Hunting and fishing in decline: bad news for preparedness?

That the more people we have in the country the more urbanized we become.

Travis Tritt -02

He was raised on a tractor in overalls and boots
Been to college and then law school since leaving his roots
Came home in a Lexus,he left in a Ford
Country ain't country no more

He told his daddy catch up with the times
He said now a days people trade heifers online
Dad ain't selling deals with a handshake like before
Country ain't country no more
No,country ain't country no more

The back forty was sold to make up for hard times
Then sold by the half acre lot overnight
The houses went up and the trees were cut down
And there went the finest deer hunting around
Lord everyone's locking their doors
'Cause country ain't country no more

Now his dad sits in traffic looking 'round at the change
Watching crews turn the county road into four lanes
The old Sunday drive has turned into a chore
Country ain't country no more
Lord,country ain't country no more

The back forty was sold to make up for hard times
Then sold by the half acre lot overnight
The houses went up and the trees were cut down
And there went the finest deer hunting around
Lord everyone's locking their doors
'Cause country ain't country no more

There's no turning back
And you just can't ignore
That country ain't country no more
No,country ain't country no more
 
Even without immigration, urbanization would encroach on formerly wild areas. How many folks on this forum live in the country? How many would like to? Everyone who lives or strives to live there encroaches on wilderness. Personally, I'd like to live in the country AND retain my city property. Greedy old bastard am I. ;)

Ultimately, the demise of hunting sports is an indication of the fundamental strength of the American economy. Almost nobody hunts because they need to. I'd say that's a good thing in the big picture. It is, in fact, a sport. A diversion. What I hope is that hunting and fishing don't become a government subsidy. Actually, from the article, it seems it may already be the case in some places. A sad time for enthusiasts indeed. However, it will never go away. I think the decline of hunting could actually be a good thing of the government could manage by keeping their hands out.
 
Even without immigration, urbanization would encroach on formerly wild areas.
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Even without urbanization, wildlife areas and public lands are threatened. It took an act of Congress to keep the Valle Vidal intact, a remote area as far from suburban populations as you can get in the lower-48.

Unfortunately there is no such protection for state lands, even lands that were set aside for hunting and wildlife and paid for by hunting/fishing fees. The Bosque Del Oso is 33,000 acres of state land in Colorado that's been bulldozed into oblivion. Destruction of the Spanish Peaks Wildlife area is in the early stages.

Scheduled for demolition next is the 12,000 acre Lake Dorothy and James John Wildlife Areas. It's actually Raton's city property, like a city park, but it's across the state line. The State of New Mexico and City of Raton appear helpless to stop this. http://saveoursugarite.org/ If we lose this wilderness, the next-nearest undeveloped puplic land is a two-hour drive.

Additionally, there is currently one presidential candidate who openly advocates taking from us all federal public lands...
 
I live in an area that has seen alot of development in the last twenty years housing developments poping up all over the place like mushrooms. once the houses go up, it's no hunting allowed, what's happened as a result is that deer populations are out of control MVA'S with deer are very very comon.
Mike
 
shecky said:
How many folks on this forum live in the country? How many would like to? Everyone who lives or strives to live there encroaches on wilderness.
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Actually I live in the country in a house built in 1915. Amazingly in my area there were actually MORE people living in my immediate area than now, but within 15 miles there's been a huge influx of people and new housing.
 
shecky said:
Even without immigration, urbanization would encroach on formerly wild areas. How many folks on this forum live in the country? How many would like to? Everyone who lives or strives to live there encroaches on wilderness.
Wrong. I grew up on a farm in the Missisippi River Delta. It hadn't been "wilderness" since the mid 1800's. I live on a 360 acre farm now in SW Tennessee. It hasn't been wilderness since Davy Crockett was a cub. The house I live in was built in the 1970's, a replacement for the old log cabin ruin in the pasture.

People have a mistaken impression that everything outside the city limits is wilderness. 'Taint so. Country does not equate to "wilderness".

