Bowsite.com

The next 60 yrs

This year marks 60 yrs of Bowhunting for me, yes I am a old guy having bought my first archery permit in Pa in 1958. With the exception of Military service in the 60s and college yrs I think I have bow hunted every year of my life from 12 yrs of age to the present. I am sure there are others here who have been bow hunting as long if not longer then I have. The discussion on cross bows and airbows got me to thinking about all the changes from 1958 to now, changes in equipment and attitudes about bow hunting. Heck, back when I started people didn't even think you could kill a deer with a bow and arrow,We had to convince them. Compare that with today . We have some people trying for the super slam and making it, Some people are hunting just about every species that has been gun hunted and getting it done. Its all good and I feel privileged to have witnessed it and played a small part in the changes. Most of the changes have been good and have increased the number of people who enjoy archery. But I have a concern for the next 60 yrs, and that concerns access to hunt with any gun ,bow, crossbow, or contraption not yet invented. There are folks who want a season for spears, blades, and I guess rock chucking. There is only so much time to hunt some species and not everybody is going to be accommodated. I think the real problem will be on public land, On private land I envision the land owner will decide what people can hunt with on his land. I see some of that already. The prices on guided hunts on secured land will only continue to increase. Unfortunately I see costs just increasing until you have to be reasonably well off to go hunting. This will continue to decrease the number of hunters and one day you will wake up to find all hunting stopped by the majority, as hunters have become a small but wealthy minority. I pray I am wrong and I wont be here to see it, but many here will be affected. Your thoughts?

My thoughts ? I'm not gonna worry about something I didn't cause and can't change. I'm just gonna hunt as long as I'm physically able.

You are exactly right on the commercialization. I have bowhunted since I got back to the real world in '69. Got really hooked on the stick and string, then went to the wheels for awhile then back to the basics. Commercilization is killing our license sale because the youngsters are being outbid on a place to go. I was in my early twenties before I ever saw a wild deer and now I am down to one landowner who is my age and may lose that someday. It's the big time shows and the big time money that will kill our sport. These shows just cannot be watched in my home without yelling at the screen. My most common comment, "it's dead quit whispering to these old ears"!!!! Saw one last week, three guys in a metal outboard with motor running cruising bays in Alaska and the star is "whispering" to the cameraman, JUST STUPID.

You are exactly right on the commercialization. I have bowhunted since I got back to the real world in '69. Got really hooked on the stick and string, then went to the wheels for awhile then back to the basics. Commercilization is killing our license sale because the youngsters are being outbid on a place to go. I was in my early twenties before I ever saw a wild deer and now I am down to one landowner who is my age and may lose that someday. It's the big time shows and the big time money that will kill our sport. These shows just cannot be watched in my home without yelling at the screen. My most common comment, "it's dead quit whispering to these old ears"!!!! Saw one last week, three guys in a metal outboard with motor running cruising bays in Alaska and the star is "whispering" to the cameraman, JUST STUPID.

You are exactly right on the commercialization. I have bowhunted since I got back to the real world in '69. Got really hooked on the stick and string, then went to the wheels for awhile then back to the basics. Commercilization is killing our license sale because the youngsters are being outbid on a place to go. I was in my early twenties before I ever saw a wild deer and now I am down to one landowner who is my age and may lose that someday. It's the big time shows and the big time money that will kill our sport. These shows just cannot be watched in my home without yelling at the screen. My most common comment, "it's dead quit whispering to these old ears"!!!! Saw one last week, three guys in a metal outboard with motor running cruising bays in Alaska and the star is "whispering" to the cameraman, JUST STUPID.

Amen drycreek

remove people's places to hunt and you'll drive overall hunters numbers down down down

this is done several ways - outfitters leasing places up, and people leasing place up..... closing public lands too

the love of money will ultimately kill our sport

I learned a long time ago in my career that you didn't go to your boss with a complaint or a problem unless you had an idea or two of your own for a solution. Otherwise, your complaining is just annoying noise.

lack of access to a quality hunting experience due to cost and access to land will be the end of hunting as we know it. it is transforming as we speak.

Midwest, you think you're so smart, don't you?

lol...sorry, John, the doom and gloom guys got to me!

Ron, Congrats on your long career in bowhunting. Can't imagine some of the stories and memories you must have!

Bought my first Bear in 1958. I know how you feel. Too many don't make plans on living forever which is a lot better than figuring out how to die.

What dry creek said!

To me, it really depends on what animal you are hunting, and what state you are hunting in. We all have a different viewpoint, because we've all seen things through a different lens. NW Ohio where I live, practically every stitch of land is privately owned, Hard to get permission. go to Southern Ohio and there's tons of public land with high populations and good bucks to hunt, but on public land it's pretty crowded to bowhunt, in my opinion because crossguns are legal here. Commercialization has definitely increased hunter numbers, as well as record books and all the accolades that come with killing a state, or even world record, but the public land availability has decreased in many areas, making the woods more crowded, and sorta taking away from the serenity of bowhunting. I've opted to hunt a small public area about 450 acres near the house, and found a pretty good honey hole for deer, you have to learn to adapt to the changing times. Public land hunting is still pretty affordable for the most part, I've learned to just accept it and start hunting smarter instead of harder. It's a fat chance that bowhunting is going anywhere for a very long time if you ask me, there's just too much money to be made by corp's and states to do away with it. There are still millions of acres of public land to hunt, you just have to get out there and hunt.

