_smith]

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I do support any legal means of hunting. I couldn't care less if you use decoys, a blind or shells that cost $55 per 5. Whatever floats your canoe.

What I can't understand is why this younger generation relies on space book and tweeter to learn everything. They don't like guns or eating meat but don't have a logical reason for either. Save all the animals they cry but when fluffy gets eaten by a coyote who do they call to shoot It? The very people they complain about hunting. I have done ADC coyote trapping and hunting for some of these type of people, the irrational thinking blows my mind.

Is society so disconnected that people don't realize animals die for our survival and has been that way for millennia?

What happened to using the grey matter and common sense the good Lord gave us to figure out how to do things instead of listening to some podcast?

Nothing has changed about the newer generations doing what’s cool when it comes to hunting. I can guarantee almost every single person on this forum did what they thought was either the current standard or the new cool thing back in their days and that’s how they still do. My generation just happened to come along when social media was prevalent and glitzy Promos is the norm. Don’t hate the player, hate the game. K&H, Primos, and every other call maker or outfitter store has constantly pushed new things to the point that you’re buying a new vest every year. I don’t blame people my age at all...I blame the fact that you get on Instagram and it’s either full of promos from deer hunters turned overnight turkey hunters for two weeks or half naked girls that are turkey “professionals”. Primos literally just had some chick on their Instagram story today talking about how to use a mouth call and it sounded like dogcrap. All of this is being pushed by YOUR old timers that brought turkey hunting back to the mainstream in the 80s and 90s.

[g8rvet]

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I think that Chief and Rut pretty much described my way of thinking.


Want to know who to blame for the decline in hunting?  First of all, look in the mirror (and I include me).  That is the best place to start.  I have mentored 4 young men and one young woman (son, 2 nephews, son in law and daughter) and taught them about ethics and the importance of having strong ethics as a hunter.  Golden rule, etc.  If you just want a turkey, run to Winn Dixie and buy one.  It IS a sport, so play the game.  But I could not care one whit what anyone thinks of my ethics (I use decoys in fields, I hunt with modern HTL loads), I only care about my rules within the laws.  Make a friend out of goober in the woods and teach them why playing the game the right way is what makes it fun. My personal ethics is that after the first time, I would never let a guide (or a friend) call a bird for me.  Just does not appeal to me.  Never used a guide for fishing or duck hunting.  To ME, it cheapens the game.  No judgement on anyone, if you like that, have fun - I have several guide friends.  Those are just my own rules, not for anyone else.  Big difference in playing the game your own way and telling others how they should play the game though.  Mentor them, show them the way - don't holier than thou them or lecture them.  That's the mirror.

There was an old post from year ago, can't recall who said it and it was about duck hunting, but it is very true for most hunting.  There is an evolution of a hunter - kill em all, make the hunt special, kill them my way, just enjoy the day.  We all go through it, it just takes some longer and some less time.  I don't kill any where near the ducks I used to and I am perfectly fine with it.  I would rather kill 2 ducks in solitude than 2 limits in a crowded spot.  No judgement, just how I like it.  I would rather kill a big tom by calling him myself and playing the game and figuring it out on  my own.  If no kill happens, I try to learn and I still enjoy the day. 

Where I live, I know hard core, do it right turkey hunters of all ages and I know shoot em any way you can, disregard limits braggers of all ages as well. Don't fool yourselves.  There are plenty of folks that are grown that are worse than any kid. 

[g8rvet]

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What I can't understand is why this younger generation relies on space book and tweeter to learn everything.

I understand it.  No one taught them. One of my mentors, besides my daddy, was an 80 year old man when I was 14-15.  He was just a family friend.   He taught me to never shoot a squirrel in the head if it was for him, because his wife wanted brains and eggs.  And he taught me to where any camo I wanted, just BE STILL.  And many more lessons of life and hunting. 

[turkey harvester]

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Things have definitely changed, but so have the turkeys. Lots of people yelp yelpin, trying to sound like a world champion caller. I had an old timer tell me 2 years ago, son... were breeding the gobble out if the turkeys with all this new camo, long range guns, people driving, stopping, calling, not hearing an immediate response and leaving. He said son that old turkey won't always gobble, but if he keeps coming to calls and no hen.. he'll quit all together ??. Technology is what is ruining the sport. No more boots on the ground. More bout the kill than the hunt.

