String&stick
WKR
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2018
- Messages
- 1,034
This will rub some (probably many) wrong but here goes.
Hunting will be fine. We are probably at or closing in on the apex of hunting pressure. I foresee things starting to fall off within 5 years 10 max. Why? Boomers. As recently as 2 years ago it was estimated that Boomers made up 1/3 of the hunters in the United States. These hunters currently are at the tail end of their hunting lives (if not life in general) and are well setup for it. Many currently hunt multiple states, have lots of time to do so, and have the funds! They also over their lives have pushed for things to be better for them. They are currently 59-75 years old with an average age of 67. In 10 years going by us life expectancy at least a third of them will have passed, another third will be in the sunset of life and while they may enjoy the goose pit or deer blind they won't be doing as much walking for pheasants or hiking for elk.
Right now you have 3 main generations involved with hunting. Boomers, Gen X, and millennials. That is two large generations (millennials and boomers) bracketing a smaller generation (gen X). And you have a very large generation with high hunter participation and high income retiring with lots of free time. When the Boomers pass you will lose some major components. Gen X is about 2/3s the size of boomers and has a lower hunter participation rate. So in 10 years as boomers age out and Xers take the reigns of retirement and free time there just aren't as many to be out there.
With boomers basically gone from the field statistically in a decade. (Youngest boomers will be 69) you will have Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z. While millennials and Gen Z are big generations hunter participation continues to decline or stay stagnant. You also have two generations that will have much less disposable income or it will come later in life putting off out of state trips or having that money spent elsewhere.
Couple this with burn out and fatigue from not getting tags out west, struggling to get access, etc. And those committed should have ample opportunities.
Now outright bans on hunting would throw a wrench in that but many states (mine included) have had the foresight to protect hunting with their state constitutions. Making it much harder to end hunting and even putting it as the preferred method for population control of wildlife.
Populations will shift, certain states may get harder to hunt. But overall I believe opportunities for my kids (12, 9, and 5) will improve over what I see now.
Only time will tell.
(I don't mean to be callous to you Boomers, my dad and uncles fall in this group and it will be a sad time to see them leave the field. Just a reality of father time)
Edit: I know there are 65+ year olds that can probably walk me into the ground, I'm making generalizations not calling anyone old or frail!
Hunting will be fine. We are probably at or closing in on the apex of hunting pressure. I foresee things starting to fall off within 5 years 10 max. Why? Boomers. As recently as 2 years ago it was estimated that Boomers made up 1/3 of the hunters in the United States. These hunters currently are at the tail end of their hunting lives (if not life in general) and are well setup for it. Many currently hunt multiple states, have lots of time to do so, and have the funds! They also over their lives have pushed for things to be better for them. They are currently 59-75 years old with an average age of 67. In 10 years going by us life expectancy at least a third of them will have passed, another third will be in the sunset of life and while they may enjoy the goose pit or deer blind they won't be doing as much walking for pheasants or hiking for elk.
Right now you have 3 main generations involved with hunting. Boomers, Gen X, and millennials. That is two large generations (millennials and boomers) bracketing a smaller generation (gen X). And you have a very large generation with high hunter participation and high income retiring with lots of free time. When the Boomers pass you will lose some major components. Gen X is about 2/3s the size of boomers and has a lower hunter participation rate. So in 10 years as boomers age out and Xers take the reigns of retirement and free time there just aren't as many to be out there.
With boomers basically gone from the field statistically in a decade. (Youngest boomers will be 69) you will have Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z. While millennials and Gen Z are big generations hunter participation continues to decline or stay stagnant. You also have two generations that will have much less disposable income or it will come later in life putting off out of state trips or having that money spent elsewhere.
Couple this with burn out and fatigue from not getting tags out west, struggling to get access, etc. And those committed should have ample opportunities.
Now outright bans on hunting would throw a wrench in that but many states (mine included) have had the foresight to protect hunting with their state constitutions. Making it much harder to end hunting and even putting it as the preferred method for population control of wildlife.
Populations will shift, certain states may get harder to hunt. But overall I believe opportunities for my kids (12, 9, and 5) will improve over what I see now.
Only time will tell.
(I don't mean to be callous to you Boomers, my dad and uncles fall in this group and it will be a sad time to see them leave the field. Just a reality of father time)
Edit: I know there are 65+ year olds that can probably walk me into the ground, I'm making generalizations not calling anyone old or frail!