Is archery dying ?

[Savagenut]

Archery is NOT dying. Have you seen how many people are at these TAC events? They’re supposed to be adding even more shoots to accommodate the people.

Seen all the new, very high end archery gear coming out? That doesn’t happen in a dying industry.

Try to apply for any archery only tags anytime over the last 10 years in any western state? I live in NM and the number of applicants has gotten so bad I can’t even draw the archery only javelina hunt anymore.

The same people are watching “tag strategy” videos on go hunt and applying to multiple states every year. Tac events are like World Series. The playoff games sell out but baseball is dying as a whole. The daily games at most stadiums are far from sold out. The high end gear has to come out every year or the companies won’t make any money. You have people that upgrade every year.


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[MallardSX2]

Crossbows killed Archery shops.

 

[Dschwan]

For me and I think others go down the rabbit hole of self reliance for tuning and maintaining their own equipment. After a few trips to a pro shop and getting the run around you tune into Dud on youtube and go into the garage and start turning screws and figure it out. For me, a bow shop serves as a place to get a new hunting bow and that's it. I hate going into a bow shop and see the "Shop club boys" hanging at the counter like its a bar and brush you off.

After moving to a new area I gave two local shops a shot. Went into one for some vane glue and was told not to use that brand because it was junk and didn't work, went into another shop for some vanes and was told that they don't sell them to individuals but would be willing to fletch my arrows for me.? So for me I stick with podium archery for my supplies.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Come to Co in Sept, this couldn’t be further from the truth. My archery range has like a 4-5 year waitlist now for memberships, maybe even longer.

 

[Weldor]

Come to Co in Sept, this couldn’t be further from the truth. My archery range has like a 4-5 year waitlist now for memberships, maybe even longer.

Do you think it is new archers or trans-plants from other states? Here in AZ over the years we gained a ton of new residents and hunters which of course changed alot of the stats.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Do you think it is new archers or trans-plants from other states? Here in AZ over the years we gained a ton of new residents and hunters which of course changed alot of the stats.

I get the feeling that it is both. I think Rogan+ all the other social media types have really put a spotlight on archery hunting for better or worse. IMO mostly worse, but it wasn’t even 10 years ago that archery tags for the vast majority of the state could be had as left overs and even otc units didn’t seem too heavily pressured by archers. Now we actively see them limiting archery tags both here in Co and in AZ with the new rules surrounding the otc deer tags

 

[saskhunter]

Hunting has never been more popular.

Archery has never been more popular.

It's never been easier to get quality gear delivered to your door.

 

[Dos Perros]

The guys at Scheels are pretty good. If I want a better bowsmith I have to drive 40 minutes and compete for one man's time with a bunch of other folks. At Scheels I can go in on a Sunday afternoon when the Royals are playing and take up 2 hours of one guy's time tuning everything to me, and asking a million questions. I hope they stay that way.

Conversely, Scheels sells flyfishing stuff, but they rarely even have a dude behind the counter over there. We just lost our local flyshop and it's a shame. I heard St Louis lost their flagship flyshop as well. Another big one down in the Ozarks closed too. Compared to archery dudes I think flyfishermen are cheap bastards.

 

[Maxam]

Sheels archery in Springfield rocks!


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[chindits]

I wish

It’s easier getting rifle elk tags than archery tags where I like to hunt

 

[Alexander1310]

Definitely not. Easier to get a tag on big game.

Brick and mortar overhead is dying out to online stores with deals tho. It’s hard if you don’t have a good local shop that’s spot on with tuning. I definitely buy my bows from a local shop for the free tuning for life.

But I still get all my accessories elsewhere cause the local shop won’t match deals tho makes it tough. I’d definitely buy my accessories from them if they did better package deals, but the cost of archery has been drastically accelerating and I don’t have the income to chase the new product prices year after year.

 

[aMurderOfCrows]

Definitely not. Easier to get a tag on big game.

Brick and mortar overhead is dying out to online stores with deals tho. It’s hard if you don’t have a good local shop that’s spot on with tuning. I definitely buy my bows from a local shop for the free tuning for life.

But I still get all my accessories elsewhere cause the local shop won’t match deals tho makes it tough. I’d definitely buy my accessories from them if they did better package deals, but the cost of archery has been drastically accelerating and I don’t have the income to chase the new product prices year after year.

If you want brick and mortar stores you’ve got to support them across the spectrum.

I don’t see deals online being better than the local shop; especially if you have to factor in tax and shipping. It comes out the same. Online offers convenience and unlimited options.

 

[Shawn_Guinn]

I think target archery has been on the ropes for awhile. There will always be a few diehards. But most brands are finding better return on investment putting money behind social media influencers and YouTube hunting shows. My buddies who only bowhunter and shoot a bit before season get a glazed over expression if I talk about the professional archers but will quote Chris Bee doctrine or buy nock on products because they must be better. Both those guys are great shooters but they learned awhile ago the money is in the shtick not the stick. Out here in Idaho I think the Rogan/youtube influencer crowd has had a massive impact with our newer residents who just recently moved from the coast, I think it has our archery season over populated. We now have 3 shops in the valley they seem to be moving product.

 

[alexnelon]

Hunting has never been more popular.

Archery has never been more popular.

It's never been easier to get quality gear delivered to your door.

Don't let me rain on the "there are too many hunters" doom and gloom parade, but:

Technically both hunting and archery did hit their modern peak in 2021 (slightly edging out 2014) but have been consistently regressing every year since. 2021 was just such a big spike that the layperson can't tell by looking that numbers are trending back to the mean.

Last point is also technically wrong, shipping rates and delivery times have both increased by about 30% since 2019 and the prices of equipment is up over 20% in the same time.

Average yearly hunting equipment expenditure per capita is down by over 40% since 2021 even as prices increase.

Archery equipment sales when accounting for inflation are also down every year since the 2021 peak. Which is even more telling because the price increase of archery equipment has far outpaced inflation and total sales is still trending down.

But onX and GoHunt, and modern bows and rifles are making it too easy to kill animals, right? Well, actually not according to the actual number of animals killed. Hunter success rates across the west have been stagnant at about 10% for decades and efficacy actually dipped at the same time hunter numbers spiked in 2021.

But again, everybody, don't let hard data distract you from the sky falling on your head.

 

[cuerro viejo]

It’s all Sig’s fault…. They took over BRO and all the influencers and made them gun guys….. elk shape is next