Concern for direction of hunting

[Bowguy67]

Years ago it was a great accomplishment to kill a deer with a bow. Heck it was a great accomplishment period it seemed.
We’d drive around to show friends, we were high for a week. Nowadays imo many just don’t get it.
Instead of learning the sport and becoming knowledgeable of an animal/animals habits many take an easier way out.
Days of long range scouting w binoculars or on foot are replaced by trail cams, days of finding a preferred food source during a certain time of year are now replaced by carrying a bucket of bait in.
Preseason I can remember sharpening blades as almost a religion. Now many say “they just can’t do it”. Nonsense.
The idea is a dead deer to be sure. On here we prob have some older school mentality but what about our youth?
Years back a fellow n I were discussing such things helping park cars at a 3D shoot.
A fellow assisting commented we were gonna hate him. He dropped his tailgate to reveal a ladder stand, camera n bags of corn.
I informed him there was no hate but had he ever killed a deer with no bait? He said no. I told him w no disrespect he hadn’t event earned his hypethetical bowhunter patch yet.
If I invited him to a place w no bait allowed in NY what would he look for? Where would he set up?
His wide eyed stare and open mouth showed he didn’t know.  I gave him suggestions to help but as of now a whole generation has grown up baiting, using crossguns, cameras, presharpened broadheads and disposable blade knives.
If ever any of this was outlawed (especially bait) my fear is a bunch of guys would eventually leave n who’s left to fight for our sport? Who’s left to pass anything down? Who would even know how?
I know the same weak excuses I always hear will be thrown out in defense of this nonsense. That’s not my point so no need to even say them.  I didn’t grow up this way, many others didn’t either and we succeeded.
Help the next generation at least have an understanding, mentor a kid to the old ways and pass it down.
Its only a small step in turning this around and it may be too late but I know I’ll always try. Hope others do too.

[hawkeye n pa]

I don't think you can expect a kid to appreciate the good ole days, hunting or not.    Different area's have totally different regulations for hunting and who I'm I to say they had no ethics? or cheated?  Hunting is quickly  becoming a rich man's sport, and IMHO that is not good for the future.     

[Bisch]

Yep! Your way or the highway!!!!

There’s nothing wrong with folks doing things different ways. And just because someone does something different then the way you do, doesn’t make it wrong!

I am one of the guys who can’t sharpen a head by hand. It’s not nonsense that somebody else is not able to do something we’ll just because you can!!!!

Have a great day bashing others because they don’t do it your way!!!! 

SMDH!!!!!

Bisch


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Macatawa]

As I read..and re-read the OP's post i see that he is merely remembering the dynamic of the hunt as "it was" and commenting on the present day approach to hunting.  I remember those days when ya had to scout out the national forests in Northern Michigan...and by law ya had to hunt on the ground and baiting was not allowed.   It was truly more difficult to score back then but (for me) I found a greater satisfaction in remembering what it took to get that shot.

These days are different...not worse or better...but different and I can appreciate all forms of the legal kill.   Times have changed and will continue to do so and our sucessors will undoubtedly follow suit.   That's the way it is.   

[Warchild]

I think that many of us are concerned with hunting. It just doesn't seem to be what it used to be. I agree that it is much easier now but that is only one of the many issues plaguing us. In my opinion the downfall of the hunting lifestyle will in the future be tracked back to the "Hunting" video or show. I think that these productions that may have started out to be informative or education pieces have turned into sponsored "hunters" looking for celebrity. While watching one of these shows, pay attention to the hunters attitudes and the things that they say. Note the dramatic rock and roll or country rap music that begins as prey is located and finally shot. The way the hunter acts after the kill. Its hard to find one that doesn't beat his chest and scream "BIG BUCK DOWN BABY!!!!" Who Baby is , is always beyond me....is his male hunting partner "Baby"? Another trend is constantly showing female or child hunters making the actual shot but of course no more than that. There used to be great respect for hunters as the general public believed that it took great skill , patience and woodsmanship to be a successful hunter. Now they see the way that people in these videos act and the high tech gear that they use and wonder what chance the quarry actually have at this "sport". I think that the age of the celebrity hunter is here to stay and that will be the downfall of the lifestyle.These shows depict us in such a negative light that it would take an enormous effort to get our respect back. We as hunters will as shown above jump each other over such trivial things. People above this post jumping a fellow hunter for suggesting what he believes is one of the problems with modern hunting? Really? He can't even express his opinion and point out a few things that he believes may help save the lifestyle that he obviously fears is fading? We are so quick to jump each other on social media and it's always in such a visceral way. You would probably never talk this way to this man's face if you were standing in front of him. I'm not suggesting that it would be out of fear but out of our common and more natural respect for each other. When it's done on media outlets such as this one, he isn't seen as a real person with opinions and feelings, just jump him and shut him down immediately because you have your own beliefs and they don't align 100%. There is more than the outdoor lifestyle at stake here, we are becoming a sort of robotic society. I'm guilty of it myself and try to restrain myself but most of the time when someone gets nasty, it's just time to move on to other things. I rarely post or reply anymore as I find many of my opinions fading into minority so the circle gets smaller and smaller until this site and others like it that were created to support the lifestyle are weaponized by the very people they were created to interest and inform in a good way....as usual, human beings destroy everything that we touch...….here comes the hate, don't waste your breath, I'm already gone..