outdoor news

[Chevy]

watch out wny he will pm you and call you names. It is sad when people are not willing to give a couple days for the future of hunting. I guess I just dont get it.

It's sad when people won't take a kid hunting on opening day becuase they don't want to sacrafice it so they need a "special season" to do so. 75% of all deer are killed the first two days. How is that not a good opportunity for kids? It's not all that cold out either the first weekend. What a bunch of excuses.

[bubba]

Actually Edsel I take kids hunting all the time, so if that was directed at me, you are barking up the wrong tree. I also volunteer my time to educate children so they become eligible to receive a hunting license. And you do?????

[burmjohn]

Once my little one is old enough I can't wait to get out there and see if they like the sport, youth season or not. Hopefully they will be strong enough with a bow to shoot successfully at 20 yards and be out there in early Sept!

[NFA-ADK]

I have to agree with Doc again. If you want to get them interested in hunting take them out on a small game hunt while scouting for deer or just while scouting. You will see all the deer you want, if that does not get them interested you are fighting a lost cause IMO...

JUST seeing a deer gets me excited after 24 years of hunting, if seeing, stalking and calling deer during closed season does not spark thier interest, again IMO they were not going to be into hunting no matter what you do.

Hunting is something that is in our DNA. If you have to force them into the outdoors or make a separate hunt with unrealistic expectations you are setting them up for failer... If they enjoy hunting for small game that is all you need, the larger game will follow, no need for a separate season that is not a true representation of hunting.

We are born a hunters, whether or not you keep and or catch the hunting bug is another story... IMHO it is something that you are born having the itch or not. Tough to get someone who is not into the outdoors to hunt or even get them off the dam computer...

Again this is all opinion, NO ONE person is right, just differant ways of percieving things... I just don't see a special season making a dif in anyone who hunts...

If the kids do not get a deer and say this hunting stuff sucks during a special season does that mean it did not work? Or if the kid gets a deer and really sees the entire process will that deter them? If all the kids get a buck and my kid did not will my kid say this sucks and hate hunting?

If you take them out on a realistic hunt and they actually get a deer, you can say with PRIDE my son/daughter nailed this nice buck/doe that NO OTHER hunter was able to get. Yet if they get one off season during a specail hunt just for kids, well now it is just a kiddy kill to all the other hunters and not a realistic approach to what is real when hunting.

Again this is all a matter of opinion, NO ONE PERSON IS RIGHT OR WRONG. IMO a separate season is not a way to entice new young hunters...

One of the things hunters need to know is every trip out is not a success. Anyone hunting for any length of time knows this. Yet if you take a kid out and slam a doe the 1st day he will think this is how hunting is done and expect that every time...

Hunting is about enjoying the outdoors and that is what should be instilled into new hunters, not here is a easy kill to get you started... Conservation, preservation and ethics this is how I would teach a kid, killing is the last thing they will learn about as I feel this is ony the means to the end, unless you have multiple tags...

Just sounds to me like many of you are saying they need to kill something to keep them interested. Again if seeing, stalking, calling and observing deer (off season)does not peak thier interest you are fighting a lost cause IMHO...

[Doc]

No, the thought is to get them out when they have a better chance to see deer and hold their interest so they will be willing to go out when its cold and the deer are not as easy to pattern. You sure do have a way of twisting things into a negative sometimes Doc.

There's no twisting things going on here. That's just my opinion. Sorry if I don't happen to agree with you. I suppose I ought to get me a set of those rose colored glasses so I can get on board these feel-good schemes ..... lol.

[Phillygunns]

Most of us started hunting when we became old enough to do so. We were taken afield by our fathers, uncles and brothers. We did not have great expectations about bagging a trophy buck or even a doe. The thrill was finally being able to go hunting with the men we respected, to join the fraternity of hunters. This was a ritual, a right of passage, being initiated and excepted into the world of men.

A special youth season destroys that sacred right. It would only be confusing to a young hunter to imply that they are now old enough to hunt but are still a child and can not hunt with the adults. Raise them to be adults by showing them the respect given to an adult.

[WNYBuckHunter]

It's sad when people won't take a kid hunting on opening day becuase they don't want to sacrafice it so they need a "special season" to do so. 75% of all deer are killed the first two days. How is that not a good opportunity for kids? It's not all that cold out either the first weekend. What a bunch of excuses.

Thats 100% nonsense. I take my daughter out with me on opening day, as well as many other days through the season. Ill tell you though, its a heck of alot easier to get her to go out when the weather is warmer and the chances of seeing deer are higher.

[WNYBuckHunter]

There's no twisting things going on here. That's just my opinion. Sorry if I don't happen to agree with you. I suppose I ought to get me a set of those rose colored glasses so I can get on board these feel-good schemes ..... lol.

