Gobbler Nation

So, I believe the statistics that state the number of hunters are declining and yet it seems everyone complains about increased pressure - waterfowl hunters, deer hunters, turkey hunters. If you look at the draw stats for elk in some western states and specific units, there may be a 25 year wait on points.

So why do you think hunter numbers are decreasing, yet in areas like Florida Oceola hunting and the northwest NE merriam's it seems overrun as well as everyone saying the same thing in other species?

Doesn't make sense to me either. Maybe the higher cost and lesser availability of hunting land? Guided trips have gone up and public land is better known sure to internet. More land is tied up in private tracts with few or no hunters or so some say.

Trump did make more land accessible for hunting. So for big game out west that’s a plus for hunters.

Hardly ever hunted public land. Off the top of my head it’s been both public and private land I’ve hunted in TN and the other states etc all have been private.

More turkey hunters now than ever. I bet 70% of people of this forum have been hunting for less than 15 years

I also believe access to private property is getting harder to obtain and I would quit all together if I had to pay some govt. subsidized hayseed to hunt on his property. However I have heard of several lawsuits by hunters in Montana that have sued the landowner when they got hurt because the land owner didn't warn them of some dumb stunt they pulled. One case was a couple of out of state clowns went high on a mountain on his property elk hunting and got stuck up there in a blizzard and lost some fingers and toes due to frost bite, he lost and had to pay dearly because he didn't warn them that if a storm came in to get down as fast as they could. His land has been locked up and posted for years now, no one gets on it now.

more expendable income,,,,easier work conditions,,,folks have more time and more money for "boondoggles",,,,it's a sign of success for our country but disguises the lowering hunter numbers

Roy I'm one of the 30%ers. Seems less turkey hunters around than in the 80s. Also less turkeys in spots. But in my opinion I think Turkey numbers dropped more than the hunters around me. Also think there are more hunters hunting numerous states than their used to be. I know I watched 29 die infront of me this spring and only 8 of those were from my home state.

I don’t quite believe the numbers that all the foundations are spewing. I believe that they are coming up with them, but it probably takes some “work”. Hunter numbers may be down as a percentage of the overall population, but I don’t see them going down in the woods.

They're definitely not basing low hunter numbers from this area ( central N.C.). I can remember turkey hunting around public land where I seldom encountered other hunters and rarely heard shots. These days they have to regulate hunting pressure by offering draw hunts to minimize hunter traffic and maximize turkey survival on public gamelands.

Access to hunting land has decreased from development and leased land in a big way. Where you used to be able to ask and get permission from farmers, now their land is either controlled by hunting clubs, family members who hunt, or they flat out don't want the liability. Population has also gone up exponentially in this region.

Jim