Number of Hunters Falls, Worrying Some

[ScubaSigGuy]

Not CHL related, but it is 2A related. this part got my blood boiling a little.

One rift involves hunters disenchanted with the National Rifle Association, which runs major hunting programs and lobbies vigorously against gun control. A Maryland hunter, Ray Schoenke, has formed a new group, the American Hunters and Shooters Association, primarily as a home for hunters who would support some restrictions on gun and ammunition sales.

"The NRA's extreme positions have hurt the hunting movement," Schoenke said. "Soccer moms now believe hunters have made things more dangerous."


http://news.aol.com/story/_a/number-of- ... 0000000001

[Liberty]

Not CHL related, but it is 2A related. this part got my blood boiling a little.

One rift involves hunters disenchanted with the National Rifle Association, which runs major hunting programs and lobbies vigorously against gun control. A Maryland hunter, Ray Schoenke, has formed a new group, the American Hunters and Shooters Association, primarily as a home for hunters who would support some restrictions on gun and ammunition sales.

"The NRA's extreme positions have hurt the hunting movement," Schoenke said. "Soccer moms now believe hunters have made things more dangerous."


http://news.aol.com/story/_a/number-of- ... 0000000001

The Brady bunch has totally failed, it a new tactic now divide and conquer. Its just like Pogo said "We have met the enemy".

[Thane]

A Maryland hunter, Ray Schoenke, has formed a new group, the American Hunters and Shooters Association, primarily as a home for hunters who would support some restrictions on gun and ammunition sales.

This statement is akin to a NASCAR driver advocating speed limiters. Not only is it counterproductive to the sport, but it's deliberately misleading. The IHSA is a supporter of "assault-weapons bans," magazine capacity limits, ammunition and caliber restrictions, and a host of other gun-control "causes."

The IHSA has been exposed by multiple organizations, including the NRA, to be a shill for Soros, Handgun Control, and the rest of their GFW (gun-fearing wuss) ilk.

The attitude that Jim Zumbo expressed out of ignorance towards AR-15s (and later retracted) is this group's official platform. Had they their way, we'd all be hunting with single-shots, because after all, "No one NEEDS more than one shot at a time, right?"

And calling the NRA "extremist?" Many gun owners think they're too moderate, and wish they were MORE "extremist," myself included. That being said, I'm an NRA member, and will continue to be for a long time. The only thing IHSA will ever get from me is a horse-laugh (and, if they send me a handy little postage-paid envelope, they'll get the envelope back - wrapped around a brick).

[flintknapper]

Not CHL related, but it is 2A related. this part got my blood boiling a little.

One rift involves hunters disenchanted with the National Rifle Association, which runs major hunting programs and lobbies vigorously against gun control. A Maryland hunter, Ray Schoenke, has formed a new group, the American Hunters and Shooters Association, primarily as a home for hunters who would support some restrictions on gun and ammunition sales.

"The NRA's extreme positions have hurt the hunting movement," Schoenke said. "Soccer moms now believe hunters have made things more dangerous."


http://news.aol.com/story/_a/number-of- ... 0000000001

Saw the same article printed in our local (news?) paper.

Of more concern to me... was the drop in number of hunters over the last 10 years. This is probably true of most shooting sports as well.

The article suggested (hunting) was on the decline because of urbanization gobbling up hunting lands.

I personally believe it has more to do with an aging hunter base dropping out....and a new generation of kids more interested in video games than doing anything outdoors.

[RubenZ]

Not CHL related, but it is 2A related. this part got my blood boiling a little.

One rift involves hunters disenchanted with the National Rifle Association, which runs major hunting programs and lobbies vigorously against gun control. A Maryland hunter, Ray Schoenke, has formed a new group, the American Hunters and Shooters Association, primarily as a home for hunters who would support some restrictions on gun and ammunition sales.

"The NRA's extreme positions have hurt the hunting movement," Schoenke said. "Soccer moms now believe hunters have made things more dangerous."


http://news.aol.com/story/_a/number-of- ... 0000000001

Saw the same article printed in our local (news?) paper.

Of more concern to me... was the drop in number of hunters over the last 10 years. This is probably true of most shooting sports as well.

The article suggested (hunting) was on the decline because of urbanization gobbling up hunting lands.

I personally believe it has more to do with an aging hunter base dropping out....and a new generation of kids more interested in video games than doing anything outdoors.

I think you are right.




But heres my take. I am a die hard hunter. Well i used to be. I was the type that would go with my dad at 1pm to start hunting doves out in the middle of a field sweating bullets till the sun went down. We would go every single weekened of the season then kick off deer season and it was non-stop hunting all fall.

Now days we're lucky if we even go out there 3 times in the total season. For Deer hunting I'll go just to relax actually and I've noticed that as I age I really don't feel like or have a need to Kill a Deer.


Another reason I have pretty much stopped is because I have yet to take my damn Hunters education class. I honestly just don't have time to waste a whole 2 days for it. Heck I barely was even able to take my CHL class lol. The whole sport of hunting just seems to be filled with laws, money, business. It's just gotten so business oriented it kind of turns me off the sport. All the high fences ruining it for us smaller land people etc. etc.


I think theres just stages in our lives that hunters stop for whatever reason. Let me run down my life recently to give an idea of what may be going on with some hunters. I'm 26 btw and will be 27 this November.


From the time I was able to hunt to about 1yr ago I was always hunting. Then I meet a girl who I date a lot :) she becomes my fiance as of Feb 14 2007. Since then it's been nothing but planning for a wedding, furnishing a house, buying things for wedding, etc. I just honestly hardly have time to hunt. Our Wedding is Nov 10, so that pretty much ruins my Deer season opener. Then 1week honeymoon after that. Then comes building a fence for our house, Thanksgiving, Xmas decorations etc. I may get to squeeze in a few weekends of deer hunting in there but not many.


