This is classic - "we are professional hunters" ... we need to film a big buck getting shot no matter what the cost or what the law says. My view - the biggest problem with our industry is this exact thing...
Wonder if we'll hear about everyone being "ethics police" in this thread. My opinion fines aren't steep enough, 5 year hunting probationary time period I think should be in every single poaching case minimum.
A felony offense (in all most every case) will result in the subject unable for the rest of their life to own a firearm and hunt with a firearm. Does this push too many crooks into bowhunting?
Did not realize that...I'm a fan of this, but would still say no hunting with anything for a span of years is appropriate.
This a result of the 24/7 tv rock stars that fuel the "horn porn" craze, internet sites, bloggers, mineral/BOB seed pushers,youtube and frankly have taken much of the fun out of hunting. We now see newbs who are going thru mental torture as to taking a immature first buck ever or holding out for the monstor that's on my $40 bag of mineral hope/hype. The madness has to stop.Look at the name on popular mineral and BOB seed? It's never called "really healthy doe" or has a pic of a 6 point on the bag.
It pushes all the felon hunters into bowhunting but that's the law. Just like a fishing rod a bow is not a firearm. In Wisconsin a non felon wife beater can't own a gun or firearm hunt either.
I agree to some extent. Should we blame the NFL for the kid that gets a concussion playing football in the park? We can't blame companies for peoples ignorance. We need to blame the person. It isn't any worse than other sports equipment. Gatorade...Nike...Under Armor. They all do the same thing. You'll last longer, jump higher, win the game... The fault lies with the consumer for not being able to tell the difference between marketing hype and quality product. RESEARCH the subject before you get taken in by a fancy label and neat packaging! This goes for new and old hunters alike. /rant
Imo hunting has changed forever for the worse due to 24/7 cable hunting channels and the internet. I started bowhunting in 1970 when the only hunting show was Curt Gowdy on Saturday afternoons, no internet, no big buck hype. Back when nobody minded taking the kid into the woods for some squirrel hunting. How many of YOU now let your kids go squirrel hunting into your whitetail woods"sanctuary"? Remember when the neighbor would allow the neighbor kid to small game hunt his woods? Now it's leased out and locked up for the next whitetail god wannabe. And we wonder why youth( the future of our sport) would rather play xbox?
I agree with alot of that. In Illinois squirrel season goes to February 15th. We hunt them after deer season now instead of before, but I get your point and you are mostly right. BTW, I started listening to you a little more when I saw your trophy room.
I wasn't born until the early 80's so I have no idea about what it was like back then. I never had the type of dad that would take me hunting. I didn't come from a hunting family, When I was 20 I was introduced to hunting. I took the hunters safety course and the rest is history. Children like to play the xbox because it's fun as heck. I enjoy it too. But the responsibility for that lies with the parents. If we (I have an 9 year old boy) don't tell them to shut it off and go play outside, if we don't take them hunting (even if they can't sit still for 10 minutes let alone 3 hrs) then the future of hunting is in jeopardy. Hunting has now been found to be a profitable investment for many. I'm not going to judge those that want to make a good living. That's the American way. As long as they don't cross the line...Which is what you are referring to. I think you are right again, but IMO, they haven't done anything wrong. If we stop watching, they will stop airing the programs. If you stop buying fancy packages, they will be forced to make a quality product or go out of business. If we teach new hunters and children what hunting is REALLY about, then soon things can and will get better. It's up to us. Not the big corporations.
Hell yeah,preach brother! I remember when I could go knock on doors when I was a kid and hunt just about anywhere I wanted. Not anymore, where I grew up hunting is all leased by outfitters chasing dollars. Its all I can do to find a place for me and my son to hunt, you cant even get in on a decent lease here. Whats it going to be like for him and his kids?
i think both of yall make very valid points. however with most things in life...people are lazy and very impressionable. trust me i know all about the outfitters and big business, south texas is full of them...and here like most places its very hard to find a lease, unless you have plenty of cash to throw around. however, sooner or later somethings gotta give right? id like to think so at least.
In Wisconsin far less hunting licenses have been sold vs. 10 years ago. Why? Access? partially but 1/3 of the state is public ground. The public vs. private land hunt quality is a night and day difference. And this divide will continue to become even greater. Now hunting woods is 3=4k/acre! Leases are $40/acre. private lands can control hunter activity, and improve foodplots,thermal bedding, visual screening, soft and hard mast plantings, ect. The 3 day/year public ground gun hunter is the backbone of our sport. Lose him and we lose the voting booth. 10% of the hunters in Wisconsin harvest over 50% of the 380,000 deer kill. That leaves 800,000 hunters fighting over 165,000 deer. Do the math.
PSEREVENGEMAN, I don't want you to take this the wrong way because I like your style, but can my girls and I come squirrel hunting this weekend on your property in Wisconsin?
Television hunting is one of the few careers left you can make a decent living without training, college, or trade school. If it wasn't for that most of those guys would be working in the sporting goods section of Wal Mart. For as much trash as I talk about Mastercard Hunters, the majority of the products they buy are made in America and that makes it easier to swallow...
