Durability of legacy hunting camps

[Wind Gypsy]

but how many of the hunters are young one's?
just getting into the sport like??

My observations - Of the hunters travelling around and hunting multiple states, puttin in the work on public ground, Id say a lot of em are millennial aged or younger. The internet has made the opportunities visible to everyone and drastically shortened the learning curve. That and social media glory (unfortunately) drives a lot of younger hunters.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

but how many of the hunters are young one's?
just getting into the sport like??

I don’t have any stats but anecdotally we will run out of access to huntable lands before we run out of willing hunters. Meaning I don’t ever envision a day where hunting land doesn’t have a “consumer”.

 

[Kooch]

I had my little slice of heaven up in zone3 and just sold it to the neighbor. Part of the reason was lack of interest from my family. The other part is the long, long drive to get there. 7 hours.

I traded that life for 80 acres in South Dakota where I live. Deer “camp” dreams are dead and gone for me. Now it’s just me and the Mrs and kill a deer every other year for the freezer. Oh well.


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[bueller]

I had my little slice of heaven up in zone3 and just sold it to the neighbor. Part of the reason was lack of interest from my family. The other part is the long, long drive to get there. 7 hours.

I traded that life for 80 acres in South Dakota where I live. Deer “camp” dreams are dead and gone for me. Now it’s just me and the Mrs and kill a deer every other year for the freezer. Oh well.


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Start hosting your own little camp with the comforts of your own home. Doesn't have to be large. Invite a friend or two to come stay at and hunt your place. Have them bring their wife to hang with the Mrs. Deer camp has a different meaning to all of us.

 

[MRBB]

I don’t have any stats but anecdotally we will run out of access to huntable lands before we run out of willing hunters. Meaning I don’t ever envision a day where hunting land doesn’t have a “consumer”.

well, I am in PA< we have tons of public land, and you can often find it empty, even opening day of rifle deer season, there are tons of p[laces NO one goes near, and after opening day anymore, its almost empty all over! the land is locked up tight to remain public land too, so never developed(well as things are now any how)
I used to hunt 7 states or so a yr, and I never ever had a issue finding public land without crowds
yes i fully get some states are way different, but, there not that way every where!

the hunters i do encounter are NEVER young one's either, and I mean teens and early 20's
I just DON"T see them any more
when I had my gun shop, the only guns sold to younger guys were more NON hunting type guns,. as well!, and the more MOVIE like they looked the faster they sold for me!, was very little interest o talk about HUNTING, or traditions
as a FACT, when talking public lands, here in PA< most will BASH them and out right refuse to use them, which just leaves more acres open to those willing to put forth effort

it seems most YOUNG hunters only want to hunt private lands here, or that's all I ever hear them talk about!
and even of the private lands, they DON"T normally own them, but family does, and when they loose that land, they QUIT hunting, or a lot of them have I have talked with!, the drive to HUNT isn;t there, they just go out opening days and such, cause its like something to do, but no real passion in them for it!
Archery hunters are more dedicated these days than Gun hunters IMO as well!
there is some die hards left in the archery world ,or seems like way more there, than in the gun seasons

small game hunters are RARE any more in all but the best states with Pheasants left!
was a time when almost every hunter had a bird dog, now??
honestly how many actually have one? and HUNT it on UPLAND game

still some die hard waterfowl hunters in SOME states, just like good pheasant dogs in some sates, but over all across the USA< bid dogs that HUNT are also a dying breed! literally!

 

[Mortenson]

I had my little slice of heaven up in zone3 and just sold it to the neighbor. Part of the reason was lack of interest from my family. The other part is the long, long drive to get there. 7 hours.

I traded that life for 80 acres in South Dakota where I live. Deer “camp” dreams are dead and gone for me. Now it’s just me and the Mrs and kill a deer every other year for the freezer. Oh well.


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Why kill a deer every other year? Just because that's all you'd eat, or the permit system?

 

[Chuck11]

Here in PA, there is another wrinkle to the legacy of the hunting camp and that is gas drilling royalties. Several of the larger camps around have "tiers" as in are you in the lower, non-royalty receiving younger guy tier or are you in the upper "we get the royalties and don't even really hunt" tier. It can be incredibly difficult to even get into the lower tier of an established camp that could probably use a few new younger stronger-backed members who like to work. I am not even involved in any of these camps, but have watched several people try (and mostly fail) to get involved, even with years of hard work.
I also help out an older gent who has ~100 acres and has lost his members to old age, death and a lack of desire to hunt anymore. He is having a hard time getting new guys to join, even for 10$/week (a real bargain based on the deer around and the property and amenities (cabin, boat, 4 wheelers). The biggest issue is the younger generation (sadly, my own) just want to show up during deer season to shoot somethin or show up in the summer to party. They also don't want to do any work. I showed the one kid a Solo spreader full of seed and showed him how it worked and he looked at me like I had 3 heads. He even had gall to ask "isn't there an easier way to do this?." Well yes there probably is friend but these are not huge fields and it may or may not have been a test designed by the owner to see if he wanted to work (he didn't).

