Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

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Have you seen an increase in bow hunters over the years?

Yes, there's more bow hunters in my area(s)
30
73%
No, there's been less bow hunters in my area(s)
10
24%
Same amount of hunters but they're spending more time
0
No votes
Other (See my reply)
1
2%
 
Total votes: 41
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Hodag Hunter
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Thu Jan 12, 2012 6:51 am

Nice write up from the WI DNR below regarding hunter numbers and other misc. information.

Gun numbers on the decline while bow numbers on the rise...

Look at the age breakdown by tag sales.....can see the numbers will probably keep dropping.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/2011/dece ... 11-2b1.pdf


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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby addisonlee » Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:19 am

snoman4 wrote:Addsion,
Check the movement of people from the Northeast and more Northern climates to the south over the 25 years and you will see where all your hunters have gone. The hunter numbers have pretty much steadily increased in the Southeast US as the demographics of where people live and retire have changed. Hope this gives you a little food for thought and another avenue to explore why numbers may be down in some areas and not in others.



Great advice snoman4. I'll be sure to look into that. Thanks.
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby addisonlee » Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:24 am

Hodag Hunter wrote:Nice write up from the WI DNR below regarding hunter numbers and other misc. information.

Gun numbers on the decline while bow numbers on the rise...

Look at the age breakdown by tag sales.....can see the numbers will probably keep dropping.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/2011/dece ... 11-2b1.pdf


Thanks for sharing Hodag. I have a similar report but not this one.
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby forgehunter » Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:36 am

Hodag Hunter wrote:Nice write up from the WI DNR below regarding hunter numbers and other misc. information.

Gun numbers on the decline while bow numbers on the rise...

Look at the age breakdown by tag sales.....can see the numbers will probably keep dropping.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/2011/dece ... 11-2b1.pdf


the numbers will continue to drop in Wisconsin untill this state gets the deer herd in order... guys here are fed up...
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby dan » Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:53 am

I started hunting in the 1970's as a boy... Most kids were into hunting. It was rare that a person got a buck, or even a had a sighting. Kids could go seasons without seeing deer and be ok with it...
Kids now-a-days have a lot more going on. They are into there cell phones, computor chat, after school sports, etc...
And I have noticed that when a kid gets a deer and shows his pride by posting pictures on face book or elsewhere he immeadiatly gets put down by all the other kids for killing the poor helpless animal. We have teachers brainwashing our kids that hunting is bad along with TV shows portraying hunters as villans... When somebody shoots a monster buck that breaks state records you don't see it on the news or in the paper... Instead you read only about hunters getting shot, or falling out of trees... When I was a kid, if I shot a buck, everywhere I went people would come over and slap my back and say good job...

Here is a link to a article I wrote about a hunt from my childhood back in the 1970's

viewtopic.php?f=159&t=1340
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby Hunter74 » Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:18 pm

I believe I was seeing an increase in hunters up till about 3 years ago... It seems to me there has been a decent number of hunters kinda give up in the last 2 years mainly because of the decline in deer numbers and not seeing much

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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:56 pm

dan wrote:I started hunting in the 1970's as a boy... Most kids were into hunting. It was rare that a person got a buck, or even a had a sighting. Kids could go seasons without seeing deer and be ok with it...
Kids now-a-days have a lot more going on. They are into there cell phones, computor chat, after school sports, etc...
And I have noticed that when a kid gets a deer and shows his pride by posting pictures on face book or elsewhere he immeadiatly gets put down by all the other kids for killing the poor helpless animal. We have teachers brainwashing our kids that hunting is bad along with TV shows portraying hunters as villans... When somebody shoots a monster buck that breaks state records you don't see it on the news or in the paper... Instead you read only about hunters getting shot, or falling out of trees... When I was a kid, if I shot a buck, everywhere I went people would come over and slap my back and say good job...

Here is a link to a article I wrote about a hunt from my childhood back in the 1970's

viewtopic.php?f=159&t=1340


So true about our young kids hunting accomplishments being put down. Austin was told he couldn't talk about the deer he shot this year with his bow at school. One of his teachers said she doesn't want to hear anything to do with guns.....he tried to explain he shot it with a bow. She didn't care. He then tried to explain the 3 golden gun safety rules. She said that's enough, put her hand in front of his face and said I told you I don't want to hear you ever talking about that again.

He was caught showing his doe pictures to other kids on the playground.....the recess teacher told him to put it away and not ever talk about it again. His homeroom teacher allowed him to tell his story but no pictures.....the teacher is a man but non-hunter. That guy wasn't so bad and even asked when gun season rolled around who was going gun hunting.....Austin was the only that raised his hand (all 10 year olds about 20 of them).....the teacher then asked the class to wish him luck. I was ok with how this teacher handled the situation.

