How many is too many

[Btaylor]

I probably shouldnt mention this, but in the last 10 years we've killed about 18 elk less than a mile from our vehicle.

In 2015, we killed 4 [1 cow & 3 bulls] and the furthest pack was 300yds to the truck

'Go Deep Roksliders, Go Deep'

You should not post such non-sense. Someone is liable to believe it.

 

[PHo]

To the OP, if your honey hole is getting blown up by other hunters why don't you just explore new areas? I mean you actually live there! As far as I'm concerned, you have the upper hand. No need to use Google Earth or OnXmaps, you can actually put boots on the ground, which is a far better advantage than any of us nonresidents have. Look, I understand your frustration with getting your spot blown up, I've been through that as well. But I've hunted a very popular unit for the last three years and my observation is that 90% of the hunters who come in on the trail head just cruise the trails with their atvs and never get off the trail. I don't know what your exact situation is but I find it really hard to believe that every single area in your unit has people in it, I mean there has to be plenty of areas where most people don't dare to go either because the terrain is too tough for them or they don't know what they're doing. If not, what about moving to another unit? As I mentioned, you LIVE there! I'm sure there are other units in ID that have elk as well. It just sounds like you're trying to discourage nonresidents from coming to your state to hunt, which is not really fair but also ain't gonna happen. Hunting is getting more popular and that's a GOOD thing! Instead of discouraging other people from coming out West to hunt it would be more in your interest change your tactics and find new areas if your area is getting blown up. The popularity of hunting is on the rise and you'd better to get use to it.

 

[Newtosavage]

I keep hearing that hunting is becoming more popular, and I keep hearing (and reading) that hunter numbers are declining.

Which is it? Can we please make up our minds?

 

[blackdawg]

It's not just on this site.

Some folks really don't grasp the concept that public land belongs to everyone.

A lot of folks don’t grasp how the leasing and outfitting game across the nation have reduced access opportunities for all the average joe hunters out there causing everyone to be stacked on top of each other in the few states with enough public land to support a few animals on public lands. In turn creating a bunch of upset guys who no longer have the quality experience that was more available just a few years ago. Folks are going to need to lower their expectations cause those big bulls and bucks are getting fewer each year.


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[Ryan Pent]

I keep hearing that hunting is becoming more popular, and I keep hearing (and reading) that hunter numbers are declining.

Which is it? Can we please make up our minds?

I think it’s becoming more mainstream with social media. It’s becoming more accessible to people who are interested in the topic. Popular is probably the wrong word.


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[PHo]

I think it’s becoming more mainstream with social media. It’s becoming more accessible to people who are interested in the topic. Popular is probably the wrong word.


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You're right I agree, popular was the wrong word. More and more people are interested in hunting though.

 

[Newtosavage]

You're right I agree, popular was the wrong word. More and more people are interested in hunting though.

So why isn't that interest translating into increased numbers of hunters?

Something isn't connecting here.

 

[Newtosavage]

A lot of folks don’t grasp how the leasing and outfitting game across the nation have reduced access opportunities for all the average joe hunters out there causing everyone to be stacked on top of each other in the few states with enough public land to support a few animals on public lands. In turn creating a bunch of upset guys who no longer have the quality experience that was more available just a few years ago. Folks are going to need to lower their expectations cause those big bulls and bucks are getting fewer each year.


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Maybe, maybe not. I grew up in Texas where leasing hunting rights has always been part of the game. And we have next to no public lands. And yet every year, I can go on those small overcrowded areas and kill deer and hogs and ducks. So even in a state where leasing is king, and where less than 3% of the land is public (and less than 1/2 of that is open to hunting), there are still quality areas and quality animals to be found.

I see more mountain bikers and hikers when I hunt CO than I do hunters. LOL

 

[Ryan Pent]

So why isn't that interest translating into increased numbers of hunters?

Something isn't connecting here.

I think its just the fear of doing it for the first time with no help. By help I mean mentorship. I have hunted since I was 12 with the 5 year break while in college, and even had been a hunter, it was still a little nerve wracking to get back out there, and "start over again" I was lucky to have some good friends that never got out of it during that time, and they helped me find my way again. Until I was 22 I never touched a bow, but having the right people with me it helped me learn. I can imagine being 30 and not having any connections to the hunting world other than social media would make the task seem daunting. But, at the same time it doesn't mean that they don't fantasize, and romanticize hunting, and life vicariously through their social media hero's. This would make hunting on its face seem to be gaining popularity, but with folks who still may never set foot in the woods due to lack of knowledge and fear of the tack at hand.

 

[cnelk]

So why isn't that interest translating into increased numbers of hunters?

Something isn't connecting here.

Because they found out how hard and expensive it is.

 

[Murdy]

Absolutely agree that public land is public land, everyone has the right to it, but there are also not hundreds of people from Idaho invading the public lands of Wisconsin or any other state like that trying to shoot whitetail like they invade western states every year so there is a understandable difference I would hope we agree on.