Man, I would give half of my leg for an opportunity like that, and so would my sons. Thats a darn shame that people don't want to work to have an opportunity like that.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Man, I would give half of my leg for an opportunity like that, and so would my sons. Thats a darn shame that people don't want to work to have an opportunity like that.

yep and due to a fair amount of diligent habitat/food plot work there are some pretty nice bucks around on a place where a basket racked 6 point used to be huge...I just help him out cuz he's a friend but it would be really nice and we could make the place even better if we had a few more willing hands

 

[PatinPA]

well, I am in PA< we have tons of public land, and you can often find it empty, even opening day of rifle deer season, there are tons of p[laces NO one goes near, and after opening day anymore, its almost empty all over! the land is locked up tight to remain public land too, so never developed(well as things are now any how)
I used to hunt 7 states or so a yr, and I never ever had a issue finding public land without crowds
yes i fully get some states are way different, but, there not that way every where!

the hunters i do encounter are NEVER young one's either, and I mean teens and early 20's
I just DON"T see them any more
when I had my gun shop, the only guns sold to younger guys were more NON hunting type guns,. as well!, and the more MOVIE like they looked the faster they sold for me!, was very little interest o talk about HUNTING, or traditions
as a FACT, when talking public lands, here in PA< most will BASH them and out right refuse to use them, which just leaves more acres open to those willing to put forth effort

it seems most YOUNG hunters only want to hunt private lands here, or that's all I ever hear them talk about!
and even of the private lands, they DON"T normally own them, but family does, and when they loose that land, they QUIT hunting, or a lot of them have I have talked with!, the drive to HUNT isn;t there, they just go out opening days and such, cause its like something to do, but no real passion in them for it!
Archery hunters are more dedicated these days than Gun hunters IMO as well!
there is some die hards left in the archery world ,or seems like way more there, than in the gun seasons

small game hunters are RARE any more in all but the best states with Pheasants left!
was a time when almost every hunter had a bird dog, now??
honestly how many actually have one? and HUNT it on UPLAND game

still some die hard waterfowl hunters in SOME states, just like good pheasant dogs in some sates, but over all across the USA< bid dogs that HUNT are also a dying breed! literally!

The best buck sign I've ever seen in my life was in spring turkey season, about 3 miles back a woods road on PA state forest land in Potter Co. Scrapes that were as big as car hoods every 50 yards and the biggest rubs I've ever seen. The kind where the buck is rubbing one tree and the tines are gouging the tree behind it.

 

[PatinPA]

We have a family camp in Potter Co. PA. Only have 11 acres but it's surrounded by thousands of acres of state forest land. It's strictly family owned with 4 original shares from my grandfather and 3 of his brothers. The family aspect can be good but also a pain in the butt. I have some great memories hunting with my dad and my grandfather as well as family and friends. The bad part is when family members pass away and those that inherit the share don't want to be a part of the camp. We've had a problem or two with people with inherited shares wanting to sell them and wanting way more than they're worth. Another member split his share and left half each to his grandsons. Which wasn't a problem other than they were both small children and obviously couldn't pay dues or come to work details. It has since worked out fortunately. All the shares are in the hands of people that want to own it and still be a part of it.

 

[Freeburn]

For me, hunting is a solitary activity. A way to be in the woods - quiet, peaceful, contemplative. In my circumstances, a deer camp is very unattractive. Nothing seems worse to me than spending a week or two with people who I may not actually even like. Factor in the usually lousy sleeping arrangements, me being a non-drinker, as well as someone who doesn't need an excuse to get away from the wife, and the appeal of deer camps isn't there for me.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

For me, hunting is a solitary activity. A way to be in the woods - quiet, peaceful, contemplative. In my circumstances, a deer camp is very unattractive. Nothing seems worse to me than spending a week or two with people who I may not actually even like. Factor in the usually lousy sleeping arrangements, me being a non-drinker, as well as someone who doesn't need an excuse to get away from the wife, and the appeal of deer camps isn't there for me.

I agree 100% that those aspects aren't appealing to but luckily "deer camp" to me doesn't have any of those aspects. It did at one point when i was a youngster and my Dad was quick to quit that trip.

 

[yoderjac]

We have a family camp in Potter Co. PA. Only have 11 acres but it's surrounded by thousands of acres of state forest land. It's strictly family owned with 4 original shares from my grandfather and 3 of his brothers. The family aspect can be good but also a pain in the butt. I have some great memories hunting with my dad and my grandfather as well as family and friends. The bad part is when family members pass away and those that inherit the share don't want to be a part of the camp. We've had a problem or two with people with inherited shares wanting to sell them and wanting way more than they're worth. Another member split his share and left half each to his grandsons. Which wasn't a problem other than they were both small children and obviously couldn't pay dues or come to work details. It has since worked out fortunately. All the shares are in the hands of people that want to own it and still be a part of it.

When I was living in PA, I had a buddy with a similar camp in Potter County. Just a small amount of ground near lots of public hunting. In my experience, "hunting camp" was more about the experience and less about hunting. We did hunt each day, but I could have done that much closer to home. It was more about the tradition and people and the general experience.

