Lets discuss: How will hunting change in the future?

[foggy]

I agree, Stu. I kind of changed the drift of foggy's thread.

No worries Art. It's kinda a drifty topic.

I can't imagine being a public land deer hunter anymore. In the public areas I used to hunt.....You really gotta do some advance scouting to find a spot....then try to secure that spot when opening day arrives. Then put up with dumb and dumber and dufus when the season opens. I think those experiences make many folks quit.

Those that are left, pay some hefty prices for out of state hunts. The work -a- day guy is pretty much gone from a western deer/elk hunt these days.

 

[wiscwhip]

^^^my buddies travel to get good quality bird hunting (except turkeys...don't have to travel far to shoot them). When I think of the youth of today...I can see "action" hunting like that for birds having a much better chance of surviving for generations than deer hunting where you can go for hours (or days) with absolutely zero action. Bird hunting also fits in with those interested in getting some exercise while hunting and for those who constantly need a change of scenery.

There is also a lot more laid back camaraderie involved in waterfowl and upland gamebird hunting that you could never have while pursuing a primarily solitary sport like hunting deer, except for in certain circumstances. The days of the group party deer drives and the fellowship that goes with it are all but over. Deer camps with 2 or 3 guys walking out to sit stoically in trees all day do not have near the "group" appeal that 3 or 4 guys sitting in a duck boat drinking coffee, bs'ing, and eating doughnuts waiting for a flock of mallards to fly by or a group of 5 or 6 guys walking a pheasant field would have to guys looking for that "hunting camp" experience.

 

[wiscwhip]

I can't tell you how many of my friends who used to go deer hunting have quit....but they still chase pheasants, grouse, ducks, and turkeys. I'm pretty much the last hold out I think :oops:

I can't imagine being a public land deer hunter anymore. In the public areas I used to hunt.....You really gotta do some advance scouting to find a spot....then try to secure that spot when opening day arrives. Then put up with dumb and dumber and dufus when the season opens. I think those experiences make many folks quit.

While I have contemplated this a few times now, my daughter and now grand babies will keep me deer hunting for the foreseeable future. I have found that hunting the public ground is much better during the week, weekends, forget it!

 

[Bill]

As far as deer hunting goes I think this QDM thing is a flash in the pan. CWD is going to make managing for age structure impossible. I don't know about everyone else but I don't expend all this time, energy and $ to hunt spikes.

When the bubble pops it may go back to old way. Wanna hunt? help yourself.

I'm skewed right now, MO just announced dropping APR's in 6 more counties and I'm in one. :(.
Their advocating shooting lots of young bucks. (Which may be science based but I just couldn't do it)

Seriously considering meeting a realtor next week.

 

[wiscwhip]

As far as deer hunting goes I think this QDM thing is a flash in the pan. CWD is going to make managing for age structure impossible. I don't know about everyone else but I don't expend all this time, energy and $ to hunt spikes.

When the bubble pops it may go back to old way. Wanna hunt? help yourself.

I'm skewed right now, MO just announced dropping APR's in 6 more counties and I'm in one. :(.
Their advocating shooting lots of young bucks. (Which may be science based but I just couldn't do it)

Seriously considering meeting a realtor next week.

If you love your current place, why sell? It is eventually going to be everywhere, anyway. You will never get away from it, it is just a matter of time. Manage your property for the age structure you want and let the DNR pound sand. If you have the safest sanctuary for those young bucks they will hang around and become old bucks. Continue to shoot what you want, and have all deer tested for CWD before you consume them, simple as that, many guys in WI already started doing this years ago. The MO DNR will run into the same issues they had in WI, you can put in as many regulations as you want but you can't make the hunters pull the trigger, and that holds especially true for private lands and landowners. Outside of an Earn-A-Buck type rule, they can't make you shoot does and they can't make you harvest small bucks. It is a bit easier for the DNR to manipulate these things on public land, you will always have the greedy, brown-is-down crowd that will shoot till the tags run out or the barrel melts down.

 

[Bill]

I hear ya Stu. Not sure what to do.

I did set up a meeting with a realtor next week. not listing it but I want to know my options.

Wiscwhip makes some valid points and lord knows I've got some time invested here. And frankly its some of the best hunting I've ever had.

Sorry for the thread jack foggy!

 

[sandbur]

^^^my buddies travel to get good quality bird hunting (except turkeys...don't have to travel far to shoot them). When I think of the youth of today...I can see "action" hunting like that for birds having a much better chance of surviving for generations than deer hunting where you can go for hours (or days) with absolutely zero action. Bird hunting also fits in with those interested in getting some exercise while hunting and for those who constantly need a change of scenery.

Most of my friends only travel for big game hunting. I'm just not in the bird hunting crowd.

I've never fired any thing but lead shot, but last year did get a shotgun for steel or other "Newer"shot. Yup, I'm not into bird hunting.

There is also a lot more laid back camaraderie involved in waterfowl and upland gamebird hunting that you could never have while pursuing a primarily solitary sport like hunting deer, except for in certain circumstances. The days of the group party deer drives and the fellowship that goes with it are all but over. Deer camps with 2 or 3 guys walking out to sit stoically in trees all day do not have near the "group" appeal that 3 or 4 guys sitting in a duck boat drinking coffee, bs'ing, and eating doughnuts waiting for a flock of mallards to fly by or a group of 5 or 6 guys walking a pheasant field would have to guys looking for that "hunting camp" experience.

it's odd, but most of my friends still deer hunt with a rifle. Bird hunting just is not popular with them . They might shoot a partridge when the opportunity arises, but the only serious hunting is for deer.

Will these new shooters be active activists to help hunting. Nope. Thats for the older guys. They may have a soft spot for hunting related issues but they wont step up and giddy.

