Is the new generation of hunters lazy?

[Gray Buffalo]

I don’t think they are lazy. I think they just don’t know or haven’t been taught properly. I know several men 20 to 30 years old who afraid of being in the woods after dark and Others with no sense of direction.I would like to see how they would handle being stuck in the woods overnight with out all their toys.

[Lost Arra]

+1 What Grapes said.        

[dot 1]

in my opinion, life is just too convenient for youth and its gonna get worse. i live in nw.montana and hunt wilderness on foot mostly. very few guys my age(29) or younger will hunt this country with me even though the animals are huge and the views cant be beat. todays apathetic society is numbing the senses of youth, but if young hunters are lazy maybe there dad should have spent more time on the trail and less in the bottle at hunting camp? just a thought.

[Autumnarcher]

Another thought, in comparing the number of hunts. The younger crowd you mentioned had far less time afield than you.

Why is that? Jobs? Family commitments? Hangin out with the girls? Face it, hunting may not be as huge a priority as it is for some of us seasoned bowhunters.

Sure ,there is an element that has too much of the instant gratification bug, or lack the paitence. Some of that is a simple result of inexperience. As they gain more experience, their opportunities will increase.

Their lack of success has nothing to so with whether they shoot wheels or a stick. Its clear that the more time you spend afield, the more chances you will have.

My 18 yr old is out hunting every chance he gets. Hes tagged 2 does so far, one with his recurve, one  with a muzzleloader. Hes had lots of close encounters with his bow, missed a couple shots, and made good on one. Id guess hes logged about 20 sits or so. Not too shabby for a youngster.

[Follower]

I don't know that its an age issue - I think more of a culture issue.  More and more hunters get sucked into the easy is better culture.  And the commericialism of the sport as well.  I have friends that pull a four wheeler behind a four wheel drive truck to the parking spot, to ride for 5 minutes and walk for 2 minutes to a fully enclosed shooting house loaded down with heaters and radios, etc, etc,...and to them thats "normal" hunting.  Its crazy!

[lpcjon2]

I think its about what it means to you to hunt. More woods time is for the guy who likes the woods(thats me).less woods time is for the guy with unrealistic expectations brought on by over rated TV hunts.JMHO

Lazy? no just miss informed of how it works. Look out for drive through deer hunting windows next.

[mcgroundstalker]

It's just a matter of time before we all (as hunters) come full circle and back to the way it was in the '60's or early '70's. Most people live in a city now and "hunt" via catalogs that should be used as fish wrap!

I'd like to believe most hunters are not lazy but for the lack of a better term... misdirected.

... mike ...

PS... And YES! If you read just a few pages of Aristotles' writings it will set you straight. Right On Bjorn!

[greyghost]

Funny, I was called lazy by my grandfather and father when I started hunting back in 1958.

I believe today weather young or old commercialization has influenced a lot of hunters from the TV shows and video's/DVD's. They make it look like you just walk out there and bam instant success. You know buy this and use this and you will be successful.

Back in the old days ha! ha! I left a lot of boot leather on the ground. Did not have access to computer, Google Earth, GPS with topo, etc. And a lot of good information that is out there today.

But with that said, I am seeing a younger generation of some fine hunters that get it done. But those are the ones, women and men that are putting some time in the woods year round.

[DVSHUNTER]

I have to agree and also disagree. I'm 28 and have put more hours in than most. I see alot of what your talking about, but mostly @ pro shops, that's why I don't go there.  This year I hunted hard... As much as time allowed with a job and three young kids; also made my own bow from osage, my own hand turned arrow, string, food plots, deer stands ect. I don't think I'm lazy and don't think we are all like them.  Having said that, don't let it bother you, just do what you do and smile inside.

[The Vanilla Gorilla]

I'm 34 and the only time I'm not lazy is when I'm huntin or fishin.

I ain't gonna sit here and lie about it, either!  Unless it involves building blinds, bloodtrailing, building arrows, cutting shooting lanes, catchin monster bass or catfish, scouting for hogs or planning a huntin trip, I'm lazy as all hell.

