Future of elk hunting in the west on public land

[Bullshot]

My assumption is that in say 2000 you had a lot more individual hunters. Each hunter only applying and hunting in 1 or 2 states.
I think now there are actually many fewer hunters but those hunters are applying all over.

This spring I applied for 25 tags. Wonder how many folks were doing that pre internet apps.

Spot on....

1998 - I applied or bought OTC in one state (CO) for elk/deer/pronghorn. Cost me a two hundred and some dollars, I think, for an elk tag.

2020 - Over 2,000 in licences, app, and point fees. Applying in about 30 or 40 ways between different states, species, points, etc. Going out this fall for three species in two states.

 

[rwc101]

You can't push a rope. There is a lot about hunting that is hard work,,often not immediately rewarded. My passion to hunt is far greater than was my father's. He had pretty much quit before I was old enough to hunt with him. Face it not everyone enjoys getting up hours before dawn in lousy weather, just on the prospect of filling a tag.

Ditto. My dad and I hunted for 10 years before we killed anything mostly because of my dad's apathy towards scouting and hunting anywhere other than the same old tree stand year after year. I had to wake my dad up from his usual tree stand nap when an unfortunate buck finally walked out in front of us.

 

[lpcoutdoors]

As far as youth recruitment, a kid either has the desire, or they don't. I wanted my kids to be hard core hunters like their Dad. They aren't. At first I was really disappointed. It's not something you can force a kid into. But, I will say, as they grow older and can make their own decisions, I see a spark of interest coming back. mtmuley

My entire adult life I've worked with kids, and I've never met a kid who didn't want to hunt, all had the desire to experience hunting in some way. But, to your and others points, being a hard core hunter is so far from their life experience, because so much else has changed in this world, that sure can be complicated, confusing, uncomfortable, or whatever and that keeps them from becoming hard core hunters. And as you point out, the spark can even come back, I think so much of it is that us die hard, hard core hunters and lust for the field all day every day struggle to understand those that are great with just hunting every once in a while, not taking it too seriously, and are okay with not finding or getting game. I see young guys go out on public land and hunt hard and shoot two ducks in the group and think it is amazing! I, raised in some old ways of thinking and feeling struggle with, hell if I couldn't kill a limit in an hour and then go do something else I'd be disappointed. Just an example of how things change and are different, and many of the new ways are in many ways better. Anyway, great discussion from all.

 

[88man]

It certainly appears that elk hunting has been trending up in many areas and might have peaked in a few and Mule deer down. The future will bring more people to the back country and to the rural areas and there is no stopping them. Some will hunt some will fish and some will just be enjoying the landscape and gods beauty. Regardless more people and when we hunt or when we go to the back country we want less people don't know how we change that. The various sources of media will certainly motivate people to the wild areas but no more than Jim Zumbo did in the late 70's & 80's and 90's and early 2000's. Not quoting " but in regards to Buzz's comment about the parents who get the easy kills for youth> I am personally afraid those kids never learn or are very late to learn the importance of conservation and certain aspects of true sportsmanship. Its So important to teach the youth hunters conservation from a very early age even before they carry a gun heck just as important as firearms safety.
I think other groups/users gotta pay their fair share of conservation even if they don't hunt.

 

[2rocky]

Randy (Big Fin) mentioned creating advocates. I went to a RMEF dinner in CA where I'll bet only 5-10% of the people in attendance had actually hunted elk in the previous 10 years. Elk Hunting is Cool and people want to be associated with it. But there are even elk hunters who don't want to do the planning to build points for a premium unit. Usually someone else is doing it for them. Conservation organizations who put on events and have cool tshirts and hats attract the "Hunting Fans". They buy the Metal cutout Elk to hang on their wall at the RMEF Banquet. They do the local OTC deer and Duck season day hunts. And I think that hard hunting TV personalities make it seem a whole lot cooler than hearing old uncle Festus talk about that hunt back in '92...

I have 3 daughters, all of whom have taken and passed their Hunter Safety tests at age 10 or so... They have no desire to hunt but understand what it is about. I think we have to create appreciative non hunters that understand our role in wildlife management.

 

[westbranch]

I was looking at some of the historical IDFG stats recently and the numbers in the Panhandle seemed crazy. In the early 2000s there were 20-100% more hunters in some of the "backcountry" public land units. Can't really imagine there being 30% more hunters in the area I go because there are a ton of camps. Now the Panhandle units with more private land have an increase of 20-100% compared to those early 2000 amounts. Overall it looks like the success rates are fairly similar for most units.

The main areas I deer hunt look like hunter #s are down or flat. Some others are wayyyyy up. Last year in mid-Nov I was drove out to a spot for deer and did not see any other vehicles on 9 miles of forest road. Had me thinking that the season wasn't actually open or something. I also didn't see any deer, so maybe the other hunters are just smarter than me and avoid that area.