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Message
re: Not a new topic: Hunter participation rates falling.
Posted on 12/31/25 at 1:39 pm to Slickback
Posted on 12/31/25 at 1:39 pm to Slickback
quote:
What I don’t understand is as fast as participation rates are dropping, bitching about out of state hunters on public land is rising.
From the waterfowl angle…you can thank social media for popularizing free lance hunting. It’s all about the ‘gram for many of the younger hunters. Piles and smiles bullshite.
Check out the podcast: Hunt Quietly
2
Posted on 1/1/26 at 3:04 am to YbTexas
I 1000% blame social media on the public land influx. More so YouTube (I don’t do other stuff). I could blame myself for watching it also.
With that being said, I would 1000% be doing what they are doing if I could but typing on the forum is all I got.
With that being said, I would 1000% be doing what they are doing if I could but typing on the forum is all I got.
Posted on 1/1/26 at 10:08 am to bbvdd
quote:
I believe that kids that have been taught to hunt and fish and have access to land to hunt
Sure, but there are fewer such people. I can speak for myself. I’m middle aged and live in a Houston suburb. I have no family with land and grew up fishing but not hunting. My son wants to shoot some hogs, and we’ve done that a couple times in the past, but with no land of my own, I have to shell out a lot of money at a “ranch”. Last time I did that it cost about $1000 for a three hour hunt to kill 7 hogs. Just to shoot nuisance hogs.
I’m not saying this is anyone’s fault, but cost and access is definitely a big barrier to someone who didn’t grow up hunting and doesn’t have land or family with land.
This post was edited on 1/1/26 at 10:26 am
Posted on 1/1/26 at 1:19 pm to biglego
People complain about public land but in my experience, there's way more drama in clubs. You pay a ton of money and have to deal with entitled horn chasers that don't want anyone within 500 yards of their feeders, food plots, box stands, etc.
I've returned to public hunting and 95% of my hunts are drama/stress free. Sure, it's harder to kill monster bucks but you can kill your 3 does/3 decent bucks if you hunt regularly.
Unlike most club baws, I hunt for the adventure, challenge and meat. The way it's supposed to be....not some luxurious soap opera that involves guns and animals.
I've returned to public hunting and 95% of my hunts are drama/stress free. Sure, it's harder to kill monster bucks but you can kill your 3 does/3 decent bucks if you hunt regularly.
Unlike most club baws, I hunt for the adventure, challenge and meat. The way it's supposed to be....not some luxurious soap opera that involves guns and animals.
This post was edited on 1/1/26 at 1:21 pm
Posted on 1/1/26 at 1:24 pm to Marciano1
What state/area are you hunting public?
Posted on 1/1/26 at 1:30 pm to GREENHEAD22
quote:Louisiana/Avoyelles
What state/area are you hunting public?
Posted on 1/1/26 at 1:34 pm to Marciano1
quote:
The way it's supposed to be....not some luxurious soap opera that involves guns and animals.
Well, most men seem to like their manly soap operas.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 5:49 am to SilverPoon985
quote:
When I deer hunt, I hunt nearly 100% public in SELA, and the etiquette/woodsmanship among deer hunters where I hunt is fantastic as I am surrounded by "old men" who have hunted the property since long before it was even a federal area and simply respect each other.
If you don’t mind me asking, where are you hunting? I’ve hunted Sandy Hollow and Hutchinson Creek for years and have never had any luck. HC is small and supposed to be archery only, which is pretty much all I hunt anyways.
As far as woodsmanship goes I agree with the sentiment. I remember a few years ago before I started using a saddle I was sitting on this clearing and heard noise coming. Went on for several mins. Ended up being two kids with cross bows. I heard them for almost 5 mins before they passed. Sad part was they never even noticed me.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 8:06 am to WillFerrellisking
quote:it’s stupid that people don’t consider that those public land deer hunters on YouTube are hunting Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois, which are mostly bow only public land and 1 buck tag states and think they can do that in the south with the long rifle season and a very liberal bag limit. Maybe it is possible in the south but that’s for another discussion/argument.
I 1000% blame social media on the public land influx. More so YouTube (I don’t do other stuff). I could blame myself for watching it also.
