My son watches tik tok on his ipod from time to time and I try to monitor his use

[Jim Boyd]

So in your opinion the price increases we have seen in the last 5 years with leases/equipment/bullets/guns etc should be the norm and expected? I wasn't around hunting in the 70s and very little in the 80s but from about the 90s up until maybe 2010 lease prices appeared to be stable with maybe a minor increase (as well as bullet prices/arrow prices etc). Since that time I see the pleasure/hobby of hunting become a much more expensive undertaking. Was it the TV shows that started it over the last 20 years? Is it the social media presence we have now that's expanding it even more? What would cause my roommates from Alpharetta Ga who never saw a dirt road prior to meeting me want to enter the world of hunting in the last 5 years? I never have asked them but maybe I should.

The guy who introduced me to hunting in the Midwest and moved to Iowa due to his love of whitetails told me just this week he doesn't know what he will do next year. He is now in his mid 60s but in pretty good shape as far as being able to bow hunt and he had to let his Iowa hunting ground go due to price and the ground he has had access to for free has either sold or the owners started leasing their ground out over the last couple of years. He is on a fixed Social Security income and he cannot afford what the landowner wanted. Those are the guys I am worried about. He has probably killed as many bucks as anyone I know over 170 inches and he is in limbo about a place to go next year.

I can promise you in 25 years when I am approaching 70 I will not look back and say 2020 or anytime around 2020 were the good ole days. I am pretty sure I will be saying thank goodness I bought some ground when I was able and when it was affordable because that is when money started driving the sport/hobby.

Since Covid there is no normal.

We may eventually find a new normal but I don’t see it yet.

Nothing is unchanged.

We bought our farm near 3 years ago and we are glad we did - but I would still be hunting even if we had not.

The reality for your buddy is simple - and I mean zero hard line in this - fixed incomes (particularly if they are fixed to the low side) don’t provide many frills.

He would be in the same boat if he liked blue water fishing, skiing in Colorado or anything else.

Here is what I am saying… the good old days are now. Best get our moneys worth cause we only go round once.

I say this with all respect - you might not come back in 40 years and say 2020 was great - but it will happen big time.

Past performance in people is the best predictor of future behavior - and nostalgia is an all powerful drug.

I grew up in the 60’s, barefoot and dirty. I loved the woods then and I love them equally now. The price of admission is simply just that - the price of admission. That is all I am saying.

 

[BamaGeorgialine]

He’s eating breakfast on his phone. Our farm doesn’t have good enough reception for him to use it much in the stands. Just to clarify I didn’t mean he watched tik tok and YouTube videos constantly while hunting. He’s a pretty serious little hunter so he’s watching for deer probably just as much as I am. Although I myself like to read about the bulldogs or braves sometimes while I am hunting and I have enough reception.

I wasn't being negative towards you so I hope that you didn't take it that way. My point is how much hunting has changed as well. I think that it's great that you and your family are spending time together in the woods. That's all that matters man! Congratulations on owning your own piece of ground too.

 

[Sixes]

When I think of more hunters, I think of kids. Getting unplugged from their devices, learning and gaining a respect for wildlife and the outdoors in which they inhabit. Learning about where food comes from and understanding the balance of nature with growing world.

Maybe you are bitter about more hunters, but I try to see pros and the cons.

For many, a child's first experience with hunting could be a gateway drug that positively changes their life.

I'm not at all talking about children, I am glad to see them out hunting and enjoying nature.

But, kids are not causing the issues that we are starting to see with lease prices and land prices. There are no kids out there bidding up lease costs or buying 500 acre tracts.

You say I am bitter, but the only thing I am bitter about is the sudden influx of hunters and in return we are losing opportunities, not just for us now but for the kids that are starting to hunt. As long as the kid is old enough to UNDERSTAND what killing an animal is and not just out cause Dad wants me here, or just soleyly pulling the trigger with Dad holding the rifle. I'm all for kids and have been around some when they killed their first game animals.

At the pace things are increasing, how many kids will ever be able to buy land or afford the $2500 lease cost to be a member of a trophy club. We have a young man (18) that has hunted with us since he was old enough to hunt and has killed some bucks that anyone on this board would be proud of, so I am not against kids hunting at all, but starting this year, he is now a full member and we required him to pay a half membership. The other 4 of us paid since we were 18 and felt this was fair. If we charged him full price and all the added costs, there is no way he could afford the club.

