This article doesn't look good!

[victorcharlie]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=16&u=/ap/20050310/ap_on_re_us/the_fading_hunt

This says hunting in California is down 38% over the past 8 years.  The article states people are to busy and also blames urban sprawl.  I know several people here in TN who quit because the license fees are to high and the quota's are to low.  

When I was a kid, the hunting and fishing regulations fit on a tri fold card that you could carry in your back pocket.  Now, it's over 40 pages, and you need a lawyer to explain it to you.......fishing regulations are even worse, and are different on each body of water.........

The wildlife officers better get their act togather if they want to keep their jobs............The whole process needs simplification.....IMHO

[gwindrider1]

VC,  I agree with your statements wholeheartedly.  Just as our government has become overbloated with beaurocracy, so have the state wildlife agencies.

In an area overpopulated with deer, my application for a resident buck license was refused last year, as the DOW cut the license issue by 2000.  The beaurocratic logic escapes me in this instance!

Too much beaurocracy, and not enough common sense!

[Don Fischer]

My friend, you've got it easy! I have here befor me the 2005 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation's. !06 page's and two lawyer's couldn't figure it out. Our big game reg are just as bad. A fishing license cost's $24.75 for a resident. Then it is another $21.50 to fish for salmon and steelhead plus another $12 for a hatchery harvest tag. On top of that, if you want to go for shell fish, it'll be another $6.50. If you are with another clam digger you'll be required to have the shell fish tag unless the clam digger is disabled. And these are resident rate's. Haven't even started on the big game reg's yet. There are far to many people that think these rate's are reasonable and will say nothing, just continue to buy until they can't afford it anymore, then they'll have something to say won't they? But even then there will be far to many people still willing to pay so it still won't matter.

[earschplitinloudenboomer]

...used to work in a gunshop that sold licenses. Felt it was my obligation to understand the laws pertaining to the license I sold. Now I just go to a licensing agent, tell them what I want to hunt/fish, give them money and hope I am legal hunting/fishing and at check in time. I do not believe that I can leave my house, go hunting or fishing and return home without violating some fish/game law. I expressed my thoughts to a wildlife person once, he agreed. Also told him that I thought  if outdoorsmen would refrain from buying a license for 1 year, we might get some attention!

[Mikey]

VC - you have to read the statistics on all hunting types of activities to get a better picture - actually the more accurate picture.  

The antis love to herald in and report on the demise of traditional hunting with reports of fewer and fewer hunters getting licenses every year.  We have the smae type of hype here in NYS.  The truth is, that while there may be fewer 'general' types of big game licenses issued every year, the number of land-owner/property-owner licenses and increased significantly and have actually increased the overall numbers of permits issued.  But, the antis love to say that hunting is declining based on just one type of lisensure.  They use data to lie.  

And yes, many of the old haunts we used as young hunters have gone to urban sprawl or have been bought up by non-hunting types, but lease arrangements and ther types of open hunting are still readily available.  Don't let the statistics fool ya.  Mikey.

[volshooter]

VC I live in TN too and it is my job to review the hunting guide closely for my group. Every year they seem to slip in a new rule or two. I've bought my sportsman lic. this year ($103) before they go up in a month or two. I cannot say that our TWRA officers are efficent or friendly.
Rick

[victorcharlie]

Yes, all the TWRA ladies and gents have been great......It's not their fault I don't believe.......They are simply regulating  themselves out of business.....

[Lawdog]

The drop in hunting interest is causing another problem here in California - over population of game animals.  Even with a 25% cut in the Department of Fish & Game budget and less wardens in the field, which has lead to the poachers running wild in some areas, game animals are multiplying at an alarming rate.  A Mountain Lion population over 20,000(yeah I know it's against the law to hunt them here), and a Black Bear population that ranks second only to Alaska you would think more hunters would be in the fields hunting them but no.  Everyday you see more and more deer laying on the side of the road that have been hit by cars/trucks/etc. due to over-population.  Wild hogs are showing up in areas you wouldn't believe(like Golden Gate Park in San Francisco and numerous college campuses).  Wild turkeys are being hit on city streets by cars.  The article said the reason stated hunters lack of interest was because “were too busy or had family or work obligations”, which is all true but also because of a lack of easily accessible hunting land and hunters being too lazy.  A lot of private land is leased by hunting clubs even though they rarely hunt the land.  In my opinion hunters have become lazy and don’t want to expel the effort to get to really game loaded public land.  When I was a kid we though nothing of traveling 4 - 8 hours after we left the main road to get to prime public hunting grounds.  You don’t find many hunters today that will go to that type of effort.  A crying shame too.  Lawdog
 

[Dusty Miller]

Lawdog, the operative phrase is "when we were youngsters"!  We baby-boomers are getting long in the tooth and travelling 4-8 hours from the main road to find a hunting spot is, well, too much for most of us old farts!!

[Lawdog]

Lawdog, the operative phrase is "when we were youngsters"!  We baby-boomers are getting long in the tooth and travelling 4-8 hours from the main road to find a hunting spot is, well, too much for most of us old farts!!

Yeah, we used to pack in using horse/mule but now I let my Polaris Ranger 6x6 do the packing.  Remember it's not just the age, it's the wear and tear we acquired over the years.  It has added up on us baby boomers.   :-D   Lawdog