If I live in the east and the only kind of hunting I did involved hanging close to home and hunting deer, turkey or small game, yes it's harder to get free access now than it was 60 years ago. But the available options to hunt on public land across the country are still plentiful. It'd take me a week just to make a detailed list of all the species and places and hunt options. As it stands right now, I'd never be able to fit all those hunts into a single lifetime. As best I can tell, the National Forest & BLM systems aren't going away anytime soon. For those willing to get in their truck and leave their home county, you should find that we're still in good shape.

How do you know there will be another 60 yrs. for this world or for you?

Best to learn to enjoy the days you are given and savor the days you lived.

Here is a little history to ponder on bows style birthdays-

1000 BC- Central Asians invented the recurve bow; 700 BC- Chinese invented the crossbow; 1180 AD- Celts in Wales invented the longbow

6/23/1966 initial patent applied for a compound bow by Holless Allen 1974 production on compound bow began by Tom Jennings

I believe access will be the demise. I hear people complaining about not bringing enough new blood into hunting. They say there are less hunters but ones who are here cant get the tags or a place to hunt. The professionals give away "free" antlerless deer hunts. Someone should be happy to lower the numbers if there are too many critters on their land. This is the land of the free and people can do what they want with their land within the confines of the law. They do not have to let anyone hunt. But we should not help them if they are part of their own problems. It is the commercialization that is starting to make things tougher for the majority. Sticking your head in the sand and denying it will not make it go away or not happen. We need to foster the Game dept.-landowner relationship more than the tourism-landowner relationship. Allowing crossbows just so we can generate a new revenue stream is not helping the majority. I have no problem with legitimate users of crossbows but if you are physically able, get a bow or go to gun season. "Were too busy." Then don't take the time to hunt. Reprioritize your stuff. I have only bowhunted since the late seventies but I do believe we are past the golden age. You used to have to practice to become proficient and put some effort into it. The modern bows have allowed for "instant archers". There effectiveness will change season lengths and tag allocations. I like trail cam pics as much as the next guy but it brings you back to reality when every stinking waterhole has a camera or several over it. We used to call it hunting but some are determined to bring it to a shooting event. The long range rifles are not helping either. If you give people enough rope, they will eventually hang themselves.

60 years from now the people who manage wildlife will be struggling to control wild animal populations with so few hunters and blue state voters placing severe restrictions on who can hunt where, with what weapons.. Those who do still hunt will have career opportunities as state employees paid to shoot wildlife. Bowhunting will be restricted to private land by voter referendums (in states where it isn't outright banned). The concept of preference point creep will be ancient history.

There will be exceptions in places like Alaska, but down here in the Lower 48 the entire hunting landscape will be as different as today's hunting is compared to the days of Teddy Roosevelt.

Lou, you might be right about that. If you are, I'm glad I won't live to see it.

It’s way different even NOW compared to Teddy’s time.

Well I am a little younger, my son is but a month old. I don't plan to have him killing foodplot deer with a crossbow at age 5, maybe chipmunks with a slingshot is a better start. But we'll keep it between the lines, mind our own, just like my dad taught me and my pap taught him. I think we will do ok if I do my job as a father. Not much else I can do but that. I kinda hope I don't have 60 more years in me but I'll check back in 30. I hope I can still be optimistic then.

Huntcell, exactly. Societal change is accelerating just like Moore's Law in technology. Imagine the differences in the future as the perfect storm builds of declining hunters, increased urbanization and detachment from hunting from birth, urban peer disapproval, and closures of land for the average hunter to hunt. Won't happen overnight or everywhere but the trends sure seem headed that direction.

solution ? give people availability for hunting grounds / lands etc and ensure game animals to hunt

more and more this is a rich man's sport, and that's going to kill hunting

This will be trad in about 20 years:)

The National Federation of State High Schools has approved awarding varsity letters for video gaming. For real. eSports athletes. How many high schools offer a letter or team for archery? Yep.