The OP seemed to me to be referring to the new hunters that have just taken up the sport and have the money to jump to the top of the pile, instead of cutting their teeth and learning the ropes. Youtube is slam full of "hunters" doing nothing more than killing game on camera to solely brag and get the views and in their minds, to get paid.

That is why I am against hunter recruitment, it is happening for personal gain and exploitation of nature and not being done for what true hunting is about. Take their cameras and videos away and a lot will walk away from hunting.

I am bitter about the state DNRs (Georgia included) for wasting moneys to bring in these so called "influencers", that do not seem to mention that the taxpayer are footing the bill for their hunts, and having them promote what a great, game rich state we have.

What did we get from all this? A reduced turkey season and a reduced limit. How's that for increasing hunter numbers? Increase hunters lead to LESS opportunity for residents and the further increase in pressure, which in turn will continue to drive up demand.

 

[rstallings1979]

I wasn't being negative towards you so I hope that you didn't take it that way. My point is how much hunting has changed as well. I think that it's great that you and your family are spending time together in the woods. That's all that matters man! Congratulations on owning your own piece of ground too.

I didn’t take it that way. I promise. Just wanted to clarify. It aggravates me and I have to limit him at times. I can’t believe he hasn’t seen every YouTube hunting video on the net already. Every morning he finds a new one.

 

[BeerThirty]

Youtube is slam full of "hunters" doing nothing more than killing game on camera to solely brag and get the views and in their minds, to get paid.

Maybe, maybe not. I don't think anyone can say with 100% certainty that every hunter on Youtube is doing it solely with dollar signs in mind. But here's something to think about: everyone always says to find something that you love doing and you'll never have to work a day in your life. I'll tell you what... If I could hunt every day of the year AND get paid to do it, you wouldn't have to ask me twice!

At the pace things are increasing, how many kids will ever be able to buy land or afford the $2500 lease cost to be a member of a trophy club.

I'll probably step on some toes for saying this, but leases aren't the only way to be a successful hunter. Fact, I'd go so far as to say a good portion of hunters who hunt leases do it because it's convenient and they are complacent. Kids need to be taught how to read maps, how to scout, how to knock on doors and barter, how to find the public spots that likely won't be flooded with other hunters, i.e. put in the work! It's possible, but most are too lazy.

What did we get from all this? A reduced turkey season and a reduced limit. How's that for increasing hunter numbers? Increase hunters lead to LESS opportunity for residents and the further increase in pressure, which in turn will continue to drive up demand.

I can't speak to the turkey situation, but I will make a general comment. What you mentioned is NOT because of too many hunters. It's pure and simple mismanagement by the DNR. Or, maybe it's not. Maybe hunters are entitled and what they think they should be able to shoot isn't the natural ecological balance that the DNR is trying to manage. I don't know... Either way, I'm not convinced at all that increasing hunters are a problem.

 

[Sixes]

I can't speak to the turkey situation, but I will make a general comment. What you mentioned is NOT because of too many hunters. It's pure and simple mismanagement by the DNR. Or, maybe it's not. Maybe hunters are entitled and what they think they should be able to shoot isn't the natural ecological balance that the DNR is trying to manage. I don't know... Either way, I'm not convinced at all that increasing hunters are a problem.

I can't say with certainty, but what other reason are they putting videos online for the world to see. It's solely for the Attaboys and the attention. The best hunters that I know keep their mouth shut and very rarely show kill shots.

I agree with you about leasing, but it's not as easy as you make out finding land that someone will let you hunt. And from what I understand (I don't hunt public land), the days of getting off the beaten trail or away from people are over. Kids can learn just as easily on a lease as public, it is just they are not being taught. Ladder stands over food plots are the common hunts now.

You mention leases, I've been in one since I was old enough to drive myself. I'm in it because I like hunting with my friends, I like passing deer that probably will not be shot going up the next hollow, I like to watch and have a tiny control over a buck while he is growing. I care nothing about hunting public land, I've done it in the past and killed several deer off of WMAs, but the last couple of hunts that I went on sounded like a war zone and was no where near as fun as all of us sitting by a campfire on our own lease.

So every state in the SE through the midwest has mismanaged their turkeys? Almost every state is reducing limits, reducing days and some are going to more of a quota system. You really need to read some stuff on what's going on with turkeys and how over hunting is hurting the turkey population

 

[BamaGeorgialine]

I didn’t take it that way. I promise. Just wanted to clarify. It aggravates me and I have to limit him at times. I can’t believe he hasn’t seen every YouTube hunting video on the net already. Every morning he finds a new one.

