ORIGINAL: Cornelius08
"What do you really know about other states? "
Probably more than you. Have hunted around a dozen or so for everything from free range wild hogs to coyote to deer. Have family in 2 others,ALso have looked into the management schemes of many through the last several years. Also have read and taken part in discussion on MANY states websites where I have or have had hunting interests.
"One post from another state? I guess you can be forgiven for thatfoolish assumptionbecause you've only been on here for less than a month."
No state is going through what we are. No state has even close to the number and/or percentage of disgruntled hunters, and dont know why you'd even consider expounding on the topic,cause its not one that suits your case in the least...LOL
Statements like that just show that your responses are nothing more emotional knee jerks. You make blanket statements that you cant back up simply because you wish it were so. I'm sorry your hunting has changed in a negative way for you but maybe instead of clacking a keyboard, you need to get out and scout some more.
You can claim whatever you want but the bottom line is that the majority of Pa hunters are not digruntled. Your buddy Bluebird even admitted it when he basically said that the majority Pa hunters just didn't know any better LOL
Are some hunters quitting because they cant go out on the Monday after Thanksgiving and see 50 deer? Sure they are! But thats not the root of the problem. The problem is nationwide and the causes are far more complex than your narrow vision will allow you to see.
It's also funny how both of you refuse to look at the whole picture and instead dwell on smaller snapshots that appear to support your agenda
Bluebird wants to only point out two different small time slots and you point to one set of stats over 5 years. The NSSF data , right on their website, tells a much more complete story and puts PA right in with national averages.
All the outdoor sports are in decline across the USA. The number one varying factor in recruiting new youth has been the degree of regulation on young hunters. States with relaxed guidelines as to age andother requirements have the best hunter recruitment stats. Pa is currently only replacing each retiring hunter with .69 new hunter or to put more realistically, for each 100hunters that quit, 69 start. That is almost dead nuts what the national average is. The states that are recruiting the best are the ones without age restrictions and Hunter ed restrictions.
You want to pick on the PGC for something? I'll give ya something legit.
Hunter ed coursesare too few and the ones conducted fill up too soon.
I belonged to a sportsmens club that tried for 15+ years to get a hunter ed programgoing in an area that sorely needed it. The problem was pure politics. The local WCO had some very old bad blood with folks long gone from the club and that club got their program going only after that WCO moved on. Being involved with youth as a scoutmaster, I get asked all the time by parents if I know of a hunter ed course they can get their kids into. The cold hard facts are that they fill up fast around here. The serious folks that plan ahead get their kids in but the last minute Louies often get shut out. With all there is to distract the younger generation, we need to reexamine how to streamline the process by which we prepare or youth to go into the field safely. The mentor program is a good start but it has a long way to go and the initial results of that have not showed up yet inthe form of changing statistics