How to grow hunter numbers in New York?

[growalot]

Yet they find time to go from soccer to football to basketball to wrestling to baseball..... From grade school until high school graduation.

I hate to have to say this...Well because it's the reality of it.....When your /our kids were/are eating up $$$ and time with the school sports and activities...... they are getting their foot in the door of a good higher ed school....These things have become a must have ...just like good grades for school admissions....schools look to these things as a guide to the well rounded individual and gage this as a factor in

1. Whether they will stick it out

2. The likely hood of them being a future asset to the institution

[defrazzle]

Made an appointment to meet with the local Gander Mountain manager for this evening at 1830 hrs. I will see what kind of reaction I get from him. I'll post it here soon after.

It is now 8 PM on September 6 and I just got back from my meeting with the local Gander Mountain store manager. We spent a little over 1 hour talking about my vision as to how to involve various groups and his store in growing the number of hunters in New York State. He was interested and will speak with the Regional Gander Mt.director. He also gave me some names to contact in our area that would help set a program up. So, maybe, just maybe this will get off the ground. We agreed on another meeting in 2 weeks.

Is anyone else interested in contacting their local Gander Mt. or Cabelas or Dicks? ( as long as it is not a long drive for you) I have attached a short "white paper" which kind of outlines my vision. Use it if you like.

More follow up to come....contact me directly should there be any questions or suggestions. Thanks

[mike rossi]

As far as I know, it is the corporate policy of Gander Mountain to allow you to do what you are asking. If we get anyone to set up a GM with literature and a dove petition, we can take your literature too... But I am not going to personally do this and we cant do much more than hand out your stuff as we have our hands more than full...

BTW: A recent study by Delta Waterfowl has shown that recruiting adults is working better than recruiting youths.... Also there is an entire focus group for hunting recruitment with a long-term plan within the FWS cooberating with state wildlife agencies...

Good Luck!

[moog5050]

I have been reading this forum for a while, but this thread prompted me to sign up. I am a new hunter at 42 years old. This will be my first season. I do a lot of target shooting (both bow and gun), but decided this year to give actual hunting a try. So far, for me, the biggest difficulty is getting people to teach you the ropes. Sure I can shoot, but as you know, that doesn't mean I know how to hunt. I think a mentoring program would be great, even for us older novices. The courses give you a good start, but accompanying someone that knows what they are doing on a hunt would be so much more helpful. Finding land to hunt is also tough around here. Most hunters I know seem very protective of the land they hunt and are not inclined to bring you in on their game land.

I am determined to learn and later teach my son, as I think its a great sport. I will do it with or without mentoring, but that would be great. I learned to fish for salmon and trout years ago by taking charters and later bought a boat. I may do the same thing this year by going on a guided hunt to learn something. If there are any volunteers in the Rochester area, I would be thrilled to learn a thing or two. I plan to try both bow and shotgun this year.

[defrazzle]

As far as I know, it is the corporate policy of Gander Mountain to allow you to do what you are asking. If we get anyone to set up a GM with literature and a dove petition, we can take your literature too... But I am not going to personally do this and we cant do much more than hand out your stuff as we have our hands more than full...

BTW: A recent study by Delta Waterfowl has shown that recruiting adults is working better than recruiting youths.... Also there is an entire focus group for hunting recruitment with a long-term plan within the FWS cooberating with state wildlife agencies...

Good Luck!

Thanks for the information......it will help in figuring out where to begin.

[lindyhunter]

Mentoring programs are great but there are the liabilities. I don't think that the Gander's and Dicks are all that concerned with hunter numbers. While the numbers may be on the decline in NY they must be on the increase somewhere. These stores used to be catalog outfitters. Now they are opening stores all over the country.

I believe each and everyone of us owes it to this sport to initiate one person. Bring that person into our community. If everyone who is brought into the sport pays it forward. The number will grow and we can sustain healthy hunter numbers.

