Is hunting a dying sport?

[SneakyPhil]

For me it's cost vs free time. It is hard to justify the cost of a lease with the amount of time that we would be able to go.

[foulksnation]

I agree that cost is a big factor in everything. I have been in Texas since 2006, just found a place to hunt that I could actually afford this year. I have had to take vacation time to go to my family property in Louisiana. I tried the public hunting had a few bad experiences.

[arrowsmack324]

The cost is killing it for sure, at least for me that is.

[mwk128]

I looked at that USFWS license data. It seems to me that the overall license sales have been fairly steady over time back to the 60's. So the number of hunters is probably near the same as always, maybe a little less, but the percentage of the population that hunts is decreasing. However the amount of out of state licenses sold (nationwide) is increasing at a pretty good rate. I'm guessing this has to do with hunting shows, websites, online license sales and draws, etc. that give more exposure and make it easier to find data on good out of state areas.

I don't have any hard evidence, but I also feel that there are way more hardcore hunters than there used to be. I feel like there used to be a lot of people that would grab their rifle out of the case on the first day of deer season, hunt a few times and then put it away until next year. There are so many people nowadays that treat hunting as a year round sport.

So I would guess that hunter numbers have stayed fairly steady, the percent of people that hunt is decreasing, and the amount of money the average hunter spends on hunting is increasing.

[PondPopper]

Hunting to me is a way of life....a passion... I wouldn't call it a sport.

This but I do believe it is a dying way of life mainly because of cost not the lack of interest.. It is getting ridiculous..

[softpoint]

Hunting has always been a way of life for me. I am fortunate enough to have my own small place to hunt, I'd have to give it up, however, if I had to pay what some people pay for leases. Part of the problem in Texas is that there is little public land to hunt.

[bulltx50]

I have been in this business a long time, and yes portions of the industry are going by the wayside. The common man struggles with the cost of hunting, kids are busier now then ever and it's hard to find time for the outdoors. Not to mention the outdoors is shrinking. I can remember when hunting out west meant around Austin or San Antonio. Urban sprawl has changed that destination by hours. Ranches are shrinking, becoming harder to find, kids inherit and they won't nothing to do with ranching etc..... Yes hunting has become a sport and one that requires much more time and money. Hunting license sales have declined each year for years now. Don't know where hunting is headed, but it is changing.

[friscopaint]

I'm going with the high cost

[dgilbert]

Yes it is.

[kumathebear]

Much of what has already been posted I agree with, some no.

As for me it has been a way of life ALL my life going on 67 years. Started with my Dad, then he and I took the 3 boys early and watched them all get their 1st game.

I also "gripped" about rising lease costs before a LOT of the GS were ever born and still gripe to this day when we get a cost increase.

But for me..."I ain't mad at 'em/deer anymore," and get a lot of satisfaction just sitting and watching these days. Even if I don't put venison in our freezer, one of the Son's keeps us full with Venison & Elk when his freezers won't hold anymore.

Guess what I'm saying is "Hunting" means a lot of different things to folks. Just getting out and "watching & waiting" with kids, grandkids...well, it don't get any better than that for me. I'll be there as long as the good Lord let's my body do it and if I can continue to scrape up the lease fees year to year.

This is NOT anything new, but as long as the spirit exists and the IDIOTS controlling or "trying to control" our lives don't succed..it will survive!!

[toomuchsun]

Big cities. Crowded land. Reduced places to hunt. But we still enjoy and find ways. Instinct and will never die. Sad limited understanding exists any more once in populated non hunt folks. These kids and adults need us to let them know it is not a bad thing to hunt and is a choice at least for today. Costs and lack of space for lower income is a big deal. Respect for what we do is in our hands so repspect others and be humble and wise and we will thrive and enjoy. (and eat)

[doghouse]

I'm going with lots more money is being made in the metroplex and those people are buying the land. They let their family, and maybe a few special friends hunt. Nothing wrong with that at all. I would do the exact same thing.

[DuckDogTrainer]

Hunting is expensive and sometimes unaffordable in Texas. Landowners charge as much as the market will support and I don’t blame them. The whole reason they do it is for money so it only makes sense to charge as much as possible. Taxes and insurance aren’t going down so neither will leases. That being said, in other state’s that have decent amounts of public access, hunting is one of the least expensive hobbies to have. Guess it all depends on where someone lives and what they want to spend their money on.

[panhandlehunter]

Absolutely a dying sport. Loads of sissy men out there now that skipped out going hunting with their dads and paw paws. It’s real expensive too, even more so now that just about everyone makes it a rule to feed year round and feed protein. A lot of people just don’t have it in their budget to spend $10k+ a year for a lease.

And for price climbing of access still increasing, demand still outweighs supply. But I don’t believe that’s an indicator of increased popularity. There are just simply less places now tha there was 20 years ago.

[BBReezen]

Hunting to me is a way of life....a passion... I wouldn't call it a sport.

This but I do believe it is a dying way of life mainly because of cost not the lack of interest.. It is getting ridiculous..

Definitely not a sport. I would say that the “way of life” hunting is a dying art.

I would say the sport hunting crowd is growing