NYS sees huge decline in hunting licenses

We have many thousands of acres of stateland down here in southern WNY.
However, very few hunters use it. The 1150 acre forest that borders our property goes completely unused the last several years.....not a single hunter.......and there are alot of deer.
Even the guys who used to tresspass on our property have stopped.
The deer population has been growing around here the last 10 years or so.
Its not unusual to see herds of 20+ deer in fields around here these days.
In the 1980s-1990s the statelands were chocked full of hunters.
Kids rather play video games these days I guess.
On a side note.....
Every single one of my close friends kids hunt......every one of them.
I just hang out with the right people I guess.

Non resident licenses are a lot cheaper now, less than 1/2 the price for twice the game, resident also went down.

Must be all the hunting video games. Hunting from the comfort of your computer. View attachment 46571 I have to admit, I have hunted from the bedroom window...
Look just about center of the picture, way back by the big pine.

not a surprise to me we have a hunting camp in the town of denning ulster county 10 years ago u couldn't find a parking place in any of the state forest lands now ur lucky to see 1 car. very few shots on opening day. our camp is always full and a good part are 25 year olds

Saltwater60 said:

Where have all the hunters gone?

Click to expand...

maybe cuz of the safe act .. and of all the gun control BS .. per FUAC .. you know were not welcome here ..

There are a few in the DEC that lament this decline, but you can bet cold cash that when the numbers reach a certain point our rulers from the rotten apple will go for a ban on hunting in NYS. They are already licking their chops. Rights mean nothing to them, power in numbers, and disarmament is their ultimate goal.
Robin

I think this is one of the perfect storm things. There are multiple reasons for the decline and I don't see it turning around.

1. Hunting is a lot of work. Let's face it the culture in NY has drove out a lot of the hard workers.

2. Public land has a bad reputation. I'm surrounded by state land. Growing up I was always warned stay away from it during hunting season because all of the city people would shoot at anything that moved.

3. TV hunting shows. I have plenty of friends that only trophy hunt. They will pass up many deer looking for the trophy. Then they will ask me a few times a year for some venison.

4. This goes with #3. Poor herd management. Because people are only looking for trophies they won't shoot does or bad genetic bucks. We keep a wall of years antlers and you can see a clear progression of better quality bucks. People always ask how we did it. The answer isn't food plots or better hunting techniques. It's because we shoot deer. We try to keep the doe to buck ratio down and take out any bad genetics.

4. Cost, deer hunting has become big money. Everyone thinks the needs $1000's of clothes. 2k bow/rifle. Lastly most people don't know how to cut up thier own deer, so your looking at $50-$100 deal. Most people would rather buy thier meat at that rate.

5. Lastly goes with #1. NY culture the city has deemed us as deplorables and has waged a war on our way of life. A lot of people have fled the state for a more friendly culture.

DEC came to my gun club not that long ago to talk about this exact issue. They are also in need of instructors for hunter safety. It's sad that this is happening, but like you said, with the culture changing and all the hostility towards gun ownership in this state, what do you expect? I think what will be likely to happen is there will be a huge surge in game animal populations that will become a huge problem for many reasons. Hopefully that will lead to some de-regulation and encouragement to hunt. Unfortunately there will also be problems for the animals themselves (disease, starvation, bad interactions with humans, Etc.) as a result of there being less population control.

Between the wife and I we have 4 kids.. All have their hunter safety course certificate . I bought all of them their first deer rifle. Two of them are fully addicted to deer hunting and enjoy target shooting.. the oldest stepson doesn't care for it but I guilt him into going with his grandfather once a year.. then my youngest used to go but collage has gotten in the way for the last three years but I know he likes the walks and the company of our crew, hoping he'll return to the sport when time allows..

Saltwater60 said:

My son won’t go because he does want to get up early. He’s a wimp

My other son just loves animals and doesn’t want to kill one. He eats meat and the kritters I kill he just doesn’t want to kill one himself. I can respect that.

Click to expand...

Be patient, the kids also start partying and pussy chasing as teenagers..

I've hunted alone before, it's boring. I prefer to hunt with a friend/s because it's more enjoyable.
I've noticed the change as well. When I hunt on State land. The parking area use to be filled with cars (hunters). We use to hear shots all around us on opening day. Now a days, I would be surprise if another car pulled up in the parking area. I heard two shots this past season & it was on the other mountain.
I use to hunt with a group of 6-8 friends. Now it's down to the 2 of us. Life got in the way... some guys stopped hunting because of health issues, others were too busy with work, family, or chores.

There could be a number of reasons for the decline in hunters...
- Many hunters of our generation have moved away to get away from the NY bullshit (politics, laws, taxes, etc.)
- Some of the old timers gave up hunting (health issues, trouble walking over rough terrain, trouble getting the animal out of the woods. etc)
- Other guys are not into hunting. Some guys (especially kids) run the other way when they hear about getting up early to go sit in the cold woods.
- Many kids now a days rather sleep in late, play video games, hang out w/ friends or chasing girls.

