Thrill of the hunt is waning across America

[OakRidgeStars]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 9512.story

http://tinyurl.com/23daefe

Thrill of the hunt is waning across America
By Todd Richmond, Associated Press
December 18, 2010

[SNIP]

Reporting from Madison. Wis. — Classroom desks and office cubicles stand empty. Hunters in blaze orange stand out like drops of bright paint against brown fields. Pub parking lots are crowded with pickup trucks draped with deer carcasses.

This is Wisconsin's gun deer season, a tradition as ingrained in this rugged state's identity as beer, brats and cheese. But as the years slide by, fewer people seem to care.

Hunting's popularity has waned across much of the country as housing tracts replace forests, aging hunters hang up their guns and kids plop down in front of Facebook rather than venture outside.

The falloff could have far-reaching consequences, hunting enthusiasts say. Fewer hunters mean less revenue for a multibillion-dollar industry and government conservation efforts. It also signals what could be the beginning of the end of an American tradition...

[CowboyT]

Not if I have anything to say about it.

[Sotiris]

Does this mean more deer tags per license?

[zephyp]

Does this mean more deer tags per license?

Maybe not but it definitely means more deer...

[VBshooter]

I put no faith whatsoever in the LA Times and anything it's gun hating editors print. Judging by the amount of guns, clothing, and other related hunting gear being advertised and sold, I would say hunting is as strong as ever.. Way back in the old days (60's) when you could buy guns and ammo at Sears right off the shelf a good amount of the stuff today didn;t exist.. Nowdays it has gotten down to a science for those that want to pursue it that intently,,, One of the big differences today is Sears doesn;t sell guns and stores like Wal Mart does... As far as the LA Times goes,, Always put their name facing up when you put it under the parakeet or pet dog!!

[SgtBill]

Just more meat for me and my family and friend's.
Bill

[Taggure]

Hunting is a Solid Tradition within my Family and I have done my part to make sure by instilling in my Son the values of this American Tradition. And hopefully one day I will instill it in my Grandchildren.

[SgtBill]

I have been lucky enough to instill it in both my children and my grandchildren.
Bill

My grandson's Eric and Kyle. This is Eric's first deer from my place. A NICE 10 POINT AT ABOUT 180 LBS.

[KaosDad]

It's definitly a family tradition thing. I come from a long line of non-hunters so never got into it and I think it would be VERY difficult for me to get into it now. I've got nothing against it, just never had the opportunity to spark the interest. So, it's EXREAMLY imporant for hunting families to continue the traditions. Just understand it may skip a generation for various reasons, but as long as there are GrandPas and Cool Uncles, traditions can live quite a long time.

[CowboyT]

KaosDad, I can speak to that, because while my Dad grew up in the woods of Michigan, I grew up in San Francisco. As you might imagine, hunting opportunities in the San Francisco Bay Area are non-existent.

However, I went on my first hunt just over a month ago and might well be going on another one pretty soon. I didn't even become a gun owner until well into my 30's. It's never too late to get started, I can assure you...and it's just plain cool to do. In this case, DK and Henry are teaching me, and after I get good at it and bag a few whitetails, down the road, I will teach someone.

[SgtBill]

Hey Cowboy T, next time you are down with DK let me know so that I can come over and meet y'all.
Bill

[zephyp]

Hey Cowboy T, next time you are down with DK let me know so that I can come over and meet y'all.
Bill

Hey Bill. Hopefully Cowboy will come down again on the 1st. We'll be in the big camo blind on the left at the end of Remy Road...

[gunderwood]

Hey Cowboy T, next time you are down with DK let me know so that I can come over and meet y'all.
Bill

Hey Bill. Hopefully Cowboy will come down again on the 1st. We'll be in the big camo blind on the left at the end of Remy Road...

If you give directions which include your blind it probably isn't very good.

[zephyp]

If you give directions which include your blind it probably isn't very good.

The blind is portable and go ahead -- punch Remy Road into your GPS...I'll wait until you tell me where it is...

Oh, just caught on to what you were getting at. Nope, its a fine blind...

[KaosDad]

CowboyT - I'm "easily coachable."

I'd like to at least try it.