[nyslowhand]

Here's where the HuntingNY forum falls short...

First response from someone (Moog5050) looking to be mentored and no where to put his/her posting.

Like I mentioned before, the forum needs a category for mentors wanted, available or hunting buddies wanted.

[defrazzle]

Here's where the HuntingNY forum falls short...

First response from someone (Moog5050) looking to be mentored and no where to put his/her posting.

Like I mentioned before, the forum needs a category for mentors wanted, available or hunting buddies wanted.

I agree! So who can do this? Or does one of us just start a NEW TOPIC - called - Hunting Mentors/Buddies Matchup?

[defrazzle]

I agree! So who can do this? Or does one of us just start a NEW TOPIC - called - Hunting Mentors/Buddies Matchup?

I guess the only thing left to do is advertise/market the "HUNTINGNY.COM - HMBM" topic. This may be a lot easier than having GM, CAB or DICKS assist. I really like what you have suggested NYSLOWHAND

[bubba]

and get more instructors to fill the voids. Just saying

[nyslowhand]

I agree! So who can do this? Or does one of us just start a NEW TOPIC - called - Hunting Mentors/Buddies Matchup?

Takes an administrator or moderator to start a category. Which I asked to have done. Within the category topics can be added by members loking for or offering mentoring services. Hunting buddies would be a good add-on also from the link I found earlier. Out of state link, but decent idea & format:

http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/344-Hunting-Mentors-amp-New-Hunters.-Need-A-Buddy-Hook-Up-Here

[defrazzle]

Takes an administrator or moderator to start a category. Which I asked to have done. Within the category topics can be added by members loking for or offering mentoring services. Hunting buddies would be a good add-on also from the link I found earlier. Out of state link, but decent idea & format:

http://www.jesseshun...dy-Hook-Up-Here

OK - as I am fairly to this site - let me ask you and anyone else this question:

So if I understand correctly, only a administrator or moderator can start a category. Then when you ask, do you have to ask a specific adm or mod to do this? Or is it just a general question which any adm or mod can answer or ignore?

Maybe if this site does not wish or want to do this there could be other possibilities - just saying.

[defrazzle]

http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/344-Hunting-Mentors-amp-New-Hunters.-Need-A-Buddy-Hook-Up-Herea

I checked out the above link and find it very interesting. I wonder how successful the site is in matching two or more hunters?

[nyslowhand]

Not a frequent visitor to that site, so I don't know how sucessful the matching actually is...?

PMed the HuntingNY forum administrator about the idea and as of yet haven't gotten a yeah or nay.

I've dropped the ball, but will eMail the DEC regarding the old "Apprentice Hunter" program this weekend.

[tommyc50]

i been trying to get my nabor a hunters saftey course all booked in to nov .w/ a waiting list i hope its a good sign he was being picky so we found 1 class w/ 4 nites he had to take what he could get no weekends no 2 day classes

[defrazzle]

and get more instructors to fill the voids. Just saying

My application was sent in a couple of days ago....now waiting for the next step.

[bubba]

others are needed too but good job

[moog5050]

http://www.jesseshun...y-Hook-Up-Herea

I checked out the above link and find it very interesting. I wonder how successful the site is in matching two or more hunters?

Really interesting. I personally think something like this on this forum would be helpful to us newbies. Starting at 42 years old can be a daunting task. That said, the information on this site and others is helpful and would not have been available even 10 years ago to new hunters. If someone has a strong enough desire, they will learn. But a mentor would certainly encourage those who are on the fence or not sufficiently self motivated to do their homework.

[Elmo]

Really interesting. I personally think something like this on this forum would be helpful to us newbies. Starting at 42 years old can be a daunting task. That said, the information on this site and others is helpful and would not have been available even 10 years ago to new hunters. If someone has a strong enough desire, they will learn. But a mentor would certainly encourage those who are on the fence or not sufficiently self motivated to do their homework.