When I moved to VA, I found they had "Hunting Clubs" many of these were dog hunting clubs and most all clubs leased land rather than owning it. They were expensive, so I opted not to join one. The difference is that much of the private land in VA was posted. I ended up hunting well managed military bases.

This brings me to another kind of "hunting camp" which is where I hunt now. This is where a few guys get together and form a legal entity (like our LLC) and use it to buy land that they manage and hunt.

I think each case is different and the work is allocated differently.

By the way, we really put a lot of time into designing the LLC. I worried about someone selling shares to someone with a completely different hunting or management philosophy. We also worried about someone inheriting shares who had no interest in hunting and may even be an anti-hunter. What we ended up doing was to reserve voting rights for the original members. We can sell our shares to anyone, but they come in with only a financial interest and no voting rights for how we operate. In order to gain voting rights, the existing members with voting rights have to vote them into voting right status. This is a balancing act. On one hand, it makes it harder for us to sell shares which could lower the value. On the other hand, we are more protected from instability. In general, what it does is that it forces a member that wants to sell to bring in the buyer and "socialize" him with the existing members before the sale. That gives the existing members confidence he won't be an outlier and the perspective buyer confidence he will be given voting rights after the sale. It was not a bad balance.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

For me, hunting is a solitary activity. A way to be in the woods - quiet, peaceful, contemplative. In my circumstances, a deer camp is very unattractive. Nothing seems worse to me than spending a week or two with people who I may not actually even like. Factor in the usually lousy sleeping arrangements, me being a non-drinker, as well as someone who doesn't need an excuse to get away from the wife, and the appeal of deer camps isn't there for me.

Well lucky for us we actually got the Hunt individually and we didn’t all have to sit in the same stand together. I’m not sure if you’re from the south or not but for a lot of us that was the only way we could afford to hunt a decent size track of land. Most of the time you were in camps with friends and even if you didn’t love everyone there was plenty of opportunity for solitary time. I was in 4 camps my whole life and only one was there a good bit of drinking. I only lasted a season and never spent the night. All the other was social drinking after dinner and plenty of kids involved.

 

[Freeburn]

Well lucky for us we actually got the Hunt individually and we didn’t all have to sit in the same stand together. I’m not sure if you’re from the south or not but for a lot of us that was the only way we could afford to hunt a decent size track of land. Most of the time you were in camps with friends and even if you didn’t love everyone there was plenty of opportunity for solitary time. I was in 4 camps my whole life and only one was there a good bit of drinking. I only lasted a season and never spent the night. All the other was social drinking after dinner and plenty of kids involved.

I completely understand the appeal of hunt camps and their necessity in many situations. I enjoy the comradarie that comes from activites with close friends - my annual fishing trip is exactly like what many describe in their memories of hunt camps. It's not what I am looking for when hunting.

Not in the South, nor even American. I live in Ottawa, Ontario - about 1 hr north of the NY border

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I completely understand the appeal of hunt camps and their necessity in many situations. I enjoy the comradarie that comes from activites with close friends - my annual fishing trip is exactly like what many describe in their memories of hunt camps. It's not what I am looking for when hunting.

Not in the South, nor even American. I live in Ottawa, Ontario - about 1 hr north of the NY border

Yeah I get it in a place like that. I’m assuming here…but hunting land has to be way more plentiful and therefore accessible than the southeastern us. Trust me I wouldn’t go back having tasted the sweet fruit of land ownership but I also wouldn’t trade my time

 

[Peeps]

I guess I’m lucky. I hunt in a camp with 2 other guys and we’ve hunted together for 15 years now. We stay in a camper trailer and lease the land so we’ve had to move plenty of times over the years. We use a generator mostly and sometimes hit the jackpot and can plug in to the farmers electricity. We crap outside and have no running water. Cell phone service is usually spotty. When my son was 10 he started hunting with us and has hunted with us every year since. He is now turning 18. He sits all day and never complains. He said he wants to hunt with me and the guys forever and someday have his future kids do the same.

 

[Kooch]

Why kill a deer every other year? Just because that's all you'd eat, or the permit system?

It’s about all we’d eat. We’ll see how it all shakes out. Not rushing this.


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[Mortenson]

That's cool, good luck. I remember your posts about your way up north 80 and how it was a challenge but you thought you were making progress.

 

[Spike_Horn_Shooter]

but how many of the hunters are young one's?
just getting into the sport like??

The whole hunter numbers dropping is bullshit. I’m still out there grinding on public land and there is more pressure than ever. I think Matt Rinella was onto something - until we have landowners begging us to come shoot B&C deer - let’s chill on the recruitment thing.

While technically there are less hunters now than peak boomer snake belly years - there are more hunters squeezed onto to a dwindling # of acres. Fragmentation, Development, Out of state landowners, serious hunters want their own property. How many farms in the 80s had 3-8 guys hunting them? Lots. Now those same farms are leased to 1-2 guys who shoot booners every year.