Are more people hunting with the rise in food costs?

[std7mag]

Second round of doe tags is this weekend in PA.
The area i usually hunt added 2,000 doe tags this year.
And for the first time in 10 years, i didn't get a doe tag for there. They sold out on first round.

As another option they have DMAP tags (Deer Management Access Program). This where public & private land owners have too many deer and allow taking of a certain number of does from that property.

Looking at DMAP availability, seems only a couple of places have any DMAP tags left & they are at least double the distance to travel.

How are things in the other states?

 

[pabearhunter]

Second round of doe tags is this weekend in PA.
The area i usually hunt added 2,000 doe tags this year.
And for the first time in 10 years, i didn't get a doe tag for there. They sold out on first round.

As another option they have DMAP tags (Deer Management Access Program). This where public & private land owners have too many deer and allow taking of a certain number of does from that property.

Looking at DMAP availability, seems only a couple of places have any DMAP tags left & they are at least double the distance to travel.

How are things in the other states?

Only ones that are sold out are 2H and 2G.

 

[std7mag]

First time in 10 years i didn't get a tag for 2G.
They even added 2,000 tags this year.

Hence my point.

Heck, seems after first round that the other sectors have fewer available this year than years past.

 

[PAGOAT]

To me waiting to send for 2G on the second round is pretty risky, they usually sell fast. As far as people hunting, I'm seeing a lot less every year in 4E 4C and 3B.

 

[GBrokx]

Here in CO there has been a rise in tags sold since the pandemic...I think mostly due to people wanting to get out and do something, but don't think it was to save money. Maybe people are wanting to be more self-reliant? I used to be able to buy OTC cow elk tags right up until the day before season opener but now they sell out weeks before.

I personally got into hunting to source quality meat, but would be fooling myself into thinking I am saving money. Sure the cost of a tag is cheaper than buying a quarter or half a cow, but the cost of all the gear (rifle, optics, wall tent, clothing, camping supplies) and cost of processing (even processing my own), makes hunting an expensive hobby. I am now at the point I don't need to buy too much more but its going to take some decades of successful hunts to recoup the costs of all the money I have spent on my hunting expenses.

 

[Mallardsx2]

If you want a doe tag (as a resident) in PA, you should always draw it on the first round to be safe.

 

[jt13]

As another option they have DMAP tags (Deer Management Access Program). This where public & private land owners have too many deer and allow taking of a certain number of does from that property.

Looking at DMAP availability, seems only a couple of places have any DMAP tags left & they are at least double the distance to travel.

The overwhelming majority of small DMAP properties aren't listed for the public to see. Start asking around the farming community and you'll likely find an enrolled landowner without too much trouble. You cant throw a rock very far in any direction and not hit a DMAP or Red Tag farm. Many properties enrolled in Hunter Access are also enrolled in deer removal programs. Look at the PGC Hunter Access map for places near you: https://www.pgc.pa.gov/HuntTrap/Hunting/HunterAccessProgram/pages/default.aspx

In recent years, DMAP has increased to up to 4 deer per person per property. Starting next year red tags will be available through license vendors similar to DMAP tags. Check out the chart below from the PGC website. Over the last 7-10 years there is an explosion of DMAP tag use and the numbers from 2021 will continue that trend, 300% increase and climbing fast.

To answer your original question: Anecdotally, I don't believe that hunter numbers have increased in PA however more people seem willing to shoot doe than they were "pre-pandemic" to fill the freezer.

 

[OntarioHunter]

May have been more people hunting during lockdowns because they were not working and fuel was dirt cheap. Everyone is back in the office or school now and fuel prices have gone through the roof. I don't think higher food prices will factor into it at all. Most of us who hunt accepted a long time ago that it's rarely if ever cost effective.

 

[stealthy_bowman]

Second round of doe tags is this weekend in PA.
The area i usually hunt added 2,000 doe tags this year.
And for the first time in 10 years, i didn't get a doe tag for there. They sold out on first round.

As another option they have DMAP tags (Deer Management Access Program). This where public & private land owners have too many deer and allow taking of a certain number of does from that property.

Looking at DMAP availability, seems only a couple of places have any DMAP tags left & they are at least double the distance to travel.

