Bluetick73
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Jun 2015
Location: Weatherford,Tx
Posts: 48 |
quote: Originally posted by Littletown
I think there may also be another factor involved with low entry numbers, and I don't know how to fix it: too many of our hunters are now older, & in poor or marginal health. Some feel they are not "up to" competition hunting any more, though they still come to the clubs to visit, or meet up with someone to go pleasure hunting instead of going on the Nite Hunt.
We do not see very many young hunters coming up to "replace" the older ones, and the result is a net loss to the sport in general.
Some of us were talking about this situation recently, & where we used to have anywhere from 50-70 entries on a typical Nite Hunt, we now feel very lucky if we have at least 10-12.
The kids nowadays are just not "into" hunting, breeding animals, or even taking care of them like they used to be, even twenty years ago. Entries are also way down at most of the 4-H Fairs across our state. When you talk to their parents, they are disappointed in the fact that their kids don't even like to go outside to "play" any more, even in safe neighborhoods. How many of today's kids have climbed a tree, much less gone "pollywoggin" ?
Hunting with dogs is a wonderful sport / hobby, but for the past 20+ years, the HSUS has been doing a lot of work in elementary schools all across this country, providing their usual propaganda, & I believe it really IS having a negative impact on all aspects of keeping & breeding animals, whether it is hunting dogs or livestock. This, in turn, adversely affects the number of future coonhunters & club members.
Today's kids are not outside with their friends; they are sitting in their rooms, texting each other, or playing games on their laptops...
100% agree. I'm 32 and classify me as some what a young hunter. Another issue is land. Growing up elementary, middle school ect. I had 10,000 acres of land I could hunt. Now I have 1200
Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged
|