"Growing the sport." Good for the goose? Or good for the Gander?

I'm a bit torn on this as well. I will never NOT advocate getting new hunters involved, but sometimes the problem is WHOM is getting them involved. Along the lines of what Rob said, we need more of our current hunters to step up and represent the sport correctly, and bring new hunters into the sport correctly.

 

Fran, I will also add that things could get interesting around here in 5 years or so due to the inevitable gas drilling frenzy that will ensue. You're already experiencing it in your area, so how do you feel this is impacting our available lands to hunt (or the quality of those lands)?

 

While I have been responsible for at least two new archers in the last year, I two believe that the type of people that are coming to the sport via main stream marketing aren't the type that are for the better. I think some weeding out of the bad eggs could go a long way here in PA. How? I am not sure. A bowhunter cert. might help, I am just not sure.

 

As lop sided and damn near impossible as this sounds it is what we have to do if we want to have the best time hunting ourselves. Im with Franny on this one as well, obviously less people out there means more big bucks for me. While i love watching my buddies score on bucks and all that, when it comes down to it im out there for me, selfish or not. I go hunting to put myself on big deer. If anyone else shoots one, good for him, if he dont, good for me.

I agree with you too Rob, but its kinda hard to tell someone hey, hunting is great, you should help me keep it around. BUT dont start hunting till im 6 feet under. Odds are they wont take that too well.:p

If we really want to preserve the future of hunting and make it better for our kids (and when I mean better for our kids I mean better for them). Or hunter introduction ratio should be about 1: 1/2. If every two (or even 3?) hunters got one die-hard hunter going, then 50 years from now there would be plenty-o-game to go around.

I felt like an ego maniac writing that post, but when it come down to it, thats how to improve hunting for our grandbabys

 

The folks that want less hunters should lead by example and not get their children involved in it. When the kids ask if they can go hunting with you just tell them you want less hunters in the field so that other guys, like you, have a better chance at a big buck. Tell your children that hunting is getting to crowded and there is no room in the sport for them.

 

Bruce, I think most know me and the fact that I'll be the very first person willing to take someone and teach them hunting. One of my most favorite times in the spring turkey woods is guiding kids turkey hunting and when I guided a little 12 year old boy to a bigger buck than I ever have shot and he missed it was one the highlights of my "career". But the fact is, I stated a fact. PA is overwhelmed with hunters, come hunt our public land sometime, take your kid there and I think you'll change your perspective. I remember being a teenager and hearing bullets fly by.

And I don't have any kids. :p

The kids are certainly our future and I'm afraid we're losing them as a majority. Hell adults are giving it up. BUT until any of you walk the PA public land and most private lands for the most part, Ya'll might not get what Fran is talking about.

When I was in Pronghorn camp in WY. There was an old timer from LA or AL or somewhere south like that. He said he hunted PA one time and relayed the story of him going with some guys on private land.

He shot a buck, waited the appropriate amount of time and then went to track it. When he walked over a knoll, there stood a guy gutting his deer. That was his PA experience and it sounds all too familiar.

PA boasts over 1 million license sales. No one is advocating not teaching children, but facts are facts. Bruce, if you moved to PA and wanted to teach your kids how to hunt, where would you take them?

 

Let me ask guys from PA something. I have recently(over the past few seasons) been checking out lots of public land. Not just in VA but MD, NC, and WV. I've been mapping out what will hopefully be some fun seasons in the future. My dream season will consist of early season bowhunting in MD & NC then bowhunt the last 3 days of VA's archery season(late Oct/Nov) then BP hunt in WV just over the VA line. All in all the licenses, gas, and camping I have figured betwen $1200 and $1500. I call it a dream hunt not because of the destinations more because I'm dreaming to think I could get away for that long during a season. But I know at some point in the future my schedule will permit it and I'd like to be prepared for it so I start planning(aka dreaming) about it now.

Not very expensive and still only using 10-12 days of vacation time so I can still hunt my home state a ton the rest of the season.

You PA guys ever check out the public land prospects of neighboring states like MD, OH, WV, NY, VA. If it's as bad as you guys describe what are some of your other options?

 

Some of you that hunt PA could stop hunting, thereby allowing others to have a greater experience in the woods. You could be the hunting martyrs that turned the tide.

 

I just stacked logs inside a grain bin for six freakin' hours as part of my 40 needed volunteer hours so I can hunt on public land with as many as 65 other hunters.

I still say, encourage the kids, get them hunting and stop belly aching about it.

 

justin kinda hit the nail on the head... MANY outdoor lifestyle sports (hunting, fishing, snowmobiles, dirt bikes, etc.) are all seeing the exact same trends, rising median age, dwindling numbers... when we support hunting, we should ALSO be supporting other outdoor sports as well... support the NRA, Blue Ribbon Coalition, and others to ensure land access rights, gun owner rights, etc... these kinds of things are all intertwined and we all need to be aware of other sports that have common interests...