Codger
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Shooting sports and fishing are dying just like they have in every other industrialized country. In a few generations it will be a memory and there is nothing anyone can do about it unless you can figure out a way to retard our developement a few hundred years. Chris
 
runningboar said:
Shooting sports and fishing are dying just like they have in every other industrialized country. In a few generations it will be a memory and there is nothing anyone can do about it unless you can figure out a way to retard our developement a few hundred years. Chris
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But as has been pointed out in an earlier post - this apparently is a sign of progress and economic prosperity. Are hunting and fishing licenses government subsidies? I know for certain that when governments allow corporations to prospect and lumber government lands - this is a huge subsidity to a minority of interests. People pay taxes and should therefore have access to public lands more so than corporations in my books.

Realistically, I agree with Runninboard that the competition for human and wildlife space will continue to intensify and the critters with the largest foraging ranges will be the first to go. I also agree that urban sprawl has intensified habitat encrosion. Ironic how the pretty trees draw the houses, and then house owners cut them down. Perhaps in two generations or so we really will only have official parks left for wilderness with a bunch of boardwalks to which people are supposed to stay on when visiting the lands. I'll stop my ranting at this point :mad:

Regarding the original issue at hand, I teach a field course that hosts 15 students each year from across the province of Ontario. The course is mainly boat-related, but we have one over-night excersion event. In the last two years I have had the situation where this was the first time any of the students taking the course had slept outside of a house or hotel. Nobody had ever pitched a tent. To make matters worse, the majority of these students were enrolled in a biology program and training to be ecologists :confused: The disconnect between youth and the wilderness is really growing fast rate - even among those interested in such activities from a professional stand point.

In my experience and interactions with them, hunters and fishermen make some of the greatest environmental/conservation advocates. It is really painful to lose their political voice.
 
kgd said:
Regarding the original issue at hand, I teach a field course that hosts 15 students each year from across the province of Ontario. The course is mainly boat-related, but we have one over-night excersion event. In the last two years I have had the situation where this was the first time any of the students taking the course had slept outside of a house or hotel. Nobody had ever pitched a tent. To make matters worse, the majority of these students were enrolled in a biology program and training to be ecologists :confused: The disconnect between youth and the wilderness is really growing fast rate - even among those interested in such activities from a professional stand point.

In my experience and interactions with them, hunters and fishermen make some of the greatest environmental/conservation advocates. It is really painful to lose their political voice.
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AMEN!!

I joined the Army in 1991, in my platoon of about 40 basic trainees, when the Drill Sergeant asked how many of us had ever fired a rifle 3 of us raised our hand, this speaks volumes of why shooting sports is dying. My 17 year old son has been exposed to guns and hunting all his life, he has a Verona O/U propped in the corner of his room now, and yet he shows no interest. It is not something his peer group does or is interested in.

I think hunting will be around for the rest of my life but not for much longer, the only thing I can do about it is try to set the best ethical and moral image possible, and enjoy it as long as I can. Chris

EDIT: Right now I am the 1SG of a company of 53 soldiers, besides myself there is not one of my soldiers that knows how to dress a deer much less a squirrel, I don't think there is anyone that could even clean a fish, it is dying rapidly in front of us.:(
 
I guess this must be somewhat regional, as well as social within the regions. Growing up on the farm, I knew the basics of hunting and fishing early, and have continued both all of my life. My children all have hunting and fishing licenses. My wife, a former city girl, will cook it if it comes in the house looking like...meat.

I had my Marksman and ProMarksman NRA patches by the time I was nine, and began hunting alone at eight. I realize some people never gain the intrest in these pursuits. And many who do grow away from them in time as pressures of making a living, and peers take there toll.

IMHO, the reason our nation(s) did so well in WWI and WWII etc. was because such a large percentage of our population of males grew up acquainted with firearms and hunting. And living for periods of time in the outdoors. Does moving away from this as a society denote progress? I really don't believe it does. I believe it shows a moving away from our connections to the natural world and our place in it. Hopefully I will die before I am required to live out my life in a cubicle at work and at home. I want my last meal to be butterflied tenderloin of a whitetail deer smothered in gravy, served with my own home grown tomatoes and peas, and cat's head biscuits made with eggs from my own chickens. Not Soylent Green!

Codger
 
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