Hunter Numbers and Health

[Fowl Play]

So many discussions about tag numbers, non-residents, etc. so want to switch up the discussion. Do you think we are reaching a peak in the numbers of Western hunters? Covid definitely had an affect, so has social media, but obesity numbers have tripled in the last 50 years and as a whole we are not as fit of a population as we once were. Also, we are becoming a much more technology driven society: more jobs are desk jobs, more indoor entertainment available, etc.

Current statistics are that the percentage of hunters starts to decline after age 65 -- with a large percentage of current hunters being 55-65. Do you think this will remain true for our current generations who are not as fit as a whole? Or do you think they will start to "age out" of western style hunting sooner due to their fitness. Will the new number be 50-55? Combine that with lower hunter recruitment numbers in children, and I honestly see there being a significant drop in western hunting applications in the next 10-20 years.

What do you guys think?

(And this is not an attack on anyone, just a discussion. I find myself in the desk job category with several extra pounds I'm fighting myself -- so I take this as a kick in the butt personally to ensure I outlast the statistics.)

 

[Yoder]

I absolutely think the number of hunters is going to drop dramatically over the next 10 years or so. The overwhelming majority of kids have little interest in the outdoors. Most hunters are over 40.

 

[displacedtexan]

I definitely think the absolute number of hunters will continue do decline, and more rapidly.

Life/culture/society are changing. Yeah, there may be some fringe elements pushing against hunting.

But as much as anything, there's just so much available. And things are expensive.

My wife and I were talking earlier about how much of a commitment hunting is. Time, money, etc.

Food, fuel, bills, vehicles, housing, vacations, other hobbies... It adds up.

 

[jayhawk]

It’ll decline due to obesity, urbanization, anti hunting bs in schools, and just more people want to sit at home on their phones than tromp around the woods.

But no matter what happens I’ll still complain about too many people and tag allocation.

 

[Jskaanland]

But no matter what happens I’ll still complain about too many people and tag allocation.

At least you're being honest.

 

[deerhunt1988]

It'll also decline due the difficulty in getting tags and loss of public land opportunity as more and more areas go quota. I'm honestly surprised we still seem to be setting record application numbers year over year. The industry LOVES it though!

 

[Westernduck]

I don’t know if I’d call fitness a barrier for getting a tag. I see a lot of fat people decked in camo cruising the dirt roads where I hunt. To me it seems the vast majority of hunters never get more than a half mile from their truck\side by side.

But I do agree that a significant chunk of hunters are older and will age out of it.

 

[def90]

If hunter numbers decline it will be because it's either prohibitively too expensive or laws will have been made in regards to firearms or hunting in general that make it less appealing. Not because there are fat people.

 

[Leverwalker]

So many discussions about tag numbers, non-residents, etc. so want to switch up the discussion. Do you think we are reaching a peak in the numbers of Western hunters? Covid definitely had an affect, so has social media, but obesity numbers have tripled in the last 50 years and as a whole we are not as fit of a population as we once were. Also, we are becoming a much more technology driven society: more jobs are desk jobs, more indoor entertainment available, etc.

Current statistics are that the percentage of hunters starts to decline after age 65 -- with a large percentage of current hunters being 55-65. Do you think this will remain true for our current generations who are not as fit as a whole? Or do you think they will start to "age out" of western style hunting sooner due to their fitness. Will the new number be 50-55? Combine that with lower hunter recruitment numbers in children, and I honestly see there being a significant drop in western hunting applications in the next 10-20 years.

What do you guys think?

(And this is not an attack on anyone, just a discussion. I find myself in the desk job category with several extra pounds I'm fighting myself -- so I take this as a kick in the butt personally to ensure I outlast the statistics.)

Great thread and an interesting question. Sadly, I think we're dying out, for so many reasons. One I'll choose is instant gratification. The very idea of sustained focus and patience after an unseen goal that may or may not be realized is increasingly ludicrous to most of the current era, to the detriment of the natural world. Add in everything else mentioned here and elsewhere.

 

[LoggerDan]

Lol.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I swear every guy I see driving around, at the trail head, etc is 30 years old. I think it’s wishful thinking.

Eastern hunting and western hunting are completely different. It’s possible that the eastern guys are quitting, but not out west. Every Texan with an f250 and a flat bill thinks he’s hushin now.

 

[Leverwalker]

I swear every guy I see driving around, at the trail head, etc is 30 years old. I think it’s wishful thinking.

Eastern hunting and western hunting are completely different. It’s possible that the eastern guys are quitting, but not out west. Every Texan with an f250 and a flat bill thinks he’s hushin now.

I'm really glad to hear that, actually.

 

[displacedtexan]

I don’t know if I’d call fitness a barrier for getting a tag. I see a lot of fat people decked in camo cruising the dirt roads where I hunt. To me it seems the vast majority of hunters never get more than a half mile from their truck\side by side.

But I do agree that a significant chunk of hunters are older and will age out of it.

I see fitness (or lack of) as a symptom of the other societal changes that are giving people the other options that pull them away from hunting for easier/cheaper/cooler hobbies or activities.

 

[mt terry d]

I expect numbers to decline as the powers that be in FS, USFWS, State G&F, BLM generally
prefer less people on "our public land". Add in people buying or leasing hunting ground and
that further limits access.

Curious about what the OP means by the covid scamdemic having an influence on the number of hunters.

 

[def90]

I expect numbers to decline as the powers that be in FS, USFWS, State G&F, BLM generally
prefer less people on "our public land". Add in people buying or leasing hunting ground and
that further limits access.

Curious about what the OP means by the covid scamdemic having an influence on the number of hunters.

It is well known that tag applications and hunter numbers exploded during the pandemic/scamdemic.

 

[Fowl Play]

I swear every guy I see driving around, at the trail head, etc is 30 years old. I think it’s wishful thinking.

Eastern hunting and western hunting are completely different. It’s possible that the eastern guys are quitting, but not out west. Every Texan with an f250 and a flat bill thinks he’s hushin now.

What’s funny, is at first I thought Eastern hunters would hang in longer with flat grounds and typically easier hunting options over food plots, box blinds, etc (I know a private land thing, not representative of public hunters entirely). but totally forgot about Western road hunters.

Curious about what the OP means by the covid scamdemic having an influence on the number of hunters.

I was referring to the spike in all outdoor activities that happened during the pandemic.

 

[mt terry d]

I was referring to the spike in all outdoor activities that happened during the pandemic.

Got it. Yes. I was thinking hunters hunt or they don't. That said, if it took covid to get them out they likely aren't very serious hunters.

It's funny how several of us got kicked off BLM land during the scamdemic. Well, not
funny just illogical. But, well, government.

Sorry, don't mean to derail from the topic.

 

[Will_m]

It’s not going to do anything but get worse. Either from a number of hunters standpoint or a reduced opportunity standpoint but more than likely a combination of both. The Internet, gps, gps mapping, gohunt and other ease of use options have lowered the effort and barriers to entry too much.

For eastern hunting (using the term in the most general sense), who knows. None of that stuff has the same exponential effect that it does on big country.

On one hand, I get it. More people, more protection. But on the other….I almost would have rather enjoyed it fully until something happened. The current state is like end of life care that just drags you on until death. I mean, yeah you aren’t dead but damn.

 

[49ereric]

Hunter numbers won’t change on the reservation here as meat will always be needed especially since income averages are low here.

 

[Yoder]

The total number of hunters has declined every year for at least 20 years. It's not going to increase all the sudden. Most kids don't want to be uncomfortable. Hunting is uncomfortable unless you're sitting in a heated box blind over a corn feeder, and that's not hunting.