Barriers for new hunters? (Poll)

What are the biggest barriers for new hunters out west?

  • They don't know where to go

  • Lack of hunting knowledge (i.e. animal behavior and hunt strategy)

  • Inadequate physical fitness

  • They need someone to help them with the logistics of the trip

  • Fear - Worried they might get lost or hurt / fear of failure

  • Lack of time/money

  • Other (see comments)


Results are only viewable after voting.
Joined
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With respect to the barriers, is that barriers to being successful on a hunt or barriers to committing and going on the hunt?
 
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I like the scenario, it can have some chicken and the egg components based on the choices.

Most folks taking their first hunt out west don't know a thing about the quarry they hunt. Social media is a poor replacement for experience. That's just the fact.

However, social media has a hypnotizing effect and don't see many unsuccessful hunts published.

Ticking the boxes on the correct gear list will probably ensure they come back relatively unscathed.

Honestly, many folks would spend the time and money hunting closer to home and enjoy success. Become good at what you can do most often. Advocate for your eastern state to appeal to out-of-state hunters, many guys would like the opportunity to take up to 6 deer in North Carolina for around $200 out of state cost, for example. I lived there for a year and loved the over 1 million deer population and opportunity to more than fill the freezer. Colorado has 250,000 elk and $800 in tag costs more or less for 17% success rate. Do the math.
 

SDHNTR

WKR
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Aug 30, 2012
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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.
Wrong and wrong. If you don’t think SM has led to more hunters in the West you have been living under a giant rock! Public land amount is more or less the same since the inception of SM. The real difference is more hunters, plain and simple. Because SM made it the cool thing to do.

FWIW, I do not consider this a SM site. At least not anything with a broad reach. This is a place for enthusiasts, as is other forums. By and large, it’s a small percentage of people who are already interested in hunting at a high level who participate here. Forums have been around many years before Instaface and YT in the early oughts, and it didn’t create the problem we have now since SM exploded. I know dozens, if not hundreds, of hunters. From casual to hardcore. I can count on my fingers how many are on this and other forums combined, yet they are ALL on Instabarf. The reach is not the same. Instafacetubeineedthatshitbecihavenorealfriends is the problem!
 
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Location
Anchorage AK
The continued decline of a hunting father or family growing up prevents a hunting ethos in the character of the newbie. Then barriers become much larger than what they really are. Without a solid hunting background growing up, it’s hard striking out on your own without someone holding your hand.
 

SDHNTR

WKR
Joined
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The continued decline of a hunting father or family growing up prevents a hunting ethos in the character of the newbie. Then barriers become much larger than what they really are. Without a solid hunting background growing up, it’s hard striking out on your own without someone holding your hand.
True on the surface, but not if you want it bad enough.
 

IBen

WKR
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Wrong and wrong. If you don’t think SM has led to more hunters in the West you have been living under a giant rock! Public land amount is more or less the same since the inception of SM. The real difference is more hunters, plain and simple. Because SM made it the cool thing to do.

FWIW, I do not consider this a SM site. At least not anything with a broad reach. This is a place for enthusiasts, as is other forums. By and large, it’s a small percentage of people who are already interested in hunting at a high level who participate here. Forums have been around many years before Instaface and YT in the early oughts, and it didn’t create the problem we have now since SM exploded. I know dozens, if not hundreds, of hunters. From casual to hardcore. I can count on my fingers how many are on this and other forums combined, yet they are ALL on Instabarf. The reach is not the same. Instafacetubeineedthatshitbecihavenorealfriends is the problem!
This is the definition of social media and it is used as a resource for new hunters. While instagram may inspire people to go on different hunts rokslide and other forums help get them there. Rokslide is often the first result when someone googles a popular hunting question. I think its hilarious that people on Rokslide are complaining about sm, its the definition of hypocrisy.
Hunting is an industry and like all industries they succeed on expansion and growth and that expansion would have happened with or without instagram and youtube. sitka, leupold, kifaru, vortex, cabelas, outfitters etc don’t make money if hunting isn't expanding. The US population in 1950 was 150 million its currently 339 million, every year we lose animal habitat and every decade a nation forest becomes a national park. Do the math.

So for you to not contribute to increasing the number of hunters you’d have to boycott all hunting brands, buy your gun from overseas companies, delete your rokslide account, and lobby for eliminating NR hunting.
 
Joined
Dec 10, 2023
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FWIW I am a new aspiring hunter. Didn’t grow up hunting, and the hunting my friends do is sitting in a blind looking at a feeder waiting for a whitetail to walk up and then shoot it.

I want to go on an elk hunt, so I’m planning on buying an OTC tag in Colorado and going next fall. Basically, the biggest hurdles for me have been time and knowledge. I’m making the time, and using the vast resources on the internet to get the knowledge.
 

