One Reason It Is Harder To Hunt Public Ground

[guesswho]

Throw social media and camcorders in the mix too!   

[outdoors]

Wildlife react too pressure
Lack of food off spring drops

[FL-Boss]

population was recently discussed here -  http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,83500.msg821535.html#msg821535

"I agree with population being an issue... it floors me people don't really talk about this as it's the root of many issues.  Knowing that... do you really think your secret public land hunting spot is going to be less crowded next year and the year after?

Also - private lease prices are going to continue to go through the roof as more land vanishes to accommodate more people, development, etc.

Just look at what has happened to Florida over the last 30 years....  I would bet a guided Osceola hunt in Florida will cost over 10K in the not so distant future. 

I see turkey hunters will a few choices in the decades to come.  1. Hunt public with countless other hunters calling every 100 yards apart. Or pay for high dollar leases, or outfitters.  Hunting will become a rich mans sport over the coming decades for those hunters that can't tolerate the rat race on public land. This is already becoming the case in Fla. 

And yes, there is still plenty of open land in Montana, Wyoming and some other western states now... but I assure you that will change to with time. You guys over 40 can remember how things "used to be"  around where you live. Just imagine the changes to come..

[Happy]

I honestly don't see as much pressure on public land as I used to. Yes there are still people hunting but it most often the easy to reach spots. It's obvious however that the dedication ain't there. I love public ground and I haven't turkey hunted a piece of ground that wasn't available to hundreds of people. I have noticed more people flooding areas that are well known as turkey hotspots. Everyone want the "easy" birds and they can fight each other for them. Me, I will keep climbing mountains, and getting up at 2:30 am to hike for miles before daylight. If it means enough to you then you will find a way. I live in a place where hunting is still considered normal and we still take our hats off for the national anthem before a game. I hope it stays that way till I am dead and gone and I hope my children carry on the tradition. The future of our sport is crucial. I just hope I can teach the handful of kids I take each year to represent it well and with respect.

[NCL]

I hunt both public and private land. My experience on public land is early in the season it is much more crowded and as the season progresses the crowds become non-existent. I have hunted public land late in the season and not seen another hunter. I am retired so I do avoid weekends which also may be part of the reason. The biggest effect I see on the population explosion is larger tracts of land are being cut up into small parcels that too small to hunt even if you can get permission.

[GobbleNut]

I agree that the fundamental root of the "problem" is human population growth.  However, the number of people who hunt is steadily decreasing.  As I recall (and my recollection is admittedly questionable), the current percentage of people who hunt in the U.S. is down to about 3%.  A decade or so ago, it was around 7%,...and three or four decades ago, it was about 15%. 

Three things are happening: 1) fewer and fewer younger-generation folks are taking up hunting; 2) the older generation is dying out or quitting due to age; and 3) hunters in all age groups are quitting due to increased difficulty in being able to find places to hunt.

On the other hand, those of us that are dedicated hunters are sticking with it,...and even expanding our horizons,...hence, the increasing numbers of turkey hunters traveling to hunt different states and the like.

The bottom line is that there has to be a balance between the welfare of the resource (wildlife populations) and the amount of hunting pressure that can be put on that resource. 

We, as hunters, strive to preserve the hunting tradition because we have seen how it enhances our lives  We do that by trying to "pass it on" to younger generations.  We also see that as protecting our own interests as hunters by having more voices of support for hunting in a world that, overall, sees less and less value in the human hunter.

The dilemma we face in recruiting more and more hunters is that we are, in actuality, negatively impacting our own hunting experiences,...and as has been demonstrated by the trends and demographics, too many hunters begins to sour even the most ardent hunter. 

The point is that we need to be careful what we wish for in terms of hunter recruitment.  As we are beginning to see, too many of us can come back to bite us in the butt.  I could go into great detail as to how that has affected us out here in my home state,...perhaps another time.,

[Happy]

You bring up some valid points for a senile old man gobblenut. To me though the best answer lies somewhere in the middle. I will  sacrifice some of "my" turkeys and turkey hunting time to some newcomers to help out. I think I am responsible for the death of fewer turkeys now than say 5-6 years ago. A lot of that is due to taking kids and inexperienced adults. I still love to shoot them but I honestly love watching newcomers get on them as just as much. I am not bent on creating die hard hunters, I do wish to foster an understanding of wildlife and the respect a true hunter gives it. Life, death and the correct use of wild game for some delicious and healthy meals as well as a love for being outdoors. TV shows for the most part are in my opinion a horrible representation of our sport. We don't need to create die hard hunters, we do need to properly educate those around us on what the true hunters are really about.

