In the year 2060
Whitetail Deer
In a paragraph or two what will hunting in the USA look Like in 2060.
35 years ago was only………1990. It’s not all that long, but given trends that will continue or shift some reasonable expectations can probably be bright forward with a sound basis for the viewpoint.
My expectation would be that hunting is going to be impacted in two different directions. One being the supply side and one being the demand side.
Demand is going to be negatively impacted as a result of increasingly reduced opportunities to access affordable quality experiences. That will lead to fewer people being interested in getting into the sport and defection from within it's current ranks.
On the supply side, continuing societal changes are going to make hunting less acceptable as a result of shifting morals and demographic changes that skew away from that outdoor activity lifestyle
Unfortunately, I fear with those two forces, essentially working together, will significantly chill participation and acceptability of hunting as an activty and hunters as a group. It’s going to be an increasingly pressured activity.
I’ll be gone or 100yrs old since I was born in 1960.
I do not know, and I will be dead. The hunting picture is large and species and geographically dominated. Hunting in Alaska will be considered in a different light than hunting whitetail deer east of the Mississippi.
I do think public land hunting opportunities in some areas may actually decrease as multiple interest groups have their say .
I believe game biologists will continue to promote predation rather than human hunting. This has been a very successful campaign for them, and for the anti hunters.
Mule deer range will continue to decrease, whitetails will remain more uncontrolled.
Crossbows will become the weapon of choice for whitetail ,and maybe elk. They are highly effective, silent , and considered safer by some than the booming guns. And, gun control will discourage law abiding citizens from the complexity of owning one, more like in Canada. We will have guns, but ownership will not become easier.
Hunting will continue to move more to privatization, much like in Europe. I say move in that direction, not be there yet.
Hunting with a bow and arrow will continue the downward spiral, and the notion they are cruel and promote slow death will slowly gain momentum. In many states, I believe we are headed towards one general deer season, fill your tag however you desire.
As citizens become more and more removed from farming and rural life, hunters will further struggle at the ballot box. Ballot box game management, which was initially supported by many hunters, will become their worse nightmare, we inch closer to California every year.
These are just a few trends I predict will continue, all are already trending. As some hunters have stated on this forum, change is good. In the instance of hunting, I tend to not agree with them.
Crossbow hunters will be whining that the new Lazerbows will be too easy and killing all the deer that were supposed to only available for them to kill.
If I can still pull a bow back, my arrow will be tipped with an expandable with a 10” cutting width.
Sawtooth...your insight into the future is very similar to mine.
I don't really know what the future holds, but at present we assume a 20 yr old is posting chit on a computer in his parents basement, in this case it just might be the opposite.
It's almost unaffordable now.
I am surprised more do not offer their perspective, what we do now helps to shape the future. Yes, most of the trending is inevetible, but we should at least attempt to slow it. Maybe four years of the Trump dance will help a tiny, tiny bit.
Sadly, I think sawtooth is on the right track. As the US continues to be even more overpopulated and urban sprawl covers more and more of our country, liberal ideation will dominate, as it does in metro areas. We can work to slow the cancer, but I'm afraid it will win in the end. That might sound pretty doom and gloom, but I struggle to see a scenario in which it's not pretty accurate.
A cellular robot can fire your laser sighted crossgun from the tree while you're tucked safely in you're warm home and jammies while boasting how hard it was.
The landscape of archery was killed off by the horizontal bow gun.
"The landscape of archery was killed off by the horizontal bow gun". I think that event occurred years previous with the advent of the compound, and all the excuses why folks just didn't have the time anymore to learn how to shoot and hunt with a real bow.
Another addition to my perspective. I do believe with all the advancements in weapons and other technology, limited draw licenses will become even more limited. This has been an archery trend since about the 1980's. And of course, much more expensive.
It will be a matter of survival as a subsistence necessity.
Land will be consolidated in rich family and corporate entities. Access will be basically gone. Only the indig will have “rights” to hunt. Predators will be primary for control of game populations. The tags left will go to the rich and well connected.
In the year 2060,
I just might be able to draw a Nevada Elk tag with my 58 points..... Grin
In 2060 I may be able to get drawn for a pennsylvania bull elk tag. But to accomplish it i think I may have to apply as a non resident as we who live here have problems with it even with maximum points. But, in 2060 I will be too old to participate.
I started this game in 1956 & have competed & bowhunted since. Over 6 decades now. I have taught/passed on to my son, Daughter & 4 Grand kids (so far-I have more) what little I know about bowhunting biggame. They enjoy what I have lived/loved all these years. So, what ever happens down the road, I am guessing they will pass my info & the info they gather in the timber from experience. My family & small circle of friends that do bowhunt are teaching those interested. We can imagine the future of so many things & hope for the best. Hunters & gathers to survive, we, in America are not. I do think most hunters are conservationists as we DO CARE about the critters we hunt more than ANY other group. Time & what we pass onto our younger generation will tell the story..
