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A question to ponder

Heard this comment

The hunts will never be what they were 30 years ago

Is that because coonhunting is dying

OR

Is that because it has somewhat became a mindset that we have came to believe since that is statement so many say.

I think they can become bigger but the mindset should change.

Whenever the masses become negative the growth stops in anything.

In nite Hunts I think we are seeing just that

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Get a Good One

High ridge you are exactly right , my 3 closest hunting buddies have never been in a competition hunt ever other than a club hunt for a light or dog food , big coon contest etc. and yet they hunt 2-3 times a week in the off season and 5-6 times during hunting season. and then there are others who are 75%-95% pleasure hunters and entering just a few hunts a year etc. We do need to get those types more involved whether they comp hunt or not just to keep our numbers up for legislative battles now and in the future.

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The more laws a nation has the more corrupt the nation.

When the law of the land becomes unjust outlaws will rise to take their place in history.

Well you got to have people willing to work. Here I got a big fancy facility's with air conditioned, heated cost me $50 a hunt I f I have got 3 cast I have to go guide might even have to put one out somewhere thousands of acres of goverment land 10 miles from town lots of hunters but even the dollar hunts every night around here are only drawing 6 to 8 hunters they drive around in new trucks big fancy dog boxes all that fancy equipment supposed to have a coon treeing son of a gun but but you can't beg them to come to a hunt I don't know what we got to do to get them interested I would love to be able to let sombody else run the club where I could hunt but nobody is interested got everything to have a big nice club to be proud of right here they are not interested it stays they way it is I won't be either.

Tar, exact same way here also.

I tend to have a weird belief. We have the old timers setting at the club and telling these horror stories how they got cheated in 1953. They are older dudes and very animated in their stories. That draws our young guys into them. Then they get those young guys pleasure hunting with them and they are now out.

I also think as coonhunters we all like to have the best dog and it's easier to say you been cheated instead of saying you just got beat.

Until we get these younger guys to see some of older ones being negative are just full of ahi... then we have that battle at our local clubs.

Our club same. Hunters but more loafers.

But, I feel that can change.

Myself included I have fell into that rut but am doing my best to get back out in the hunts.

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Get a Good One

We just don't have the cheating thing down here everybody that shows up what few they are just wants to have fun. I don't know what they want if you do it right coonhunting is a tuff job and can in today's world be profitable I could always sell a good dog but if you never leave the house nobody knows you got it lol. I get this knee fixed Tuesday i get were I can I am going to hunt if they don't want to that's more for me to win lol !!

We don't cheat one another here. We just have those telling stories.

Yes coonhunting is work. Maybe there lies the problem.

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Get a Good One

I haven't been to a hunt in 4-5 years. Probably be that many more before I go to another. I still hunt quite a bit but just have no desire to go to a hunt. Guess I have different priorities in life now

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Mr Wimp Aaron told me why he stopped hunting in them because it's not about the dogs anymore. Not for the most part. He said back when he enjoyed it when it was few nights in a row and 4 hour casts. He said the best and most consistant dog won and you moved on. You knew what you was breeding to and when you had a GRNTCH you truly had something. He don't like the fact that it's about more of how good you know the rules and new rules that just came out. In a 1-2 hour cast.. I have to say it's hard for me not to agree with him

In my opinion the coon hunters in SE Kansas has dropped 75% in the past 30 years. Lots to do with old hunters quitting or passing away. Young hunters not getting involved. The numbers of total coon hunters is down.

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sport dying

its more the way people live today than 30 years ago instead of going to the closest hunt on Saturday and catch up on the latest news or actually hunting in the hunt we get on the internet if you think times haven't changed look at the magazine subscriptions numbers its a way of life and its not coming back you can make all the changes you want but only so many will participate. Besides you need the pleasure hunters some keep the big boys supplied with dog power.Is the sport of coonhunting dying all hunting sports in most states are in decline except deer hunting instead of worrying about the performance program we need to try to get some more youth involved in hunting with dogs the performance program does nothing to increase the local hunt numbers Imo.

One of the biggest things to hurt coonhunting is hides being absolutly worthless dog sales , interest, and availability of a well trained or well started dog depended on it.

I agree with Arkansas cooner. I have only been to a few comp hunts but I shouldn't have to pack a lawyer with me to decide who the best dog is. I know what is right and letter of the law isn't the same as spirit of the law.

Around here it's lose of land and a lazy generation

I cannot argue with any of these post. As for me and here in central IL.the leasing of ground to deer hunters. I lost 3 properties this summer. I coon hunted with the young farmers grandfathers and dads, they want to charge me now. I do not know the answer. But in the next yr. I will be 70, time to think about a new hobby. Sold my Harley today.

Dying sport

It's been touched upon in a few posts on here so in going to take it a little further.

THE YOUNGER GENERATION

Today when I goto a hunt there is usually 8-10 older folks (60+) who are there to support the club and tell lies and stories, there are usually 3-7 middle aged folks (35-55) actually there to hunt. then I get to looking around and there is hardly no one there besides me who is younger than 30. I was 16 when I started hunting competition hunts and for the most part I was always the youngest guy there other than a few older folks who brought there grand children. I'm 26 now and I'm usually still the youngest guy there. Here and there you have some fresh faced kid who shows up to hunt but if they don't win they don't come back. I've talked to a few haven't came back when I've ran in to them out and about and they have the same generic answer "I got screwed" so I ask them what happened in the woods, most of there answers end with me telling them they need to read the rules that they didn't get screwed. Yet they still don't come back to hunt.

