arons

I’m a resident Maine hunter (opening day for whitetail tomorrow, good luck!), trying to help out my state. Recently Maine assembled a task force to address an issue of a declining number of non-resident hunters. They’re looking for ways to combat the trend. I’ve contributed ideas, but I have a limited perspective. Does anyone have ideas? Has anyone hunted in Maine before? What obstacles were there? How about combating the national trend of declining hunters?

I’ve written a blog post that summarizes what the task force is and what they are up against http://www.youhuntandfish.com/blogs, and here is a link the material the task force has http://www.maine.gov/ifw/news_events...rTaskForce.htm

Terasec

declining hunters is problem just about everywhere,
i dont think the solution is recruiting out of state hunters,
financial benefit to your state yes, but not the solution to declining hunters,
but thats just states fighting over dwindling hunters $$$.
only solution to that is recruiting new hunters, young and old,
as more people move around cities less opportunities to hunt,
to recruit the young, parents have to expose their kids to the outdoors, and hopefully their kids will recruit friends,
for older hunters, have to educate them on benefits of hunting,
great way to start is to recommend anyone who loves the outdoors to get their hunters ed cert,they dont have to actually hunt, but they will learn alot, and maybe a small percantage who take the course will decide you know what, think i'll try hunting,
that hiker/biker/camper who spends alot of time in the field but doesnt hunt, may decide to try it.
also educate them on the food source available from hunting,

new hunter may be overwhelmed with idea of harvesting a deer,
but they may be interested in going out and pursuing some small game for some meals,

best thing you can do to promote hunting is educate others on the benefits of hunters,
how its the best practice for the conservation of the animals we have,

blackhawk_archery

Is a decline in hunters a good thing or a bad thing seems like it would be good for those of us who continue hunting.

Terasec

That is always debateable,
of course we all want to be in the woods alone, without fighting for spots,
but when it comes to fighting for rights and access, you want as many voices out there as possible,
they wont open additional lands for 100k hunters,
but may have to listen to 1 million hunters.

skb2706

My first thought is this will be a trend that will continue for the forseeable future. In our state the DOW has overegulated big game hunting to the point that to draw a decent license you could have to wait up 14 years. Basically they are managing themselves out of jobs. They are doing nothing to promote youth hunting and increase out of state hunting license costs without providing anything in return.

Then throw in all the "nannies" and their gun sentiments. And of course the sheer number of options and its no wonder that a teenager doesn't take up hunting. My son lost interest a couple of years ago and I don't see him getting drawn back into it anytime soon. Its not popular with his friends (they have no concept of hunting or shooting for that matter) and who wants to wait years for a license.

Valentine

The U.S. may have increased its population, but that never meant more hunters were going to be recruited.

First, the population contains more and more "baby boomers" who just started turning 65 years of age. A large number were hunters. Now many are retired, getting to the point of retirement, passing the scene entirely. That number will only grow in the next ten years and mean a decrease in hunters.

Replacements weren't coming from what I call the "computer generation." There are many more interests than fishing and hunting. Even I had outside interests way back. But the interests are too varied, and the communities are becoming too large and interest varied.

Over thirty years ago, a mentor warned me that I'd probably stray from hunting, once I moved to the big city. I've noticed over the last twenty years, as the population became more diverse, the hunting and fishing businesses, especially the firearms trade, started moving out further. The last two hunting bows I bought, were bought at now closed stores. Many athletic and outdoor stores have much in their store, that has nothing to do with hunting and fishing.
My mentor was absolutely right about the falling hunting population over thirty years ago. He had already seen too many acquaintances from the farm area and the smaller city where he lived, just fall away from hunting.

A lot of homes are more one parent homes. Show me a family with a woman at the head, and I'll show you, 9 to 1, a family with no hunters.

A lot of small cities had groups of hunters that hunted together, or had a hunting camp "up in the mountains." Many of the old so called buddies have long disappeared. If I wasn't prepared to fish and hunt alone, I probably would have quit, fifteen and twenty-five years ago.