I suggest you go back and read what you posted. All you did was take what I said and twist it into a negative sounding comment. Instead of rose colored glasses, I would suggest taking the blinders off, at least for a little while.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Most of us started hunting when we became old enough to do so. We were taken afield by our fathers, uncles and brothers. We did not have great expectations about bagging a trophy buck or even a doe. The thrill was finally being able to go hunting with the men we respected, to join the fraternity of hunters. This was a ritual, a right of passage, being initiated and excepted into the world of men.

A special youth season destroys that sacred right. It would only be confusing to a young hunter to imply that they are now old enough to hunt but are still a child and can not hunt with the adults. Raise them to be adults by showing them the respect given to an adult.

Were talking about 12 and 13 year olds, not 4 year olds, they can figure things out alot better than some people seem to give them credit for. Many other states have early youth seasons, and it works out well for them. I dont hear about a bunch of confused young people upset that they lose out on 2 or 3 days of hunting when they get older.

Besides, with the dwindling hunter numbers each year, it seems to me that the old way of doing things really isnt working all that well. We are never going to find a real solution unless we try some different approaches.

We are also talking about deer HUNTING here, not taking kids to a deer farm and letting them point to the one they want. There is still no guarantee that they are going to kill anything, other than a few days of time.

[Doc]

I suggest you go back and read what you posted. All you did was take what I said and twist it into a negative sounding comment. Instead of rose colored glasses, I would suggest taking the blinders off, at least for a little while.

Actually what I did was respond to your post with an opinion that you apparently don't like. That does happen on a forum occasionally and really involves nothing other than me stating an opinion. That's kind of how a forum works....right? You want to call it twisting something, knock your socks off. It still doesn't negate anything that I said. By the way, if you want to believe in youth hunts, that is your right, but don't be getting all bent out of shape if some don't happen to agree with your opinion on the effectiveness of them.

[sits in trees]

Not only do they own their own land, but maybe lease it, or family has control of it, or any number of other ways that people can basically have control of their hunting lands. Maybe they simply hunt in areas that have exceptionally low hunter density. Or maybe they just don't bowhunt. But anyway, that quote pretty much says it all. It's the old "I've got mine, the heck with you" attitude. So if bow seasons get all clogged up with extraneous activity ...... who cares? I'll just keep out whoever I want and my bow season will be just fine. And I can also say feel-good things like, "Can't we all just get along?" and call everyone else "selfish".....lol.

Look, I have no real problem with a couple of days of special season for the kids (if that's what people are convinced will save hunting .... lol), but I am getting a bit tired of it always being bow season where they throw these things .... the one season where they do have an impact. We bowhunters are called selfish and bad-mouthed for trying to keep the bow season viable and intact, but the fact is that we have had the bow season become the repository for just about anything that people can "shoehorn" in. Now there is a feeding frenzy going on as all the different interests try to parcel up the bow season for all kinds of uses including firearms. It may all have been predictable, but it still doesn't make it any more acceptable.

this is the attitude that is hurting hunters in NY, this guy is an old man who really couldnt give a hoot about the future of our sport or getting kids into hunting. it's guys like this that will find every reason in HIS book to why giving up part of HIS hunting season will do nothing for youth hunting when in fact its been proven beyond a doubt that youth hunting opportunities are a great way to keep our numbers in NY strong now and for the future. he uses all kinds of fancy spin on why its a bad reason and really wont help our sport anyway all with a bunch of baseless theories he dreams up....

[Doc]

this is the attitude that is hurting hunters in NY, this guy is an old man who really couldnt give a hoot about the future of our sport or getting kids into hunting. it's guys like this that will find every reason in HIS book to why giving up part of HIS hunting season will do nothing for youth hunting when in fact its been proven beyond a doubt that youth hunting opportunities are a great way to keep our numbers in NY strong now and for the future. he uses all kinds of fancy spin on why its a bad reason and really wont help our sport anyway all with a bunch of baseless theories he dreams up....

Ah yes, squatsinbushes (mr. personality) once again rears his ugly head ..... lol.

Actually nothing of the sort has ever been proven. If you can find stats confirming that claim, I would like to see them. Until then, I will continue to regard these kinds of feel-good schemes as simply window dressing on a real problem.

[NFA-ADK]

I have some young kids that will be hunting with me very soon. The one's who are interested will go no matter what, the others will not for any given reason. Again between video games, internet, facebook, mail, tv and movies kids have many other choices for entertainment. A early hunt will not change them...

You are into hunting or you are not, a youth hunt is just a way of trying to keep thier intrest we are told. I bet if we surveyed all the youth in the program, they would still hunt if the program was not intact...

Im not really against it yet I feel it is not the best recruiting tool...