Getting a phone that has the internet made the laziness worse too. Now I'm lazy at work reading about huntin and fishin online!

[Bowwild]

A lot going on in this thread. I'm 56 and my son is 31. My boy has two bachelors, a Doctorate, and is attending seminary for a Masters in Divinity. He is the worship leader at our church, has a wife, and 7-year old son, and is director of a science and nutrition program at a state university. Oh, and guitar and piano playing pull at him for his leisure time. However, he is still my best hunting buddy. He has hunted about 1/3rd as much as me this year but I'm retired from one profession and my new position allows me to work at home when I'm not traveling -- I live just several hundred yards from 7 of my tree stands.

My boy has tagged two deer this year as have I -- he is more efficient, apparently than yours truly?

I think some folks (regardless of age) have different priorities, some want quick success, and yep, some pay too much attention to the self-promoting celebs on TV. I remind my son that some of these TV folks get calls from people about a big deer and are invited to go hunt it to bring attention/$ to the caller. There is very little real about reality tv, including hunting shows.

An irritant to me are the young hunters (mostly) who start telling me (I'm a retired wildlife biologist-but I've learned more about woodland critters bowhunting than in school) about pre-rut, rut, post-rut, pseudo rut, core area, management bucks, cull bucks, bait pile, bait spread, grunt, whine, snort-wheeze, G2, G3, ....G-whiz!  

Some folks do really get down when they aren't seeing deer or getting shots. They look at me like...well old...when I tell them of the day when 1 bow range opportunity (not necessarily a shot) per season was almost too much to expect. They can't imagine a deer herd 1/20th the size of today.

By the way, my even younger nephew got the "doe lectue" when he disdainfully asked me once, why I'm happy to shoot Does. Shoot anytyhing you want as long as it is legal, but don't try to convince me the basket-rack 1.5 year old buck is tougher to bag than the old Doe who got him and his twin through their first hunting season.

I don't think today's youth are any lazier than other generations...past or yet to come. I think they have more choices and distractions. I think they have fewer opportunities for mentorship because dear old dad isn't around or doesn't share their passion for the outdoors (or doesn't have any time either). They have the conflicting messages seen on hunting tv and magazines where some of the "celebs" try to create their market niche by recomminding things contrary to the norm (ham shots, moving shots, long shots,).

However, the saving grace to all of this and these is that they support, like, and participate in hunting. I'd rather have them tweeting in favor of us than against us.

Finally, I am very surprised and impressed there are so many young folks on this site that shoot traditional. Shoot, I'm a little embarrassed it took me so many years to come back!  The best thing we can do when around the young know-it-all, compound user, etc. is not to make a big deal of our hunting choices. Our actions will speak volumes more than our words.

[Jeff Roark]

I can't wait to get my two little ones started! I have my little girl that will be 5 next month and my son who is 16 months old a present from 3 Rivers Archery just waiting for them to tear open on Christmas morning!

We are going to get off on the right foot around the Roark residence!

[Arrahslinger]

I'm 46 and still hit it hard every year. I've slowed down a little, but I'm still addicted to it, and love being in the woods with my bow.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Not my boys. They are both fledgling woodsman. It may sound crazy, but I LIMIT the amount of hunting commercials.....I mean shows they can watch. The shows teach them "zero". We go on winter/spring walks to identify tracks, sign, beds, tree types and whatever else we see. Maybe even catch a bunny or squirrel out and about. I wont let tv teach them hunting/woodsman skills. Thats my responsibility. If we want un-lazy youths, we need to change that and not wait for somebody else to do it. We made 'em after all!

[MnFn]

Not all of them. My son has a BA degree in Mechanical Engineering, working full time and tryng to get his Masters Degree at night. It was a sacrifice for him to decide not to come back to ND and hunt with me this year. It is about priorities at times. His time for more hunting will come.