I believe Jaquomo is correct, giving Varsity letters for Gaming and not archery is indicative of what is happening. The Archery in school programs are critically important for the future. They are under attack by people who are using the tragedy's of school shootings to try to remove bows from schools. As the number of adults who hunt declines and their children have no contact with archery, the continuance of bowhunting comes into question. The kids are the only way I see to ensure the future of archery and hopefully bowhunting. This last Saturday I had the privilege of volunteering a day to help the archery competition of The Pa Youth Hunter Education Challenge at Scotia Range in Pa. I found all the youth participants to be courteous and thankful, I do not know the exact number but it was more then 150 and every single one thanked me and shook my hand. I was impressed, this bodes well for the future. All of us who love shooting the bow must do more then just mentoring our replacement, we must reach out to all groups who encourage our youth to shoot bow and arrows and help. With a little luck we can leave this world knowing we did what we could so the next 60 yrs will be as great as the last 60 yrs was for us. Ron

I agree with EF Hutton AND Drycreek

It cracks me up that people, mainly the younger generation "name" the deer they are going after. Then you have the hunters that look down on other hunters if they choose to harvest a small buck. Also, a lot of kids these days think they are going to be rich and famous if they shoot a big buck. IDK, I guess I am turning into my grandfather who talked about the good ole days. You can't stop progress

These are the good ole days. Agree that commercialization is the demise of our sport. Agree it will become a rich man's sport. Add to that you have hunter's advocating higher prices for tags and pref points, to weed out those who are not serious, your cutting your own throat. Someone has more money than you. A hunter's "seriousness" is not proportional to his bank account. I'm happy to have grown up in rural NW Pa. on a farm, and rural Mn. Those were my good ole days.

2018 starts my 62nd year in Archery/bowhunting. I cannot remember not having some type arrow thrower in my life but I joined organized archery & bought my 1st real bow in 1956 (Eddings 45# 64" Cadet). Bowhunted Illinois 1st ever Deer season (1957) & killed my 1st Deer in 1958 with that Eddings & a wooden arroe I fletched by pinning the feathers on.

Nice Memories ahunter55, I shot my first deer i,with a Ben Pearson Cougar, it had an arrow rest on both sides so it could be used by either Left or Right handed shooters.I was shooting it right handed using the arrow rest on the right side. Killed my first deer that way, I didnt know any better. Read a book and found out I was doing things all wrong and its been down hill ever since.;) ;)

I killed my first deer in 1977 with a Red Wing Hunter. I have hunted whitetail a minimum of 30 days a year for all these years right up until now and will continue to hunt them as long as I have a place to hunt. I have been lucky and have hunted the same ground behind my house for 48 years. I was shooting pigeons and starlings on this same ground since I was 5 years old. I agree it is getting harder to find places to hunt but I also believe there will always be public land to hunt somewhere. I figure I have another good 20 years of hunting and maybe 30 if I am real lucky. I decided a few years back to not go on any guided hunts as I think they may become the downfall of hunting. If enough folks keep paying for these hunts it may get to the point in say 30 or 40 years there may be no choice. I say keep knocking on doors, keep hunting public and keep being a good neighbor, stop feeding into all the problems commercializing hunting creates. We may just save it for our kids and our grand kids!! Shawn

Vast parts of the country had few, if any, deer back in the 50’s. Access has decreased as big game numbers have increased, but it’s hard to kill deer where there are none. At 23 years old, I paid my own money and joined a deer lease. I’m now 51. It’s all about priorities. Hunter numbers are declining due to everyone moving to the city. Hunting isn’t much of a city lifestyle.

IF we survive for 60 more years, with tremendous technology advancements I’ve seen in my short life time and the attitudes and movements of the “anti’s and the apathy and infighting amongst hunters, there no where the sport of any type of hunting may be.

PGC adds more state game lands every year. Hunting license sales drop every year. It's not about access. It's about access to othef people's property. Entitlement?

It isn't getting easier, but I enjoy some great hunting in multiple states every year. Almost entirely public land, easy to draw tags too. Big money and OIL tags aren't the only way too have a good hunt. It's just the popular w asy. I plan to do as much as I can as long as I can.

Good topic! I think the more sophisticated side of archery equipment will replace gun seasons at some point...and I also see traditional archery splitting off as it continues to grow in popularity.

I also think we as hunters in general will need to be on the defensive even more now than ever to protect hunting rights and access to public land. We can’t afford to have the “don’t care about other peoples opinions” attitude if we expect to have hunting rights.

I also see social media playing both a positive and negative role depending on what we as hunters post and don’t post!

The use of hunting to control predatory species will also continue to be under attack as seen with the grizzly bear in BC.

As hunters we need to take control of the language “trophy hunting” and “sport hunting” need to no longer be applicable to what we do

If you haven’t already I’d encourage fellow bowhunters to get on social media and follow a few anti hunting pages...it’s an eye opening experience

Michael, not sure what you mean about traditional archery growing in popularity. In our big archery club with over 500 families the Wednesday night 3-D leagues used to be split about 50-50 with compounds as recently as 20 years ago. This was out of about 100+ shooters every week. Now we're lucky to get 6-8 trad shooters. Many of the former die-hard trad guys are still shooting however, except with compounds.

Older trad guys are picking up compounds or crossbows and the younger guys may get one for the novelty but very few hang the compound up after figuring out they aren't as accurate.

Well maybe you have a point!? I came into trad in the early 2000s and seem to have seen growth from that point. Back in 2006 I didn’t know anyone you shot a longbow or recurve.

I could still see it splitting off though as the gap widens with new equipment

Crossbows, tv shows, and commercialism will continue to destroy the sport

Register here to reply to this topic