You want to get them into hunting, LOWER THE AGE restrictions. Then when they are ready to hunt they can, not 2+ years after they are interested. Start them early and they will hunt for the rest of thier lives... Providing good mentor... That would be a better recruiting tool IMHO. This way when the parent or gaurdian feels the child is ready, he can take them out, not when NYS says they are ready... Some are ready to hunt at 12 others early or latter up to the parent to decied when they are ready after they pass a lower legal age. How many hunters shot thier 1st deer at age 10? Many and they still hunt to this day...

[sits in trees]

Ah yes, squatsinbushes (mr. personality) once again rears his ugly head ..... lol.

Actually nothing of the sort has ever been proven. If you can find stats confirming that claim, I would like to see them. Until then, I will continue to regard these kinds of feel-good schemes as simply window dressing on a real problem.

you see, my point exactly folks, gnarly old man who wont even be hunting in a few years, but will be happy sitting there in his diaper knowing he did everything he could to keep young people out of the sport.

[Doc]

you see, my point exactly folks, gnarly old man who wont even be hunting in a few years, but will be happy sitting there in his diaper knowing he did everything he could to keep young people out of the sport.

Oh give it a rest squats .... nobody wants to hear you continue to make an ass of yourself.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Actually what I did was respond to your post with an opinion that you apparently don't like. That does happen on a forum occasionally and really involves nothing other than me stating an opinion. That's kind of how a forum works....right? You want to call it twisting something, knock your socks off. It still doesn't negate anything that I said. By the way, if you want to believe in youth hunts, that is your right, but don't be getting all bent out of shape if some don't happen to agree with your opinion on the effectiveness of them.

Im not getting bent out of shape over anything, just pointing out the obvious.

[bubba]

man he has a way of making himself look so important and always innocent.

[Paula]

you see, my point exactly folks, gnarly old man who wont even be hunting in a few years, but will be happy sitting there in his diaper knowing he did everything he could to keep young people out of the sport.

your rude, we will all be in diapers some day

[sits in trees]

your rude, we will all be in diapers some day

Oh give it a rest squats .... nobody wants to hear you continue to make an ass of yourself.

actually im making an ASS of you ole man, LOL and all that stuff....

[bubba]

so someone else sees it too. Give the kids a chance

[sits in trees]

so someone else sees it too. Give the kids a chance

yes Bubba, if we dont give the kids a chance all we will be doing is signing a death sentance for our sport. my son and son in law are avid hunters both only in their early 20s. there is nothing i wanna see more than them and their kids having the same opportunities to hunt that i have. if we dont keep our numbers strong and resign ourselves to Docs lame way of thinking that nothing will help than we are surely doomed!

[bubba]

i agree

[Paula]

nothing wrong with each having there own opinion but why act childish and be rude about it?

yes Bubba, if we dont give the kids a chance all we will be doing is signing a death sentance for our sport. my son and son in law are avid hunters both only in their early 20s. there is nothing i wanna see more than them and their kids having the same opportunities to hunt that i have. if we dont keep our numbers strong and resign ourselves to Docs lame way of thinking that nothing will help than we are surely doomed!

Edited April 5, 2012 by paula

[sits in trees]

nothing wrong with each having there own opinion but why act childish and be rude about it?

yea Doc just seems to have that problem, part of getting old and cranky i guess...

[Doc]

yes Bubba, if we dont give the kids a chance all we will be doing is signing a death sentance for our sport. my son and son in law are avid hunters both only in their early 20s. there is nothing i wanna see more than them and their kids having the same opportunities to hunt that i have. if we dont keep our numbers strong and resign ourselves to Docs lame way of thinking that nothing will help than we are surely doomed!

Oh for crying out loud ...... get a grip! You have really signed on to this nonsense haven't you? A death sentence indeed. Can we add a little more drama into this goofy stuff? Oh my .... "we are surely doomed" ..... You're getting ridiculous. You don't even understand why kids aren't interested in hunting, fishing, trapping, etc. do you? Your total investment in the hunter numbers game involves grabbing onto some lame plan that really isn't even aimed at the root causes of the declining hunter population. But you don't care about that. That's the sum total of energy you are willing to expend in solving this "death sentence". It's real easy to just sign onto some worthless special seasons and wipe your hands of the whole subject and declare the problem solved. Not very smart but it sure does make you feel good, doesn't it? Well, fortunately there are people who unlike you, actually think with some reason and logic and are about to attack the problem by dealing with the real issues.

I would suggest that you take a look at the other thread that regards this subject and see where somebody who actually has put some thought into the subject and who does understand the fundamental problems and is truly doing something constructive about it instead of buying in to simple window-dressing. Instead of just trying to prove how much of a jerk you can be, let's see if you can really understand a real solution when you see it. Frankly, I doubt you are capable or even want to.