Future of hunting

[fallhnt]

Just read an article about the decline of hunters. The face of hunting is changing, we all know this but the animal population isn't slowing down. Some claim one way to combat the decline of hunters for the growing Whitetail population of 30 million would be to legalize the sale of venison. Meaning special permits for non hunting take of wildlife. Don't know about venison sales happening anytime soon in IL but we do pay state employees overtime to shoot deer at night in "CWD" zone. Seems like  the refusal to delist Wolves,CWD nonsense, combined with other poor wildlife agency decisions isn't helping. In IL our youth seasons are a joke. Kids get the two weekends before the season opener for Spring turkey. Youth deer gun season is Columbus day weekend. Seems like Big kids are saying "We offer a youth season but NOT during prime time." Kids won't have a good time in poor at best conditions. Also,the I only shoot  trophy animals takes the fun away.You never see a hunting show with kids squirrel hunting or learning to trap eather. More outdoor opportunity lost. Living in the midwest, I doubt I will ever see the lose of game or hunting that some states are just seeing the start of. But I also don't like the thought of our heritage being lost. We are very blessed living in the USA.

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[treein dixie]

In the east they claim the same thing, but the big picture is no where to go due to development and landowner inheriteders (younger generation that want let you hunt) and if you choose to go you better have big $$ to pay your way.  $40 dollar and acre leases aren't worth it and your average hunter can't afford it anyways.

[zelmo1]

Overall here in New England there is a lot of competition for time. There is always a sport or activity going on and most don't take the $$$ that hunting and outdoor sports take. Laziness and apathy are also wayyyyy higher. There isn't the fathers to take their kids hunting also. I take all that I can't try to keep the fires burning here. But, most hunters I see are older like me, not a lot of young people out here. I saw 2 other hunters on youth weekend.

[fallhnt]

The lease......same story throughout Whitetail land.

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[Old Timer]

Use to have 12 farms for turkey hunting, down to 2 and im not shy about asking for permission. Old time farmers are getting fewer. But not is all lost we got a few of the younger ones in church introduced to the outdoors and im impressed on the interest they have taken. And one young fellow takes me now and has dragged a couple of deer out for me. So i think its up to us to get the younger generation out. God bless 

[falltoms]

The Pennsylvania game commission recently hired a well known Turkey hunter/TV hunting show host, for marketing the Pa game commission.  I suppose it's a good thing in a way, but it shows how hard its getting to recruit new hunters. I'm thankful my children love the outdoors. We live the outdoor lifestyle, we literally live off of wild game. Its ashame but things are changing. One  of the things I think is hurting hunting is the outdoor TV shows.  Instant gratification is what the young hunters seem to want, and as mentioned above,  the trophy hunting aspect. Everyone wants a big buck etc, or it's not worth it. This mentality makes me sick.

[Happy]

I always take new hunters. Ever person in my family except my youngest has taken game. I take my nieces and nephews as well as friends kids out every year. My goal is not so much to make die hard hunters but to at least cultivate an understanding of hunting as well as show the relationship that hunters play in supporting a healthy wildlife population as opposed to the bubba beer swilling idiots that the media tends to portray. (Not that the Bubba beer swilling idiots dont exist.) Unfortunately hunting property is hard to find for many and that's a shame. I am blessed to have plenty to hunt and live right next to state forest land. I also have two private farms but I have yet to hunt them just because I enjoy hunting the leases and public land so much. It's funny how many cry about crowded public land yet also complain about a lack of hunters joining our ranks. In all honesty if we quit focusing on ourselves and look at the bigger picture we would be much better off. Take kids hunting and fishing. Teach them right from wrong and to love the outdoors. Make things fun and Interesting. It will not be a negative influence on their life at all. When my my wife and I got married not a single one of her immediate family members hunted or fished. Now deer and Turkey is requested for meals when they come over and several have killed deer themselves. Funny how the right kind of exposure can swing things around.

[Spitten and drummen]

In my opinion , hunting property is the biggest thing to blame. When you have leases of 5000 acres and 5 members hunting it. It is what it is. You pay to play or go home. The way of the world now.

[Happy]

That is true to an extent. However the leases I am on are more crowded than the public land around me. I would bet the majority of hunters have access to plenty of public land. Yeah you may have to work harder and be a little smarter but there is still good hunting to be had for those who are willing to work for it.