[bbcoach]

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Personally gentlemen, I think way too many of you put way too much emphasis on being anti-anything that is new. I don't agree with the holier than thou attitude that traditional hunting is good, and anything else is bad philosophy. That's why I avoid a lot of topics that involve new technology or new techniques. I know what's coming in those threads.
bbcoach is correct. Hunting is under attack like never before, and with the millenial generation coming up not wanting anything to do with guns, hunting or eating wild game, the future of hunting is indeed in jeopardy. With that in mind, we are our own worst enemies. We fight and argue about traditional vs new, 10 vs 12 vs 20 vs 410 gauges, longbow vs recurve vs compound vs crossbow, dog hunting vs still hunting, hunting raw woods vs baiting vs food plots, scent control vs none, TSS vs Hevishot vs lead, decoys vs no decoys vs reaping, legal vs ethical, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseum.
We the hunting community are shooting ourselves right in the proverbial foot with all this nonsense. Personally, I say, if it is legal (which is completely different than ethical, because everyone's ethics are different), and you want to do it, then GO FOR IT!!! That doesn't mean I agree with it, or that I would hunt that way, but I support your right to hunt in any LEGAL manner that you choose. That is what ALL of us should do if we love and support our sport of hunting.

AMEN and AMEN!!!!  Couldn't have said it better RutnNStrutn!

[coyote1]

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Not a whinefest.

The short answer is the ship is sinking. Most of the reasons are outlined above in one post or another. Unfortunately this is the sad reality of it.

Not if you take the time to mentor a new hunter it ain't. Plenty here do that, would wager you do or will at some point. Good on those who take the time to share the outdoors.
[/quote

I mentor as many people as I can. I introduced a woman, her daughter and my mother to turkey hunting last spring.

What I mean by the ship is sinking, is the lack of younger folks willing to go and experience the hunt. Some I can change their opinion others are dead set on not hunting anything no matter what I explain to them. It seems like I can get 1 out of 3 or 4 to go hunting. It's better than non but still under 50% recruitment.

[Kylongspur88]

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Hunter numbers are decreasing across the board so as long as it's legal and it gets folks in the woods I'm fine with it.

I don't think hunting will ever totally go away in this country, but I'd sure hate to see it turn into an elitists sport like in Europe.

[Happy]

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I agree with taking others hunting completely. I do it every year and my goal is not necessarily to make full fledged hunters out of them but to at least give them an understanding of it and a respect for it. As for the we are our own worst enemies? well I agree and disagree. Do we need to stick up for each other in certain aspects? Yes. Do we also need to police our own ranks and cull out those that are giving us a bad rap? I believe that also is a yes. Like it or not we are a minority and it is imperative that we conduct ourselves with class. This isn't about blinds or decoys. This is about explaining and demonstrating that we honestly care about our natural resources and the animals we pursue. The modern trend of success at all costs and only the kill matters is not going to be viewed positively by those on the fence about hunting. I have won a handful of anti-hunting liberals over just because them being at my house and eventually eating wild game and discussing things. I can promise you that would not have happened if I acted like your typical Bubba redneck. Discussion is good, disagreements can be good if civil. Thought and concern for hunting and the way it is portrayed should be a priority for all who love it and want to keep it.

[Greg Massey]

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In my opinion turkey hunting has evolved over the years, equipment and gear has become much more advanced. But i feel it's still challenging calling that old gobbler to the gun barrel. Back in the old days it was hard to find a huntable flock of birds just about anywhere in my home state. To become a better hunter i wanted to learn as much as possible from the old times who turkey hunted to joining the NWTF. In the early days of learning we didn't have the internet or this great forum, we had to read books and magazines. Without question the gear and knowledge without question has improved drastically. I myself being of the older age enjoy the new improvements because if it wasn't for some of these new improvements , i'm sure i might not be hunting now ... I use all or most equipment available to us.. IN MY OPINION HUNT THE WAY YOU WANT REGARDLESS AND ENJOY THE GREAT OUTDOORS .. the only one i'm trying to please in how i hunt is myself ...