What has changed in the last 80 years

[SFC B]

Always smile when I see any of April's posts

 

[TN2shot07]

Always smile when I see any of April's posts

That would’ve been a fun lady to sit and have dinner with, awesome stories!

 

[TradeGun.62]

That would’ve been a fun lady to sit and have dinner with, awesome stories!

I take it April was the OP.

Great conversation. I'm glad someone brought it back up.

 

[Don Fischer]

I don't have a clue, I'm only 77! But in the last 77yrs seem's like everything changed! I was about 17 when I shot my first game anumal, step dad wasn't a hunter! So even in the last 60 yrs, not a lot has changed but for onr thing. Hunting is more about sport these day and less about food. I can see where down the road only the rich will be able to hunt for no other reason than they will be the only one's that can afford it. Poaching will increase as more people are going to need the food and hunter's will continue to complain even about those poacher's. I don't complain about poacher's that do it for the food. They would probably do it legally if they could afford to! Feel free to disagree!

 

[Don Fischer]

Private land access - We used to drive down any back road, see a likely hunting spot, and go. There is little public land in the east. Now private land is nearly all posted.
Antler/skull scoring - It seems the main focus for many hunters is how the game animal will stack up against a tape measure.
Food Plots - Never heard of them 20 years ago. Now it is quite an industry.

All private land is avaliable to hunt in my opinion. Just depends on if you can afford the tresspass fee! Sometime's that does backfire on owners in which case they raise the tresspass fee. Hunting is becoming a rich mans sport and have to admit with good reason. Lot of the people that can't afford tresspass fees simply tresspass and leave gates open and cut fences and leave beer cans all over the place!

 

[AlaskaHunter]

In private conversations with folks here on the forum and a group of young men off the forum , some have ask "what has changed since you harvested your first animal 80 years ago ?

a lot and nothing . In many ways absolutely nothing has changed. The wilderness, the friendships, the campfires, are still the same and are still many times the best part of the hunt--but

1. The number of people who dislike hunters and firearms have gotten worse
2. The desire for more velocity, energy, and distance, is understood, but some of the reasons for it ( not all ) I do not subscribe too. I am surprised at why it seems more important to say "I took an animal at 500, 600, 700 yards, than to say "I got within 100 yards or less". To me, one is hunting, and one is shooting, but that is just my opinion of course.
3. The desire for a non walnut stocked rifle as well as the desire for very light rifles, is also a change that escapes me. All my rifles had wood stocks and a light rifle was actually harder for me to shoot accurately and it delivered more recoil
4. scopes--this has been a good change as you now dont have to buy an expensive German scope to get good glass. Scopes have changed for the better
5. Powder, another "changed for the better" item, especially temp sensitive powders.
6. Bullets. Personally I feel this may be where the greatest improvement has been. Starting with the Bitterroots, which my husband loved and Alaska Bullet Works, although it is a small company and very independent fellow owns it, but a great guy. But then came Rhino for DG and GSC for Plains Game in RSA, Woodleigh in Australia, Norma ( love the Oryz ) in Europe and North Fork, Nosler, Swift, Barnes and others in the U.S.. Also some good custom bullet makers and paper patched bullet makers---Bullets are better!
7.Actions. I accept the fact that if you have a few tools in your man cave Remington can be useful in a Build, if you dont have tools, then Savage could work, and I can not deny that Mayfair Eng/England, Granite Mtn/Arizona, Montana/Montana make excellent actions--but they are so called "Improved" Mauser 98's. So I am not so sure that anything is any better than the Mauser 98 or Pre 64 Win 70. however the Weatherby fans here might disagree and I hear that the Sako 85 is a good action, but they came along to late for me to know --I did however enjoy their finnwolf 308--but I digress lol
8.Animals the most noticeable to me is the lack of Mule Deer is Arizona, they use to be all over the place, Black Rhino in RSA, Caribou in Canada ( however I heard the Caribou herds in Alaska are increasing and that is good news )

Remember guys this is just one old woman's opinion as she looks back over the years --no more, no less

Your turn--for those of you who have been hunting 30-40-50-60-70-years--or more. What changes good or bad have you seen and.or experienced ?