That's actually pretty awesome. Beats the heck out of having to watch VCR tapes like I had to do at his age. He might even have his own hunting show one day! Never know

 

[Jim Boyd]

Maybe, maybe not. I don't think anyone can say with 100% certainty that every hunter on Youtube is doing it solely with dollar signs in mind. But here's something to think about: everyone always says to find something that you love doing and you'll never have to work a day in your life. I'll tell you what... If I could hunt every day of the year AND get paid to do it, you wouldn't have to ask me twice!



I'll probably step on some toes for saying this, but leases aren't the only way to be a successful hunter. Fact, I'd go so far as to say a good portion of hunters who hunt leases do it because it's convenient and they are complacent. Kids need to be taught how to read maps, how to scout, how to knock on doors and barter, how to find the public spots that likely won't be flooded with other hunters, i.e. put in the work! It's possible, but most are too lazy.



I can't speak to the turkey situation, but I will make a general comment. What you mentioned is NOT because of too many hunters. It's pure and simple mismanagement by the DNR. Or, maybe it's not. Maybe hunters are entitled and what they think they should be able to shoot isn't the natural ecological balance that the DNR is trying to manage. I don't know... Either way, I'm not convinced at all that increasing hunters are a problem.

Logic and common sense applied skillfully, right here.

 

[Jim Boyd]

He’s eating breakfast on his phone. Our farm doesn’t have good enough reception for him to use it much in the stands. Just to clarify I didn’t mean he watched tik tok and YouTube videos constantly while hunting. He’s a pretty serious little hunter so he’s watching for deer probably just as much as I am. Although I myself like to read about the bulldogs or braves sometimes while I am hunting and I have enough reception.

There is a clear challenge with social media.

I make fun of people on TikTok and Facebook but my wife often nails me to the floor… and she is right. She calls GON the “hunting Facebook” and I have no way to argue against it. Most of us are on here every day.

I am gonna post a link to a rather long video by a guy named Simon. In it, he talks about the challenges of media / younger people and gets to some wonderful points.

If watched, I think it will encourage all of us about generational issues. In particular, please consider the release of dopamine.

His leadership concepts are superior, I think. Parenting is, at the end of the day - leadership.

I use the principles at work but they apply to parenting, I would suggest.


Great conversations in this thread!

 

[dirtnap]

And stay off my lawn!

 

[specialk]

He’s eating breakfast on his phone. Our farm doesn’t have good enough reception for him to use it much in the stands. Just to clarify I didn’t mean he watched tik tok and YouTube videos constantly while hunting. He’s a pretty serious little hunter so he’s watching for deer probably just as much as I am. Although I myself like to read about the bulldogs or braves sometimes while I am hunting and I have enough reception.

watching stuff on his ipad/phone on deer stand is better than watching in the house....my son has a shelf built in his stand to his stuff....

 

[chase870]

You may even have fewer hunters than you think. Many places I've hunted over the years are strip malls and subdivisions now. Fact is as the human population grows it destroys fields and forests less area to hunt. My Grandfather told me "Hunting will become a Rich Man's Sport"

 

[treadwell]

We gripe about paying more for leases, but say nothing about the added expense we've chosen to bring into the equation. I'm 62 and I think back when I was a young kid. EVERYONE drove old trucks, maybe one or two guys actually had 4 wheel drives to pull the rest of us out of a mess. Everyone wore used military camos and cotton long johns. Most had some type of old sportorized military weapon, or a 30:30 or 30:06 with ammo from K Mart of Gibsons, usually Rem or Winchester. No one had 4 wheelers or side by sides. We all pitched in to drag the kills back to camp. No one spent a dime at a "processor", we did it ourselves. We slept in makeshift "cabins" or bunk houses using our "mummy bags" to stay warm. No one had "real" deer stands that climbed, all were fabricated from scrap wood, be it in a tree or a ladder type. Groceries were cheap meat, potatoes, onions and a huge glob of lard that gave us the scours by the end of the week. No one gave a flip about "scores", every deer was celebrated, and yes, the liver and heart became part of the cheap meat menu.
So, if we take out the "need" for a $65k truck, a $20k side by side, a $25k camper, $150 designer pants, $100-$190 processing fee, (a buddy just spent that for a buck he killed, had them gut it, cape it, summer sausage and breakfast sausage, and vacuum pack it), hunting wouldn't be such a bad deal.
My lease cost me $1,200 a year, plus I spend a couple hundred more on my food plots. It's what I choose to do for fun and the old saying "ya gonna dance, ya gotta pay the fiddler". All in all, it's a good deal for the fun I have with my grandson.
I will agree with some, the attention the social media outlets have generated has most defiantly caused a change in the Midwest hunting scenario. It actually started back in the Primos and Realtree beginnings. The videos they produced are why I ever went to the Midwest in the first place, so, you might say, I'm proof it draws attention. I speak with local guys that since a young kid they have hunted "Mr. Bill's" farm but now have to hunt the public land. Their traditional spots are all leased up by either outfitters or rich dudes from out of state. I don't blame the farmer, not one bit though, you wanna stuff money in my pocket, go right ahead. They now hunt the public land, which in part, changes how good it used to be. You might say, they could have leased it themselves, well yes and no. Not many folks in the Midwest are loaded, except maybe the big landowners, so, large net incomes are rare among most young dudes.
Therein lies the scenario of "we can't afford to lease it" from locals as they get in their $60k trucks and drive off.
Human nature is, if we really want it, we can sacrifice something else to make it happen.
(Just my opinion, no feelings were hurt in the making of this rant).

