Not sure if this belongs here, however it makes for some interesting thought! While sitting up for deer today a thought crossed my mind! Are we the last or possibly the second last generation of hunters! I am in my early 40s. In thinking of most of my friends who hunt (both within and outside the US), none of their children are interested in hunting, which basically means that when their hunting days are over that's the end of the hunting line in their families. It's a sad thought but one that's true. Think of your hunting friends and family, how many of their next generation will carry on hunting.

Let's try and express it to get a sense of whats going on atleast with AR members' family and friends. Since I started it, I will go first. In my case maybe 2 future hunters out of 50+ current ones.

It would seem that the future of hunting is in doubt. I have not been to Africa yet but have plans to go in a couple of years. What with the constant political unrest in many African nations, it would not surprise me to see very limited opportunities in the near future.

Regarding the USA: well, lots of things have changed in the last couple of decades. I am 35 years old. When I was a teenager, most all of my friends and buddies from school hunted. The biggest problem we face in the South is that the opportunity to hunt is shrinking and shrinking. Hell, what with everything being leased, it is much harder for the average Joe to find a place to hunt.

BoWater is a huge lumber company in the South. In the past, one could pay $10 for a "license" to hunt on BoWater property. Even that is leased out these days.

Also, and this might not be as significant, when I was a youngster, kids used to play outside. You know, riding bicycles, playing football etc., etc. When was the last time you saw any kids playing outdoors? It seems that they are all inside playing XBox or messing around with computers. The world is changing rapidly. I hope it is not true but we may in fact be the last or second to last generation of hunters.

Landrum

Reddy 375,
Well, that's a sour attitude while "Hunting"!! I on the other have just returned home from a trip with my son, brothers and 88 year old Dad. Guess that might put a little pinch in your old pucker. But I do see that the amount of new hunters is diminishing and with that the way hunters are viewed by this up tight, do what's right, new society we live in. I do recall the days when Grandpa, Dad and my uncles would come home with mule deer strapped across the hood, that's the bonnet for our Canadian friends, of the old Pontiac and fresh apples in the trunk. Heck, now we have to hide our game not to offend and by god don't show those pictures you took in Africa..."How do you get them to lay so still for a picture?" It is our responsibly, no our obligation to see that this which we love and treasure is never forgotten or diminished. How many times have we heard,"Take a kid hunting" This is your time Reddy, make the best out of the 50+ family members and find others to share your passion.
Tom

My *almost 7* godsister has been pestering me for weeks about when she can go hunting -- she wants to "eat something she killed" -- she's too small to really handle much, but she's getting a pellet gun, and I'll take her for squirrels once she's ready..

A friend of mine is a big outfitter (and when I mean big is BIG) in South America for wingshooting and fishing.

He says that each year the numbers of hunters decrease and the numbers of fishermen increase. That all the catch&release thing is making a difference. Also he says that the average age of hunters is MUCH more higher than the one of the fishermen.

L

I honestly think the kids are getting too lazy to hunt. My whole family hunts but every year the adults hunt less, and the kids don't have the same passion for it that I did (do). They would rather play hunting on the computer than go out and freeze their butts off to get a deer.

Killing deer used to be a reason to get together, cut deer up, tell stories and have a good time. It just doesn't have the same feel and I miss it a lot.

Well, to shed a little light on the subject. I'm 18 and as big a hunter as one can be. We're going to Namibia in June for 14 days. I'm also a hardcore Whitetail hunting fanatic and I'll be damned if it stops at me. You can bet your butt, my kids (future kids) are gonna grow up in a hunting atmosphere. Unfortunately, less youngsters are interested in it, but I think there are still enough to keep it alive for many generations to come, in Texas at least. My aunt just sent me pictures of a really nice 130 class buck my 11 year old cousin killed in Arkansas this weekend. He is also crazy about hunting. I've got 2 little nieces that I'm going to try my hardest to get into shooting and hunting when they're old enough, but they're mom (my sister) isn't too thrilled about that. Anytime you get a chance, please take a kid hunting, it could change their life. I don't know where I would be without hunting. It is the only driving force in my life and if you told me today that I could never hunt again, you might as well just shoot me, because I wouldn't have anything to live for anymore. That's how much hunting means to me. Just my $0.02.

