Like many interests important to the Baby Boomers hunting as a hobby/sport is seeing a precipitous decline as our generation ages. Twenty years ago Michigan issued over 750,000 deer hunting licenses each year. That number has dropped to just over 600,000 and is projected to decline further.

"That group of hunters will continue to decline and then reach a dramatic collapse as age forces them out of the woods almost collectively, with nothing near adequate replacement numbers behind them in younger generations."

The strategy in Montana has been to issue hunting permits to younger kids and allow them to hunt a week before general season opens up. They can get a permit at 11 or 12, and need to be with an adult. It has worked pretty well. Gives them first shot before the animals get too skittish. Lots of landowners here will allow first time hunters to harvest a buck or bull which keeps it interesting for the kids.

Montana's strategy sounds good. Most folks don't know or understand that the largest group of "conservationists" in the USA are the hunters. More money from hunters is used for conservation purposes than from any other source. Ducks Unlimited and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are just two of several that do excellent work.

Hunting will live on in places like Detroit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx-yVqtICOw&t=77s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJFlm6YxMkc

I am fortunate to be able to experience some wonderful habitat up north. The land I hunt has been in my friends family for four generations and borders the 1.5 million acre Chequamegon National Forest. No cell phone, wood stove heat, very active wolf population, bear, cougar etc make for a very rich outdoor experience. YB-2 you are right on about the role of hunters and the conservation movement in North America. Like it or not I fall in that Boomer demographic and am very aware of the clock ticking.
I don't know how many seasons I have left but I do know I have this one!
G.

Yep nice guys, lots of hunting in WY but is come to an end now.

I use a 6.5 284 Creedmoor, good for 1000 yards with ease. With my Huskemaw Optics scope :)

On Sunday night's walk behind my community, I saw nine (9) in less than a mile

Attachment 57167

We’re almost neighbors - I live near Shell Lake just West of you.

Tom

Tom, you are almost directly west of us. Don's land is on the east edge of the Chequamegon. You have some beautiful country up north.

Here is a book recommendation relating to the critical role of the hunter/sportsman in establishing the conservation movement in the United States.

American Sportsmen and the Origins of Conservation. John F. Reiger
G

I quit deer hunting 17 years ago, both shotgun and bow. For the past 25 years my time has been spent shooting Quail, Pheasants and sometimes chukker. Opening day, Saturday, this year, we walked over 10 miles through muddy corn stubble and cut soybean fields. We didn't see much.

The next day, Sunday, I shot a pheasant and the others shot about 6 or 7 quail. Then Tuesday we shot about 18 quail and then on Wednesday another quail and a pheasant.

The result was over 30 miles of walking over 4 days and a pretty good amount of fine eating.