How are things in the other states?

Just take a ride across the Delaware river. NJ tags still offer unlimited antlerless in many zones.

As for more people hunting, I’d say it’s the opposite here. There was definitely an uptick in 2020 when everyone was home, but that added participation cratered last year and it isn’t coming back.

I’m terms of hunting to offset rising food costs, I think that’s a losing proposition. When I think about everything that goes into hunting by way of gear, licenses, time, etc…it’s way more expensive than the grocery store, but I’m ok with that, there’s nothing I love more to do than hunt.

 

[Dougfirtree]

Just take a ride across the Delaware river. NJ tags still offer unlimited antlerless in many zones.

As for more people hunting, I’d say it’s the opposite here. There was definitely an uptick in 2020 when everyone was home, but that added participation cratered last year and it isn’t coming back.

I’m terms of hunting to offset rising food costs, I think that’s a losing proposition. When I think about everything that goes into hunting by way of gear, licenses, time, etc…it’s way more expensive than the grocery store, but I’m ok with that, there’s nothing I love more to do than hunt.

How are deer populations doing in NJ this year? I heard horror stories last year, about EHD die-offs. I've toyed with the idea of a NJ hunt to pad out the freezer..

 

[seeth07]

As for more people hunting, I’d say it’s the opposite here.

My general observations match that here in WI where doe tags are pretty much unlimited with no annual bag limit.

 

[NDGuy]

Hunting is not an economical way of putting food on the table for most people haha especially for the newfound flatbrimmers living off daddy's money.

 

[stealthy_bowman]

How are deer populations doing in NJ this year? I heard horror stories last year, about EHD die-offs. I've toyed with the idea of a NJ hunt to pad out the freezer..

Depends on the location. Last year there were certainly areas that were ravaged by EHD, but the outbreaks were spotty, meaning that one township may have been severely impacted, but the one next to it may have had no EHD at all. My advice would be to check out the area or areas you plan to hunt, there’s really no other way to tell.
The areas I hunt in Hunterdon for example, were only mildly impacted if at all. Still saw plenty of deer every time I went out.

 

[jt13]

Hunting is not an economical way of putting food on the table for most people haha especially for the newfound flatbrimmers living off daddy's money.

Out west, for sure.

Back east? You can be drowning in meat with a Savage Axis, $7 doe tags, and some door knocking.

 

[jlmatthew]

Here in CO there has been a rise in tags sold since the pandemic...I think mostly due to people wanting to get out and do something, but don't think it was to save money. Maybe people are wanting to be more self-reliant? I used to be able to buy OTC cow elk tags right up until the day before season opener but now they sell out weeks before.

Also about the same time Idaho capped OTC tags for nonresidents. When Wyoming goes 90/10 we'll probably see another up-tick in tag sales when those hunters have no place to go (yeah)

 

[Mainer207]

Im in northeast PA. Drew on the first round and apparently our region added a lot of tags after a big cut last year.

I’m new to hunting this side of the river, as I primarily hunted the Catskills the last few years. It’s definitely more pressured than I’m used to, but I guess I’m part of the problem over here.

 

[bullbugle307]

I know I couldn't ever get my brother hunting years past. This year he is "because of meat cost". I'm not gonna bother to tell him it's probably still cheaper to buy. Oops.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

meat vs fuel?? i bet that venison is gonna be spendy this year,,,problably cheaper at the store.especially any out of state critters.

 

[Don Fischer]

I don't hunt a lot anymore, getting long in the tooth and worry about getting an animal out. But I don't have teeth anymore either so a good steak is out. But buy a lot of chicken and hamburger. But the only meat I buy is that nearing experiation date. hamburger runs well over $4 a pound here but nearing experiation date runs $2.99 a pound. Buy all they have usually and bring it home and freeze it. Only get chicken if I'm low on catfish bait. Use two boneless breast for bait and eat the other's.

 

[FranklinME]

I will shoot more does than normal this year for sure. Pork and beef will be largely replaced in our freezer. Very economical here in NJ where I can drive 5-10 minutes and shoot unlimited does.

That being said, I have a Colorado moose tag and Wyoming antelope tag. Even if both get filled, I'm not coming out ahead on that two week trip. Not even close.