Here are a couple of datapoints locally.

First, I sat in a tree stand this weekend with my son for the first time he could legally hunt with a gun in-hand. I take him and his friends shooting and hunting whenever I can. They absolutely love it!

I also helped teach a hunter's safety course this fall. The place was packed with 50 people enrolled and others on the waiting list that were shut out. What was interesting is that the class was about half filled with kids (mostly 12 year olds), several mothers (yes, mothers that I talked with said they were going to give it a shot to spend time with dad and son), a few teenage gals, and some adult men. It was a great experience for me and uplifting to see so many faces eager to learn and apply what they have learned.

So I believe hunting will die if you let the next generation lapse. My recommendation is to take a kid hunting and get involved with supporting, organizing, or leading hunter's safety education programs in your area so new hunters can do it safely.

Doug

In my opinion canned hunts are hurting the longevity of hunting, especially among non-hunters (people on the fence about it) and new hunters as well.

In our business we get a chance to take out quite a few young hunters and a good number of men and women taking up hunting as adults. Many of them have spent years watching hunts of all action on TV and video (cut down to just the last couple minutes of the stalk, kill shots and trophy mugging) with their only field experience being with pen raised animals.

Just this past weekend I guided a very nice 16 year old young man with his father and an adult friend. The teenager had done some shooting and mentioned taking several animals. As it turned out he got quite frustrated when the only opportunity I could provide him was on a wild pig on the move at about 80 yards (it was standing at 40 yards from me at one point but the kid in three times my physical condition wouldn't keep up). He missed his shot (which was understandable) and admitted to me that the other animals he had hunted were in fenced areas and essentially tame, never trying to get away. Wild (feral) animals were a rude awakening to him.

I see this "dumbing down" with the pen raised bird hunting as being even more serious (because it’s more ubiquitous in this area). People want to come hunt wild birds and are completely surprised and ultimately depressed when the wild birds make a tremendous effort to escape. To me that’s part of the game but to most “put and take hunters†it’s robbing them of their instant gratification.

Personally I hunted quite a bit before taking my first animals and somewhere learned to appreciate the process and the outdoors rather than an immediate kill. I try to pass on this appreciation for the outdoors and many people are receptive, but it's hard to compete with video games, movies and all those parts of life devoted to the perception of instant heroics.

Kyler

Kyler, you are so right. I am one of the lucky ones, both my kids loves nature and hunting. My son refuses to sit in a hide to hunt animals with his bow, he wants to walk amd stalk them, I just love it.

If hunters does not get their animals, then the hunt was bad. This is not only true for foreign hunters but also for local hunters. A lot of so called hunters wants to do as little as possible to get their animals. Thank heavens not all hunters are like that.

How many of the members on this forums went out on a hunt and did not get what he/she wanted and came back and say they had a splendid trip.

What became of hunting, is it a trophy or meat gathering time or is it an experience in nature.

For me a hunting trip is about the food, the fire, the clear night skies with all the stars, the fresh and cold morning air, the sunrises and sunsets, the trees, the small things in the bush, the birds, the animals, the sharing of stories, the facial expression of the hunter after a tough but succesful stalk. Much more can be added.

If I go home with empty hands, but I still had a wonderful experience with my friends and/or family, is that a bad experience or a memorible experience.

Maybe life is to easy in modern times, things comes to easy and we do not need to work so hard to get things done. Is that why a lot of hunters is hunting from vehicles, bait animals, make feeding places, hunt at waterholes, call in animals and put animals in small enclosures to be shot.

This is questions we must ask ourselves and be prepared to live with our own etics.

The way we portray our personal lives to our children, will shape their lives. Do our children get what they ask for or do we let them work for what they want.

Maybe I steered a bit of the point, but it is up to us the older hunters to pass on our passion for nature and hunting to our children and our communities. The example we set have a lot to do with the way our sport is going. A couple of rotten apples do more damage to a crop than the good the good ones are doing.