With this being said I see where everyone thinks they can get the youth involved or makes the statement we should get the youth involved more.
I was the youth at one time and I'll just go ahead and say it most of my generation is useless and most of the generation behind me is worthless.

It's hard to get youngins involved in anything that doesn't include their cell phone, and heaven forbid get them in to anything they actually have to work for. Most kids are handed everything they want.

Some of the problems I have seen from younger people who try to get in to coonhunting is they simply can't afford a consistent dog weather it be for pleasure hunting or for competition hunting. They get fed up with the whole thing because they got a 75$ 3 year old that won't do nothing.

I also see that there is truly so many things young people can go and do that Coon hunting isn't even a thought. Back in the day you started Coon hunting for fun, now you can do a lot of things that don't involve busting your ass walking up and down the mountains looking for a dog

In a nutshell I do not believe you will ever be able to draw a big youth movement. You will loose 10 old timers for every 1 youth that gets involved and stays involved.

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I do not know anything about the competition hunts, but in michigan I sure see a lot of young guys and girls running coyote and bear. Seems like more every year.

Here it is going away due to deforestation we have very few places to hunt now

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Whether you like it or not coon hunters are not going to get to enjoy hunting for free . We are going to have to save our money and lease land just like the deer hunters . We need to reach out to more hunting clubs to help with their coon problems in the off season . Maybe paying for coon hunting rights only after deer season . Ive been coon hunting for 40 years and I still call the land owners around me even when on my own place just in case my dogs get on their property . Most of the hunters around me just trespass which causes negative consequences for others . Another thing is clubs can police its members or participants that cause problems with out depending on the registries . Cheating is happening and registries are stepping up . Scorecard doctoring , imposing rules to stop people from shocking their dogs in events etc it is happening but for the most part these clubs hosting events are strong character people that are willing to help ,work and conduct themselves with integrity . The slicksters aren't going to work in a club . Just ban the problem makers from entering your events and coach up the membership on the rules and maybe some people will participate more . Maybe a push in the south to more 1 hour or 90 minute hunts will help as the available land doesn't lend itself to 2 hour hunts in east texas anymore due to old deep and lonely .

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i used to talk about them old timers and how or what they hunted and now i am ONE.73 next month but i still love it.one thing that changed the hunts is "handlers". when people started paying handlers or getting someone else the hunt the dog things changed.back in the day just ask anyone that hunted the hunts and they were hunting their own dog cause bragging rights meant more than money.there was only trophies and bragging rights.when people started having hired guns to hunt a dog then they were out for blood and things changed.just check the money hunts and see how many hunt their own dog.so i think payed handlers are a big part of it along with other things.

I don't think it's a dying sport at all, I think tar is right about hides having an effect on interest. I do know of a half dozen 16-17 year olds that have gotten involved lately and haven't missed a lick! Showing good sportsmanship, and not bloodthirsty.

.

I will keep this simple. I have been around a long time so this qualifies me to have experience on the subject.

Anyone that been doing something for 30 years that is demanding as coonhunting on the body, on the mind and on the soul. Could not say anything but it will never be like it was. When you were in the middle of it going 90 miles an hour. You couldn't wait for the next turnout. Once times removes you from the center of the action and puts you to the edge. It just dosen't appear to be the same. Trust me. There are many people with the same driving desire you had 30 years ago and they love every minute of it. Just like you did. You know my wife cooks different that she did 30 years ago. Sometimes I don't enjoy the meals as much cause the kids are not at the table or heck many times there isn't even a table involved. Just my big fat easy chair.

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"Boss Lights"

The BABY BOOMERS who kept this sport thriving for so long are mostly gone or gave it up. After the economic crash of 08 this sport has seen probably it's biggest decline in history. UKC as a company is at an impasse, as most the older guys don't want any changes and the younger guys are looking at other formats that suit their style of hunting.

.

In 3 short weeks I will be at one of UKC's largest events of the year. I have to rent a golf cart to see it all. During the Day when I look across the road, you normally can't see the other side for all the people walking around.
Now if your a young gun and the hopes of winning money at your next hunt means a lot to you. Then you will be up the road at another hunt trying to do that. If your a Traditionalist and want a Family atmosphere and place to see everything and anything associated with coonhunting you will be at Autumn Oaks. The people come out early and stay late.
For the sake of conversation I get caught up in way to much negative discussion about UKC. Come on up and watch Allen work form Dawn to Dawn and then from Dawn to Dawn the next day and the next. Watch the people there having fun.
It may not appear on the message board that UKC is doing things right for many of us. Show up next week and you might leave with a different opinion.

Here is the thing and history says it won't change. The week after the hunt we won't be talking much about changing UKC. All the talk will be about the dog that scored 1900 points on his cast and how could he have done that. It will be about the cast that two or three guys got scratched for no reason in their minds, just so a buddy can win. There might me a dog or two stolen or someone brings some half starved dogs on the ground.
Then we will be congratulating Seth Isch and Scott Engle on their accomplishments at the hunt. A few weeks later we will be back telling UKC what they could be doing better.

Tar says you need people willing to work. When UKC hired Allen then found one of them.

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"Boss Lights"

Not blaming the upper brass Bruce telling them ( we ) need to find a way to motivate the unmotivated Allen knows that tar will help him to the best of my ability tar really does care.

UKC major events are more than just a hunt, and the staff truly runs them very efficiently. No doubt these events are awesome and need very little improvements or changes. I push for changes at the local level & with the Performance program, only because I see what could be..