It can only help to have a mentor. I started started just two season ago and I'm pretty sure I can be labelled as having a strong desire to learn. I've bought and watched 4 different instructional DVDs. Read 3 books on general hunting and 2 on deer specific hunting. Logged countless hours on youtube and on this forum.

But when you step out into the field, you're on your own. So if you accidentally misunderstood something but don't realize you had misinterpret something, you'll continue to commit that error out in the field all the while thinking you're doing everything right. And since no scenerio is the same, when a deer gets spooked just to use as an example, you might not realize that it was that error you have been making that was spooking the deer.

Secondly, even with the helpful hunters on this forum, you have to know enough to even ask the question. Asking which is better, A or B, you would first have to know about A or B. You may not even realize that those factors even need to be considered but an experience hunter might notice it when looking over your setup and point it out.

There are time when at the very least, I just want someone to shadow me and point out what I'm doing wrong or right.

Edited September 10, 2012 by Elmo

[nyslowhand]

Elmo, agree with you 200%! That's the absolute #1 pitfall of novice deer hunters. What is read in a book, shown in a video, dipicted on TV or discussed in a seminar is one person's experience, generally in a specific area and not always applicable to where & how the beginner hunts!!!! What the novice lacks is the ability to sift through what is being read/shown and sort out what's applicable for their situation. Easier said than done with limited experience or real life hunting situations. This is where a mentor can relate years of experience in a matter of weeks to the beginner and usually in an applicable hunting environment. God knows the more you hunt, the more mistakes you make and the more you continue to learn from them. The learning curve for hunting (or fishing, trapping, etc.) is steep & a mentor can make this process much less frustrating and get the novice to a point where it is enjoyable quickly.

[nyantler]

Everyone has their own hunting experience... tips and stories here should be put in the memory banks and may relate to future situations in the woods... hard to get hunting from a book or video... experience obviously is the best teacher and it will take years to become comfortable with your hunting abilities based on where, when, how and how much you hunt.

[defrazzle]

My application was sent in a couple of days ago....now waiting for the next step.

Today I received a postcard thanking me for volunteering and that I am to expect an interview soon.

[airedale]

I believe the biggest cause of the decline in hunting is the loss of viable hunting grounds. When I was a young fellow my area was populated by many family farms. Most farmers back then welcomed hunters as long as they asked for permission and behaved. Many farmers looked at game animals as a direct threat to their bottom line and saw hunting and trapping as way to keep things in check.Today most of those farms are long gone, when they go out of business many times the land is sold off for house building lots forever losing it to hunting. Most of the farms that are left now post their lands, leaving long drives to mostly crowded unproductive state lands for the newbies to hunt on. Take a kid fishing and never have catch anything is a sure fire formula for disinterest and quitting, the same will apply to hunting.

Small game hunting which is the staple for young hunters starting out has been pretty much forgotten, I grew up coon hunting, rabbit and hare hunting, squirrel hunting, bird hunting. Unlike deer hunting where a hunter may not even fire a shot during the season, with small game action is generally the name of the game and I had and still today have a blast small game hunting. Success will generate interest and get the bug started even the the game might just be a squirrel. Why it has faded so dramatically I am not sure but it seems like the deer hunting craze has taken over the whole fall with some kind of special season for various weapons. I am a person that loves to hunt deer and I also like hunting small game especially with dogs, That being said there is no way I am going to take one of my dogs into the field during any deer season and as mentioned above that covers pretty much the whole fall when the weather here for hunting in lake effect snow country is at it's best. Bottom line I and others like me stay home.

Al

[mike rossi]

There isnt even a base of small game hunters to mentor youth & novices anymore... It probably doesnt matter what game a novice is introduced to but viewing the following link it is hard to imagine how deer hunting would be as effective an introduction to these students....

Check it out:

[nyantler]

I agree mike... my kids responded well to hunting small game... where they got some action... they just want an opportunity to pull the trigger on something... that gives them a thrill.