The old phrase "HUNT WITH YOUR KIDS, AND YOU WONT HAVE TO HUNT YOUR KIDS!" is true in more ways than one! If you hunt with your kids,you'll not only know where they are , but they will hunt with their's!

I hope I don't live long enough to see the end of hunting. For some if not most of us it is more than a hobby it is a way of life. I have heard this arguement on other websites and nobody can say for sure what the future holds. I think we are just going to have to wait and see, and maybe pray.

I spent last week with my son (36) hunting whitetails (black powder) in Va. Next week starts buck season in Pa. and we will be in the woods. His 5 yr old son and 3 yr daughter want to go hunting the first day of buck season, but with short attention span it won't last all day. He said to them how about we go hunting on Sunday with your guns. They said Dad we can't kill anything with cap guns!

I don't know about other areas, but hunting is alive and well here in Iowa. My two sons are die hard hunters, and my grand daughter loves to go out with us. I don't see them losing their desire to hunt.

Hunting gets such a bad rap from the general public and this may be one of the reasons.
I visited the San Diego Zoo a couple of weeks ago. They have signs in front of all of the animal displays that lists habitat, size, etc. They also have a graph at the bottom ranging from " Not threatened" to "Endangered" In nearly every sign where the animal was in the Threatened to Endangered end of that graph, can you guess the number one reason given was? HUNTING!!!!!!!!
No wonder people are turned off to our sport.
I'll do a separate post on this subject in the near future.

It's not the end, but it is the beginning of the end.

I have six grandsons and a grandaughter following in my footsteps, hopefully they will carry on the shooting, hunting tradition in our family. Good shooting.

Here in Georgia the trend is decidedly negative. In our more rural portions of the state, the hunting is still hugely popular and a pastime that is being passed through the generations, but in the more suburban areas, that is hardly the case. The average age of hunters in Georgia trends higher each year (up about 10 years over the last generation to almost 50) and the number of licenses being sold in the state is dropping at a staggering rate. To offset the loss of hunters and to attempt to control our huge deer population, the bag limits have increased in recent years from 3 to 12 per season (2 bucks, 10 does).
I don't think we're the last generation, as we passed an amendment to the state constitution in the November 2006 election that guaranteed the right to hunt and fish forever, but the number of hunters needs to either increase or those of us that are left will need to hunt a lot more!

Here's an article from the Georgia Outdoor News on this subject:

Georgia Deer-Hunter Numbers, Deer Harvest Total Decline Again

By GON Staff
Posted Monday May 8 2006, 11:57 AM

The number of Georgia deer hunters has declined more than 10 percent over the past two seasons making it more important than ever to introduce young hunters to the sport.

The WRD is completing hunter-survey data from Georgia’s 2005-06 deer season, and the information on hunter numbers is not good.

Deer-hunter numbers continued to decline at an alarming rate. According to the survey, the number of deer hunters in Georgia last season, including licensed resident, honorary license holder, and non-resident hunters, was 238,000, a decline of 30,561 hunters over the 2004-05 season. The numbers represent an 11.4 percent decline in one year — the largest annual percentage decline in hunter numbers during the past five years, exceeding the decline of 5.8 percent between 2002 and 2003.

During the five years since the 2001-02 hunting season, the number of deer hunters in Georgia has dropped by 54,209, or 18.5 percent.
With fewer hunters in the woods last year the statewide deer harvest also dropped, from 348,760 deer during the 2004-05 season to 319,000 last season, a decline of 8.5 percent.

“The bottom line is that we are losing hunters,†said WRD Assistant Chief of Game Management John Bowers. “And when you lose hunters, your deer harvest is going to go down. If you look at the big picture of deer management across the state it is disturbing long term. In another 10 to 15 years, if not sooner, deer management (with low numbers of deer hunters) is going to be a serious issue.â€

quote:

Originally posted by Blacktailer:
..... In nearly every sign where the animal was in the Threatened to Endangered end of that graph, can you guess the number one reason given was? HUNTING!!!!!!!!

And, of course, no designation or distinction is ever made between sport hunting and poaching or subsistence hunting.

