Is the western hunting bubble bursting? (Or at least shrinking?)

[Flyjunky]

Not everybody who owns a truck, boat or UTV finances it. I own 2 fullsize pickups, ATV, boat and have never financed anything except my house. How about the guys who put all their tags on credit cards and then spend the rest of the next year or so trying to pay them off ..... isn't that basically financing the tag ?

How old are you? Yes, but that's not most people. Do you think if a tag goes to $6,000-$10,000 people are going to be willing to just throw that on a CC? Can they do that for multiple states, multiple species? $6,000 elk tag and $4,000 deer tag going onto a cc every year for just one state?

 

[CorbLand]

I get what you're saying, and I really hope that it happens. As much as it hurts to say it, we need to make sure there is high demand for the future of hunting.

You had people in your life that took you hunting or introduced you to it. The numbers don't lie, hunting participation levels are decreasing. If I remember right, even GoHunt had an article talking about it. I'm in the fishing industry and part of my job is researching trends and during that research I came across lots of articles discussing both fishing and hunting numbers.

Like I said, we are looking through a distorted lens because we are already involved in this sport and we also tend to know others who are as well. That skews our perception.

Yes but that one baby boomer got 5 people into hunting and there are 4 more that aren’t of age yet. I also do not have kids. The oldest of that 5 is 38. This is a family that probably wouldn’t have hunted. My dad passed when my oldest brother was 12 and me, the youngest was 4. My dad also didn’t hunt.

Overall, demand is not going to decrease. It may level off, it may fall for a brief period but I will not be a sustained decrease.

 

[CorbLand]

There are always exceptions to the rule, but take a broad look at today's society and I think you'll find your answer.

I think this generation is equally as lazy and hard working as the previous.

 

[CorbLand]

It's just human nature I guess. My grandpa's generation said all the kids they raised (boomers) were nothing but a bunch of lazy stoner hippie losers. The boomers say the generation they raised (participation trophy millenials that didn't ask for the trophies) are a bunch of entitled and lazy cry babies. Those groups certainly existed for both generations. People tend to see the worst (which is what media shows them) and then label the entire group that way. Just a tale as old as time I guess.

I have a brother that's much younger than me. He's a gen Z kid. I hope I never see him or any of his buddies at the trailhead or a job interview for that matter. I listened to an interview of a man in AK that has killed more sheep than M. ovi. He basically said he's glad he wasn't going against today's generation of younger hunters. In his day, they were killing cranker sheep from the road on weekend hunts. Now guys are hiking in 10-15 miles before they even get out their glass. He said most of the guys from his day with walls full of sheep wouldn't have left the trailhead if that's what it took.

I think people are a bit shortsighted when it comes to the younger generation. My wife is from the city. I'm more or less required to shoot a moose and bring home 100 salmon each year. She would never buy beef from the store or even from a family farm that's been pumping animals full of corn and soy. There is a massive swing in the way people are thinking about their food (especially their kid's food!) and they're more than willing to pay a premium for it. And that's something no one has really touched on yet in this thread.

Every generation is worse than it’s previous. It’s as old as man has been on this earth.

 

[MattB]

Rarely does a question like this receive unanimity in responses. The only thing that would make it better would be if everyone - or even someone - agreed with the OP.

 

[jayhawk]

I think if if the western hunting bubble collapsed because of economic reasons then we’ll have bigger problems to worry about…

I could see industry interest shifting, however. Remember hunting TV 20yrs ago? It was mostly whitetail in the Midwest and East. Bone collector, etc. Now it’s a lot of western. Maybe international hunts will become more common if airfares drop, or Alaska, or something like that. Just some thoughts.

 

[lyingflatlander]

The other missing piece is that some guys will stop applying and stacking tags in multiple states. Their hand will be forced to apply to less or just even one state.

 

[prm]

Well, it is a fact that there were fewer draw applications in CO last year than in 2021. Sooo, that tidbit would indicate some form of leveling off. Could prove to be a one year dip too, won't know until the data for '23 is generated. What are the application numbers over time for the other western states?

 

[sacklunch]

I think this generation is equally as lazy and hard working as the previous.

But in your very next post you state that every generation is worse than the previous...can't be both

 

[Flyjunky]

The other missing piece is that some guys will stop applying and stacking tags in multiple states. Their hand will be forced to apply to less or just even one state.

Exactly!

When prices get into that $3000-$5000 range for an elk tag I can't imagine too many people applying in several different states, and that's just one species.

 

[CorbLand]

But in your very next post you state that every generation is worse than the previous...can't be both

that comment is saying that every generation sees the next generation as worse than them. When in reality, people are largely the same regardless of the generation they belong to.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

How old are you? Yes, but that's not most people. Do you think if a tag goes to $6,000-$10,000 people are going to be willing to just throw that on a CC? Can they do that for multiple states, multiple species? $6,000 elk tag and $4,000 deer tag going onto a cc every year for just one state?

Old enuff to know better but too old to care.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

If an elk tag reaches 5 grand there’s going to be a major rise in poaching.

 

[ElkArcher918]

Totally disagree. The allure of Western hunting will continue to grow as our suburban/urban population increases. Yeah, we may loose some newbies or wannabe weenies (Oh man, it's too hard, too far, too cold, miss the wife, etc.) but replacements will follow. I think the pull of the mountains and it's challenges and scenic landscapes will always drive many of us to get after it. There are still cost reasonable hunting opportunities out West for the average Joe. Just need to do the research, work hard/smart and be persistent.

 

[Flyjunky]

Totally disagree. The allure of Western hunting will continue to grow as our suburban/urban population increases. Yeah, we may loose some newbies or wannabe weenies (Oh man, it's too hard, too far, too cold, miss the wife, etc.) but replacements will follow. I think the pull of the mountains and it's challenges and scenic landscapes will always drive many of us to get after it.

I hope so.

 

[Urakunu]

I can't see how the forces of a depression wouldn't affect the hunting world just as it would affect the travel industry.

 

[Beendare]

The only way I see the current demand change is if we have another 2008.

Lots of talking heads saying this next recession will be bad. Recession sure but it won’t be another 2008 simply due to one fact; there are much less high interest rate mortgages out there…the percentages are significant.

Now if we have a significant world event like Biden dragging us into war with Russia or China…then all bets are off.

I’m not worried….the LGBTQ’s in the US will all enlist and become a bad ass military force to keep us all safe. Grin

 

[sacklunch]

that comment is saying that every generation sees the next generation as worse than them. When in reality, people are largely the same regardless of the generation they belong to.

That's where you and I fundamentally disagree on the topic.

“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”

Each generation is a product of their environment...they are not all inherently the same, that's not human nature.

 

[Grundy53]

I hunted through 2008 and saw very little if any dropoff. A couple things are recession proof...pets and hunting. People are gonna find a way to do it for the most part.

Weird, Idaho couldn't give away non resident tags and even had to lower prices. You could go to Idaho Thanksgiving week and still buy 2 deer tags. You could hunt Montana every year.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

 

[Rifleman86]

Rarely does a question like this receive unanimity in responses. The only thing that would make it better would be if everyone - or even someone - agreed with the OP.

It’s this or “I’m wanting to hunt CO next year, what units does everyone recommend? Not looking for honey holes…”

Personally I find these sorts of discussions to be more intellectually pleasing. If everyone agreed it wouldn’t be much of a discussion would it?