For the other teachers......lets just say we had a little discussion with the assistant principle present. I planned on doing the most but chewing but didn't have too.....the assistant pricipal was over the top mad (female even) regarding how the situation was handled. She made them applogise to Austin and promised he will have time to discuss his hunting and fishing accomplishments in the future. Pictures may or not be accepted but he will be able to tell his deer stories from now on.

I am just in shock the way our school system handles kids and the outdoors. Even when he was in school in Rhinelander it really wasn't a whole lot better enviroment for hunting related discussions. The public school system is slowly going down the tubes.....
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby Schultzy » Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:01 pm

Hodag Hunter wrote:
dan wrote:I started hunting in the 1970's as a boy... Most kids were into hunting. It was rare that a person got a buck, or even a had a sighting. Kids could go seasons without seeing deer and be ok with it...
Kids now-a-days have a lot more going on. They are into there cell phones, computor chat, after school sports, etc...
And I have noticed that when a kid gets a deer and shows his pride by posting pictures on face book or elsewhere he immeadiatly gets put down by all the other kids for killing the poor helpless animal. We have teachers brainwashing our kids that hunting is bad along with TV shows portraying hunters as villans... When somebody shoots a monster buck that breaks state records you don't see it on the news or in the paper... Instead you read only about hunters getting shot, or falling out of trees... When I was a kid, if I shot a buck, everywhere I went people would come over and slap my back and say good job...

Here is a link to a article I wrote about a hunt from my childhood back in the 1970's

viewtopic.php?f=159&t=1340


So true about our young kids hunting accomplishments being put down. Austin was told he couldn't talk about the deer he shot this year with his bow at school. One of his teachers said she doesn't want to hear anything to do with guns.....he tried to explain he shot it with a bow. She didn't care. He then tried to explain the 3 golden gun safety rules. She said that's enough, put her hand in front of his face and said I told you I don't want to hear you ever talking about that again.

He was caught showing his doe pictures to other kids on the playground.....the recess teacher told him to put it away and not ever talk about it again. His homeroom teacher allowed him to tell his story but no pictures.....the teacher is a man but non-hunter. That guy wasn't so bad and even asked when gun season rolled around who was going gun hunting.....Austin was the only that raised his hand (all 10 year olds about 20 of them).....the teacher then asked the class to wish him luck. I was ok with how this teacher handled the situation.

For the other teachers......lets just say we had a little discussion with the assistant principle present. I planned on doing the most but chewing but didn't have too.....the assistant pricipal was over the top mad (female even) regarding how the situation was handled. She made them applogise to Austin and promised he will have time to discuss his hunting and fishing accomplishments in the future. Pictures may or not be accepted but he will be able to tell his deer stories from now on.

I am just in shock the way our school system handles kids and the outdoors. Even when he was in school in Rhinelander it really wasn't a whole lot better enviroment for hunting related discussions. The public school system is slowly going down the tubes.....
That's nuts Hodag!! Glad you stepped up along with the female AP.

As for my area hunting numbers are high as ever. More bow hunters now (young and old) then I've ever seen. Gun hunting numbers about the same It seems.
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby addisonlee » Fri Jan 13, 2012 6:58 am

Hodag Hunter wrote:So true about our young kids hunting accomplishments being put down. Austin was told he couldn't talk about the deer he shot this year with his bow at school. One of his teachers said she doesn't want to hear anything to do with guns.....he tried to explain he shot it with a bow. She didn't care. He then tried to explain the 3 golden gun safety rules. She said that's enough, put her hand in front of his face and said I told you I don't want to hear you ever talking about that again.

He was caught showing his doe pictures to other kids on the playground.....the recess teacher told him to put it away and not ever talk about it again. His homeroom teacher allowed him to tell his story but no pictures.....the teacher is a man but non-hunter. That guy wasn't so bad and even asked when gun season rolled around who was going gun hunting.....Austin was the only that raised his hand (all 10 year olds about 20 of them).....the teacher then asked the class to wish him luck. I was ok with how this teacher handled the situation.

For the other teachers......lets just say we had a little discussion with the assistant principle present. I planned on doing the most but chewing but didn't have too.....the assistant pricipal was over the top mad (female even) regarding how the situation was handled. She made them applogise to Austin and promised he will have time to discuss his hunting and fishing accomplishments in the future. Pictures may or not be accepted but he will be able to tell his deer stories from now on.

I am just in shock the way our school system handles kids and the outdoors. Even when he was in school in Rhinelander it really wasn't a whole lot better enviroment for hunting related discussions. The public school system is slowly going down the tubes.....



Great example of how big of a role the school system plays in the sport of hunting. I'll definitely bring this example up during the meeting.

