Declining number of hunters

[Empire State]

Latest American Hunter mag has article on the Ammo situation in California and point to a large drop in hunter number statewide. In short, one can only purchase Ammo in California if you're a CA resident, and have a firearm registered with the state. you cannot purchase ammo out of state and transport it back in. Article make a good point that such burdensome regulations raise yet another barrier to people actually hunting.

How does one combat the continued assault on hunting?

 

[Stay Sharp]

access to hunting land may be a larger obstacle to recruitment. The far left dems on the left coast are not really targeting hunters but rather all gun owners.

 

[Empire State]

access to hunting land may be a larger obstacle to recruitment. The far left dems on the left coast are not really targeting hunters but rather all gun owners.

Yeah, just gets me going wanting to push back. ;-) I think these legislators passing these regulations bear no political cost for the laws they pass.

I have family in Cali, they want us to move out there.

 

[brownbear932008]

Latest American Hunter mag has article on the Ammo situation in California and point to a large drop in hunter number statewide. In short, one can only purchase Ammo in California if you're a CA resident, and have a firearm registered with the state. you cannot purchase ammo out of state and transport it back in. Article make a good point that such burdensome regulations raise yet another barrier to people actually hunting.

How does one combat the continued assault on hunting?

They all moved to the Rocky mountain states.

 

[Doublecluck]

access to hunting land may be a larger obstacle to recruitment. The far left dems on the left coast are not really targeting hunters but rather all gun owners.

I would disagree, the same people proposing anti gun laws are responsible for anti trapping, anti hunting, legislation. Additionally the DFW rank and file along with the DFW commission has been infiltrated by anti hunting operatives. Politicians are and have used climate change and environmental agendas to effect forest management practices and water allotments on national and state wildlife refuges limiting habitat/opportunity to hunters. Extremist environmentalist groups are and have used the courts to delay EIA’s and forest management practices further burdening state and federal agency budgets that have to use funds to battle them. There are a group of people driving an agenda to end hunting in California and then go state by state until all hunting is stopped in the United States. They will use the political process as well as the courts to accomplish their goals, they are more organized, more dedicated, and while you and I are out working they throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks. For Christ sake Jennifer fearing used to walk Browns dog. Piece by piece, it might take a decade or it might take a century but that’s the road we’re on.

California is covered in state and federal land that can be hunted, there is plenty of access and that hasn’t changed, what has changed is how the land is managed, how successful hunters can be on it, and about a thousand regulations that effect gun owners and hunters.

Bottom line, gun owners/hunters are fleeing California in droves to escape to places more friendly to their way of life.

 

[ntodwild]

I would disagree, the same people proposing anti gun laws are responsible for anti trapping, anti hunting, legislation. Additionally the DFW rank and file along with the DFW commission has been infiltrated by anti hunting operatives. Politicians are and have used climate change and environmental agendas to effect forest management practices and water allotments on national and state wildlife refuges limiting habitat/access/opportunity to hunters. Extremist environmentalist groups are and have used the courts to delay EIA’s and forest management practices further burdening state and federal agency budgets that have to use funds to battle them. There are a group of people driving an agenda to end hunting in California and then go state by state until all hunting is stopped in the United States. They will use the political process as well as the courts to accomplish their goals, they are more organized, more dedicated, and while you and I are out working they throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks. For Christ sake Jennifer fearing used to walk Browns dog. Piece by piece, it might take a decade or it might take a century but that’s the road we’re on.

California is covered in state and federal land that can be hunted, there is plenty of access and that hasn’t changed, what has changed is about a thousand regulations that effect gun owners and hunters.

Bottom line, gun owners/hunters are fleeing California in droves to escape to places more friendly to their way of life.

X2!!!!!! California absolutely sucks and where I live in Western Washington is no better! It's only getting worse and worse.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

I have family in Cali, they want us to move out there

Do they hate you?

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Breaking news: water is wet!

Hunting is a way of life! My old man taught me and I will one day teach my kids. What is taught is the want to hunt. Once you have that, you can climb all these hurdles. Its an intrinsic thing. People that want to learn to hunt should search for a person that wants to hunt. I live in Minnesota and they have five rules for every one action but that doesn't stop me or my family members.