In 2060 Bowsite will finally have 20 century technology
I appreciate Bowsite for what it is, I pay nothing. I am thankful it is here for all of us.
dude how many sites do you pay for?? i hear that argument all the time and its ridiculous...
I cannot see complaining the provider does not spend his money for an upgrade. Sponsors maybe, but a public casual observer like me who is here for learning and entertainment, I would feel pretty low. There are many sites, including Wikipedia, who are asking for donations to keep the site going. Is that ridiculous ? Perhaps Pat should ask, I bet I would here lots of complaints. I have personally donated to some sites.
Sir, this world will not be here in 2060, Jesus Christ will be back way before then… might want to tighten that time frame up to next year or so… 8 at most from now. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matt. 24:44
In 2060 Bowsite will finally have 20 century technology
In 2060, TBM will be allowed back.
in the year 2060. There are two conflicting scenarios. The negative side from my perspective is we humans stop understanding or caring about nature and wildlife. The hopeful side of me sees a brighter future. I work with a group of non hunters. We share a lot of values that may save wildlife. We realize that habitat is essential to our wildlife. We celibate that a Canada Lynx walked through our state because of the continuous forest allowing this to happen. We recently debunked the idea that there is consumptive use of resources. We all consume even if we don't take game for the table. I do know that forests and fields eat the carbon that the current people find so bad. We need more agriculture to feed people while while preserving habitat for wildlife. The future can be very bright if we are wise in our decisions. I will continue to plant oak trees that I never will sit under My great grandchildren don't deserve less. Bob
Paul Navarre will be 120 and will still be doing solo elk hunts.
Since I have already drawn a Nevada elk tag I hope for decent fishing if in still above the dirt !
I don’t think too much will change…. Alaska is vast and the population by all accounts has plateaued (unless the gas pipeline actually goes through) Maybe sheep will be all draw in the state? And maybe the caribou cycle will be up?
Biggest changes I see would be most all western hunts on a draw- no more OTC elk! Hopefully all Preference points systems gone- with some Bonus points/random odds.
Another Big change will be all the Baby Boomers gone and their wealth transferred to the outfitters! - maybe prices will stabilize?
You guys bitching about Bowsite, sign off, we won't miss you bitches.
Colorado libtards will probably have used the ballot box to eliminate hunting here.
There will be a remake of Zager and Evan's '69 hit re-released by their great-grandchildren....since we're now only 500 years from the predictions of the original!
I will be made into 2 diamonds, one for each of my girls, with my remaining ashes being strewn across my Upstate property. Hunting will be gone and wild game management will have been regulated to a government agency, due to the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality, which decimated populations due to greed and poaching, coupled with urban sprawl. Only the elite can hunt on certain government owned game farms, and it is done remotely using drones.
We will FINALLY find out what happened on Zim’s 2024 Utah Paunsaugunt mulie hunt…
“I do think most hunters are conservationists as we DO CARE about the critters we hunt more than ANY other group”
I don’t agree that most hunters are conservationists. They care about a couple game species but that doesn’t make you a conservationist. Most are conservationists only through the money spent on tags and gear. That’s it. I think this is part of hunters losing ground. Many hunters only promote big game management which is not conservation. Hunters get a black eye for lack of conservation promotion by calling for SSS, baiting IMO, opposing many wildlife and environmental regulations, lobbying to opening up of parks to hunting, non caring about any wildlife or habitat that’s not specifically going to help big game and fill a tag. Also, the tearing down of hunters in other hunting and outdoor NGOs further weakens and reduces our coalition. All give hunters a bad reputation. Lastly, posting things like pictures of a coyote with his head half blown off doesn’t help our hunting heritage either..
Conservationists want to conserve habitats first and all flora/fauna regardless if you can hunt it for sport. And conservation weighs the benefits vs cost vs values. There’s a balance but conservation is not the same as big game management.
Don’t wait for the next 35 years to see what happens. Go out and get someone into archery. Let them hunt your property and put them in stands where they will have activity. That my game plan to help ensure our hunting heritage. Just like ahunter76, I plan to keep helping rookie bowhunters get involved. Kudos to you ahunter76. My rookie this year took a 183 green gross score on October 26 on my hunting property in my new stand I hadn’t even sat in yet lol. My rookies always get first stand choice. One of the best hunts I’ve had in a while and I never shot. His excitement was great to share. He’s helped me process a few deer so he did this one at his house on his own. He will be a lifetime bowhunter now 100%. I just make one deal with rookies to hunt my spot, they also have to pass it on.
If we all did that that would be something wouldn’t it. It would help make sure our hunting coalition has more influence in the future.
I want to point out that Sito promotes and takes kids hunting often. I know first hand he also offers to pay for a Kansas Bowhunters Association membership for some bowhunters. We need more Sito’s and less SSS idiots. But most hunters won’t call out the SSS idiots so we all get the reputation.
