Rokcast "end of hunting?"

[FairWeatherFisher]

Im happy to sign/send the HOWL form letters, but I’ll solely keep my dues going to the OHA. I really look forward to those monthly meetings.

 

[MuleDeerMike]

The question becomes; will you risk a criminal conviction for a hobby? And if you'd be willing then, why not just poach now? (I'm not singling you out, you just happen to be the one that brought it up.)

The best way to avoid having to make those decisions is to become involved and vocal on a local and national level.

It may be just a hobby to you but it's a way of life for a lot of us. I'm at the point of thinking that the only thing a guy can do to ensure he can hunt in the long term future is to move to a deep red state and pray hunting laws and wildlife regulation are never handled at the federal level. Could you imagine Biden having a say in Wyoming hunting laws and seasons? The chips are gonna fall where they're gonna fall and I think in probably 10 years this topic will be just another political party line issue. You can guess right now, with minimal effort, the states where hunting will be outlawed in the next decade. No different than the states that have strict gun control laws or other crazy liberal shit. WA, OR, CA, CO, NM are just the beginning. Texas is turning blue real quick and unfortunately Montana isn't that far behind either. I'm not even gonna bring up the states back East. If the Republicans hadn't been getting the shit kicked out of them by the Democrats for the last 15 years on virtually every issue in the public eye then maybe I would be more confident but the truth is we've been losing the war against these people for a very long time now. They've proven to be better organized and more dedicated to achieving their goals and all we do is bitch at each other about how they're wrong and then we are reactive when fighting back and by the time we realize what they're doing, it's way too late. This is their playbook, and they're very good at it.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

I don't disagree with you at all. There are definitely people in power (or trying to be in power) with extreme anti hunting views. That's an issue, and worthy of people being involved.

I probably could have been clearer... I was particularly referring to the idea that the average person is so close to being anti hunting. The "most people" as you said.

The country is roughly 50/50 right and left of center... So that puts roughly half on the conservative side for hunters and less government regulation in general. Banning hunting is definitely a lot more government regulation.

Among the general public that's left of center there's definitely a sizable number who are pro hunting or hunters themselves...

I think that to assume that the majority of the left or average person on the left could easily get on board with banning hunting is the equivalent of assuming that the average person on the right could easily get on board with bringing back segregation and racial purity laws. Yeah, there's a few on either side with extreme views, but they're outliers.

Also, thanks for actually having a conversation instead of just calling me an idiot and/or troll.

You make a very valid point, which is why hunters should try to stay out of the partisan fray when defending hunting. Stick to the facts, supporting science-based, wildlife management within the North American Model. I agree that in most states across the country, even liberals aren’t anti-hunting. That being said what we are seeing in Washington, Oregon, and increasingly Colorado is that an extremely powerful anti-hunting minority has gained significant political influence in the ruling party. I would even venture to say most of the anti-hunting folks are left of self-described “liberals” and more appropriately described as progressives. They just all happen to vote along the same party lines. But I digress, hunting should not be a left-right, Dem-Rep issue. Hunting is a positive practice for people and wildlife and should be universally preserved, the overall majority of people agree. This is where hunters really have to make a stand.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Are you gas lighting us texxy? They literally attempt to ban lion and bobcat hunting in Co a year or so ago, appoint a known anti hunter to our CPW commission, but yeah this is just a fake victim mentality hahaha oh that’s rich

Yep those things all happened in Colorado. Make that 2x anti hunter, animal rights activists to the commission. Lion (and possibly bear) hunting bans will be proposed again during the 2024 legislative session. If it fails expect the same ban as a ballot initiative in the fall. Expect Governor Polis to appoint at least 6 more commissioners before he terms out. That will result in a clear 6-person anti-hunting block on the 11 person commission. At that point it’s only a matter of time. All politics is local. In states like Washington, Oregon, and Colorado it is not a “fake victim mentality”.

 

[Turkeytider]

It may be just a hobby to you but it's a way of life for a lot of us. I'm at the point of thinking that the only thing a guy can do to ensure he can hunt in the long term future is to move to a deep red state and pray hunting laws and wildlife regulation are never handled at the federal level. Could you imagine Biden having a say in Wyoming hunting laws and seasons? The chips are gonna fall where they're gonna fall and I think in probably 10 years this topic will be just another political party line issue. You can guess right now, with minimal effort, the states where hunting will be outlawed in the next decade. No different than the states that have strict gun control laws or other crazy liberal shit. WA, OR, CA, CO, NM are just the beginning. Texas is turning blue real quick and unfortunately Montana isn't that far behind either. I'm not even gonna bring up the states back East. If the Republicans hadn't been getting the shit kicked out of them by the Democrats for the last 15 years on virtually every issue in the public eye then maybe I would be more confident but the truth is we've been losing the war against these people for a very long time now. They've proven to be better organized and more dedicated to achieving their goals and all we do is bitch at each other about how they're wrong and then we are reactive when fighting back and by the time we realize what they're doing, it's way too late. This is their playbook, and they're very good at it.

