RE: Are we Losing our Young Hunters?
I went to a meeting of landowners, hunters and the Game and Fish dept. We are loosing hunters. Both older and younger hunters. The game and fish says hunting license sales are down by 30-35 percent over the last decade. The reasons are many but leading the list is the growing age of the hunter population. Older sportsmen keep fishing because it less rigoris but quit hunting as it gets to be to much work. The second reason is the divorce rate. God bless the mothers who are trying to raise kids on their own but They are not as apt to help the children get into hunting and its usually the mother who is in charge of the kids. The high cost of hunting and leases and loss of habitat is hurting all hunters.
Any program that helps hunting in any way should be of interest to all of us. Lets see what we can do to help not JUST younger hunters but maybe we can help some of the older hunters stay afield for a few extra seasons. I am 62 and it gets a little harder each year. I hope some of the younger hunter who I helped as youngsters will return the favor in years to come when I can't drag a deer back to the truck and get it loaded. Good Luck to all this season.