Pass it on and teach others the value of hunting. Promote conservation and big game management as they are not opposing. One is a subset of the other.
Pass it on IMO is the best way for individuals bowhunting to help take bowhunting into the future.
" I don’t agree that most hunters are conservationists. They care about a couple game species but that doesn’t make you a conservationist. Most are conservationists only through the money spent on tags and gear. That’s it. I think this is part of hunters losing ground. Many hunters only promote big game management which is not conservation. Hunters get a black eye for lack of conservation promotion by calling for SSS, baiting IMO, opposing many wildlife and environmental regulations, lobbying to opening up of parks to hunting, non caring about any wildlife or habitat that’s not specifically going to help big game and fill a tag. Also, the tearing down of hunters in other hunting and outdoor NGOs further weakens and reduces our coalition. All give hunters a bad reputation. Lastly, posting things like pictures of a coyote with his head half blown off doesn’t help our hunting heritage either.. "
I agree with the above statement. Unfortunately too, hunters are one of the largest group of trespassers, and a fair amount are actually poachers. Poaching defined as acts of violation while harvesting game. These illegal acts may include but not limited to ; trespassing, illegal baiting, filling others tags, shooting from roads, illegal sights, shooting before and after hours, etc etc. This is hardly practicing conservation. This is what voters observe, as well as the beer drinking Bubba types on social media. Hunters should clean their acts up.
Midwest and Paul@thefort will be the only two remaining Bowsiters.
Maybe we will find out about Bou’s Alberta mountain lion hunt
Gene Wensel will be on his 250th book on "Hunting Whitetail's" and Pat will do an interview with him on Bowsite.
;0)
a wyoming elk tag will cost upwards of $20K. :)
...this is not hard to predict, in most areas the trend will continue. how can't it?
i wish i would have purchased hunting land 10-20 years ago.
Who cares! I won’t be here!
Ursman- I sure do. My kids will be here and so will my grandkids (and maybe even a great grandkid or two), and that's plenty to care about in my book.
1990, the fight against crossbows for all was in full swing in my state, we held them off for 33 years. Antis wanted to make bowhunting illegal, now more municipalities are having special bowhunts than in 1990.
My state just purchased over 2,000 acres in my neighborhood opened it up for public hunting. About 70 of that is archery only. Its only 25 miles from the capital. This was from legislation passed 25 years ago. I helped lobby for it in the late 90s. Voters re-approved one of the 25 year state lottery earning plans to be used for fish and wildlife, parks, etc. this month. The other one 0.5 % tax will be renewed in the next year or so.
For local watershed, citizen volunteers spend thousands of hours to clean-up the watershed and surrounding lakes. 6 of the 15 came off of the impaired list. We had the 25 year celebration last month. I caught a huge bass in one of those clear lakes this summer.
One of the nation's first National Scenic riverway parks (St. Croix, Namekagon) is having its future plan reviewed this week. Been in place since the 1960s.
Caught 3 PBRs in the Mississippi in 2024- 30" walleye, 22" Sauger, 22 1/2" smallmouth. Area I was fishing last week was crystal clear, caught 12 Smallies while wading.
I'd say prospects are pretty damn good for my kids, possible grandkids to be fishing and hunting in 2060.
In 2060 cell cam apps will have the option to shoot nice bucks standing there for a pic. Also, someone will find a buried time capsule in Alberta that will give us the information on what really happened during Bou's lion hunt with Jay Fuller.
My 5 month old Great Granddaughter will have 35 pref pts on her way to hunt Colorado 61 archery which will require 70 pref pts.
CT live hunts will be the only thing holding Bowsite together.
TBM will still be a legend and talked about regularly.
Bowsite will change its handle to CrossBowSite.
Bou will not be allowed to bring back old threads. Moderators will immediately ban him, but he’ll keep coming back.
My Tesla Robot will do all my packouts.
Pink camo will be required when sitting/staring at all corn piles.
Pope and Young will accept crossbow kills, or they will fade to obscurity.
I think we are only a generation or two away from hunting going away or at least anything remotely like what we have today. Younger generations are too apathetic and becoming way to urbanized with technology and thought.
Agree with Knothead, the trend is already underway.
Younger people nowadays seem more interested in 'instant success'. Dopamine surge when they beat the video games. Not much of that sitting on stand watching the world come alive. Tell them they may spend a week up a tree without even seeing a deer, and watch their eyes glaze over. Heck, it's hard getting them out to a 3-D course where they're *guaranteed* to see things to shoot...
I know a 'few' young folks who are exceptions to all this, and wish the best for them.
I harvested my first traditional kill deer about a month ago....the people over a certain age knew it was an accomplishment...the people under a certain age have been doing easy and lazy there entire lives ....they don't get it.