Posted on 1/2/26 at 10:37 am to Purple Spoon
Comes down to one thing - costs. Same with fishing. Both have become very expensive esp if done well.
I quit fishing a couple of years ago. It’s a whole lot easier and cheaper to pick up a bag of golf clubs.
I quit fishing a couple of years ago. It’s a whole lot easier and cheaper to pick up a bag of golf clubs.
This post was edited on 1/2/26 at 10:39 am
Posted on 1/2/26 at 12:17 pm to Purple Spoon
My experience is strictly private land duck hunting. But I am seeing every available duck/goose lease hunted very heavily. Im talking about every single day of the season people are hunting. This wasn’t the case 10 years ago. Im not surprised that the hunting has gone to shite with that many chucklefricks.
Posted on 1/3/26 at 11:27 pm to Purple Spoon
Some of yall are asses hunting
But it’s mostly not bringing people out early. Start with quail and move to bucks
But it’s mostly not bringing people out early. Start with quail and move to bucks
Posted on 1/4/26 at 12:00 am to Purple Spoon
I am in my late 20s and have a 1-hour drive to family 200 acres of prime hunting land near Centerville, MS.
I just don't really enjoy the "thrill" of hunting. Rather be 1 hour in the other direction on a boat on top of a school of redfish or specks.
I just don't really enjoy the "thrill" of hunting. Rather be 1 hour in the other direction on a boat on top of a school of redfish or specks.
This post was edited on 1/4/26 at 12:02 am
Posted on 1/4/26 at 12:05 am to Roy Curado
Most of the folks on here are like 60. Im in the 30 crowd and we still hunt. We are more spread out because those who made money left LA.
Awesome hunting by wisconsin/illinois border and in Michigan, but it’s fricking cold.
Hunting is expensive.
Awesome hunting by wisconsin/illinois border and in Michigan, but it’s fricking cold.
Hunting is expensive.
This post was edited on 1/4/26 at 12:06 am
Posted on 1/4/26 at 7:04 am to GeauxBurrow312
“But it’s mostly not bringing people out early. Start with quail and move to bucks”
Hard to find quail these days
Hard to find quail these days
Posted on 1/5/26 at 9:54 am to Purple Spoon
I grew up doing the opening weekend campout for squirrel season with dad grandpa and all the rednecks they hung out with but once i got to middle school/high school we stopped doing it. I'm in my early 30's now and I never went deer hunting until about 5-6 years ago and enjoy it when I am able to go, but it is honestly overwhelming for me as someone who didn't grow up doing it. Luckily i have a few friends that are nice enough to take me with them and are showing me the ropes.
Posted on 1/5/26 at 10:38 am to TankBoys32
My dad burned me out on fishing by the time I was in high school, I didn't hunt until I was 36. A friend of mine's dad has a camp in Alabama and they were awesome enough to school me on deer hunting. I was hooked from the start even though I didn't see a damn thing the first 2 years (short, 3 day out of state trips). Was able to do the 10 day license the 3rd year and got 2. Hunted with them each year for 4 or so, then in 2019 decided to figure out the WMA near me. Took some time, and I'm still finding new spots.
So I didn't grow up hunting at all and got there eventually. Working my boys into it, tougher on public land than if we had a place.
So I didn't grow up hunting at all and got there eventually. Working my boys into it, tougher on public land than if we had a place.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 10:53 am to calcotron
With the news coming out about CWD being found in more and more places I suspect that hunter participation rates are going to drop even further.
Personally I’m not particularly worried about it,I suspect there has been a certain amount of it in deer all along but because it was never tested for no one knew about it.There is no evidence it is transmissible to humans,if it was there would be an epidemic of CJD(human form).It’s pretty rare,1-2 cases per million people.
I don’t intend to quit deer hunting or eating deer but I know some people that will likely be freaked out about it and will quit.If they aren’t their wives will be.
Trying to get my grandsons interested with moderate success but if my dtr-in-law finds out about it that’ll probably be the end of that.