I have one long acquaintance, who in many ways never was really an acquaintance. He never fished or ever hunted. All my hunting and fishing trips never included him. There was a door our friendship never went by.

And I see a continuing drain on hunting. I see more and more younger adults gaining weight and becoming overweight. How is that going to help hunting, a sport where you need more fitness, than a couch potato. I never started hunting and fishing, in an entirely fit physical condition. Perhaps I was more attuned for my need to get and stay in the best physical condition I could. Too many current hunters, and I use the term loosely, are slowly fading away to a ton. How long does anyone hunt, with their "46 inch waist."

Too many today aren't willing to stay fit for hunting and even fishing. The falloff will continue and I don't see any rapid changes.

If you're young, just check your local sporting and hunting store. See if they offer any tree stands with a 250 lb. limit.
And how long will a hunter hunt, who actually needs one of those 300 lb. weight limit tree stands?

Thunderchicken217

I have hunted in maine probably 10 seasons for 2 weeks each season ending in the late 90's. I loved the tranquil setting and scenery. Honestly I stopped hunting up there do to simple fact for lack of deer. I have killed several nice bucks in the big woods but often times that was the only deer I seen while hunting 2 weeks straight morning and evening. I hunted in Franklin Co. around the Phillips area and my favorite place was around Saddleback mountain. Personally I believe with commercialization of hunting and people wanting to see lots of deer on each outting would definitely be strike 1 for place such as Maine. I stayed in a 12' x 12' camp with 2 beds, a table and chairs and a wood stove and thats it. No power,hot water or indoor plumbing and think that alot of people unlike myself aren't into roughing it in such away. Another thing when I hunted there I did not like was that resident hunting opened a week before non resident hunting. Not sure if the law is still this way but as I look back I don't like this law and don't think it helps Maine's cause for attracting more non resident hunters. Me personally, I loved the area but just was tired of a 14 hour haul from Maryland wondering if I might even see a deer. I do hope the state comes back and I've seen the deer numbers have been on the rise but I no longer have a contact up there for the cabin's owner that I rented from has since passed. It will always have a place in my heart as it was the first out of state adventure I ever went on and it was 2 weeks spent alone with just me and my grandfather. I wish you the best of luck and if there were more people who cared as much as you seem to the world would be a better place. Good luck to everyone this season.

doetrain

Hunting in other states would increase if the fee's were lower for out of state hunters.But as has been said some states don't need anymore out of state hunters due to a flood of them being there every year. I bet the residents of IL. WI. IA. KY. and MO. wish a few less hunters where in the woods at present. My state of Indiana is becoming a popular state for nice Bucks each new year from what I hear. Personally I'm tickled pink getting a few Doe's each year,a buck is a bonus but not a must every year.

arons

Guys, this is great feedback. Thanks!

Terasec - You're right. Education is key. We need to provide more programs to introduce the sport to people (kids included). You're right about not just focusing on non-residents.

skb2706 - Too many regulations is a big problem. Sometimes it feels like you need to ask a lawyer about what/when you can hunt.

Valentine - I never thought about weight/fitness as problem. But I see your point.

Thunderchicken217 - Thanks for the kind words. The deer herd is on the up swing. Maine offers a lot of other hunting as well, including turkey, grouse, waterfowl, wood****, and coyotes. We also have the big stapels like moose and bear. I agree that non-residents should start the same day as residents. The task force is also looking at opening up Sunday hunting.

doetrain - Fees are a problem. Right now turkey's are on the big game license ($140!). They'll probably address that and hopefully lower fees across the board.

Thanks again guys!

gringojosh

Maybe one way to market hunting to a larger audience is to focus on smaller animals and birds. Many people are turned off by the idea of dressing a deer. Also, deer are cute. It is much easier for the average person to kill a turkey (not a mammal, not cute) or a fisher cat than a deer. Emphasize the benefit to the environment of killing turkeys (there's a ton of them) and the cool ways you can do it (compound bow, crossbow). Bow hunting has a huge cool factor. And families that are averse to guns are less afraid of archery.