[FL-Boss]

The dilemma we face in recruiting more and more hunters is that we are, in actuality, negatively impacting our own hunting experiences,...and as has been demonstrated by the trends and demographics, too many hunters begins to sour even the most ardent hunter.

bingo! it's a double edged sword. 

As for the number of hunters, the percentage has dropped.  But I guess it seems like more hunters everywhere you go now because of the population increases and less available private land (those hunters are now having to hunt public)    Looking back on the previous 25 years.. can you imagine how public land will look in the next 25 years..?

I'll also add in regards to the recruitment of new younger hunters... there is just a lot of other "noise" and things out there today for them to do. Factor in all the video games, and tech gadgets...many of them would rather stay home.

This is a great topic!

[silvestris]

Thanks, FL-BOSS.  Immigration/population is a topic I frequently ponder.  Our traditional American culture is rapidly disappearing, and it is a tragic loss in many ways.  Overcrowding of public land, cost of private land, and the fact that it is about impossible to find a spot to pull over to urinate because of the traffic.  I, for one, am for an almost totally end to all immigration, illegal and illegal, until this country  can reach a consensus on just exactly who and what we want to be.

[Sir-diealot]

Well put NCL, Gobblenut and Happy, you are make excellent points. You are far from senile Gobblenut, you always bring excellent points to a discussion.

[Happy]

Personally I have no problem with immagration provided it is done legally and they become productive members of society. That means taxed and treated like any other citizen. No handouts. My big issue is that certain lawmakers feel like we have to protect the unproductive citizens. And I am not talking about those that legitimately cannot work. I am talking about the drug addicts and lifelong welfare recipients that are just to lazy to work. I propose we include southern California in the building of the wall. On the other side of course. They can all live there and see how life turns out. That and if you really want to see things turn around make it mandatory that you pay taxes in order to be able to vote. If you aren't chipping into the system then you have no say in how it's run.

[1iagobblergetter]

Personally I have no problem with immagration provided it is done legally and they become productive members of society. That means taxed and treated like any other citizen. No handouts. My big issue is that certain lawmakers feel like we have to protect the unproductive citizens. And I am not talking about those that legitimately cannot work. I am talking about the drug addicts and lifelong welfare recipients that are just to lazy to work. I propose we include southern California in the building of the wall. On the other side of course. They can all live there and see how life turns out. That and if you really want to see things turn around make it mandatory that you pay taxes in order to be able to vote. If you aren't chipping into the system then you have no say in how it's run.

You mean they wouldn't  get a refund if they don't pay in ?   Probably don't vote so that part probably wouldn't offend anyone.

[sasquatch1]

I agree that the fundamental root of the "problem" is human population growth.  However, the number of people who hunt is steadily decreasing.  As I recall (and my recollection is admittedly questionable), the current percentage of people who hunt in the U.S. is down to about 3%.  A decade or so ago, it was around 7%,...and three or four decades ago, it was about 15%. 



Smaller percentage, but, of a much larger total number still can equal the same or be even more. But yes, we aren't seeing kids out hunting and caring to like we once did.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[3bailey3]

hey Sil I will  agree that it has got way harder to kill a bird down here in Ms. and we have hunted some of the same public land, the wma I used to like to hunt has become so hard I have quit using it and so has everyone else, so its not pressure or lose of habitat, the birds are just not there anymore. The wma's that I used to call the big 3 have a lot of chicken plants around them and the only people they can get to work them are Mexican but I have never saw one of them hunting on the Wma's, so I am not sure that immigration is the problem on the public lands there. Sil what is your opinion on the land that Ms wildlife dept of wildlife just purchased? I know of a lot of guys lost their clubs in this purchase. I have been in two private clubs the last 30 years that are timber co.  that have cut every tree them so I am looking  for a new place next season and it is getting harder!

[silvestris]

Bailey, I wasn't aware of a big land purchase in MS.  We do have a huge problem with our turkeys.  I used to be come up with the cause of periodic population problems, but I am left with the "beats me?" answer to this one.