I think the newer generations have a different mind set. They like doing easy/simple things that brings rewards. Hunting is a lot of work.. there's no guarantee you're coming home with a kill or even seeing anything (deer/bear). It takes discipline to get up early, sit quietly in the woods for hours, freeze your ass off, maybe walk for miles & miles, and if your lucky- you'll shoot something and then have the task of gutting it and dragging it out of the woods.

Some guys rather sit on the couch watching the game and ask "honey what do we have to eat?" While other guys are out in the woods hunting their food.
I'm gonna keep hunting until I can't walk any more.

Plus this anti-gun culture that's brainwashing the kids doesn't help.

I've bought my sportsman's license the past couple of years knowing I wouldn't get out much because of joint replacement surgeries.

I've been hiking a couple of miles in the morning with the pup, doing manual labor around the house and property, some weight lifting, and I can't wait to get out next year for some venison. I did pretty good with pheasant this past year so I think I'll be ready.

As my friends have aged they have stpped deer hunting. As our children have grown they quite often work and live in a different part of the country.

Our NY society has put a large amount of public suspicion on anyone who owns a gun; people who have no realization of how food winds up on their plate think hunters have some sort of blood lust.

Saltwater60 said:

Probably not a surprise. They should make it easier to get a license like it was when I was a kid and open up more land to hunt. My issue is I have to drive 2 hours to hunt and no one comes with me. I find it boring to sit in a dark cabin from 6:00pm until the next morning to hunt by myself. My wife freaks out since I’m hunting by myself and it’s tough to give up an entire weekend. I will get out more in the fall though. Spring is tough with landscaping, kid activities, and my own yard and housework.

Where have all the hunters gone? Numbers in WNY shrink rapidly

Click to expand...

Where abouts are you at?

Ah, way to far or i'd say could meet up for a hunt or 2.

ArmedCorgi said:

DEC came to my gun club not that long ago to talk about this exact issue. They are also in need of instructors for hunter safety. It's sad that this is happening, but like you said, with the culture changing and all the hostility towards gun ownership in this state, what do you expect? I think what will be likely to happen is there will be a huge surge in game animal populations that will become a huge problem for many reasons. Hopefully that will lead to some de-regulation and encouragement to hunt. Unfortunately there will also be problems for the animals themselves (disease, starvation, bad interactions with humans, Etc.) as a result of there being less population control.

Click to expand...

Liked this, but because I agree, not because I actually like it. I don't think most of the bozos in NY, NJ and other similar states realize what starts to happen when hunting stops.

Increased vehicular accidents, more lost agriculture, spread of Lyme... hooray that we stopped those terrible hunters, though.

swilliams said:

Liked this, but because I agree, not because I actually like it. I don't think most of the bozos in NY, NJ and other similar states realize what starts to happen when hunting stops.

Increased vehicular accidents, more lost agriculture, spread of Lyme... hooray that we stopped those terrible hunters, though.

Click to expand...

There is no need for the food chain when you can buy meat already wrapped in plastic at the store. For as many problems farming has solved for humanity, it has also created.

Urban sprawl has been terrible for hunters, tough to get 500' from a house after farms go broke and sell off one after another. <-- Pre POTUS Trump but not princess cornholeo

Any method I use to kill the game animals I take is so much more kind than what mother nature has in store for them.
Robin

ArmedCorgi said:

There is no need for the food chain when you can buy meat already wrapped in plastic at the store. For as many problems farming has solved for humanity, it has also created.

Click to expand...

Well, the darn things have eaten everything I've ever planted, including an apple tree that I'd have thought was mature enough that they'd leave it alone, and geraniums that were up on the back deck next to the house. LOL.

I know you meant larger operations, though.

swilliams said:

Well, the darn things have eaten everything I've ever planted, including an apple tree that I'd have thought was mature enough that they'd leave it alone, and geraniums that were up on the back deck next to the house. LOL.

I know you meant larger operations, though.

Click to expand...

I was being sarcastic in my sentiment about the food chain. Obviously the sheltered idea that you can just buy meat already packaged and ready to go, so why the need to hunt bothers me. Not only is it flawed, it is also dangerous.

@swilliams they ate the geraniums?

We used them as part of repellent in our keyhole garden year before last and it seemed to work really well. Didnt put them in last year and the deer ate everything in sight even with the fencing.

ArmedCorgi said:

I was being sarcastic in my sentiment about the food chain. Obviously the sheltered idea that you can just buy meat already packaged and ready to go, so why the need to hunt bothers me. Not only is it flawed, it is also dangerous.

Click to expand...

Ah. Should have figured that out. Still recovering from a 75 hour work week, and the brains are still misfiring. 15 hours on Friday. Ugh.

BDinPutnam said:

@swilliams they ate the geraniums?

We used them as part of repellent in our keyhole garden year before last and it seemed to work really well. Didnt put them in last year and the deer ate everything in sight even with the fencing.

Click to expand...

Yep. Wish I'd taken a picture.