[Turkeyman]

I hate to be a pessimist but I think the future of hunting doesn't bode well for a number of reasons. I read some time ago whereas hunters who quit hunting were questioned as to why. The two main reasons were that they had nobody to hunt with and no place to hunt. Nobody to hunt with?...their buddies either quit or died. No place to hunt?...posted lands whereas in most cases farms were sold and new younger land owners won't let anybody hunt. Now...don't tell me that there are thousands of acres of state lands to hunt....I know that. But in most cases they're overhunted already...at least back east here. Getting the youth involved...just about every conservation department in every state has youth seasons to encourage young hunters. However, if they have no quality place to hunt they will soon lose interest...again, as mentioned previously by others, that instant gratification factor which is paramount with today's youth. Granted, many of you have children or grandchildren who will carry on the hunting tradition...but you and they are in the minority. Try to get the "average" youth these days to sit for several hours for a deer or turkey...and a number of days not encounter either...versus play their never ending sports, electronic games or hanging out with buddies. No brainer for them.

Personally, I lost two excellent turkey hunting spots this year. The first spot...large farm sold to a young couple who don't hunt but will not let anybody hunt their property...they don't hunt either. Second spot, farmer died, land sold and same scenario as the first. Just the way it is.

[Sixes]

Personally, I have not seen a decline in my home state of Georgia. That could be because of the high numbers of move ins over the last 30 years.

What I do see is less young people hunting, less than 30, and that will cause a huge drop in the next decade or so.

I think there are multiple factors involved.
1. High cost to lease land. Georgia has always been a "lease" state, but prices have gotten higher each year.
2. QDM. Trophy hunting being forced upon youngsters is destroying the sport. I cut my teeth on any buck is a good one, now everyone expects to see the pedigree and pictures of the buck to verify that it is mature before it is "harvested" ( I despise that term and will not use it, harvesting is for vegetables)
3. Phones, laptops, computers.  Why hunt the real thing when I can virtually hunt from the A/C.
4. The need to succeed and competition among hunters.

I could make tons more reasons.

[nitro]

I too live in Georgia. I liked Turkey hunting better in the late 70s and through the 80s. No one turkey hunted to speak of and the ones that did kept their mouths shut.

Far cry from today.

[GobbleNut]

The hunting tradition as we older guys know it is gradually losing steam,...and for many of the reasons already mentioned. Urbanization and the changing attitudes that have accompanied it are a key cause, as are the myriad interests and distractions for all of us that exist in today's society that were non-existent "way back when".  Add to that the decreasing "connection" of the newer generations with the land and its wildlife,...and then mix in the constant drum beat of the animal rights folks that hunting and the killing of animals is bad,...regardless of its necessity as a wildlife management tool,...and here we are. 

Fortunately, the general public still accepts hunting as the one wildlife management tool we use to control wildlife populations.  I personally don't expect that to change anytime soon.  I believe our society will reach an equilibrium at some point where the folks most dedicated to the hunting tradition will remain,...if for no other reason than to act as a balance between people and the necessity of keeping wildlife at acceptable numbers.

Unfortunately, on the other hand, that "hunter dedication" is quickly becoming a function of opportunity afforded by affluence and/or personal connections.  Here in New Mexico, more and more hunting opportunity is being siphoned directly into the hands of those types,...even on public land,...while the general hunting public sits on the sidelines and watches.  I suspect that same phenomenon is occurring all over the country.

I personally find it very disheartening that the very system that our forefathers rebelled against in the "old world" where the kings, lords, and the chosen few hunted while the peasants watched is happening right here and now before our own eyes.  As such, I am not so sure I would want the future generation of "peasants" in this country to even take up our cherished life style. Perhaps it's better if they just play soccer and video games....   

[Crghss]

In the 90's on my families property we had an agreement with all the surrounding land owners. I can your place you can hunt mine. I could walk in any direction and exhaust myself before turning around. When we crossed paths with the neighbors we'd sit down and talk about anything. Family, trophy deer or turkey we saw or just good time BS'ing, making each other laugh having a good time.

Today? Don't you dare step on my land. I can come on your land and give you grief about all the things I thing you do wrong. Target shooting, why are you mowing grass now, shooting does, not planting food plots etc. etc.

Reality is there is less and less land to hunt. In turn that bring out the worst in people.

[owlhoot]

Lots of good points to agree with.  The instant gratification of TV hunting on premium grounds with large bucks and many turkey does some harm for new hunters. When some kids get to go they expect that on their hunts. It is what they see on TV and YouTube.
When some don't get that they loose interest. Same goes for some new hunter adults.
For some more hunters , the private ground is locked up by family or by the ever price increasing leases.
Public ground in Missouri, the northern part anyway is very crowded during deer and turkey seasons.
Not much game left on those places. Turkey populations in serious decline.
No bucks under 4 points per side and no does with firearms , some areas no does with bow either. That makes for a very tough hunt .
I know and also have met a lot of people with no decent place to hunt. I see more getting out of hunting in the future.