Anticipated impacts of COVID-19 on hunting this year?

blackdawg

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Jan 11, 2015
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542
Feeling rather depressed today, because my crystal ball is starting to say that plans for the 2 western hunts I usually take are going down the shitter. We own a small business, if the first 3 days of this week are an indicator "sales down 50%" the shit will hit the fan for many more guys that use expendable cash for these non essential adventures. I am already thinking that I should withdraw my Wyoming elk application, sure would hate to be stuck with a non-refundable tag and waste my preference points when I couldn't afford to take the trip because we are trying to get back on our feet after this economic and financial storm that is brewing on the horizon hits. I see zero indicators on the horizon for a quick recovery from this Chinese virus. I am really afraid lot's of people are going to be hurting very quickly in ways I don't think any of us have seen in this country unless your about 100 years old.
 

robby denning

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SE Idaho
Feeling rather depressed today, because my crystal ball is starting to say that plans for the 2 western hunts I usually take are going down the shitter. We own a small business, if the first 3 days of this week are an indicator "sales down 50%"
dang man, sorry to hear that...
 

Rob5589

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Sep 6, 2014
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N CA
Feeling rather depressed today, because my crystal ball is starting to say that plans for the 2 western hunts I usually take are going down the shitter. We own a small business, if the first 3 days of this week are an indicator "sales down 50%" the shit will hit the fan for many more guys that use expendable cash for these non essential adventures. I am already thinking that I should withdraw my Wyoming elk application, sure would hate to be stuck with a non-refundable tag and waste my preference points when I couldn't afford to take the trip because we are trying to get back on our feet after this economic and financial storm that is brewing on the horizon hits. I see zero indicators on the horizon for a quick recovery from this Chinese virus. I am really afraid lot's of people are going to be hurting very quickly in ways I don't think any of us have seen in this country unless your about 100 years old.
Sorry to hear, man. Sadly, it's going to get worse before it gets better. Small business is going to be affected in a severe way.

I will say this; people and businesses need to start heeding the "recommendation" of shutting down and staying indoors or the govt is going to forcefully impose it. Example; there is a Dutch Bros coffee drive through where I work that has a line of people and a female worker going car to car taking orders. Multiple contacts being made from person to person, exactly what we're being told to avoid.
 

EastMT

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Dec 19, 2016
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Eastern Montana
I know during the 2007-2009 time period there were a decent decrease in a couple western states for tags purchased. I can’t find the graph but it wasn’t a huge drop, I think 20% or less, but def dropped.
 

brsnow

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Apr 28, 2019
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1,847
There is certainly economic issues, I think the bigger threat for hunting season is states not having resources or manpower to plan and run a season.
 

HookUp

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Nov 4, 2015
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I hope the tags don't sell out and the greedy states have to discount them.
 

Sportsman247

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Jul 30, 2019
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I started another post on the virus and really thought I was just naive. After seeing what has transpired in the last few days and the market crashing, I am now beginning to think that this is going to hurt us for quite awhile. I’m no economist but I am not convinced that this will be gone in a month or so as a lot of folks are saying. Will it change my plans this year? Not sure. Havent exactly convinced myself to drop the cash for a hunt when I may need it if things get worse. My fear is that our company puts MULA’s(mandatory unpaid leave of absence) to generate cash to make up for losses during this coming recession. I hope I’m wrong and somehow things turn positive soon.
 

Dave_

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Mar 3, 2017
Messages
173
Location
Austin, TX
We're kind of worried about my wife's job so I'm not applying in NM and CO like I usually do. Hopefully things will calm down and I can pick up a leftover tag or otc later.

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Marble

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May 29, 2019
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3,582
By September and October I'll have reached my max on my time banks at work and will have to take time off in order to not be forced to do it at the end of the year.

I will also have reached my savings goal for cash at hand to hunt, so in other words, I'll be hunting 2 weeks in September and 2 weeks in October. A week of scouting in July, including 3 days of TAC.
 

Catahoula

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Jul 25, 2018
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Loveland, CO. was AZ.
My apps were in and done online March 4th. Stimulate our hunting and fishing heritage... best of health and luck to all who can participate in our hunting/fishing season...👍🦌
 

elkyinzer

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Sep 9, 2013
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Pennslyvania
Despite having zero public health qualifications I've been tasked with staying "in the know" on this, so what do I do...reach out to those who do and try to read as much credible info as possible. Of course everyone is guessing to a degree here but what's seemed to become consensus just over the past few days is the most likely scenario is intermittent periods of lockdown and relaxation over the next 12-18 months as they try to stay in front of localized breakouts and try not to turn our ICUs into CF that Italy has on their hands. Get used to this. With politicians involved naturally everything will be more dramatic than it needs to be, but the worst case scenario is scary bad. Personally I think after SARS and MERS its ridiculous we weren't at least a little better prepared for this. There is practically zero chance this goes away within 6 or 8 weeks or even by September. May or may not die down to a degree over the summer, might be better long term if it doesn't because some models that account for that have this peaking next winter. For those traveling to hunt there is a pretty high likelihood we'll be dealing with these lockdowns still in some capacity. Local stuff should be pretty normal. We are going to come out of this with a different economy and social habits, nothing will ever be the same again.
 
Joined
Sep 2, 2018
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Here in northern Mo, the Corps. Of Engineers has closed all of the public boat ramps and access points to Mark Twain Lake, including campgrounds around the lake. Private ramps are still open but they are few and far between. I never dreamed they would start closing unmanned boat ramps due to this virus so who knows how the feds will deal with national forest trail heads and entry points.
I am doubtful that they could close national forest or BLM but I've seen the government do crazier things.

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Joined
Aug 26, 2014
Messages
3,158
Don't risk any monies you can't afford to lose. There are no guarantees that anyone will repay you for lost opportunities.

Confidence is a good thing but worth nothing when the situation is out of your control. This situation has reinforced that for a huge number of Americans.

Some businesses will die, and some of them will be guides, outfitters, and other related entities which depend on people to spend discretionary money to go have fun.

Nothing kills the national will to buy/spend like a market crash. 401Ks are hurting. Airlines will need a bailout.
 

Fatcamp

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May 31, 2017
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Sodak
Here in northern Mo, the Corps. Of Engineers has closed all of the public boat ramps and access points to Mark Twain Lake, including campgrounds around the lake. Private ramps are still open but they are few and far between. I never dreamed they would start closing unmanned boat ramps due to this virus so who knows how the feds will deal with national forest trail heads and entry points.
I am doubtful that they could close national forest or BLM but I've seen the government do crazier things.

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That's stupid. Really. Way out of line.
 
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