Anticipated impacts of COVID-19 on hunting this year?

[FirstTimer]

Other than long-distance travel, anyone foresee any coronavirus-related negative effects/disruptions to in-state hunting this fall?

 

[KurtR]

Not for me

 

[TBHasler]

With all the guidelines on crowds and social distancing, CO OTC will probably get cancelled

 

[BFR]

Nope, none at all.

 

[NYyotekiller]

Shouldn’t be any for in-state hunting I wouldn’t imagine.

 

[KyleR1985]

You'll have a bunch of folks who can't afford time off, purchasing tags, travel, etc. They'll stay home. That will be offset by folks who don't have a job, and are hunting, and those working remotely, who can now hunt more.

My guess is that it depresses numbers overall, very slightly. Probably won't be noticeable in most hunting areas.

Could be completely wrong, just a guess.

 

[Doghed]

I'm guessing very little to none. We will be talking about the upcoming presidential election by then. Covid 19 will be ancient history.

 

[Rob5589]

Apparently Idaho is shutting down the 2020 season. Better start getting refunds on elk tags now before the system gets impacted. Oh well, see y'all next year.

 

[Rich M]

None. Not traveling this year. Hoping this is gone for next year tho.

 

[nettereo16]

My vacation days I was going to use this spring I'm now planning to roll into hunting season!

 

[Lvthntitall]

I plan to practice social distancing in BC the first part of Sept for 2 weeks

 

[willfrye027]

Working in healthcare I really hope they can give me time off this fall. Unfortunately chances are we’re gonna be still dealing with this come hunting season, plan accordingly folks.

 

[Sanchez]

I am pondering putting my thousand dollars down for a non resident Montana deer/elk combo. By then I hope this will have passed but who knows. On the bright side I would think my draw odds are going up.

 

[Wrench]

I just bought this up yesterday, many people are out of work or are going to be out of vacation time before this is over. It's not easy to get a couple of weeks off from a new job.....then you add in economic uncertainty as we were in the best economy in history just a couple weeks ago and now the whole country is getting pinched.

All that will make it hard to open a wallet. I'm not going to stop, but I have a unicorn job that will take care of me regardless and allow me the time off.....I wish the same for all.

 

[camping1601]

I'd guess they'll be a small reduction in people going due to unemployment or income loss, but not enough to notice.

 

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

I'm gonna guess there are parts of the country where people have started poaching and dragging deer into their bunkers.

This is going to hurt the wallet of most Americans, maybe for a long time. I would think many eastern hunters will not be able to make the trip west. I am planning on it but with how much has changed in the past 2 weeks who can say for sure.

 

[cnelk]

If people haven’t applied for tags/PPs by now, theres a chance many won’t.
That will affect upcoming year’s hunts.

 

[MajorAR]

I think the virus will have an impact. How can it not? Travel, discretionary funds, time off, potential love ones passing....and on and on.

There will be 2nd and 3rd order affects from this for months to come.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

Virginia cancelled a trout stocking known as "heritage day" where they stock certain areas and open it up like "opening day" that used to be years ago.

Not gonna effect me directly because i dont fish where there are groups of people congregated anyway

 

[Desk Jockey]

I'd guess they'll be a small reduction in people going due to unemployment or income loss, but not enough to notice.

I agree. Some people won’t go due to lack of funds. However, I think a lot of people out of work may head to their local woods so things could get crowded if this drags on.

Also, if the meat supply situation persists or if food becomes and issue, poaching is going to happen in a big way.