[SgtBill]

I got a nice 140 lb. yesterday afternoon and she is already in the freezer. Tenderloin roast and 30 lbs. of burger. It had started getting dark and I had to shoot her in the front shoulders to knock her down as with my bad knee I could not look for her in the dark on the ice and snow that I still have in the woods on the far side of the lake(new hunting area) Went to Lynchburg today to see my Ortho Dr. and I am scheduled to have a total left knee replacement on the 20th. of Jan. Well maybe 2011 will be better then the last 12 mos.
Bill

[Jakeiscrazy]

I got a nice 140 lb. yesterday afternoon and she is already in the freezer. Tenderloin roast and 30 lbs. of burger. It had started getting dark and I had to shoot her in the front shoulders to knock her down as with my bad knee I could not look for her in the dark on the ice and snow that I still have in the woods on the far side of the lake(new hunting area) Went to Lynchburg today to see my Ortho Dr. and I am scheduled to have a total left knee replacement on the 20th. of Jan. Well maybe 2011 will be better then the last 12 mos.
Bill

Best of luck with your knee replacement. My grandmother had hers done earlier this year and was up and walking in no time. She doesn't feel any pain in that knee anymore.

[zephyp]

I got a nice 140 lb. yesterday afternoon and she is already in the freezer. Tenderloin roast and 30 lbs. of burger. It had started getting dark and I had to shoot her in the front shoulders to knock her down as with my bad knee I could not look for her in the dark on the ice and snow that I still have in the woods on the far side of the lake(new hunting area) Went to Lynchburg today to see my Ortho Dr. and I am scheduled to have a total left knee replacement on the 20th. of Jan. Well maybe 2011 will be better then the last 12 mos.
Bill

Will definitely keep you in my prayers Bill...

[M1A4ME]

I grew up hunting. My dad was in the Air Force and we moved a lot. When I was too small to carry a gun I carried the canvas bag the recently shot squirrels went into. I've hunted ringnecks in two states, sharp trailed grouse, hungarian partridge, quail in two states, ruffed grouse, ducks, doves, squirrels and rabbits in several states and deer in two states.

I moved to VA several years ago and it only took me a couple of years to give up on hunting. Between the hunt clubs, the way the seasons are set up, the county by county differences in rules, regulations, and the distances you have to drive to hunt it was so aggravating I gave it up.

I always (up to this year) expected to retire from work, move a couple hours west or southwest of Richmond and get back into it. Now I know I'll be right here even after retirement.

As a result of me giving it up neither of my sons ever really got into it either. Sometimes I wish I'd stayed in WV but the hunt club BS is ruining things up there as well. In order to hunt within a mile or so of the house (and hunt the same areas he did as a kid - and I did, too) my dad would have to belong to 3 different hunt clubs.

What's the definition of a hunt club in that area of WV?? A group of folks (mostly family) who lease a piece of land, put up signs, put up permanent (nailed to the trees) treestands even though they agreed not to with the timber company, fight among thempselves if they thing someone else walks by too close to THEIR tree stand, shoot everything they see regardless of the season or limts, shoot the chipmunks, woodpeckers, squirrels, etc. with centerfire rifles during deer season when they get bored from not seeing deer, kick others out of the club if they get jealous of the skills/abilities of the folks that are better hunters and even shoot other folks dogs. Somebody stabbed one of our bird dogs one foggy morning. The dog was out in front of us, he yelped and came running back pouring blood from a chest wound. Dad stopped hunting and took him to the truck and then to the vet. The vet. told dad it was a knife wound, not a sharp branch (as we'd first thought). We figured he came up on someone who'd killed a deer out of season and hoped to quickly silence the dog and not get caught.

I guess the WV hunt club stuff was a "little" rant. In some ways its a good thing I don't live up there anymore. I'd have gotten in trouble sooner or later. Prior to moving down here I'd made two trips to the woods at night with the intent of giving deer spot lighters the opportunity to walk home so they could call a tow truck to come get their shot to pieces 4WD the next morning. The game warden refused to get involved with folks spot lighting back on those big reclaimed strip jobs so I figured I'd take care of it. Those two nights the spot lighters must have gone somewhere else. Then I moved down here.

[gunderwood]

I got a nice 140 lb. yesterday afternoon and she is already in the freezer. Tenderloin roast and 30 lbs. of burger. It had started getting dark and I had to shoot her in the front shoulders to knock her down as with my bad knee I could not look for her in the dark on the ice and snow that I still have in the woods on the far side of the lake(new hunting area) Went to Lynchburg today to see my Ortho Dr. and I am scheduled to have a total left knee replacement on the 20th. of Jan. Well maybe 2011 will be better then the last 12 mos.
Bill

Hope the surgery goes well.