Barriers for new hunters? (Poll)

[KsRancher]

For me it was 50% cost and 50% time. Finally it happen at age 25. Only missed a couple years in the last 12.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think it is lack of knowledge coupled with land access. If you are in certain (mostly western) states, land is less of an issue but here in the east, Public Land is more rare and it doesn’t always offer the best hunting opportunities.

 

[np307]

They just don't want to. They may say they want to, but if they really wanted to then they would. Every time I get back from hunting out west, I always have people saying how nice it would be to go and how much they want to. I always tell them they can do it and they always give some excuse about money, time, or knowledge. If I know the person well, I'll remind them that I've got bills, a wife who works full time, a kid, and a full time job of my own, and I didn't know squat about hunting out West when I started. Not a single one of those people have put any effort into planning a hunt.

I've even had people come up with excuses to not go when I offered to plan the whole trip.

It just comes down to their liking the idea of the hunt more than the hunt itself.

 

[Yoder]

Gas is almost $4/gallon. Groceries are at least 2x what they cost 3 years ago. Everything is more expensive. A lot of people, it's money. I know most people here have $1k jackets and $50k trucks but many are just getting by.

 

[SDHNTR]

I think it is lack of knowledge coupled with land access. If you are in certain (mostly western) states, land is less of an issue but here in the east, Public Land is more rare and it doesn’t always offer the best hunting opportunities.

How can it possibly be lack of knowledge? A orangutan could figure it out in minutes! Perhaps lack of desire to find the knowledge or laziness and wanting someone else to do the work for them, but the knowledge has never been easier to find. Takes virtually zero effort on the Google machine.

 

[SDHNTR]

They just don't want to. They may say they want to, but if they really wanted to then they would. Every time I get back from hunting out west, I always have people saying how nice it would be to go and how much they want to. I always tell them they can do it and they always give some excuse about money, time, or knowledge. If I know the person well, I'll remind them that I've got bills, a wife who works full time, a kid, and a full time job of my own, and I didn't know squat about hunting out West when I started. Not a single one of those people have put any effort into planning a hunt.

I've even had people come up with excuses to not go when I offered to plan the whole trip.

It just comes down to their liking the idea of the hunt more than the hunt itself.

Precisely.

 

[IBen]

The number of “new hunters” as men who have picked it up later in life is simply astonishing to me. I think the biggest factor in driving it has to do with the advent of social media that has taken over society in the past decade. So to me the question isn’t “what’s in the way?” but rather “why?” The “why” is for reasons that never even existed when I grew up. It was always about tradition. Not so anymore.

Hunting magazines have been replaced by social media. Hunting mags did the exact same thing social media does today.

 

[Jethro]

People say lots of things they don’t mean and are unwilling to put effort into. There are more people applying for and hunting the west than ever before. There are no barriers for those that want it.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Laziness, lack of desire, lack of discipline, fear of unknown, nagging spouse, folks on the Internet bitching about crowding of hunting grounds, folks on the Internet bitching about out of state hunters, folks on the Internet insisting that a hunter has to have X/Y/Z in order to be successful, etc.

At the end of the day, you either are going to get off your ass and do it or you will not not.

 

[SDHNTR]

Hunting magazines have been replaced by social media. Hunting mags did the exact same thing social media does today.

Except social media does it X 100,000! This was never a problem back in the magazine days.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

Hunting magazines have been replaced by social media. Hunting mags did the exact same thing social media does today.

Yea, no. Not even remotely accurate.

 

[IBen]

Yea, no. Not even remotely accurate.

It’s 100% accurate hunting magazines marketed hunting. Print media is declining social media is taking up the slack.

 

[StuckoYota99]

I'd say lack of knowledge overall. There are less people willing and able to pass knowledge down the line.
The onset of social media and forums should make it easier to share information and promote hunting in a positive way but it usually turns into arguments and belittling each other.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

It’s 100% accurate hunting magazines marketed hunting. Print media is declining social media is taking up the slack.

You stated SM replaced the magazines. That suggest they are on the same scale, surely you don’t believe that.

SM and Netflix (MeatEater) catapulted a sacred lifestyle to the moon. Only hunters were interested in hunting magazines and forums before.

 

[TWHrunner]

It’s 100% accurate hunting magazines marketed hunting. Print media is declining social media is taking up the slack.

That’s the business end of social media. You’re correct on that. But you’ve missed the point. That does not include the global participation of millions (for hunting) of individuals who jump in to social media. And that’s the part I was referring to. Print magazines had virtually nothing to do with that. Except the dozen odd photos at the end of some of them that gave readers an opportunity to send in a photo of themselves for their wall of fame.

 

[wapitibob]

They just don't want to. They may say they want to, but if they really wanted to then they would. Every time I get back from hunting out west, I always have people saying how nice it would be to go and how much they want to. I always tell them they can do it and they always give some excuse about money, time, or knowledge. If I know the person well, I'll remind them that I've got bills, a wife who works full time, a kid, and a full time job of my own, and I didn't know squat about hunting out West when I started. Not a single one of those people have put any effort into planning a hunt.

I've even had people come up with excuses to not go when I offered to plan the whole trip.

It just comes down to their liking the idea of the hunt more than the hunt itself.

bingo

 

[TWHrunner]

You stated SM replaced the magazines. That suggest they are on the same scale, surely you don’t believe that.

SM and Netflix (MeatEater) catapulted a sacred lifestyle to the moon. Only hunters were interested in hunting magazines and forums before.

This. Spot on to my point and stated much more clearly.

 

[IBen]

You stated SM replaced the magazines. That suggest they are on the same scale, surely you don’t believe that.

SM and Netflix (MeatEater) catapulted a sacred lifestyle to the moon. Only hunters were interested in hunting magazines and forums before.

That’s the business end of social media. You’re correct on that. But you’ve missed the point. That does not include the global participation of millions (for hunting) of individuals who jump in to social media. And that’s the part I was referring to. Print magazines had virtually nothing to do with that. Except the dozen odd photos at the end of some of them that gave readers an opportunity to send in a photo of themselves for their wall of fame.

Let me give you an example.
Before SM how would a hunter from the lower 48 know or become inspired to hunt in Alaska if it wasn’t for hunting magazines?
If it wasn’t for Hunting magazines there would be virtually no out of state/NR hunting.

As far as scale goes obviously SM is easier to distribute and is free but has that actually translated to more hunters or is there just less habitat now? Less public land? And my point wasn’t about scale it was about the role played by magazines which you both agree with me.

Btw you are both on a social media website that promotes hunting complaining about social media that promotes hunting.

 

[TWHrunner]

Let me give you an example.
Before SM how would a hunter from the lower 48 know or become inspired to hunt in Alaska if it wasn’t for hunting magazines?
If it wasn’t for Hunting magazines there would be virtually no out of state/NR hunting.

As far as scale goes obviously SM is easier to distribute and is free but has that actually translated to more hunters or is there just less habitat now? Less public land? And my point wasn’t about scale it was about the role played by magazines which you both agree with me.

Btw you are both on a social media website that promotes hunting complaining about social media that promotes hunting.

I don’t think you’re getting it, but that’s ok. It’s probably an age thing. I’m guessing we see things differently because we’re probably 20 years apart.

On your last point. You’re correct. we’re using it to tell you why it’s messed everything up.

 

[TWHrunner]

You don’t need social media or KUIU.