Where is the sport headed?

[buckchaser]

Tv hunting has both helped and hurt the sport of hunting.
First it has turned the sport into a rich man’s sport. If you don’t have your own land or if your not rich your not hunting many good spots. Leases are only going to get worse because like professional sports salaries if one team won’t pay it another one will.

However tv hunting has brought awareness to the sport. For example up until several years ago there had never been a B&C buck killed in the county I live in. Now there’s usually at least one killed every year.

However most of the sport has turned into who can kill the biggest deer. I’ve killed a lot of decent deer (my biggest 140 archery 8 point). I’ve never truly killed a giant and most likely never will. About 10 years ago within a couple years I got screwed out of my last 2 good spots. I’ve never ask for permission from anyone since. I have hunted only public land since. I don’t hunt for giant bucks. I hunt for decent bucks. When I see it I decide if I want it if I do I shoot it. Last 3 years 2020 17 inch 9 point 2021 15 inch 8 point with 11 inch g 2s 2022 16 inch 8 point. All good average deer. I never post pics of my deer anymore. I never enter big buck contests. I hunt for myself I’m not trying to impress anyone. I buy my liscense and tag I’ll use them how I want. I think everybody should do the same.

 

[Grago]

Congratulations, to your daughter nice buck, Lot of people would be tickled to death with him, but wont admit. Her smile, gives all the reason why to shoot it.And thats all that matters.

 

[DocPain]

I wasn’t going to post this on here but the more I thought about it I believe I will. This is a Facebook post that I posted the day my daughter killed her deer this year. I remember hunting with my dad when I was just a kid and if you even seen a deer, it was an accomplishment see post below and I think it would explain. Good luck to all you!

My daughter was so excited today when she shot her deer! The first thing she did when she seen it was start apologizing for it not being bigger. I told her don’t ever apologize to anyone for something your proud of or accomplishments, exspecialy if you we’re excited! This made me litterly fighting mad. With this being said, what are we as hunters doing to this sport? For the record I will never apologize for any deer I take. I will quit hunting before I do. There are enough red tape policies in everything else! When I step in the woods or my daughter does, I have no boss. And will not except one either! Nothing wrong with it if you live by the measurements set by the FAKE deer hunting shows etc. which are mostly paid hunts by ourselves through their products. I heard that the number of hunters is declining. Well, no wonder. We need to remember what hunting is and get back to the enjoyment and fun of what has been passed down. Believe me the day might come when your just thrilled to be out there. This mentality will be the death of this sport. Like I said I’ll quit first. All the so called professionals who want to be that way fine. But ”Don’t tread on me”! And before some says something, she took her orange off for the pic. View attachment 107102

First, let me congratulate you for getting your daughter involved in hunting and the outdoors. Next, I congratulate her on a fine deer.
You asked the question about where our sport is headed. We are already there. You witnessed it first hand when she felt she needed to apologize for the deer not being bigger.
I remember when I was a kid, that any deer was a trophy. If a hunter was lucky enough to kill a buck, any buck, family and friends were happy and congratulatory hand shakes and back slaps. If you were lucky enough to kill a big buck, you were on the front page of the local paper. Deer camps were a yearly ritual and most hunters came home empty handed but that didn’t deter them for going back year after year. I NEVER remember anyone thinking they had make a statement about the size or sex of their deer.
Society as a whole has taken on the same view. If you don’t make a certain amount of earnings, drive a fancy car or truck, live in a big house or have a college education, you are not looked at as being successful.
It’s a shame it has come to this.

Once again, congratulations to your daughter on taking a great deer! In years to come the times that you spend together will mean more than any world class whitetail ever could.

 

[Onthedge]

Agreed 100%

 

[ky.longbeard]

First, let me congratulate you for getting your daughter involved in hunting and the outdoors. Next, I congratulate her on a fine deer.
You asked the question about where our sport is headed. We are already there. You witnessed it first hand when she felt she needed to apologize for the deer not being bigger.
I remember when I was a kid, that any deer was a trophy. If a hunter was lucky enough to kill a buck, any buck, family and friends were happy and congratulatory hand shakes and back slaps. If you were lucky enough to kill a big buck, you were on the front page of the local paper. Deer camps were a yearly ritual and most hunters came home empty handed but that didn’t deter them for going back year after year. I NEVER remember anyone thinking they had make a statement about the size or sex of their deer.
Society as a whole has taken on the same view. If you don’t make a certain amount of earnings, drive a fancy car or truck, live in a big house or have a college education, you are not looked at as being successful.
It’s a shame it has come to this.