I`ve wondered what the average age of hunters in the US might be. Obviously, us Boomers are ageing out. Many of us who were raised in the South, when it was far more rural, were raised in the outdoors hunting and fishing, having been taught by our fathers and uncles. I get the impression that fewer and fewer young people are being raised in a similar fashion. That, plus fear and hostility to ANYTHING firearm related in the younger generation does not bode well. The vast majority of younger ( 20-35? ) shooters I see at the range, based mostly on what they bring to shoot and how they shoot them, apparently have little if any interest in hunting.

 

[Rob5589]

Predators are the low hanging fruit. Even some hunters are against bear/lion/wolf hunting. The antis know this and take advantage which is why they push at them so hard. What hunters really need is a strong push from the anti side against deer and elk. Odd as it sounds, that may be the only way to wake up ALL hunters.

 

[Tl15]

Texas is turning blue real quick

That’s a completely false narrative. We are firmly red, will always be red, and if you look at our state level voting trends, we are actually getting MORE red. Now, is that because the dems are running even worse candidates, or because we’ve got more folks seeing the light? That’s the million dollar question.

 

[txtransplant]

I think the whole idea is a fake victim mentality.

Yeah, there's definitely people who would like to ban hunting.

But I've got some VERY far left friends. A couple hunt, a very few are indifferent, and most are interested in our hunts, and want some meat from them.

This has largely been my experience, too. I haven’t met any leftist hunters, but I have a lot of leftist friends and *all* of them have been interested and open minded when I discuss wildlife conservation with them from a standpoint of “let me tell you why I’m so passionate about this.” When I share the success of the North American model of wildlife conservation with them, they’ve all been open and appreciative about it.

 

[Tl15]

I`ve wondered what the average age of hunters in the US might be. Obviously, us Boomers are ageing out. Many of us who were raised in the South, when it was far more rural, were raised in the outdoors hunting and fishing, having been taught by our fathers and uncles. I get the impression that fewer and fewer young people are being raised in a similar fashion. That, plus fear and hostility to ANYTHING firearm related in the younger generation does not bode well. The vast majority of younger ( 20-35? ) shooters I see at the range, based mostly on what they bring to shoot and how they shoot them, apparently have little if any interest in hunting.

Hunters are absolutely getting older, but I think that has just as much to do with younger folks not having access to land as the overall trend toward a more, modern, lifestyle if you will. Gen Z and younger millennials as a group are increasingly moving away from even owning a home, much less a piece of ground. When I was a kid, we didn’t own a place, but dad had friends that would let us hunt their places after they had already punched their tag. It was all honor system back then, and your word and family name was actually worth something. Things changed and people started abusing the landowners hospitality and almost all the landowners down here in south central Texas shut the gates, sometimes even to family. Land hasn’t been cheap in 25 years here, so you’ve either inherited it, got yourself a healthy income and a penchant for saving, or you forget about it. My wife and I bought our place 3 years ago, and it’s already appreciated to the point that we couldn’t afford it if we had to buy today. I think for the younger folks, that trend isn’t going to reverse because as the old adage goes, you can’t miss what you’ve never had.

 

[Beendare]

The attacks on hunting is real….and we all need to do a little bit to support hunting.

We have lost hunting seasons across the west.

No one likes politics…but we all have to start paying attention. Im a life member of SCI and NRA…are they the best….I dunno.….but they both have a lot of horsepower where it counts…at the legislative level.

 

[Rich M]

Predators are the low hanging fruit. Even some hunters are against bear/lion/wolf hunting. The antis know this and take advantage which is why they push at them so hard. What hunters really need is a strong push from the anti side against deer and elk. Odd as it sounds, that may be the only way to wake up ALL hunters.

I disagree - predator hunting needs to be done. The CO wolf thing is a major blow.

We have all kinds of bear issues down here (FL) and a huge anti-bear hunt force that shut down a hunt couple years back. They live in the city and love Yogi, have no idea what it feels like to have a bear come over a fence when you got 2 young kids playing in the back yard. I live in the city and we had a bear about 2 miles away - it crossed thru 10+ miles of urban sprawl to get there. No fear of man for sure.

The forces that are hurting hunters are trophy hunting and anti-NR movements. Once those wedges are in place, there will be no removing them. Then it will be piecemeal from there. Hunters are our very own worst enemies.

It worked on me - I'm getting out of western hunting before I wanted to and have no real worry about the future of the sport out there - why bother if I can't reasonably expect to go? So the NR haters cheer and the other NR guy fills my void. No-one notices until the void stop getting filled or the numbers of tags keep falling.

I'm starting to see the same crap WY and CO guys been hollering about down here in FL over Osceola Turkey hunting - locals are having trouble getting permits cause of the mass of folks trying to get a turkey slam. They also say it is hard to get turkey tags out of state as well.

