Hunting numbers down?

[Spitten and drummen]

  I keep seeing people post about hunter numbers being down , how we need hunter recruitment and some on hunting shows are doing good for the sport by recruiting more hunters. I dont get it. Where are the folks that repeat these things over and over getting their info or that impression? If you are not over ran with hunters in your area , then I envy you. I hunt in MS. And I can tell you that I have absolutely seen the opposite. What makes me laugh is how people always give this tip , "Hunt during the week and hunt later in the morning when".... wait for it ... Its less people in the woods. How can this sound advice limit the number of people hunting during the week and later in the morning remain completely true? Now I get people working and prior engagements do not allow everyone that luxury but also at the same time , more hunters start following that advice and before its over , the advice is no longer true. I started this thread just to hear other peoples thoughts . Feel free to voice your opinion on this topic but keep in mind that we all have different ones and no one persons opinion is right and wrong.

[aaron]

Leasing and other reasons that have decreased hunter access.   In short, everyone is lumped into the same area.  Mr. Smith who used to allow 6-8 guys to hunt his 500 acre farm leased to two guys.  Now you have 6 guys displaced.   We all end up in the same public spots or the very few private  spots That u can still hunt on a handshake.  I feeL the exact same as you.  Feels like people are EVERYWHERE.   I looked at my states statistics.  They have a chart of yearly turkey tags sold.  2003- 95,000 sold.  2019- 63,000 sold.  And it felt a lot more crowded in 2019 than 2003.   Try to find those statistics for your state.  They are probably out there.  Facts are, nationwide, hunter numbers are down considerably. 

[Fullfan]

29th year in Missouri, ran into guys every day where I have never seen anyone.  Same here in Pa hunters everywhere, cant find a place without a man track.

[bigbird]

Indiana is crowded too. I seen a ton of people this year but I didn't notice much difference between years even with this pandemic going on. I'm with you on where they getting their data from. I have an Indiana lifetime license ok. After 10 years the state doesn't get money from the Pittman Robertson act no more. So if they aren't getting that and no new hunters start buying the tag they might get the idea that numbers are dropping but they aren't. If other states are like Indiana on the lifetime license deal then they are misinterpreting the data   My 2 cents

[lmbunch69]

Indiana was bad this year. Seemed like every pull off had a truck.

[J-Shaped]

Much like discussions on the factors driving population declines, this topic has numerous causes, and I don't think it can be attributed to one single issue. That said, I continue to say that one of the biggest threats to the future of hunting in general is access to a place to hunt.

Speaking for my little corner of the world just as one example, it is extremely difficult to get access to private property without paying a hefty sum for leasing fees, which a lot folks simply can't do, or don't have the connections to find. My area of our state has very limited public land opportunities. Throw in the recent "cool' factor of hunting public land with the number of people wanting to try their hand at turkey hunting, and worst yet, a year like this one where a large population had more time to spend in the woods, and it's not hard to connect the dots to why some areas this year have been not only overcrowded, but in some cases, downright dangerous.

Case in point. I have a local WMA within a short distance of my home that was an absolute gem for both deer and turkey since its inception. Excellent habitat surrounded by several large, private holdings. Deer hunting was essentially limited to archery only, with a short muzzleloader season, and turkey was limited to a couple of short draw hunts. The turkey hunting would rival some of the best areas in the southeastern US for many years. A few years ago the state removed the draw requirements for turkey and made it open. Later, they removed all restrictions for deer and allowed rifle hunting in conjunction with the statewide regulations. Make no mistake, I support all means of hunting, so that's not the issue. But that entire WMA went from an absolute gem of a property to a below average property as a whole, at best, almost overnight. If you knew what the turkey hunting was like before, you would have to experience it to even believe it's the same property.

Nationally, sales of licenses are down. I get that, and again, there are multiple drivers. Lifetime licenses were mentioned as one cause, and maybe so, though I feel that's minimal at best. In TN you can pay $165 annually for a resident sportsmans license, or buy your kids a lifetime license before the age of 3 for $200. Do the math on that. Same if you are over 65, and it's even less expensive.

That said, back to the access, I think you are seeing a greater influx of people crowded into the only available options (i.e. public land) because it's either the only option they have or can afford, they want to be part of the "In" crowd, or a mix of other factors.

Regardless, it is changing the landscape, and I hope states take notice and adapt so that they can maintain not only our turkey populations, but also the quality of the experience on the available lands. There should be a balance. I travel to hunt all the country, and our NA Wildlife model and public lands system is something that we all should be able to enjoy, within reason.

I just don't see most states adapting to regulations at the same speed the sport has changed in recent years, which is troubling.

[g8rvet]

In my area, we are not very far from a largish city.  It has a large university.  Lots of the college kids hunt, but most years they are right near the main access roads and mostly on the weekends.  This year, we were overwhelmed with high school and college kids (both closed) hunting every day of the week.  It is what it is.  They have as much right as I do to the land.  Most of them were respectful and followed normal ethics (huge area?  find another spot if someone is parked at the one you planned to hunt).  A few either did not know better or did not care. 

The good news was the draw areas were nearly empty. Mostly those are from hunters out of the area and they did not make the trip.  Those weekends were awesome and very successful for my crew because competition was minimal and what little was there, we all just spread out.  Both spots were a 20 minute drive from my house.

[Turkeyman]

This is Covid year...nobody has anything better to do than turkey hunt. Perhaps things will return to normal next year.

[AndyN]

Look into the numbers a little more. Total hunter numbers is relatively unchanged. It's the percentage of the population that hunts that is down which is obvious when we have more people. Many places have reached their hunter carrying capacity for the amount of access available. Hard to recruit people when there is nowhere to take them.

[silvestris]

God quit making acres a few billion years; humans have continued their bumping and grinding.  Do the math.

[WorkingBirds]

Yes, been over ran with hunters this season.

[shatcher]

I mentioned this in the TN bag limit post.  Displaced workers and students with a lot of time on their hands made hunting tougher this spring.  I thought hunters were everywhere.  These younger kids have someone drop them off and trespass in a NY minute.  I enjoyed some success, but was frustrated on a lot of days.  I hope things return to normal by next season for a whole lot of reasons.  Stay safe!

[lmbunch69]

I'll add that the high school and college aspect is 100% right. I'm a senior in high school and hunted nearly every day of the season. After I filled my tag I went with friends. Had nothing else to do.

[chadly]

This is Covid year...nobody has anything better to do than turkey hunt. Perhaps things will return to normal next year.

I spoke with DNR one day that I drove an hour south to hunt where I thought no one would be.  Middle of week and lots of people.  DNR said more fishing and turkey tags being sold than ever.

[Turkeyman]

This is Covid year...nobody has anything better to do than turkey hunt. Perhaps things will return to normal next year.

I spoke with DNR one day that I drove an hour south to hunt where I thought no one would be.  Middle of week and lots of people.  DNR said more fishing and turkey tags being sold than ever.

Yes, and be prepared. Due to the influx of "Covid hunters" I predict that a fair number will like it! Thus for at least several subsequent years you're going to see more turkey hunters.