Personally I’m not particularly worried about it,I suspect there has been a certain amount of it in deer all along but because it was never tested for no one knew about it.There is no evidence it is transmissible to humans,if it was there would be an epidemic of CJD(human form).It’s pretty rare,1-2 cases per million people.
I don’t intend to quit deer hunting or eating deer but I know some people that will likely be freaked out about it and will quit.If they aren’t their wives will be.
Trying to get my grandsons interested with moderate success but if my dtr-in-law finds out about it that’ll probably be the end of that.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 11:15 am to GeauxBurrow312
quote:
Hunting is expensive.
It doesn't have to be.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 11:25 am to Purple Spoon
I can only speak for myself but I have just about quit hunting, other than shooting dove on my own place. I quit deer hunting years ago because it is frankly too easy to shoot a deer if you ain't interested in eating big antlers and I never cared for big antlers but do enjoy venison. At the time I could fill as many tags as the state of Georgia would sell me sitting on the front porch drinking coffee. Again, not trophy bucks, that is an entirely different story, but I hunted deer because I like eating deer, not mounting big antlers on the wall. Each to his own. I continued waterfowl hunting however because it ain't easy...in fact in North Georgia it is damn near impossible. The odds of having a quality experience on public land duck or goose hunting, measured in the lack of near fist fights and curse words slung your direction, not in the number of birds about, are abysmal. Its just not worth it. I have never been one who measured a hunt by number of birds killed....it has always been about being outside, usually on a body of water of some kind, at daybreak in the winter. Seeing birds is a plus. That can still be done of course but far too often it includes having somebody who is jacked the frick up on the idea of stacking the green who is of the opinion that everything in life is a competition and they can't be beat....the type of person who will nearly blow their truck apart to get around you when you are going 20 over the speed limit on a narrow, 2 lane road. frick all of that. I am not alone....most people today will. at some point, find themselves hunting public land....and it is the norm for the experience to be anything BUT enjoyable.
Dove shooting is a prime example. In relative terms preparing a dove field is not overly expensive. In most of Georgia it can be done with little effort and to a high degree of success. The state has nearly 1 million acres of public land open to hunting. We have about 5000 of that in prepped dove fields and most of them are lottery hunt with astronomical odds of being drawn...and then when you are drawn about half the people on the field have no idea what they are doing but they know they have to out do everyone else. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of acres go un hunted and much of that would be leased by the owner to the state if there were some assurances the owner wouldn't find themselves in litigation. It is a mess and unlikely to change because the number of people interested in it changing is dwindling to near nothing. The state can't make birds use a field or a swamp / pond....but they can increase the odds and limit the number of assholes allowed to access either on a given day. They don't care because the public largely does not care. Its going to begin to impact private hunting....game does not live on a lease....if the money ain't coming in they will start to fade away. I don't think there is a lot that can be done. I know if I were 35 and had a 10 year old son I would fish with him, its still possible to do with a minimal amount of interaction with ant-social folks, and maybe take up golf....I certainly would not invest the time and money needed to hunt because the odds of that 10 year old having far more bad experiences than good are about 9-1.
Dove shooting is a prime example. In relative terms preparing a dove field is not overly expensive. In most of Georgia it can be done with little effort and to a high degree of success. The state has nearly 1 million acres of public land open to hunting. We have about 5000 of that in prepped dove fields and most of them are lottery hunt with astronomical odds of being drawn...and then when you are drawn about half the people on the field have no idea what they are doing but they know they have to out do everyone else. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of acres go un hunted and much of that would be leased by the owner to the state if there were some assurances the owner wouldn't find themselves in litigation. It is a mess and unlikely to change because the number of people interested in it changing is dwindling to near nothing. The state can't make birds use a field or a swamp / pond....but they can increase the odds and limit the number of assholes allowed to access either on a given day. They don't care because the public largely does not care. Its going to begin to impact private hunting....game does not live on a lease....if the money ain't coming in they will start to fade away. I don't think there is a lot that can be done. I know if I were 35 and had a 10 year old son I would fish with him, its still possible to do with a minimal amount of interaction with ant-social folks, and maybe take up golf....I certainly would not invest the time and money needed to hunt because the odds of that 10 year old having far more bad experiences than good are about 9-1.
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