mobow

I’ll tell ya, Deer and Deer Hunting has GOT to be the single best publication regarding deer on the planet. I read another article today regarding buck to doe ratios. For me, this article was quite thought provoking. I’ll admit that statistically, this article was over my head a little bit, but I now wonder if we are currently in the “golden age” of deer hunting, and how long can it last? With the introduction of wolves back into the population, the coyote population on the rebound, can our herds maintain their current level of recruitment and well balanced sex ratios? The author “doubts it.”

The article, while never saying this, really got me to thinking; are we trying to manipulate wildlife populations for our own satisfaction? How long can it continue? Are we living in the “golden age” of deer hunting? If so, how long can it continue?

Let’s face it; deer hunting is infinitely more popular today than it was even 15 years ago. It’s a booming business. Will our greed also be our ruination?

I don’t know, just some stuff to talk about. I’m going to read that article again, because as I proof read this post, it didn’t follow the track I intended it to. I guess what I took from it is just how good “mother nature” is at balancing things out the way they should be. And even though we certainly have good intentions, are we messing with it too much?

Jeff, I'm sure you've read this same article, and I also know you understand this much better than I do. Jump in here and fill in my blanks...That bounced around much more than I wanted it to...I ended up with a different thought pattern than I started with....

GMMAT

You took from it (mainly) what I did. I eluded to this the other day in a post or two.

It was a good read.....ESPECIALLY when discussing the above referenced. I can apply that to my woods pretty easily.

LOTS of studies done in the past RE: buck:doe ratios were "Pre-yote". I think it referenced that NY didn't even HAVE yotes when the most chronicled study (RE: buck:doe ratios) was performed.

I won't get off track, though. I agree with you that we may be experiencing the golden years of deer hunting. I've said it before.....I can count on one hand the number of deer I saw before I went to college....and I lived IN the country.

I see 10 or more a day, now......and I'm not looking too hard. Our NC herd has increased over 400% since 1978. It's a great time to be a deer hunter in NC....if you're talking sheer numbers.

We'redue for a "checks and balances" wake up call, here, though......if we continue to kill more bucks every year than does.

So yeah.......a possible future decline? I'd say so....."IF" we don't do something to help mother nature out. We can't keep taking two steps back and one step forward and expect to get anywhere. Still.....she has her own ways of "balancing her herd". Hers just aren't very pretty.

It was a good article.

JoeRE

I was under the impression that hunter numbers have been declining significantly for the last 20+ years? $$ being spent are quite likely going up though.

I do not dissagree with theoverall articlethough....but 'golden' means different things to different people.

SwampCollie

I disagree with your first sentence, agree whole heartedly with your second sentence, and based on my loose understanding of mankind can say in answer to the question that sadly thats usually how it goes.

The numbers of hunters are dropping every year. Thats old news. However, there are groups within hunters where statistically hunting is on the rise. QDMA's magazine had a stat published back in the spring about the %age of Baby Boomers that hunt vs the %age of Gen Xer's that hunt. The Gen X'ers (while fewer in total number) had over 10% more hunters based on their respective generations. While that is somewhat encouraging, and perhaps even leads to a somewhat false hope, I'd say that deer hunting is not infinately more popular now than 15 years ago. The harvest is certainly infiniately larger. The size of the bucks being killed (just watch Monster Bucks XVII and then go back and watch Monster Bucks VII if you want a real time warp shock) has increased dramatically. The number of deer has increased dramatically. Yet the number of hunters continue to decline steadily as a whole. Part of this I feel is that a lot of older hunters are starting to give in to age... and since baby boomers and their parents generation are vastly more numerous than those of us from Gen X and especially the millenials, the numbers will keep dropping on a grand scale.

That said.... Gen X is responsible for the booming industry that revovles around hunting, because Gen X'ers are technology oriented and gadget based. I currently own more firearms than my late grandfather and my father have EVER owned... not just at any one time.... but EVER owned put together. We have more disposable income, smaller families etc etc. So yes, the deer hunting industrys is infinitatly more profitable than it was 15 years ago, thats for sure.

I don't think though, that our "greed" will doom the species, but I suspect it will doom our sport. Personally, I'd give up deer hunting before I took a deer I didn't absolutely need (and praise the Lord I have never been in that situation... and I doubt many of us on here under the age of 45 or so ever have been either), especially knowing that their numbers were declining rapidly for whatever reason.

GMMAT

SC....

Wow. Good read.

mobow

Swamp, that's an excellent post, and all good points. Maybe what I mean is BOWhunting is much more popular. Or at least it seems like it. I see more guys bow hunting than I ever have, and the ones that do are VERY serious about it. Most are willing to put in significant time and money (relative to means, of course) in their pursuits.

And, I guess it SEEMS infinitely more popular because of all the outfitters popping up everywhere, and how many more people are going on guided hunts. I don't know, something here just doesn't add up in my book. I know the stats say hunters are on the decline, but I'm not so sure that's actually the case.

HuntinGUS

I would call this age a few things but Golden would not be one of them. The popularity has came with a cost if you ask me.

Sure it's nice to turn on the TV and watcha "hunting" show at any time of any day. It's nice to have Dicks Sporting goods and a Gander Mtn to go to to buy anything hunting related that we desire. The growing popularity of Hunting has created many nice things for a Hunter to enjoy.

The flip side however is the rising cost of land due to hunt clubs and outfitters.

The attempted manipulationof the herd in an attempt to grow bigger....umm quality deer.

The increase cost in license, tags, you name it. Deer hunting is slowlybecoming a rich man's sport and I can remember when it wasn't.

As early as 15 years ago deer hunting was vastly different. The age of greed, high doller hunts, posted signs, and horn porn is upon us................if that's Golden I hate to see what we call it when this thing falls out!

early in

I think it's abundantly obvious. The first thing that came to my mind when I read your question was the recent thread about those "farm raised" monster bucks with ear tags! High fence/canned hunts are too popular these days as well. It's sad. I do believe these are the "Golden Years" of deer hunting though. Get it while you can!

mobow

Yep, and that's exactly what worries me. We're becoming victims of our own creation. Putting ourselves out of business, so to speak.

Gus....You've quite ellagantly written EXACTLY how I feel about QDM in general. I've said it a hundred times, I'm NOT talking about what someone does on their own land, not at all. It's yours, whatever you want. But what you wrote is spot on, IMO.

gri22ly

I wish I seen the same deer numbers I seen 20 years, now days its not even close were I live