 

[elfiii]

Y'all don't have a thing to worry about. The coming economic calamity will thin out the deer hunting population pretty good. Then those of us that are left can go back to arguing baiting, best gun, best caliber, best camo and buttout plugs.

 

[kingfish]

Tik Tok = Chinese Spyware. Don't believe me ? Read their terms of agreement. You'll blow your kids phone up after you read them. Got a Youtube channel that is nothing but hunting and fishing. I use the cheapest Go Pro on the market, no back ground music, don't show my face much, everything is one take and I don't edit. No $$ signs, I don't think I'll ever get the followers or views it takes to make money. I always wanted to make my own outdoor show and now I am. Got about 400 or so followers. I didn't think I'd ever get one so that's pretty cool in itself. Plain and simple, it's just fun to do it.

 

[shdw633]

You guys crack me up.

I will be dead but come back in 30 - 40 years and I promise you - there will be folks crowing about how great it was back in 2020.

Happens every generation or three.

My uncles rode us “hippies” mercilessly in the 70’s and 80’s and though they loved us well - said we were the ruination of river and swamp.

Time is a wheel.

Back then we hunted lands for free, so in some respect they were right about ruination.

 

[rstallings1979]

Back then we hunted lands for free, so in some respect they were right about ruination.

I was told to leave my last "free" spot to hunt around 1990 at the age of 11. I have mentioned it on here before but the man's children told me they were no longer allowing hunting on their property. Since then me or my parents had to pay for me a place to hunt while growing up until I had my own land. I think my first dues cost around $200 annually and it stayed that way until I joined a larger club with a clubhouse etc. when I returned home from college in 2001. That club was larger with many personalities/members and the cost to stay a member grew each year as well. I started realizing land ownership/financial sacrifice was the only real solution if I wanted to continue to hunt and avoid the possibility of having no where to hunt. I really love the Midwest and I am realizing the only real solution there is ownership as well if I want to have a place for me to enjoy with my boys one day. I am afraid with hunting now being "cool" in the social media world it is not going to get easier to keep leases and control costs in my opinion.

 

[jaydawg]

All good info here…but I’m still waiting to find out who “ Chuck” is….

 

[rstallings1979]

All good info here…but I’m still waiting to find out who “ Chuck” is….

A Legend…that guy can get by on 2.00 a week pay. He kills booners yearly with secondhand camo using an 18 year old Mathew’s switchback he probably won in a card game….likely with arrows he finds tossed out behind archery stores as well. He moved to southern iowa just because of the whitetail hunting 15 years ago. He had me hooked up with a deer paradise in Iowa in 2009 that has tripled in value and I didn’t act on it. One of the dumbest decisions in my life.

 

[Jim Boyd]

Back then we hunted lands for free, so in some respect they were right about ruination.

The joy I find is not dampened by any ruination that has come to pass.

The uncles are gone but they left me and my brothers a pretty good legacy.

My uncle put me on the branch of a live oak the first time I ever went deer hunting. A spike showed up to munch some acorns. I thought it was too small to shoot and I am still saying that all these decades later.

I can hear my uncle cussing now - from Heaven or Hades - not sure exactly which way that one went. He was a Richmond Hill outlaw.

Old timers will recall Dinky Miners store- the tree was about 100 yards from there.

I had zero complaints then and I have zero now.