why there are so few new hunters

[jamaldog87]

I move up to tarpon springs, FL all my hunting friends live in st.Pete which is 30 miles away so i not going to get much hunting this year(they were my ride), it does not really matter anyways because were i used to shoot hogs i can't go there anymore(the old woman that own the land die and last time we were there the cops told us were could not hunt there). It seems people are getting more ant-hunting because it very hard to find places to shoot or hunt. Because of that i sold my 12GA and 303 and might sell my .22 too also my airguns are falling apart. I never really got into big game hunting cause it cost so much and if you find some land it ends up used for homes.  I am going back to my roots of pest and varmint hunting because no one like a pest. If there no-were to hunt, no ranges to shoot at, and it cost too much for that stuff then what the point of having a gun? I keep that 1934 380 because i could never find a nice and good gun.

[skb2706]

IMHO

1. diminishing public hunting lands

2. the public perception of hunting and gun ownership

3. the costs
 
4. poorly managed DOW (if you make a young hunter wait several years to draw a decent hunting license it is likely he will find something to do with a much shorter wait time)

5. lack of skills training....if you want new hunters you have to teach them how to do it

6. media BS ..if you suggest it is bad to enough people often enough...it will become bad

7. the gun industries failure to recognize that introducting some new .30 cal round is far less important to new hunter development than investing in young hunter programs. they are very effectively killing themselves.

[myronman3]

maybe cause they neglect to study while at school.... just a thought.

[jamaldog87]

IMHO

1. diminishing public hunting lands

2. the public perception of hunting and gun ownership

3. the costs
 
4. poorly managed DOW (if you make a young hunter wait several years to draw a decent hunting license it is likely he will find something to do with a much shorter wait time)

5. lack of skills training....if you want new hunters you have to teach them how to do it

6. media BS ..if you suggest it is bad to enough people often enough...it will become bad

7. the gun industries failure to recognize that introducting some new .30 cal round is far less important to new hunter development than investing in young hunter programs. they are very effectively killing themselves.

that it in a nut shell. Every time i get a new gun for hunting i have to end up sell it  becuase i can't find some-  were to hunt at or i do find some were and it turns out to be land used for homes.  I still can hunt pest or predator and varmint Hunt(no one cares if you kill them) but big ganme hunting is hard to come by.  Maybe they should start people off in hunting varmints becuase it easy.

[corbanzo]

I'm obviously not Amish.. but you know what I think is the reason?

Electricity.

People getting too damn lazy to get outdoors much anymore.  So therefore there is a cultural shift where more people are interested in the internet and video games and TV.  REI said the same thing not too long ago... that their biggest competitior - was the same as above, laziness.  Hunting and shooting as a sport takes knowledge, and work.  It's something you can't do half-you know.  Or you won't last that long. 

I've played games, I've shot 10,000 rounds of ammo in an arcade game in ten minutes I'm sure.  (Do they still have arcades?)  And I thought 500 rounds was a lot to reload in a day!!

That is why I love Alaska.  Because we still are a culture of subsistence, where people aren't above going out and working to get what they want and need.  We don't have only ranges and set areas where you can hunt.  It's open.  There is lots of state land.  There is terrain where nobody can live, so they let anyone who will dare hunt it hunt.  Every once in a while... I catch myself referring to the outside as the US, at a difference to Alaska.. because going outside really can be quite a culture shock.  It is strange to learn the rules and differences of a people in the same nation...  I find the biggest difference between the people not to be how they act... but how they act in the regulation of themselves and the government.

Think of how many times you and I have grouped all politicians together?  Your politicians wouldn't last a second in my state, and I'm sure the same my politicians to your state, just because of the difference in the mindset of the people?  Hey, at least we have some representation, right? 

So it's going to keep changing, whether you and I like it or not.  It's hard being part of the minority.  So the best thing that we can do is to do what any good business does nowadays.

Invest in our future.  Have a strong stance on who we are.  Market ourselves for who we are- Sportsman.  Smart and hardworking to achieve the elusive.

I guess I can look back at what my old man has up in his garage.  It is a drawing of a fly-fisherman, which states: 

"The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope."

Try, keep trying.  The moment you stop...  all sportsman have lost one in the battle.  The less people that do it, the less room they let the rest of us have.  We are pretty close to understanding what the native americans felt when they first heard the word "reservation."

[The Gamemaster]

If I could afford to move to Alaska and live there.  I would leave tomorrow and never come back.

But with a population of what - 10 to 1, men to women, how would you find someone to keep you warm at night?

[Dusty Miller]

Ya better take one with ya and then treat her REAL nice!!

[The Gamemaster]

Ya better take one with ya and then treat her REAL nice!!

I don't think that it would do much good.

With that many guys to choose from, it would only be a matter of time before she ran off with the first millionaire that she met.

My cousin Deb told me that I don't want a wife, I want a MAID.

I expect my woman to cook and clean.

She said that June Cleaver was too old for me.

[NONYA]

.ACCESS .COST .LAZY ASS KIDS

[dukkillr]

.ACCESS .COST .LAZY ASS KIDS

Access, cost, lazy kids, tv, lazy parents.

I try to create a new hunter every year.  I've personally caused several licenses to be sold every year.  They mostly aren't my relatives.  Can you imagine if everyone one did that?  Not everyone is lucky enough to have a parent that hunts, and if they're never exposed to it, they might never become hunters...  Expose people to hunting...

[roper]

IMHO

4. poorly managed DOW (if you make a young hunter wait several years to draw a decent hunting license it is likely he will find something to do with a much shorter wait time)

7. the gun industries failure to recognize that introducting some new .30 cal round is far less important to new hunter development than investing in young hunter programs. they are very effectively killing themselves.