But your post was really about guys not willing to put the effort and time in to be successful, and then whining/complaining about it. I think the TV shows are a factor.

The last few years I have been able to spend as much time as I want in the field. When I am not seeing the numbers of deer that I have in the past, I do start to get a little negative in my thinking. Then after one Friday when I ran over my relative's dog, fell in the creek and froze my butt off sitting in a treestand, I had to remind myself that this is supposed to be fun! It takes me a little while to get my head screwed on straight again and realize that I am blessed in being able to live the life I have and spend time doing what I love-most of the time.

 Some just want the success without the effort, and don't really like the sport enough to want to spend the time required to be successful. I think that has always been true.

[hunt it]

Just about same for all things in life - YOU GET OUT OF IT WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT. Luck will not get you shot opportunities and big bucks every year. Young or old if you put effort and time into it you will reap the benefits. As mentioned, many of todays youth are winging it as best they can as they have not had the benefit of experienced help.

 Even old pharts can learn new tricks.I recently had a landowner that has been letting me hunt some of his farms ask me for my opinions on what he was doing. I was happy to spend an entire day in the field with him and looked at all his farms. He ran out and bought two pop up blinds and I loaned him another. This young fellow is 72 yrs old and we'll see how he makes out next week during the landowner season. After hunting deer for 50+ years I was quite amused at his interest and willingness to change his hunting strategy.

[Buffalo Two Fletch]

Bowwild,
Well said.
I have hunted hard for 35 plus years and still have no idea what a G2 is. Could care less about all the stuff talked about by the TV shows Hunters. We work hard for whatever game we harvest down where I hunt. I hope to pass that hunt hard ethic and be proud of whatever game you harvest along to my Grandson.

[Bud B.]

There are alot of opinions on here. You know what they say about that: "Opinion are like...." You know the rest. There has been none of "the rest" here on TradGang. If you're on this site at all it speaks to some aspects of your character, for 99% of members. Maybe 100%.

But if you look at this site and the contributors, some in their early teens, I think it goes to the mindset of the individual and the influences on their own individual lives. My father was a heavy influence on me growing up. He built character in me that helped me get into my profession. He was a major reason I joined the military as a 17 year old.

Age may have a part in it, but there are exceptions to every rule.

I think holding a longbow or recurve in your hand helps you and me be one of those exceptions. It does not automatically exclude you if you don't.

It's up to us to be an influence on others just as my Dad was to me.

I spoke to a complete stranger the other night and told him of me passing on several shots recently. I had six deer under my stand all within my range less than a week ago. Two doe with their sets of twins each. Having watched the doe interact with their young I couldn't shoot at any of them. The older fellow looked at me kinda surprised but echoed his passing of similar shots with a gun.

There are hunters in their 60s that "smoke'em."

There are hunters in their teens that exercise wise discretion.

Youth? Maybe. Huntin' DVDs? Maybe.

Past influences and mentors, or lack thereof? Definitely.

[JamesV]

I am 68 and have spent my time in the woods but I am lucky too. Killed a few deer over the past 50 years of bowhunting. I hunt with traditional equipment from the ground because I am lazy, don't have to deal with dead deer very often. A perfect season for me is if my wife kills a deer.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

I'm 35 and have been hunting since I was 10 with a wheelie bow. My desire has always remained to be in the woods doing something.

 There are alot guys my age and younger that just don't want it. I work underground in a coal mine and some of the younger guys that get hired in won't work near as hard as others and you have to babysit them and carry their load. I tell them all the time "You got to want it"

 I don't think it's really a generation thing as much as a how you where raised and your what your values are.

 My values in life are pretty much the same as they where when I was a kid as far as being in the woods. I just want to be there and if I have to walk alot further t ofind better game and get away from others then that is what I do.


 As far as the comments about ATV's... Mine has sat in the garage for 3 years and not a thing wrong with it. I just prefer to slow down and enjoy whatever I may come across.

 Guess I need to sell it and buy more bows and hunting camping gear LOL

 Happy Thanksgiving, Stiks