In Alaska, most caribou herds have or are declining in population.
Sheep populations in many areas have declined recently due to heavy snow and icing events.

King salmon populations have declined in many areas while red (sockeye) salmon have increased, especially in Bristol Bay.

With a warming climate millions of acres of spruce have been killed by spruce beetle south of the Alaska range...
With a warming climate, wildfires are more frequent and more severe...
should improve moose habitat, but decrease quality winter lichen habitat caribou use.

With a warming climate our duck season (unfrozen marshes) is about 2 weeks longer than it was 30-40 years ago.

 

[antlerradar]

I don't have a clue, I'm only 77! But in the last 77yrs seem's like everything changed! I was about 17 when I shot my first game anumal, step dad wasn't a hunter! So even in the last 60 yrs, not a lot has changed but for onr thing. Hunting is more about sport these day and less about food. I can see where down the road only the rich will be able to hunt for no other reason than they will be the only one's that can afford it. Poaching will increase as more people are going to need the food and hunter's will continue to complain even about those poacher's. I don't complain about poacher's that do it for the food. They would probably do it legally if they could afford to! Feel free to disagree!

When I was young people poached for food, Today it is all about their ego or money.

 

[F250]

Always smile when I see any of April's posts

I always enjoyed April’s posts. As it has been some time since i have seen any, I’m guessing that she has passed. If that is so, I certainly pray she rests in peace.

 

[Boarmaster]

Outdoor Gear in general is better quality and there are many more options in various price and quality categories. I started hunting in the 70s and really got into it in the 80s and 90s and really great gear was hard to find. We pretty much repurposed camping , military surplus and work gear and clothing. I remember my first pair of polypropylene base layers ( we called them long johns back then). It was a heck of a step up from waffle thermal long johns. I had them and a shiny new fleece outfit with noisy cabelas 1st gen dry plus. I sounded like I was wearing a tinfoil suit but dang I was dry and warm.
Once in a while I stumble onto an old gear box and find some of that crap I bought in the 80s and 90s. Even old flashlights get a good chuckle.

These days we research ,worry and split hairs about every little detail of a piece of gear. Ever wander into a bino harness thread? OMG. I admit its fun. But we expect a lot more out of our gear these days. And theres nothing wrong with that…..

 

[OntarioHunter]

Outdoor Gear in general is better quality and there are many more options in various price and quality categories. I started hunting in the 70s and really got into it in the 80s and 90s and really great gear was hard to find. We pretty much repurposed camping , military surplus and work gear and clothing. I remember my first pair of polypropylene base layers ( we called them long johns back then). It was a heck of a step up from waffle thermal long johns. I had them and a shiny new fleece outfit with noisy cabelas 1st gen dry plus. I sounded like I was wearing a tinfoil suit but dang I was dry and warm.
Once in a while I stumble onto an old gear box and find some of that crap I bought in the 80s and 90s. Even old flashlights get a good chuckle.

These days we research ,worry and split hairs about every little detail of a piece of gear. Ever wander into a bino harness thread? OMG. I admit its fun. But we expect a lot more out of our gear these days. And theres nothing wrong with that…..

I don't think the gear is any better. If you knew what to look for in the early 70s, the same stuff will still keep you warm today ... but I never was a sit on my arse hunter so that makes a difference. Wool is still better than fleece. It just doesn't last as long. Goretex is a joke after a season or two. Shooting long distance isn't hunting. Real hunting hasn't changed. Same skills are needed today as seventy years ago. Same calibers and guns will still kill animals just as dead now as then.

I think the biggest changes have been in the archery end. And muzzle loaders. We used to call those "primitive weapons." Not any more! My WWII hunting rifle is a LOT more primitive.

Gutless method was around when I started hunting. It was reserved for slob hunters. Now everybody is doing it.

Had to chuckle at my PH over here. Second day and he dumped his binocular harness and started using the neck strap. He was sure envious of my homemade belt holster. But you know every PH worth his salt MUST have a chest harness. It's the only way.

 

[Don Fischer]

When I was young people poached for food, Today it is all about their ego or money.

Is with some but I live pretty rural and out here people still poach for food. I got no time for oy poaching or those that do it for money. I understand those that do it for the food!