Your best theories?

[Doc]

Well, there is no longer any doubt that hunter numbers are crashing, and I have a feeling that most of those left are much less motivated as they used to be. So, the question is, what are your theories as to why we are losing hunters hunter activity?

[Grizz1219]

Kids are too busy with phones, video games, sports etc.

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[Daveboone]

Constant stimulus from I phones/games, etc., parents spending less time with kids. I am amazed by my very avid hunter friends, none of who ever brought their kids hunting. I ask why ? I got the same answer....I dont want to force it on them! WTF? From a very early age I took delight in accompanying my dad on walks in the woods, fishing (even if my pole was just an old piece of TV antenae), camping, etc. Nothing was ever forced on me, I wanted to spend time with dad...and happily, vice versa. Folks think of family time as just staring at a screen. 

[Daveboone]

And for not being able to edit my previous note...from a very young age, my son DID acompany me on woods walks, weiner roasts, fishing, squirrel hunts, camping, canoe trips, etc. Happily, he loves fishing still, which we share together, but hunting didnt sync with him. And that is ok. 

[First-light]

Kids are busy these days. My daughter loved to hunt but trying to find time between sports, her education and other things it just didn't come in first. We just have to keep on trying. The sad part is we, our generation are seeing the strangle hold politics are putting on the costs of owning a gun. It will only get worse for them and further generations. That is where the interest will die out. 

[Doc]

Our culture is changing, and not necessarily in a good way. Hunting is just another part of our heritage that is being stripped away.

[airedale]

Two things stick out for me, the first is the demise of family farms. Most of the hunting I did as a youngster was on the seven dairy farms on the 5 mile stretch of country road I lived on. The owners of those farms had no problem with hunting and in fact encouraged hunting for certain animals like coon and Woodchucks. I had farmers coming to me all the time to rid their corn patches of Coons. The habitat those farms provided were a haven for all small game, the hedgerows that bordered farm field were mostly Hickory, Butternut and Walnut trees. Those hedgerows were alive with Squirrels, Woodchucks, Cottontail Rabbits and the occasional Grouse or Pheasant.

That same land today is totally different, the hedgerows have all been cut and cleared, not a single farm is in operation, the land that bordered the roads was all sold off as building lots that now have houses built on them with owners who do not like hunting and shooting in their backyards. Sadly a total loss when it comes to any kind of hunting. The same scenario has happened all over the state, lots of good hunting habitat gone with the wind.

The second thing is the demise of small game hunting, what has been written above played a hand in that and also the emphasis on Deer hunting and almost an afterthought for small game. I have said it before and will say it again there is nothing like good small game hunting to create an addiction to hunting. Small game hunting provides experience, action and excitement which is especially important with youngsters. Sitting in a tree stand waiting for a deer to come along and freezing your ass off is not fun for a kid just starting to hunt. In fact for me it has never been fun to hunt that way to this day and I don't. Nothing like a couple of Beagle hounds in full cry swinging a circle with a rabbit coming at you or your dog flushing a nice Rooster pheasant or sneaking through the squirrel woods still hunting and knocking off a limit of Squirrels. If a kid has any hunt in them these types of hunts get the blood flowing.

Al

Edited January 25 by airedale

[steve863]

Lots of reason and many have already been mentioned.  The world has become more urban and suburban so it's not as easy for a youngster to take up hunting on their own like some were able to in the past.  The key is for parents or other adults to TRY to expose kids to hunting.  It may not always work but at least give it a try.  It takes time, effort and patience which many adults don't have these days.  We knock kids for lacking many things  but I see adults as a big part of the problem, too.  This trophy deer hunting mentality isn't helping things either.  Lots of these fathers and other adults are so wrapped up in their own hunting that they won't give up their "precious" time in pursuit of that trophy to take a youngster out.  It's become a selfish world in general and hunting is no exception.

