First: There is no more underappreciated, underrated, and underavailable thing in the world than good, well-managed, high-density deer habitat. If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that they surely aren't making new deer woods anywhere in my area. In fact, they're eating it up as fast as the Marcellus Shale drilling rigs can go. Second: Merchandising is, and will be, the end of hunting as we know it. Hunt-mania is killing our sport. Hunting gear is worthless. It won't help you fill your tag, no matter what Lee Lakosky tells you. This massive market saturation has turned hunting season into a media circus. Everybody wants to be a famous tv deerslayer, but the only people who are managing to do it, are the individuals with the financial firepower to hog up all the good land/leases, horde the deer to themselves, pick out a big one, shoot it in a public display of chestpounding, and use said carcass to catapult themselves to whitetail stardom. Maybe I'm just a good ol' boy. I just don't get that. Maybe I'm just too broke to play the game. Mark my words: Hunting will become a rich man's game. Let me temper that by saying that we'll always have some semblance of a hunting opportunity, but in large part, those opportunities will come in the form of hunting the animals with less bounty on their heads (non-trophy whitetails, small game). For the Average Joe, trophy whitetail hunting will become more and more difficult, going forward. It's trending right now, and has been for some time. Those trends are accelerated in areas of higher population density, as well as in high-dollar trophy hunting destinations. Wal-Mart can't even keep "Posted" signs in stock in October. Hell, the fact that Walmart even sells rolls of posters is a testament to something. Saturday, I spent 2 hours in Cabela's, armed with $300 in gift cards. Long story short, there wasn't a damn thing in the store that I wanted. I spent my time, just browsing the aisles, taking in the marketing frenzy, and the throngs of people dropping hundreds, even thousands, on everything from guns to blinds to gutting knives. How many of these guys are real sportsmen, I asked myself. I stood behind a display rack, and eavesdropped on two random guys, showing each other cell phone pics of their bucks that they shot this year in Iowa. We're in WV, mind you. They're each spewing herculean tales of hunting prowess, perfect lung shots and neither guy gives two ****s about what the other guy is saying. Each one just wants to hear himself tell his own tale of glory. I know how outfitted hunts work. Neither one of those guys likely put in an hour of scouting before the guide dropped them off at a treestand they've never seen before. Shortly thereafter, they each shot a deer that somebody else grew/scouted/protected, also that they've never seen before. I mean, really... Really? We now live in an age where, for $10,000, you can get online today, and be on a plane tomorrow, on your way to shoot a 200" buck that you picked-out on a website. Is that sick? I've seen the extreme lengths that some people will go to, driven by pure greed, to make sure somebody else doesn't shoot "their" buck. This isn't how I want to remember hunting season. It's sad, how so many people put so much money into it, trying to buy their way to hunting glory. But when the rubber meets the road, I never see a soul while I'm out in the Wildlife Unit picking sheds or checking my trailcams in July. It's just me and the animals, trying to figure each other out . . . and I love it. This year, my whole approach will change. I'm done fighting for big bucks. Done. It's too stressful. I'm turning over a new leaf, and doing more. I'm focusing my efforts on improving the habitat in areas where I can. I've come so far to appreciate these animals, and the good times they've given me. More time in the field, and less time hunting. Thanks for reading, fellas. Enjoy yourselves this weekend.
great post quicksilver. I would send that into a feild and stream magazine! Hunting shows have got out of hand there is no doubt. People just entering into the sport see that as realism and it distorts the true meaning of deer hunting. I will say though that there is a small glimmer of hope in shows like Heartland Bowhunter where the focus is on the beauty of the outdoors and experience of taking in all that is around you and not on the size of the "bone" growing out of it's head. I see nothing wrong with chasing after mature animals and allowing the youngers one live however. I back you completely on habitat mangament as well. When you sit back and think about it, where is the conservation group for whitetails like there is for Pheasants, or Turkey, or Elf. Sure there is QDMA, they do provide a lot of knowledge and research but little as far as raising money for Whitetail conservation. Thats why the weight falls on yours and I's shoulders to provide/protect the best habitat possible for them. Again amazing post, very well written, it's a shame to see these things changing.
I really enjoyed that read. Thanks for sharing. As a new hunter, I already perceived it as a rich mans "sport" coming into it. I see the high priced bows, (I know, I have one of the most expensive ones out there but, I can assure you I didn't pay what most would for it.) tree stands that cost as much as most people bring home in a week if not more, and on and on. As I do enjoy all of these things, I don't own them. Why? Mostly due to I can't afford them. I hunt the way I do because thats what everyone else does and I know, no better. If it weren't for the guys on this forum, I would still think that to hunt a man needs to spend $5000.00 a year on equipment, go sit in a tree and wait. I would also think that to kill a big buck you would have to pay $5,000.00+ to go out west for a weekend to hunt just to do so. Why would I think this? Because of great marketing and the guy on T.V. says so. All that being said, I am really enjoying learning how it should be done. The habitat improvement, the scouting, the practicing with a bow to be profficiant and everything in between. I am glad I found this site.
In my state of MO.hunter numbers are dropping less and less, young hunters are not going to hunters education classes and dropping out of hunting all together. Years ago opening day of gun season i could count over a 50 rifle shots while this year there was less then 10 some due to antler regs and less people are hunting.I dont watch hunting shows on tv they dont teach $h1t and i have never entered not one of my deer into the record books.I hunt for me and me only and if i dont love it someday. I will quit and do something else. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-ifr4csoOY&feature=related
He doesn't post much but when he does, you want to read it. Quick, you should write a book. I would buy it and read it.
Could not agree more! Excellent post, May be the best of the year! But the Question is what can we do about it?
Spot on. I am fortunate that I saw the writing on the wall several years ago and was able at the time to buy some ground that I could improve and enjoy. It cost me a lot of sleepless nights and stress, but has turned out to be the best move I ever made. Today there is no way I would do it. The ground has more than trippled in value. I just knew that if I was going to have a place to hunt for the rest of my life and have a place for my kids to have a quality hunting experience, I was going to have to own ground. Growing up, I could have hunted a different farm every day of the season. Those days are likely gone forever. Sad that everything seems to get ruined by greed and $$$$$.
Liar.. I couldn't agree more with everything you've said. It's sickening how saturated the industry has become with people trying to be the next big hunting superstar, rather than promoting and representing the sport of bowhunting positively. Don't get me wrong, television shows, magazines, the internet, etc. are all great platforms loaded with opportunities to endorse bowhunting the right way, but I feel too many people abuse those platforms for their own personal gain, rather than sharing what bowhunting is all about - the sport, the adventure and the animal.
This post makes me both happy and sad, happy that someone agrees with what i been thinking and saying for years....sad because I know your right about things...