Kudos to you for doing what you did Hodag. :clap:
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby dan » Fri Jan 13, 2012 10:42 am

There is a teacher in the Jefferson school district middle school that takes one day out every year to teach the class that its wrong to eat meat... She says you should not eat anything that has a face. My son Rat Slayer told her "Sausage don't have a face" and had to stay after class... I had words with the principle, but unlike Hodags situation, the Principle took the side of the teacher and said she has a right to her opinion.... If she is a history teacher, I personally think she needs to teach History and leave her opinions to herself.
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby jlh42581 » Sat Jan 14, 2012 12:30 am

Where I live, we dont have many of the anti hunting type. However, if my son EVER comes home with a story like this, theyre not gonna like the outcome.
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Sat Jan 14, 2012 4:17 am

It's not so much anti-hunting but anti-gun (any weapon). Most of the non-hunters, even if they are neutral on the subject, just assume all hunting is with a gun.

Another school story, same son.......when Austin went to Rhinelander school full time we got one of those automated calls home describing how a sow and cubs (black bear) have been spotted a few times on the kids playground. The school was informing parents to assist with teaching bear safety to the kids.

Well during one of the teachers "what to do if you see a bear on the playground" speaches my son offered up to bring his bow to school and shoot the bear. He was 7. The teacher told him he can't bring a weapon to school and could get in trouble. :roll:

We actually were called at home, including a requested school visit and have a talk why our son is threatening to bring a weapon to school.

I was litteraly laughing at them whe we had the school visit. Response back this is a serious matter Mr. and Mrs "Hodag Hunter". You have got to be kidding me.....you (the school system) is trying to warn about a sow with cubs on the playground, my 7 year old son just thought of a way to protect the other kids, not harm them. I go on a ramble about when I was younger bringing my shotgun to school leaving it in the car and hunting rabbits on the way home with the teachers knowing this. The schools response " we live in a different age now". I respond, "we don't have to be in a different age but do you know why we are as a Nation? Because of fruit loops like you all in this room calling my wife and I into school to discuss this crazy situation". (in all fairness, we were at the school for a mini play or report cards, can't remember, and the teachers brought up the we should discuss the "weapon" incident)

Again......unless something is reversed at the school system, a lot of kids will be missing out on the opportunity to experiance hunting. Single parent homes and some dads being to busy to hunt, or sadly don't care, is leaving the school wide open to brainwash these kids into negative hunting views.
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby addisonlee » Sat Jan 14, 2012 4:20 am

dan wrote:There is a teacher in the Jefferson school district middle school that takes one day out every year to teach the class that its wrong to eat meat... She says you should not eat anything that has a face. My son Rat Slayer told her "Sausage don't have a face" and had to stay after class... I had words with the principle, but unlike Hodags situation, the Principle took the side of the teacher and said she has a right to her opinion.... If she is a history teacher, I personally think she needs to teach History and leave her opinions to herself.


That's just wrong. :snooty:

Makes me curious now. What if hunting was implented into the school requirements? I strongly believe that through educating others we can all come to an understanding, this applies to just about everything. The real question would be what the class would be about and how it will be taught, if this idea ever got passed.

Several years ago, Sheboygan Urban Middle School was the only public school in the nation to have an indoor shooting range in a school building. There was never an accident in all the years of the range's operation after school hours but due to anti-gun owners, anti-hunters, etc.; the shooting range was forced to close down by the city and move else where after 50+ years of operating. I personally know the president of the club that ran this range and he simply stated it was a one sided arguement with the city, even though they had the support of the NRA.

Long story short, maybe the core of the issue at hand with declining number of hunters overall starts at our schools and especially our youth. Solving the issue will be the challenge.

Your thoughts?
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby dan » Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:01 am

Your thoughts?


I have always said that hunter safety should be an optional class in high school just like drivers education.
I know a lot of young people who never got involved with hunting, even though they wanted to, because non-hunting parents did not have the time to take them, and now that they are older have given up on getting started...

I think hunters ed kept a lot of kids from hunting. We did not need it when I was a kid and thats probably a big part of why so many kids hunted. Making it a lot easier to get involved with would be good.
Maybe the scouts could teach hunters ed too?

On the other side of the issue, hunter safety is good for kids because it also teaches gun safety and gun respect...
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Re: Declining number of hunters? Your thoughts?

Unread postby dan » Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:06 am

I go on a ramble about when I was younger bringing my shotgun to school leaving it in the car and hunting rabbits on the way home with the teachers knowing this. The schools response " we live in a different age now".

When I grew up I had free access to the guns in the house before I was even old enough to hunt...
My dad taught me how to shoot and handle a gun at a young age in case I ever had to defend my mom, or family from criminals, a rabid dog, or whatever might come a knocking.
Guns were looked at as tools back in those days... Not as murder weapons.


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