[Grouse]

Hunting activity is dying because we didn't resist the attacks from the anti gun and anti hunting groups for decades.  They have won.  The public perception of hunting and hunters has been changed by those who oppose it. All the points listed above are factors, but just contribute to hunting's demise. Those opposed to hunting have time on their side.  They have been working to end it and now know it's only a matter of time until all who pursue the sport die out. 

They will now move on to Part 2.  Without hunting, guns are no longer needed.  The same strategy of attacks will be used to change public perception of firearm ownership with the goal of eliminating it completely.

[Shoots100]

We live in the most anti gun and anti hunting state with a conservation department that uses hunter license funds to fund anti hunting ad's and programs.

What do you think the perception of hunting by younger generations will be ?

Go to other states and the youth are hunting and fishing.

Don't lump the Tri state area in with the rest of the free states in America.

NY state sucks and has been sucking for decades.

When it gets sucked down the hole, at least I'll have some fond memories of how it used to be while living in a free red state.

 

SJC

[Four Seasons]

1 hour ago, Shoots100 said:

We live in the most anti gun and anti hunting state with a conservation department that uses hunter license funds to fund anti hunting ad's and programs.

What do you think the perception of hunting by younger generations will be ?

Go to other states and the youth are hunting and fishing.

Don't lump the Tri state area in with the rest of the free states in America.

NY state sucks and has been sucking for decades.

When it gets sucked down the hole, at least I'll have some fond memories of how it used to be while living in a free red state.

 

SJC

Spot On. Have many friends in other states that actually are in favor of hunting and protect their 2nd. Look what’s happening in some states now with the stocking and protection of Wolves. Just another way to get their agenda pushed. 

[Steve D]

A lot of good points being made here. First let's look at a couple of definitions: The definition of hunter:

noun

1) a person who hunts game or other wild animals for food or in sport.

1) a person who searches for or seeks something: a fortune hunter.

Heritage: 

noun. something that is handed down from the past, as a tradition:

I have mentored a number of people including my own kids that are now grown up. I also have a number of relatives that "used" to hunt.

Exposure does not seem to be the issue. 

A number of them including my kids have almost no interest that has to do with anything related to the outdoors. They are hunting the easier life with a lot of social interaction.

They are always looking for an easier or better way rather than going back to their roots. Finding ways to make more money and to live more comfortable is the trend today.

Who wants to go set in a stand and freeze for the chance to shoot a deer that they probably don't like to eat when they can stay in a comfortable environment and have their food delivered to them.

I think hunters are born and not made.

 

[Doc]

So many great points!

Although the demise of small family farms was mentioned, I think the difficulties that this poses for hunting has to be emphasized. Down here in valley country I have noted that back in the 50's and 60's, before I was old enough to hunt, I used to hike along the ridges of the valley and would go more than 5 miles through the woods without ever seeing a posted sign. These lands were owned by farmers who didn't have the time to be running through the woods tacking up posted signs. Besides, they didn't really care who was hunting up there as long as they stayed away from the buildings and their critters.

Then farmers got old. Their kids went off to more lucrative work, and the little 100 and 200 acre farms came on the market as the farmers retired and got busted up into 5 acre lots as the city people began to invade the rural countryside. every little parcel became ringed with posted signs and all the land that used to be great hunting areas became inaccessible. I have watched so many great stand areas that I have lost to development of little farmettes and just plain residences. I have seen houses constructed on top of some of my old favorite stand-sites. Today people have to beg to hunt the few stretches of woods that exist. In many cases, crowded state land is all that is available. Some of the last hunting land can be hunted if you have the money to lease the land at ever growing prices. All this stuff works against hunting and now hunting land scarcity is a factor also.

[Doc]

I also agree with Grouse regarding the effects of the anti-hunting organizations. While we were laughing at their idiotic antics and ravings and never took them seriously. Their outlandish claims and tugging at people's heart-strings and their well-funded  organizations were converting more and more people. Some of the converts were even hunters. I hate to admit it, but they are winning. We are getting beaten by a bunch of crazy wackos. It's probably way past time to admit that, but it is looking like fact. That along with so many cultural impacts is threatening the entire activity of hunting nation-wide.