I don't know that I do agree with this. I grew up in northern Wisconsin. There were plenty of people from Chicago and Milwaukee "invading" the areas I hunted on (and, in fact, buying up an posting all sorts of land that locals had hunted on for decades -- I know it's theirs to do with what they want if they bought it, but it certainly was not in line with the way the local community behaved for years). Look at the B&C trophy lists, Wisconsin is prominently represented, There are plenty of people that regard it as a hunting destination. Same is true of Illinois and Iowa. There's just less land to go around in the Midwest, so most of us are a little used to and resigned with dealing with crowded hunting conditions.
I feel for you. Northern Wisconsin is no longer what it was when I was a young man, and it never will be. The population is growing, and we are all Americans and entitled to share in the great outdoor heritage of this country.

 

[Newtosavage]

I don't know that I do agree with this. I grew up in northern Wisconsin. There were plenty of people from Chicago and Milwaukee "invading" the areas I hunted on (and, in fact, buying up an posting all sorts of land that locals had hunted on for decades -- I know it's theirs to do with what they want if they bought it, but it certainly was not in line with the way the local community behaved for years). Look at the B&C trophy lists, Wisconsin is prominently represented, There are plenty of people that regard it as a hunting destination. Same is true of Illinois and Iowa. There's just less land to go around in the Midwest, so most of us are a little used to and resigned with dealing with crowded hunting conditions.
I feel for you. Northern Wisconsin is no longer what it was when I was a young man, and it never will be. The population is growing, and we are all Americans and entitled to share in the great outdoor heritage of this country.

One answer to this is to fight for more public land and better access to what we already have. The idea that the amount of land that was set aside 70+ years ago is going to be enough to meet the needs of a US population in 2050 doesn't hold water. There needs to continue to be an aggressive, strategic approach toward providing open space that meets our future needs, in places people can actually use it. One quick way to address these future needs is to consolidate ownership and access in the West wherever possible. But that is an uphill fight since the people who control a lot of that access aren't going to give up that control of millions of acres of public land. Sportsmen and women need to be at the tip of that spear, since all those added users will only interfere with their traditional forms of hunting.

 

[MuleyFever]

It seams popular to complain that people need to stop asking questions on forums and get out there and learn. It also seams popular to complain that people are out there walking through your spot trying to learn.

How many are too many? Apparently the answer is however many people you run into out there.

 

[Newtosavage]

I think its just the fear of doing it for the first time with no help. By help I mean mentorship. I have hunted since I was 12 with the 5 year break while in college, and even had been a hunter, it was still a little nerve wracking to get back out there, and "start over again" I was lucky to have some good friends that never got out of it during that time, and they helped me find my way again. Until I was 22 I never touched a bow, but having the right people with me it helped me learn. I can imagine being 30 and not having any connections to the hunting world other than social media would make the task seem daunting. But, at the same time it doesn't mean that they don't fantasize, and romanticize hunting, and life vicariously through their social media hero's. This would make hunting on its face seem to be gaining popularity, but with folks who still may never set foot in the woods due to lack of knowledge and fear of the tack at hand.

I have recently mentored some 20-somethings, to get them started in public land hunting. It sure is interesting, but very rewarding too.

 

[Ryan Pent]

I have recently mentored some 20-somethings, to get them started in public land hunting. It sure is interesting, but very rewarding too.

I can imagine. But that's what we need, teach people the ethics, etiquette, and knowledge of hunting in broad context so they can work on their own to find these "honey holes" on their own. But until we have people, who are willing to do that, they will continue to get asked the same questions over and over about where to go hunting. At the same time, if someone asks that questions, its needs to be explained why that questions shouldn't be asked and they don't need to be berated for not knowing. But thank you for helping new hunters, the more we have the more we can work toward conserving what have and fighting for more.

 

[cnelk]

Answer a question and the hunter hunts for a day.
If hunter reads the the Regs and does his research, he hunts forever

 

[WannabeHunter]

"The hunt is in the challenge. Revel in it, embrace it." - my mentor

The trophy is merely a reminder of the experience and the EARNED memories.
I would question the true hunting nature of the person that wants the elk handed to them.

 

[Maverick940]

"The hunt is in the challenge. Revel in it, embrace it." - my mentor

The trophy is merely a reminder of the experience and the EARNED memories.
I would question the true hunting nature of the person that wants the elk handed to them.

Those types are generally the auction tag purchasers and governor's tag recipients. Case in point, I recently had a guy contact me about a hunt. He asked how many trail cameras I deploy full-time and how many unemployed highschool kids I had combing the hills.

 

[Newtosavage]

Answer a question and the hunter hunts for a day.
If hunter reads the the Regs and does his research, he hunts forever

I've read enough hunting regs in my life to know that nobody is going to understand them even if they have been hunting their whole life, much less someone who is just starting.

Hey, if you don't want to answer questions, then don't. The rest of us will be happy to answer them for you.

I consider it an honor to be asked and am happy they are asking about hunting at all.

Every time I mentor a new hunter, it makes me realize how much information I have attained that I take for granted. Information that it takes a lifetime to process. But it's that journey that is important, not the outcomes.

 

[cnelk]

^^^^ You left out the research part