 

[hossblur]

Utah is actually bucking the trend, slightly but still.

Our #1,2,3 4 problems are access, access, access, $$$$.

Half the access part is the same as everywhere in the West.

The other half in Utah is the $$$ push for more and more CWMU, trophy hunting. As you guys know Utah sold its soul to trophy hunting and big money decades ago(SFW). In doing so we have a continued drum beat of commercial hunting expansion, limited tags to increase age classes. The obvious result is difficulty to include young and new adult hunters into a sport/lifestyle.

Add to that a point scheme which in my state has made sheep, goats, moose, bison completely unachievable. for younger/new hunters. Add to that the fact that if they started today a 12yr old might be lucky to hunt 2 limited entry hunts in their hunting career and it's not hard to see where a huge barrier is.

Fin has talked about it a lot. After access, the discriminatory point schemes may be great for gray hairs, but they are a major issue in recruitment.

 

[mplane72]

While the Cali law is ridiculous and in fact another hurdle to jump I still have a hard time believing regulations are the reason for the decline in hunters. The way people live is changing. Their connection to the land is gone. All outdoor pursuits are declining. Access is a major hurdle for those that want to hunt. Often what can be accessed is low quality and many don't have the patience anymore to do what it take to be successful. How can you expect someone to keep at it when they don't even feel like they're in the game?

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

Nobody has said this yet, because you're probably too nice, but maybe my generation is just I'll-equiped to handle failure. We got participation trophies our whole lives and our parents and teachers did their best to make sure we didn't face much adversity. I honestly think hunting is too big a challenge for a lot of younger people. It's too much work for them.

That's why I will tell anybody my spots, I'll take anyone (well almost anyone) hunting, and I'm constantly forcing my friends and relatives to go. I tell anyone who is interested that it is doable, then I tell them how I do it. Maybe if we can stop self-aggrandizing hunting; stop making it sound like only navy seals can do it, then younger folks would be more interested?

Idk, maybe they just need to put cell towers in wilderness areas and install chargers in the trees and WiFi in the rocks!

 

[Deleted member 38069]

The way people live is changing. Their connection to the land is gone.

Exactly right!

 

[BuzzH]

Maybe if we can stop self-aggrandizing hunting; stop making it sound like only navy seals can do it, then younger folks would be more interested?

This is a great point...and cant agree more.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Maybe if we can stop self-aggrandizing hunting; stop making it sound like only navy seals can do it, then younger folks would be more interested?

So true. There is a lot of short-man syndromes that tend to exaggerate the hunt.

 

[rwc101]

From personal experience, I don't think anybody knows failure like a millennial with a humanities degree applying for jobs.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Nobody has said this yet, because you're probably too nice, but maybe my generation is just I'll-equiped to handle failure. We got participation trophies our whole lives and our parents and teachers did their best to make sure we didn't face much adversity. I honestly think hunting is too big a challenge for a lot of younger people. It's too much work for them.

You might be hanging with the wrong crowd....

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

So true. There is a lot of short-man syndromes that tend to exaggerate the hunt.

I know I've been guilty of it myself.

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

You might be hanging with the wrong crowd....

Ha ha I have no crowd. These are just general observations about a good portion of my peers. Maybe even a little self reflection.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Ha ha I have no crowd. These are just general observations about a good portion of my peers. Maybe even a little self reflection.

I think the stereotype about work ethic is just bs. I know boomers, gen x'ers and millennial who hustle their butts off and those who are total dip-chits.

Just depends on who you have choose to surround yourself with, I prefer the type A crowd myself.

 

[Trial153]

The generational bashing doesn't help anything. You can bet its been a habit of all previous generations to run down the up and comers. The issue we now have is that there aren't enough up and comers into hunting that we can afford disfranchise and push away people.

I also think that its the fairly ignorant to see successful young individuals with a solid foundation and knowledge base of environment they they found themselves in and assume they are somehow less than us because the command a different skill set.