I think you have the right slant on the fewer numbers of hunters in the woods in recent years, and would like to share some of my observations on this. For one thing, the huntung population as a whole is aging. Lots of us are reaching or at Social Security age. Many incur health problems as they grow older. This changes the way we have to hunt. When I was a younger man, there were no hillsides too steep or tangled. There was no distance that was too far. The days weren't long enough. I pulled deer out of places that today, I wouldn't venture near. Sad, but true, it happens to ALL of us, sooner or later, and we have learned or will learn to cope as best we can with our abilities or disabilities. The tjought of not being able to be "out there" somewhere on the first day of whatever season is a scary thing.
Younger people have lost interest for a number of reasons, in my mind. Urban sprawl has, and is taking over lots of property that used to be huntable ground. I used to get home from school in the afternoon, change into hunting clothes, grab a gun and be gone out the back door in a flash. Those old hunting areas of mine are housing developments now. You can't fire a BB gun there.
Lack of game causes lack of interest. Rabbits are nowhere near as plentiful as they used to be. Ringnecks are hard to come by, generally. There are still some squirrels to shoot at. Kids can have a hard time trying to find someone to take them hunting. Lots of pressure from the "anti's" about hunting, and the horrors of gun ownership. These kids are being pushed harder and harder to do better and better,quicker and faster. They don't know how to relax and enjoy the outdoors. Thankfully, I never had to endure the slam-ram fast paced enviornment they do. Cell phones---camera phones--text messaging--instant and constant communication--computers--e-mail--instant gratification-- and you wonder why they don't have the patience to sit quietly in the woods and wait for a deer or turkey to come along? It's not their fault--it's just how they are being raised to contend with and participate in the lifestyle that is today.
I don't know how they contened with the warp-speed daily goings-on. I do understand that every youngster that you see out in the woods with that wide-eyed look of wonderment and anticipation is a treasure. I hope they spread the word to their friends. I hope someone will be available to take them to hunter's ed. classes. I hope.