4. Here in Co they have a very successfully Youth program and may offer addition license to qualified org that sponsor youth hunting activities.  One gun club I belong to sponsors a Boy Scout introduction and shooting clinic each year.  This year they extends some elk units for unfilled youth tags only also a friend of mine son drew  a New Mexico youth elk tag along with his friend daughter one got a 6pt bull other got 5pt.l 

7. The amount of money Co receives from the tax imposed on the firearm industry that each state gets (each year) goes to our DOW to fund various programs.  Might want to check and see where your states money winds up.

We have an open public sight-in days at the gun club before big game season starts and we see alot of youth with parents even some grandparents.  I guess it's easy to blame everybody and everything but IMHO it comes down to the parents if they don't hunt the kids don't get a chance, you can have all the youth programs you want if the parents are involved who is going to keep the youth interest going or take them hunting or target shooting.   My nephew never wanted to hunt when he graduated high school I gave him a rifle about 7 yrs later he decided he want to try hunting now he hunt appr 3 western state has a bird dog and teaching his oldest son to hunt.  I might add my nephew is my best hunting partner his father never hunted.

[skb2706]

IMHO

4. poorly managed DOW (if you make a young hunter wait several years to draw a decent hunting license it is likely he will find something to do with a much shorter wait time)

7. the gun industries failure to recognize that introducting some new .30 cal round is far less important to new hunter development than investing in young hunter programs. they are very effectively killing themselves.

4. Here in Co they have a very successfully Youth program and may offer addition license to qualified org that sponsor youth hunting activities.  One gun club I belong to sponsors a Boy Scout introduction and shooting clinic each year.  This year they extends some elk units for unfilled youth tags only also a friend of mine son drew  a New Mexico youth elk tag along with his friend daughter one got a 6pt bull other got 5pt.l 

7. The amount of money Co receives from the tax imposed on the firearm industry that each state gets (each year) goes to our DOW to fund various programs.  Might want to check and see where your states money winds up.

We have an open public sight-in days at the gun club before big game season starts and we see alot of youth with parents even some grandparents.  I guess it's easy to blame everybody and everything but IMHO it comes down to the parents if they don't hunt the kids don't get a chance, you can have all the youth programs you want if the parents are involved who is going to keep the youth interest going or take them hunting or target shooting.   My nephew never wanted to hunt when he graduated high school I gave him a rifle about 7 yrs later he decided he want to try hunting now he hunt appr 3 western state has a bird dog and teaching his oldest son to hunt.  I might add my nephew is my best hunting partner his father never hunted.

I hunt and live in CO. Yes I agree the parents are part of the issue, but the state of CO is "way too little, way too late" in its youth hunting programs. I am very aware of their youth hunting programs. My son participates in them very successfully. But when he turns 16 the state tosses him a bone and he will no doubt go into  the preference point program that is a huge joke and destine to eliminate affordable hunting in this state in the near future. When a desirable hunting license requires 10-15 years to get...my experience with teenagers is that they find other things to do. I have mentored young hunters and will continue to do so but I am fighting a losing battle with XBOX, Utube, MySpace, cell phones, Ipods, uninformed parents and limited hunting opportunities.

[The Gamemaster]

In Pennsylvania the Pittman-Robertson Act money is sent to the PGC.

They use that money to look at what impact logging has done to the spotted grey field mouse and the Rocky Mountain Owl.  What ever is left over , they spend on new vehicles and raises.

[roper]

IMHO


]

I hunt and live in CO. Yes I agree the parents are part of the issue, but the state of CO is "way too little, way too late" in its youth hunting programs. I am very aware of their youth hunting programs. My son participates in them very successfully. But when he turns 16 the state tosses him a bone and he will no doubt go into  the preference point program that is a huge joke and destine to eliminate affordable hunting in this state in the near future. When a desirable hunting license requires 10-15 years to get...my experience with teenagers is that they find other things to do. I have mentored young hunters and will continue to do so but I am fighting a losing battle with XBOX, Utube, MySpace, cell phones, Ipods, uninformed parents and limited hunting opportunities.

Since you live in Co and I assume you are aware they expanded youth licenses to include 16 /17 year old did you read page 1 Colorado Big Game Reg in the section "What new for 2007".     You forgot to mention youth receive appr 15 percent on limited tags.  Also new of 2007 was a youth outreach license and those sponsors get 100 tags for youth also youth can apply for late elk hunts if unfilled tags .  I fail to see how Co hasn't help the youth hunter from 12-17 and depending on how their birthdays fall the still may get a break on their license cost at 18.  Since our big game hunting seasons  are around 1/2 wks I fail to see how DOW can control my space etc isn't that a parents job  I guess it's easy to blame someone else. 

I forgot to add one of Co best kept secrets is the plains elk hunt east of I-25 that runs from Sept1-Jan31 takes in from unit 87 thru 147 and is an unlimited tag which mean you can buy as many as you want over counter no draw and issued as an either sex tag.  Only problem is most of that land is private but there is some statewildlife land that one can hunt also I think if you knocked on some ranchers door and explain that you have a youth that would like to hunt their land (not you)you may get permission for your son to hunt.   Some of those ranches  are leased for hunting and I'm sure you could get a reduced rate on a cow elk hunt.  I knocked on doors for a week and have a ranch to hunt free just takes alittle effort.

[alleyyooper]

In Michigan.
Lack of jobs for young people.
Cost of gasoline.
Lack of free hunting lands.
Cost of living.
Cost of firearms and bows.
Cost of permits.
Public option.

Al