But I do plan to have kids within a year and I PROMISE myself, Them that they will learn the sport of hunting like my father taught me. I will always love the sport and I hope my Children will love and appreciate it as I do.

[mcub]

Here my take

I don’t hunt because:
A. I don’t think setting in a blind waiting for something to walk up is fun. I'd say boring.
B. I don’t own any land, Id have to get a lease, all of which seem to be interested only in blinds.
C. I have no one to hunt with, The few prospects at work either don’t want to any thing but set in a blind with a rifle, forget handgun hunting, or they think I'm anti-hunting because I don’t beleive blasting every squirrel , possum, & bird with a .223 is particularly of any value or fun.


Hunting was, going out, looking for (tracking) something & shooting it. I don’t even know why they still call it hunting; game sniping would be a better name.

[smokin]

I hunted for 31 years and was able to expose my son to it and we had a lot of good times together. All I do now is dove hunt and an occasional weekend hunt somewhere if I have the time and it's not too expensive. I think the numbers are going down because of the cost, which is why I quit. The cost of a place to hunt (lease) is ridiculous in my opinion and I can't believe what some of my buddies pay. But, since I don't hunt as much I've got into guns and shooting more and my wife even likes to go sometimes. She would never go hunting but we get some time together at the range.

[Moonpie]

Many reasons for the drop in hunter numbers.
A huge reason is the sheer cost.
Hunting in Texas(unless you're one of the lucky ones with family land) means leasing hunting property. This is expensive. It gets more expensive every year. Many people just can't do it any more.
Where I work is an interesting case. 25yrs ago almost all the guys hunted. Opening day was a big deal.
Now ONE guy hunts. And he constantly complains of the costs and the stuff he has to deal with to keep his lease.
I'd bet most other guys have the same issues.

[mcub]

And yes the cost, it really doesn’t matter what you shoot either,

Pigs, all the farmers and rancher seem to complain, they are overwhelming , tearing up the crops ,blah blah blah. But offer to shoot a few and suddenly they need 400-1200 to cover the cost of "managing and supporting the population"

Have you also noticed, people can’t share a lease any more, its all per person, or worse per person / per game.

[flintknapper]

Our Wedding is Nov 10, so that pretty much ruins my Deer season opener.

Yikes man!


Did no one ever sit you down and tell you that you NEVER get married in November?

You haven't just ruined your "Deer Season Opener", you have ruined your "DSO" forever! Its called an anniversary.

Yup, I'd say your deer hunting is pretty much over.

[phddan]

Our Wedding is Nov 10, so that pretty much ruins my Deer season opener.

Yikes man!


Did no one ever sit you down and tell you that you NEVER get married in November?

You haven't just ruined your "Deer Season Opener", you have ruined your "DSO" forever! Its called an anniversary.

Yup, I'd say your deer hunting is pretty much over.

Dan

[HankB]

Hunting in Texas(unless you're one of the lucky ones with family land) means leasing hunting property.

I agree. I'm fortunate in that I've hunted Africa several times, and hunted deer up in IL, MN, and IA. But TX with deer leases . . . uh uh. Don't like the $$ and other conditions often attached. (Like the landowner who expected me to not only pay him, but work for him on improving HIS property as well.)

[Moonpie]

Mcub hit on a good point.
Down where I'm at the hogs are over-running properties.
The landowners howl about "doing something about all the hogs".
Yeah, they'll "let" you do something for $200 a pig. Please.

Same thing with the Snow Geese. Goose numbers way too high.
All kinds of loosened rules about hunting them.
BUT, you still can't get at them without paying thru the nose.
My Federal duck stamp bought and paid for all the refuges but I can't set foot on one if I'm a hunter. If I'm a bird watcher(that never paid a DIME) I can go to the refuge every day for free.

[Jungle Work]

I worked as a National Park Ranger in one of the few Public Hunting Lands in the State of Texas. We were over run with hunters wanting a place to hunt and successful hunts were far and few between.

Why is there a decline in Hunting. When I was a kid, we'd take our shotguns and rifles to school with us and after class go deer, dove and quail hunting on the North Canadian River. A few years ago a State Judge gave all that public land back to the Land Owners on each side of the river. Also back in the 50s and 60s you could approach a land owner, explain to him that you are a safe hunter and would respect his land and property and they would give you permission to hunt. I used to go up to the Spearman and Perryton Areas and work for free on weekends with some of the land owners because they let us hunt Pheasants and Quail on their property.

Then Hunting and Leasing got to be big business. My wife's uncle lives outside of Bandera. He has a little over a section of land with two nice hunting cabins on it, besides his house. He leases the hunting rights and the use of the hunting cabins to a Corporation in Houston for well in excess of One Hundred Thousand a year and they write it off as an enterainment expense. The ones it entertains is the CEO and CFO and thier families.

I bought a car from a young man the other day and he and three of his employees are leasing land from land owners to hunt on here in the Panhandle. They are paying over Five Thousand Dollars apiece for the Hunting Rights to the land they lease.

Maybe somebody can explain to me how a man or woman of average means is suppose to take their sons and daughters and expose them to the joy of hunting.

And folks wonder why there is a reduction in the number of hunters.

Me, I beleive that my grandchildren will see it come to pass where the only Hunting in US and Texas is done by the "Royality" as it is in Great Britian.

And that will be the end of the Second Admendment for the US.

Jungle Work

[mr surveyor]

now that's a gloom and doom, sky is falling attitude.