Once again, congratulations to your daughter on taking a great deer! In years to come the times that you spend together will mean more than any world class whitetail ever could.

You nailed it. Let's face it most of us will never have access to the kinds of places that TV hunters have. Yes the young lady doesn't have to apologize for the deer she shot,her tag her choice. My grandson is what matters to me ....I haven't hunted a day yet ,because I would rather he may get his than me get one. A lot of trophy hunting is more of where you hunt rather than who the hunter is!

 

[WaterDog88]

Heres my take...
I think the sport is headed towards a more *public land sport*..
Kentucky is rural with a relatively low cost of living. We have more privately owned property than the vast majority of states. Per capita we have a very,very high number of land owners..
Our situation is not typical of many states.. As more and more hunters come into the sport most of them will not be landowners and most will not have the money to lease and own. Most will have to hunt public land.
You even see this now in the popularity of hunting shows. Many of the shows like "Lee&Tiffany"and the "Drury's" are not as popular as they were. People, many hunters get tired of seeing farm managers shooting target bucks that they have been watching grow for 4 years, out of a stand or $10K box blind...They get tired of seeing guys pass 15 bucks that they would be ecstatic to kill.. They now want to see hunters more like themselves.. Guys that hunt their sack off on public ground to kill any decent, mature buck..
You see it now with the major popularity of hunting shows based on hunting public ground.. More and more hunters are hunting public land and in different ways than your traditional landowner hunts.
I think social media shows this and the change in hunting show popularity also shows it..Face it, there is only so much huntable privaye property to go around while there are millions of acres of public land to hunt..

I agree that public land hunting has seen a boom in popularity due to shows like meat eater and the hunting public and the current price of land and leases.

I also think this boom is temporary. Or at least temporary in states like Kentucky.

Hunting public land is hard. Generally speaking you have to be in decent shape to hunt public land. It requires a lot of hiking and carrying loads on your back. It requires time and most of all patience when dealing with other people.

I think a lot of the new hunters who are relegated to public land now will get frustrated and move on to other things if they don’t experience some degree of success. I say now because hunting public land is different than it was 20 years ago. Or at least it is on some of the places I still hunt. It’s more crowded, people are more competitive etc…..

Overall eastern states like Kentucky have very little public land compared to the western states. In the west you have tons of options like national forest and blm land and with a good 4x4 or mule the world is your oyster. I’ve e gone days on national forest land out west without seeing any sign of another person. Compare that to some wma’s in Kentucky where if you hold out a smoke the guy in the tree next to you will light it for ya.

Overall I think public land will continue to see increased use but that that use will decline as people get fed up on small parcels of land and by small I’m talking about the wma sizes we see in Kentucky

 

[KYBOY]

I agree that public land hunting has seen a boom in popularity due to shows like meat eater and the hunting public and the current price of land and leases.

I also think this boom is temporary. Or at least temporary in states like Kentucky.

Hunting public land is hard. Generally speaking you have to be in decent shape to hunt public land. It requires a lot of hiking and carrying loads on your back. It requires time and most of all patience when dealing with other people.

I think a lot of the new hunters who are relegated to public land now will get frustrated and move on to other things if they don’t experience some degree of success. I say now because hunting public land is different than it was 20 years ago. Or at least it is on some of the places I still hunt. It’s more crowded, people are more competitive etc…..

Overall eastern states like Kentucky have very little public land compared to the western states. In the west you have tons of options like national forest and blm land and with a good 4x4 or mule the world is your oyster. I’ve e gone days on national forest land out west without seeing any sign of another person. Compare that to some wma’s in Kentucky where if you hold out a smoke the guy in the tree next to you will light it for ya.

Overall I think public land will continue to see increased use but that that use will decline as people get fed up on small parcels of land and by small I’m talking about the wma sizes we see in Kentucky

Oh I agree. Kentucky is not an easy to state to hunt public land in. Id venture to say that counting the DNF most public land is actually in eastern half of the state.Which means two things. Rugged terrain and low herd density, combine the two and you have tough hunting.
I hunt public land a decent amount and your spot on about "having to be in shape".. If you want to be successful you have to scout a lot and hunt deep and hunt hard...
Out west a lot of public land is accessible by vehicle, whereas many eastern states are not..I had hunters this year literally doc thier boat beside my little jon boat and walk right by me and I mean within 20 feet of me.. When I was in Arizona and Colorado I could have hunted weeks without seeing anyone.
Though I do still think the ever growing lack of private property to hunt(I.E easy, good hunting) is going to drive the sport in a different direction. Whatever that is..