Yeah, it's always convenient and easier to blame something or someone else. People can blame hunters and not have to think about it any deeper. In truth, most people just don't want to look into the mirror because they might see one of the main causes of wildlife decline staring back at them in the mirror.



More people means more land/habitat lost to agriculture, mining, roads, housing, etc. The animals have to live somewhere.

-Bob F.

I'm not only enjoying time with my daughter and creating memories but I’m also trying to do my part to keep the outdoor traditions alive.
However, I too worry about the fast paced, instant gratification lifestyle that seems to take the sprit of the young. Teaching patients and hard work will produce results unparallel to any other, is a concept that seems to be falling on deaf ears of the next generation.

Blacktailer, your San Diego Zoo observation is troubling indeed. For non-hunters, hunting and poaching are the same thing. We should be more militant about that kind of misinformation. If the sign said "illegal hunting" or "poaching" it might not be incorrect, but even there I am sure they take a lot of liberties with the truth. Since for most Americans the continent of Africa = Kenya, if it's endangered in Kenya it's endangered period.

As the human population explodes, the wildlife, habitat and other natural resources suffer. Yet none of the politicians or even environmental groups want to discuss the "real" issue -- to damm many people -- for fear of being branded "racist" or worse. It makes urbanites "feel good" if they "protect" wildlife by banning hunting, without a thought as to the implications for the animals at issue or their ultimate survival.
As for the kids, in my case my two sons hunt, but not very much, they simply don't have the time we used to. They both play Class 1 soccer and other sports and every weekend in the fall is an endless procession of games and tournaments, leaving little time to go into the field, let alone take a week to go on a deer or elk hunt. All we can do is try and expose our kids to the outdoors and the life of the hunter and hope that the seed is planted and sprouts later in their life and the horn of the hunter then sounds for them.

The end is near! Well, maybe where you hunt, but not where I do.

Last weekend was the opener of the Wisconsin gun season and we had 10 in camp, seven carrying guns. Why only seven? Because the others were too young, but still wanted to be out there. When my buddy and I first started hunting the property we're now on, 12 seasons ago, it was just the two of us and we kept wishing we had more people to cover all the good spots. This year he had his son in camp (for his fourth year), my sister's boys were there (I take them because they really want to go, but their dad doesn't hunt and never did. The older of the two was skunked for the first time in six years-- he's 18-- and the younger got his first deer, after three years of hunting.)My brother was there with his teenage son (who elected to not buy an out-of-state tag for a two-day hunt), and my kids (ages 8 and 11)were there to hang out and help with gutting dragging, skinning and driving.
I've read the same stories about urbanization, single-parent families, computer games, etc that you all have, and while I'm sure there is something to it somewhere, I'm not seeing it in my life or those of the hunters I know. I can't think of anyone I grew up hunting with that has kids and is not bringing his progeny into the hunting fold. However, I can think of several people I know who did not grow up hunting, or grow up in hunting families, that are hunting now.
I also saw in the paper that when I started hunting, over thirty years ago, about 500,000 deer licenses were sold in Wisconsin. This year, over 700,000 gun and archery deer licenses were sold. True, there have been drop-offs in small-game and waterfowl licenses over the last thirty years, but lots of people are hunting around here!

Folks,

Social trends are influenced by popular media. This is not to say that listening to a rap song will make you a drug dealer. Constant exposure though will alter your world view. Hell...that is what it is designed to do! In college we did a study to determine the length of time persistant messages in popular media is necessary for a populations views to shift....results 10 years.

We as hunters NEED to have more positive "cultural" media exposure. What that means: The broad text of the media may very well have nothing to due with hunting. The subtext however....or ubiquitiously throught media spot...hunting is positively presented. You never see a movie "about" smoking....but studies show that when smoking is prevelant throught a media, more become interested in trying it.

End result: we need more people to produce movies where hunting is positively shown in the background. 10 years of that....we'll have nothing to worry about

For my part, when the divide between "hunting" opportunities and agriculture (ie., raising stock strictly for someone to travel and buy it) becomes indistinguishable -- its over.