Money. Money. Money.

Who will spend money to support hunting as we know it.

I was doing some consulting work today and word is sales at Bass Pro and Cabelas were way off the goals. But nobody wants to talk about lower deer numbers dampening hunter spending.

Money makes things happen.

Here is a question that I will bet only foggy and I can say yes to.

Who has been in the ORIGINAL Mn. hunting and fishing store-Herter's?

 

[foggy]

^ Yep.....I used to hang out at the Waseca store quite a bit. Bought lots of feathers there for fly-tieing. Also bought my first bow there.....a recurve. Still own a world famous vit-glodo Goose Call with coco bolo wood. George Herter was quite a character.....he authored the book "How to live with a biatch" .....just before his wife divorced him.

Little known fact.....the GM at Herters moved to the Herters Store in Mitchell SD. When the Herters empire folded(due to GL Herter betting it all on the snowmobile biz).....he went to work for the Cabela's brothers......and set-up their mail-order biz. .......and you know the rest of the story. ;)

 

[MoLandOwner]

Most of my friends only travel for big game hunting. I'm just not in the bird hunting crowd.

I've never fired any thing but lead shot, but last year did get a shotgun for steel or other "Newer"shot. Yup, I'm not into bird hunting.

it's odd, but most of my friends still deer hunt with a rifle. Bird hunting just is not popular with them . They might shoot a partridge when the opportunity arises, but the only serious hunting is for deer.


Here is a question that I will bet only foggy and I can say yes to.

Who has been in the ORIGINAL Mn. hunting and fishing store-Herter's?

I worked at the Herter's Outlet Store in Crystal MN back in the 70's for a short stint. More product went out the back door than past the cash register while I was there. Its No wonder they went broke.

 

[sandbur]

I was not aware that Herter's existed in the '70's. I thought they were long gone.

 

[MoLandOwner]

I was not aware that Herter's existed in the '70's. I thought they were long gone.

The outlet store was around, can't say about the other stores for sure.

 

[MoLandOwner]

This article says they closed in 1981. I think that is close to what I remember.

http://gunlore.awardspace.info/gunknow/herter.htm

 

[leexrayshady]

Yep stuff never bought a thing from them but would read there catalog everyday for a week when it came

 

[foggy]

I think George Herter was somehow related to the Ringling Brothers. He was quite a circus......and would oversell and embellish on stuff like crazy. Go big or go home. ;)

That catalog was kinda a treat to read. Everything was "world famous".....and bigger than life in his catalog. He really had a following for some time. Reloading, shooting, archery, fishing, hunting and marine. Private labeled everything, and produced quite a number of things in Waseca. Was moving his operations to Mitchell SD....not sure if for tax reasons? As I understand it....the snowmobile biz was a disaster for him.

 

[NWWI]

Unless you have your own property hunting just isn't all that exciting any more. Every year the rules change and you wonder why the DNRs are trying to go backwards. Nobody used to bow hunt 15 years ago. Now during the rut every hunting camp and public land has people bow hunting it during the week. You have to get a head start because if you wait until rifle all that's left will be your fork horns. Fall fishing is quiet, football on TV is low impact the list goes on.

 

[Greta&Gus]

As time goes on I think we will see an increase of what the current state of hunting is around the country. There will be small pockets of privately managed areas that have excellent hunting with the majority of the country will have average to poor hunting. If you have the money you will be able to 'pay to play'. I do think that some states will continue to encourage a trophy management program however for the purpose of out of state revenue. Iowa for deer and South Dakota for pheasants have both created a 'destination' hunt where you pay for quality hunting. It is possible other states may start using the western model of tag limits and drawing for specific zones.

Hunting wont die, it will just be privatized and become more of a rich man's game.

 

[bat man]

High fence. The effort, time and money many spend trying to get a buck to 3.5 would be better spent on fence than any other means.

And hunters will embrace the govt benefits available to big ag and frorestry and use them as tools. Farmers with issues get help killing wolves. By a goat for $100 and when the wolves eat it federal trappers come in and kill the wolf pack.


Growers with issues get free fencing. Problems with brown and down neighbors? Plant 4 apple trees and rub them with an old lawnmower blade. The free 8 foot deer fence solves the neighbor issue.

 

[Jeff23]

This may surprise some of you, but I hope it doesn't come to all hunting being privatized behind high fence. I think options are great. You wanna hunt high fence? Have at it. You'd rather hunt your private farm "free-range", managed as you see fit? Knock yourself out. You prefer chasing them down on public land with a bunch of weekend warriors? Have fun, but make sure you tuck and roll when the powder starts burning.
What will have the biggest effect on the future of hunting? Which idiots the sheep of this great country elect into public office. Approximately 60% of the US is publicly owned, so the opportunities are there to the degree our esteemed leaders allow them. This country (as a whole) seems to value liberty less and less with passing time, so I'd say the future, sadly, looks dim. I sincerely hope I am wrong as I am passing the tradition to my three up-and-comers, but what they have to look forward to I am not certain.

 

[bat man]

This country (as a whole) seems to value liberty less and less with passing time, so I'd say the future, sadly, looks dim. I sincerely hope I am wrong as I am passing the tradition to my three up-and-comers, but what they have to look forward to I am not certain.

Was drinking a beer with the neighbor today and he claimed 51% of America now gets some kind of welfare. Can it be true?

 

[Greta&Gus]

Was drinking a beer with the neighbor today and he claimed 51% of America now gets some kind of welfare. Can it be true?

Not to derail the subject, but 98% of Americans get some form of welfare. Ever itemize your mortgage interest on your taxes? I do and technically it's a kick back. Every tax write off is welfare.