the deer are there though.not as many yes but they're still out there.i saw 3 bucks in the last 2 days without even going to look for deer,not to mention how many does.and this was all in the same area.and the reason kids aren't as excited or interested anymore is because they're easily influenced.if their friend wants to play video games instead of hunt then what do you think they're gonna want to do?when the guys they look up to say thats it's pointless to hunt because there's no deer then what do you think they're gonna think?if you explain to the child that they may not get to shoot something but you never know then they might see it as a challenge and not as a let down.you can't expect a kid to wanna do something when everyone bad mouths it.i'll admit there are less deer then there used to be and i've seen less deer in the past few years then i ever had BUT i've also seen some of the biggest bucks i've ever seen in rifle season and more deer then you can count with a spotlight at night in a single field.some parts of the state might be hurting but it's not like they aren't there.you might have to hunt them harder or walk farther to see them but they're there.and hunting isn't all about what you shoot.it's about getting out and enjoying the outdoors and seeing things you wouldn't normally see,like bears for example.you don't hear people complaining because their favorite fishing hole doesn't have the fish it used to so now they're gonna quit fishing do ya?no,because it's about getting out and having fun no matter what.