Right now the old money and people who can make new money are keeping the game paying for itself. When the illusion of doing what we read about in Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, etc. as kids is over-shadowed by financial aspects, you may just be making a business decision to hunt.

Glad I can still participate, but not having sons to think of regarding the future of hunting gives me some personal relief. Both daughters have had their chance to check it out. Their mama still is interested, so that's good!

BNagel

My 18 year old son really likes hunting

and wants to go to AFRICA as do I.

If you are really concerned about the potential demise of hunting, do something about it. If your own kids don't want to go or are past the age where you have to mentor them, find another youngster to take along. There are lots of kids out there that would be interested in hunting if they had someone to show an interest in them. Maybe a neighbor or relative's son or daughter? Pass it on to another generation.

This past summer my 2 year old son "shot" Elephants, Buffalo, hippo's, Lions, Leopards, Deer and a few T-Rex's in my back yard.

It may not be the polically correct thing to do these days, but I will continue to encourage him as long as I'm alive.

quote:

Originally posted by wihntr:
Last weekend was the opener of the Wisconsin gun season and we had 10 in camp, seven carrying guns. Why only seven? Because the others were too young, but still wanted to be out there.

I'm sorry, but having your state set a minimum age for hunting is bullshit. I shot my first squirrel by myself when I was 5 years old and my first deer when I was 7 and I've been hooked ever since. I think it is the parent's job to decide when their kid is old enough and mature enough to start hunting. I think that is one of the many reasons hunting is thriving so well here in Texas.

In my opinion, these are the top three things that could cause the end of hunting as we know it (more on that in a bit).

1. Loss of habitat = loss of game and hunting opportunities. The area where I have hunted for years is turning into neighborhoods and retirement villages. Land is being purchased and developed at an alarming rate and that does not bode well for the future of hunting. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

2. Leases. Yes, leases. Far be it from me to tell any one how he should manage his land. So, if any of you are involved with leases or you lease property of your own, do not take offense. However, like with the BoWater example I cited above, lot's of places are unaccessable that once were open to all hunters. And private land that was open to hunting is almost nonexistant these days in the areas where I roam. That was not the case when I started hunting almost 30 years ago. And that has definitely affected hunter numbers in my home state of Tennessee. **NOTE** On the flip-side of the coin, a good argument can be made that leasing (making hunting profitable) might be what saves hunting when all the other land is developed. So, I can see both sides of it.

3. This may seem like a reach to some of you but think about it for a second or two. Today I talked with a distant relative of mine about hunting over Thanksgiving lunch. He used to hunt a lot but now he never goes. Why? His two children are involved in football and baseball. Okay, what's the big deal, you say? Well, I played football, baseball, basketball and tenis when I was young and played in both summer and school leagues. But we didn't play freakin' 70 game schedules back then. Hell, youth baseball is more like Major League Baseball these days what with all of the tournaments and traveling teams. That, my friends, has taken the place of outdoor sports for many a youth.

Regarding the above mentioned "as we know it" clause. Do not kid yourself into thinking that hunting is not turning into a rich man's sport. Believe me, I would be the last one accused of playing the class warfare card. I am very conservative when it comes to money and the idea that any one can carve out a good life for himself if he tries hard enough. However, I can see a USA where hunting is so much of a hassle or so expensive that only the very wealthy can afford to do it. Think about it; if you know anything about supply and demand, to what other conclusion can one come? With land disappearing at a brisk rate, in 30 years from now, what is the guy who makes 30K a year going to do? Supply is shrinking and the price to hunt will rise accordingly.

Anyway, just some thoughts.

Landrum

Anybody worried that there aren't enough hunters apparently isn't hunting in Alaska. Jeez, we could use a few less.

Most of the complaining in the AK forums centers on too many hunters leading to additional guide restrictions, drawing hunts, etc.

I understand from some relatives in Wisconsin that opening day of deer season was an absolute zoo.

From what I can tell, the rumors of the demise of the American hunter has been greatly exaggerated.

quote:

With land disappearing at a brisk rate, in 30 years from now, what is the guy who makes 30K a year going to do? Supply is shrinking and the price to hunt will rise accordingly.