Go figure. It is affecting elk, deer, antelope, turkey, waterfowl, upland birds, pigs/peccary, etc. etc. hunting. NRs are the first blame. Cut em off - then those cut off say that xyz state should not get P&R funds - then it starts getting ugly.

The end is nigh. How dramatic it will be is up to the hunters themselves. There will be no mass anti-hunter push - the hunters are doing their work for them.

Bottom line is when you want to stop others from hunting - due to permits, game, whatever - you are killing hunting. So simple but most folks are blind to it.

 

[gelton]

Love em or hate em Newberg and Jacobsen covered what is going on in Washington on the Elk Talk podcast titled "herd bulls are a different elk" and I couldn't tell if Randy was about to cry or scream, but you could tell by his voice that it was the most concerning thing he had brought up in a long while.

 

[Howl For Wildlife]

Hey all, was just listening to the end of hunting podcast that was just released. I appreciate the HOWL group, but was thinking about my local group here in Oregon, OHA... At this time I can really only support one group. Do you think supporting local is better than something like HOWL that is more national? Just trying to put my money in the best location. Just curious what you all think.

“Wisten to the whythmic whythm of the woodwinds as it wowws awound and awound…and it comes out here!” — Elmer Fudd

Support OHA financially and support HOWL with your time by becoming a free member and making sure to voice your opinion on all actions not just the ones that affect you directly.

 

[Howl For Wildlife]

I think the whole idea is a fake victim mentality.

Yeah, there's definitely people who would like to ban hunting.

But I've got some VERY far left friends. A couple hunt, a very few are indifferent, and most are interested in our hunts, and want some meat from them.

The war is not necessarily being waged within the middle ground but i can promise you there is nothing fake about how hard the other side is pushing their agenda. The anti-hunting organizations bet on the fact that the majority of us hunters are complacent.

 

[SoOreHunter]

Support OHA financially and support HOWL with your time by becoming a free member and making sure to voice your opinion on all actions not just the ones that affect you directly.

Done. Thanks

“Wisten to the whythmic whythm of the woodwinds as it wowws awound and awound…and it comes out here!” — Elmer Fudd

 

[Swamp Fox]

The question becomes; will you risk a criminal conviction for a hobby? And if you'd be willing then, why not just poach now? (I'm not singling you out, you just happen to be the one that brought it up.)

The best way to avoid having to make those decisions is to become involved and vocal on a local and national level.

Hunting is a "hobby" ?


Wha ... ???

 

[Swamp Fox]

[...]

I think that to assume that the majority of the left or average person on the left could easily get on board with banning hunting is the equivalent of assuming that the average person on the right could easily get on board with bringing back segregation and racial purity laws. Yeah, there's a few on either side with extreme views, but they're outliers. [...]

It's been pounded into people's heads for at least 70 years that those things are wrong. At a lower boil, the mainstream anti-hunting movement has been gathering steam for at least 40.

Let's see how well "neutrals" resist societal and social pressure to chip away or do away with consuming animals, except at the supermarket, going forward.

 

[displacedtexan]

It's been pounded into people's heads for at least 70 years that those things are wrong. At a lower boil, the mainstream anti-hunting movement has been gathering steam for at least 40.

Let's see how well "neutrals" resist societal and social pressure to chip away or do away with consuming animals, except at the supermarket, going forward.

I'm 40 and can remember a Democrat president hunting.

The anti hunting people certainly exist, but are a fringe minority.

How many left of center people do you actually know and talk to?

 

[bayoublaster7527]

I'm 40 and can remember a Democrat president hunting.

The anti hunting people certainly exist, but are a fringe minority.

How many left of center people do you actually know and talk to?

I actually talk to and know quite a bit living in Colorado. I try not to bring up politics with friends and colleagues but I’m quite certain many are left of center in their voting habits. Great folks and many volunteer with wildlife conservation/hunting organizations with me. However, they are in complete denial over what the Polis administration is doing with hunting in Colorado. Unfortunately that anti-hunting fringe is incredibly powerful and politically influential with the current administration, evident by the recent CPW commission appointments.

 

[displacedtexan]

I actually talk to and know quite a bit living in Colorado. I try not to bring up politics with friends and colleagues but I’m quite certain many are left of center in their voting habits. Great folks and many volunteer with wildlife conservation/hunting organizations with me. However, they are in complete denial over what the Polis administration is doing with hunting in Colorado. Unfortunately that anti-hunting fringe is incredibly powerful and politically influential with the current administration, evident by the recent CPW commission appointments.

You're making a pretty parallel point, from a different perspective.

The distinction between a very vocal and powerful fringe and "the left" in general is a pretty important distinction.

I'm not saying I know the answer, but the general attitude among hunters of "the left is trying to ban hunting" is clearly not actually helping preserve anything.

Actions like @Howl For Wildlife is helping facilitate are.