re: The state of the outdoors in Louisiana, how will it be for our kids/grandkids? Long read

quote:

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You’re the prime example of why Hunter numbers are decreasing. The lack of a quality experience drives more people away from the sport than anything else.



Can you elaborate? I’ve been hunting almost 35 years for deer. Been squirrel hunting probably 45 years

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Somewhere along the way it changed.

We went from an outdoor experience that focused on fellowship, family and friends, to one focused on photographs, social media and hashtags. We went from the experience of simply being in camp being enough, to the quality of the experience being dependent on how many we killed, or what we killed.

We went from large hunting clubs with hundreds of members and thousands of acres to roam to small leases, isolated from our fellow hunters.

We went from being happy with that spike or fork horn to making fun of those who killed a spike or fork horn.

We went from all being dog hunters, pursuing deer with an old shotgun or rifle to still hunters, bow hunters, crossbow hunters, rifle hunters, shotgun hunters, TSS users, surface drive users, mojo users, high fence hunters, predator hunters, waterfowl hunters, turkey hunters, deer hunters, Sitka guys, Mossy Oak guys, Realtree, guys. We segregated ourselves away from each other based on method and gear, almost as if we were looking for reasons to dislike one another and how we chose to hunt.

We now have 10 year olds killing World Slams and 160" deer, the same 10 year olds who've never once dove, rabbit or squirrel hunted. The same 10 year olds who've never once hunted public ground or learned that not everyone has the same opportunities when it comes to hunting.

We've been brainwashed by outdoor television to believe that the quality of our hunting experience is dependent on killing, not fellowship. Not family. Not friends.

Sorry for the rant.