Anyway, just some thoughts.

Landrum

SOL, that's where you'll be. Your story is the same here in Central Ga. The first land my Father and I leased was in 1994 from Weyerhauser for $2.50 per acre. Well, that's gone after the great Weyerhauser sell off. I lease 87 acres from another company and it's $6.00 per acre and rising. I know of plenty of land going for $10.00 per acre. That gets rather expensive.

My dad and I manage his company lease in the Hill Country. It is 2,500 acres and they pay $19.00 per acre. Yes, that is approximately $47,500 per year! I've personally seen leases here in Texas for over $100.00 per acre!!! People are losing their minds.

I wrote the following column about 15 years ago! -TONY

WE'RE LOSIN' 'EM

It's no big secret the number of hunters on a national level has declined over the last two decades. With the growth of many small cities into larger cities, a less rural population has resulted. This alone has cut hunter numbers. The seemingly parallel decline occurring in Arizona -- once considered to have a very "rural" population -- is even more distressing.

Unquestionably, the cities here have also grown rapidly. In the Phoenix metro area alone, the population has jumped from 900,000 in 1965 to 2.3 million now. The state's overall people count has increased proportionally, too. Yet, despite the huge influx of people into Arizona, the sales of hunting licenses have fallen substantially from historic highs.

At a recent Arizona Game and Fish Commission meeting, Education Branch Chief Kerry Baldwin explained the history of license sales. He cited a steady growth in license sales from World War II into the 1970s. The gas crisis of the 1970s signaled the peak of license sales growth relative to the changing population across the country. The key years appear to be 1970-71, when most of Arizona's big-game hunts went to a permit system.

Baldwin also pointed to the large drop in youngsters between 10 and 20 years old now getting into hunting. Overall only 5.6 percent of Arizona's residents bought licenses in 1987 compared to 9 percent of the total population in 1967. The number of youths buying licenses declined even worse.

Many factors have played a part in the overall decline. A poor economy, adverse weather and high gas prices have had noticeable but short-term effects over the years. Declines in specific game populations and regulation changes like the permit system played key roles, as well.

More discouraging, though, are the long-term variables -- the ones that will carry over for the coming decades and possibly predict the future of hunting in this country.

First, we have an aging population. This especially shows among licensed hunters because of the lower recruitment of youngsters. As more hunters get older and quit hunting altogether, fewer people will take their place in the outdoors.

Earlier, I mentioned the growth of cities. With this upsurge in a more urban population, fewer and fewer youngsters get to experience the outdoors on a firsthand basis. Instead, they watch the Discovery or Disney channel to learn about wildlife and the outdoors. By the time they become adults, their only experiences with live animals other than a domestic pet might come from a zoo.

Lifestyles have also changed drastically in the last 30 years. In many families both parents MUST work just to pay the bills. Thus, they have little free time for hunting. Instead, the adults take up golf, tennis, bowling or other pastimes, ones they can enjoy close to home and over a few hours. To them, finding time to play 18 holes is a lot easier than finding a few days to hunt deer. These people spend a large part of their expendable income closer to home, too.

No doubt the current trend in the family makeup accounts for at least some of the lack of recruitment among youths, and it's less than encouraging:

* 30 percent of all children live in a one-parent family;

* 50 percent of all children will live with one parent by age 18;

* 90 percent of all single-parent families have a woman as the that parent;

* 10 percent of the population is comprised of 15-19 year olds;

* 93 percent of the hunters in Arizona are males.

Most juvenile hunters come from homes where hunting and fishing have been a traditional part of the adult family member's lifestyle, according to Baldwin. If juveniles do not participate in hunting or fishing by the time they hit 18 years old, they likely never will. The current surveys support this; 85 percent of current hunting license buyers started before they reached 18 years of age.

Many of my neighbors show just how true these statistics are. At least three families on my block consist of a divorced mother and one or more children. One lives across the street. The mother has been alone for nearly 12 years and somehow has made do on her earnings from two low-paying jobs. She was determined to keep herself and three kids off the welfare roles.