Nine Banger

WKR
Shoot2HuntU
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I answered time/money for western hunting. I live on the east coast. I work in an industry that requires a lot of supervision. I have small children. The money is not holding me back. What is holding me back is getting away for a more than a long weekend and as we learned in Wyoming this year, you need to be there on opening day, not when it suits you.

Here in the east, access to areas to hunt is holding people back.
 

SDHNTR

WKR
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
7,058
This is the definition of social media and it is used as a resource for new hunters. While instagram may inspire people to go on different hunts rokslide and other forums help get them there. Rokslide is often the first result when someone googles a popular hunting question. I think its hilarious that people on Rokslide are complaining about sm, its the definition of hypocrisy.
Hunting is an industry and like all industries they succeed on expansion and growth and that expansion would have happened with or without instagram and youtube. sitka, leupold, kifaru, vortex, cabelas, outfitters etc don’t make money if hunting isn't expanding. The US population in 1950 was 150 million its currently 339 million, every year we lose animal habitat and every decade a nation forest becomes a national park. Do the math.

So for you to not contribute to increasing the number of hunters you’d have to boycott all hunting brands, buy your gun from overseas companies, delete your rokslide account, and lobby for eliminating NR hunting.
The expansion we’ve seen in hunting would have happened without Instagram and YouTube?
 

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Joined
Apr 9, 2021
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705
This is the definition of social media and it is used as a resource for new hunters. While instagram may inspire people to go on different hunts rokslide and other forums help get them there. Rokslide is often the first result when someone googles a popular hunting question. I think its hilarious that people on Rokslide are complaining about sm, its the definition of hypocrisy.
Hunting is an industry and like all industries they succeed on expansion and growth and that expansion would have happened with or without instagram and youtube. sitka, leupold, kifaru, vortex, cabelas, outfitters etc don’t make money if hunting isn't expanding. The US population in 1950 was 150 million its currently 339 million, every year we lose animal habitat and every decade a nation forest becomes a national park. Do the math.

So for you to not contribute to increasing the number of hunters you’d have to boycott all hunting brands, buy your gun from overseas companies, delete your rokslide account, and lobby for eliminating NR hunting.
Hunting should not be an industry. Some of us don’t consider it an industry. Some of us decry the commercialization of our traditions regularly.


You have to look for rokslide. The algorithm doesn’t serve it to you.
 
Joined
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Messages
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A guy can have a rifle capable of shooting way farther than he is, right outta the box for under $1k.

All the gear a guy could ever want shipped to your door in 3 days.

While it doesnt replace boots on the ground, you can sure weed out alot of areas. Sitting in your living room, toddy in hand looking at google earth an onX

Clowns on damn near every forum that cant help but damn near give out cord's on their favorite spots to hunt.

All the info a guy could wish for, on how to hunt certain animals, right at his fingertips....


Grab an OTC tag and go get your dick wet. While it has never been easier. It sure seems like guys seem to expect it to be easy, and god forbid if you struggle or even fail to fill a tag:eek:
 

IBen

WKR
Joined
May 15, 2021
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The expansion we’ve seen in hunting would have happened without Instagram and YouTube?
>you think a billion dollar industry was just gonna sit back and watch sales decline

Monkeypox virus just might be flying out of your butt (not that theres anything wrong with that)
 

sndmn11

"DADDY"
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Mar 28, 2017
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Morrison, Colorado
I chose other.

I think the attitude of hunters not wanting any more hunters results in hostility to new hunters and those who help them. There are great examples within this thread.

Not many people want to participate in something where those already in it have such a negative view of their starting out.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Messages
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I think the attitude of hunters not wanting any more hunters results in hostility to new hunters and those who help them. There are great examples within this thread.

Not many people want to participate in something where those already in it have such a negative view of their starting out.

Do you want more people hunting in your areas?
 
Joined
Mar 20, 2019
Messages
360
A guy can have a rifle capable of shooting way farther than he is, right outta the box for under $1k.

All the gear a guy could ever want shipped to your door in 3 days.

While it doesnt replace boots on the ground, you can sure weed out alot of areas. Sitting in your living room, toddy in hand looking at google earth an onX

Clowns on damn near every forum that cant help but damn near give out cord's on their favorite spots to hunt.

All the info a guy could wish for, on how to hunt certain animals, right at his fingertips....


Grab an OTC tag and go get your dick wet. While it has never been easier. It sure seems like guys seem to expect it to be easy, and god forbid if you struggle or even fail to fill a tag:eek:

Boy is this accurate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

FLS

WKR
Joined
May 11, 2019
Messages
821
I don’t think there are any if you really want to do it.
What I do see is unrealistic expectations of success. You have to pay your dues and learn how to be a killer. No amount of gear or how to videos will replace experience. The only way to get experience is to go and realize you probably won’t kill anything for the first few seasons. Expecting a stranger to tilt nipple and hand you success is a fools errand.
 
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