davidg

just for fun..what is some of the changes in deer hunting you'd like to point out...i started in ga. in 1969...it has changed tremendously...for instance , a food plot was illegal..considered hunting over a baited field. Young guys might not be able to participate in this...people out west will be different...we didn't really have a huntable population of deer until the mid 60's in most areas of georgia to my knowledge...

Coastal Mountaineer

For me, the biggest single change has been the weather. In the early 80's I hunted Western Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Opening day usually occurred around 3rd week of November and it was cold! Heavy long john's and lots of layers were a must.

Over the years, it has gotten warmer and warmer. Now, many days, just a light jacket required for opening day.

Oldtimr

Much longer seasons.

Bocajnala

I have come to the conclusion that Leases are ruining hunting.


I hate to even say that because I have always told people "you've gotta pay to play" and I've never had an issue on spending money for the things I want.


However.... I really think this trend is going to be a bad, bad thing within the next ten years. When I first started hunting, I had access to thousands of acres. Primarily just farmers who wanted the deer shot. I had farmers calling me asking me to come shoot doe on their properties.


In PA that land access has shrunk to around 800 acres I believe of private land. Which I know is still allot of land, and I'm blessed and thankful to have that. But I primarily still hunt, and I'm used to hunting allot of land. I mostly hunt public now. I like to start walking in the morning, and keep moving all day long. That's about impossible on 50-100 acre chunks of land.


Most of the farms I lost were leased out to several hunting clubs. I don't blame the hunters leasing. I don't blame the farmers for making money.


But I do miss the days of a farmer calling me up saying "Hey, So and So told me you'll shoot doe. I need some doe shot off my place. Come on out.


Some Ohio land in my area I've seen go as high as $35 an acre/ per year. It's just not feasible for many people to do that.


I hate to talk this way, as I'm all for making money and paying for what you want. But I think this leasing stuff is bad. I tried to get some new squirrel hunting woods a few years back after my main spot was clear cut. I knocked on around 15 different properties before I gave up. I take my boy out on a 6 acre piece owned by a family friend now. It works for squirrel. But it doesn't have the "big woods feel" that I grew up hunting.


Complaining done. I'll be out on public land with my bow quite a bit this week. Hope to put the sneak on a rutting buck.


-Jake

Oldtimr

Most of the land I lost was lost to development, housing developments and shopping centers and such. I have never lost land to a lease although I am not denying that you have a valid point, it just has not hit the area where I live and hunt except for field leases during Canada Goose season which do not affect me. You rally can't blame the landowners because with a lease they have a hammer to control what happens on the property and know who to go to if something happens and lessees are less likely to act stupid because they have something to lose. You can't really blame the lessees either because if you have been hunting for any length of time we have all seen the idiots that unfortunately are in our ranks. If a group of like minded people want to lease an area so they don't have to deal with the drama, I have a hard time blaming them. It used to be doing some work for the farmers would buy you some good will. Then farming became more raise hay and grain and sell grain than growing hay and grain to feed the farmer's cattle and maybe sell a little surplus and it is now all about the money and you can't blame the farmer for getting as much as they can out of their land. It has become a lot more expensive to be a farmer than it was when I was young.

buffybr

I started deer hunting in 1965 when I lived in Colorado. Back then almost all deer, elk, and bear licensed were over the counter and good for just about anywhere in the state.

Bocajnala

OT, I agree. And that's why I even hate to post that. I don't blame either side. The farmer should make as much as he can, and the hunters have every right to lock up property if they can. I just see it eventually leaving many hunters without a place to go.


This year I lost about 300 acres that my family has hunted since at least the 1890s... My great grandfather told of finding his first deer tracks there in the 1920s and he ran all the way home to tell his father and take him out to show him. The property was passed to a daughter who lives out of the area... and was then leased by a hunting group that is from nearly 40 miles away... Apparently they lease land all over the central area of the state. Just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I didn't even know it was leased until I saw fresh signs going up and stopped and talked to the guy.


When I started hunting it wasn't uncommon to get together with locals in the area and do drives throughout the rifle season. Everyone got together, used the properties they had, and we always shot allot of deer. Those days are long gone.


Many of these leases require you to sign up for stand locations and dates/times, then stay there until you shoot one. Then you have to call the hunt master to go trail it with you... Just so you don't mess up another members hunt... it's just not "My thing"


Feels like I'm being whiney and complaining, maybe I am... I just see a poor outlook for the future with this going on. And I think that it will continue to spread to most areas where deer hunting is popular.


-Jake

Oldtimr

I don't think you are whiny, there have been so many changes since I started hunting in 1959 that I consider detrimental to the sport. When you once had the best, it goes down hard to see it slip away. The area where I grew up with the best pheasant, rabbit and squirrel hunting is gone developed. I went back about ten years ago and I wish I had not done it because I was so sad when I left it stuck with me for a while. The saying that you can not go home again has a lot of meaning in this subject.

Champlain Islander

Big bucks mid western style have brought out the leases. In those areas the common person getting permission for free to hunt a farm are mostly gone. Here in Vermont we don't have the antler growth they do elsewhere so there isn't much of an attraction for leases. We do have some large deer but for the most part our hunting herd consists of 1 to 3 year old deer. By statute Vermont is an open hunting state which means if land isn't posted it is considered open for anyone who wants to hunt it. If the landowner doesn't want someone on it all they have to do is tell them to leave or post their land. Ironically a lot of the posted land is done by out of state property owners. Many of the northern Vermont farmers still like to have people hunting their land for deer, bear and turkey.

davidg

well thanx for the replies...i'm surprised no one has brought out some of the changes that impress me so much such as electronics, camo clothing, farm equipment...it's amazing to think back..we could only guess what was on our lands by observing sign, and scouting..now days all ya gotta do is buy about 8 cameras... so much emphasis on food plots...no one ever dreamed of deer hunting w/ camo..that was only used for turkey ,ducks, doves etc..there weren't multiple choices for camo..nowadays it's practically a fashion show