When I first talked to the oldest boy nearly 10 years ago, James was 11. I had been outside packing my truck for a deer hunt, and James was cutting his front lawn. He shut down the lawnmower and walked across the street just to visit.

During our conversation, I found out he had never hunted and had fished only at the park about a mile away. He told me his mother simply never had time to take him. From what I already knew, she probably didn't have the money to spend on even the most minimal equipment either.

Two weeks after the deer hunt, I invited James into my house to see my collection of trophy mounts. They somewhat awed him at first. During the next few months, though, he became a regular visitor. He always enjoyed talking about my trips and looking at the photos from the successful ones.

All my kids are long gone, and I always have these leftover fishing rods, reels, lures, line, baseball hats and other sundry goodies, courtesy of the manufacturers. Plus, my closet contains a bunch of firearms. I can only use one at a time.

So about five years ago I decided to "adopt" James. During one of his visits, I asked if he thought his mother would let him hunt. He said he didn't know but he would ask.

A day later, I heard a loud knock. When I opened door, James was standing there with a very big smile on his face.

"She said I can."

"She said you can what?" I asked.

"I can go hunting with you."

"Aha, now I understand. Good. But first things first. There's a thing or two we need to get done. I want you to take a hunter education course. Just tell your mom I'll take care of the registration fee and get you to the classes."

The next day I called the game department and got the dates for the next hunter ed class in our neighborhood. James and I attended together, and he graduated with flying colors.

A week later, I took him out to the desert and let him shoot some clay birds with my 20 gauge shotgun. We made two more forays to the desert before I felt he had progressed enough to shoot at a live bird without becoming discouraged over missing. On the way home from that third trip, I stopped at a license dealer and bought James his first hunting and fishing license. The next weekend James killed just short of a limit of doves. A week later, we went fishing at Lake Pleasant. My "adopted" son caught several bass.

He was hooked.

James is now 20 and attending an out-of-town college on an academic scholarship and majoring in biology. He wants to be a wildlife researcher. He finds little time for hunting and fishing now but still manages to stop by my house and reminisce whenever he comes home to see his mom. Naturally, his mother is proud of James' scholastic accomplishments -- and deservedly so.

I have no doubt the youngster will get back to hunting and fishing once he graduates. Before he left for school last August, he told me he would be home for the Thanksgiving holidays and would like to do a little quail hunting with me and my German shorthair if I have the time.

Of course, I made the time. If hunting is to survive, we need all the help we can get. James and youngsters like him represent the best help around.

----- 30 -----

I am glad to see so many introducing the next generation to the great outdoors. Every year for the past 20 years I try to take someone new on their first hunt. Kids, men, women, and those of every creed or color. It is very rewarding to see someone shoot thier first deer or bird. To me its like doing it all over again and it never gets old. The end? NEVER!

Just from what I have been observing about hunting over the past 35+ years, a lot of us will not live to see it, but if hunting as we know it now, is still going on by 2050, it will be a miracle. JMHO

Crazy,

Not sure if hunting will disappear completely by 2050, but it certainly will be greatly curtailed. And much of that curtailment will result from shrinking habitat/development. -TONY

quote:

Originally posted by Outdoor Writer:
Not sure if hunting will disappear completely by 2050, but it certainly will be greatly curtailed. And much of that curtailment will result from shrinking habitat/development. -TONY

Coupled with skyrocketing prices and the marketing of hunting as a commodity for the richest only.

Brent

Just to follow up on earlier thoughts, the cost of hunting will severely curtail the numbers of hunters who will even have a chance to hunt. There are public land hunts in Texas but private land hunts are certainly the best. They are getting more and more expensive every year. I have taken both my sons to Africa twice but unless they are wealthy it will be difficult for them to take my grandchildren to Africa to hunt. The day rates for dangerous game hunts in Botswana, Tanzania and Zambia have increased dramatically since the 1990's. I would hate to see Africa become, again, a place where only the mega-rich can hunt. MUFASA

Well...

Courtney says it is the beginning!
Her first whitetail is an 8-point, and Daddy was her PH! (Also, her sister wants to become an archer.)