# of hunters down my butt

[Arrowhead80]

When i watch the outdoor channel they always say our numbers are going down, they ain't hunting where i am. Seems every block of woods has someone in it these days whether or not they have permission. Recently went to Colorado elk hunting and seen more people than elk, the only think bugling was attached to a hunters lips. Just wondering if yall feel the same or have the same situation.

[Mike Vines]

Here in Michigan, with so many guys out of work, I can see the woods being just like last year, FULL.   I did notice though, that the closer you get to more populated areas, the more the hunters want to be close to home.  I might have to drive 1-2 hours to get away from it, but it is well worth it.

[adkmountainken]

i see less and less hunters every year for the last 10 or so years around here, not sure what it is. VERY FEW youths in this area hit the woods which is sad.

[Widowbender]

I know what u mean Preston...its gonna be even worse now with all the crossguns in the woods!!

[Hot Hap]

Yes I think the number of hunters is down. But the availible acreage to hunt is way-way down, and that is why you think the way you do. Hap

[ron w]

Now days it's a "right now" type of society. With miss management of our game and fewer places to hunt kids don't want to put the time in to become a hunter, let alone a successful one. If they go out and no game is seen ...back to the mall or video games. A few young folks are lucky to have parents that have taken the time to show them the right way, many are on this site. But in the long run hunters numbers will keep going down and trust me the "anti's" are watching and waiting to put an end to what you and I love so much.

[K. Mogensen]

Anyone who goes during the Any Legal Weapon hunt around here can tell there isn't no shortage of hunters...  

[Steelhead]

Thier are certainly way more bowhunters than thier were 20-30 years ago.Not sure about total hunter numbers though in regard to hunting licenses bought for all species.Small game,waterfowl etc.I think those hunter numbers may be on the decline?

I hunt public land mostly though and thiers no shortage of bowhunters where I have been hunting the last 25 years.Thats been in different states as well.Ill,IN, and MI.

They swarm like bees in some places I have hunted.Not alot of solitude or peace really in those situations.Its borderline too competitive at times.

[wollelybugger]

The numbers are going down because the younger generation does  not want to hunt. They think it is boring to sit in the woods all day long. Kids have a lot more to do than we did and want to be entertained.

Posted property is a real problem, everyone wants to plant food plots and shoot giant bucks. Large farms are leased by a few and that leaves a lot of hunters with nowhere to hunt.  After a couple of years many just give up because it isn't worth it.

[B/W lvr]

Lots of loss of land to hunt and a lot of slobs that call themselves hunters leads to a less than fun environment. Frank

[John Scifres]

I'm still trying to figure why you have all those hunters down your butt.  

Anywhoo... According to the USFWS 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/NationalSurvey/2006_Survey.htm) hunting is a dying sport in the US.

Here's some data lowlights I pulled from it a while back.

[Blaino]

I can't say that there is fewer hunters where I'm at. If yall have fewer hunters where you are then I'm jelous!  I know I shouldn't feel that way... I think it's a combination of everything.  evryone wants to hunt but few want to put the "time in the woods" to leard how to truly hunt. i.e. feeders, trail camras, 500+ yard rifle shots, 200 yrd muzzle loader, 60 yrd wheel shots... when will there be a limit.

[John Scifres]

According to the Survey, SC went from 300,000 hunters in 1996 to 208,000 in 2006, a 31% loss.

 http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/fhw06-sc.pdf

[Don Batten]

I don't know all the figures, but I do know for a fact that if they go down Preston's butt, they'll go down for good. DB

[DannyBows]

"I don't know all the figures, but I do know for a fact that if they go down Preston's butt, they'll go down for good. DB"

                 

    Good one Batman!

[YORNOC]

Massachusetts has huntable land declining and hunters on the rise.  Makes for a very tough situation.  Trouble always starts with an overpopulation of ANYTHING.  We have to keep our heads out there and be friendly to each other. It's tough to accept that hunting is not as solitary as it once was, but it is..was it is.

[Arrowhead80]

Guess the title is a misleading, haven't seen any hunters around my butt. If they were close to it i bet they would stink. Don,you and Bernie seen first hand what i'm talking about last year up here there was a bunch of booms that weekend. It gets frustrating letting young bucks walk just to see them in the back of someones truck.

[Shawn Leonard]

I agree with John, numbers are way down. As Hap said there is less land available due to posting and leasing so the spots that are available seem to be getting high numbers. A neighboring farm from the one I hunt has gone from 13 bowhunters to 8 in the last 5 or 6 years. License sales don't lie! I know there are outlaws out there that don't buy a license but not a ton of them. Shawn

[Arrowhead80]

Around here anywhere you go there are posted signs and trucks all over the side of the road. The numbers may be declining but i can't tell it around here. Land is getting to the point that you can't afford to lease it people are wanting 20-25 dollars an acre and i don't know about yall but i can't swing that. My family owns 100 acres but we are surrounded by hunters that cap anything that moves. There are plenty of deer but not many live to be 3 years old.

[oops29]

seems to me in my co. of ky. a lot less hunters and alot less land to hunt