NEVER thought I would read this about "fishing and hunting declines"

By Steve Tuttle
Newsweek
Updated: 2 hours, 41 minutes ago

June 16, 2007 - If you’re a squirrel or a trout, we’ve got some good news for you: Americans are hunting and fishing less. Every five years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service puts together a massive survey of outdoor recreation, and the 2006 preliminary numbers were released today. They show ominous trends, depending on your worldview—or species. The number of anglers has dropped 12 percent since 2001; the hunter count has fallen off by 4 percent during the same five-year period. This doesn’t mean Americans aren’t spending time outdoors or interacting with wild animals; “wildlife watching” is up 8 percent since 2001. They’re just choosing not to kill them so much.

Though the final report won’t be available until November of this year, the preliminary findings reveal a downward pattern that worries many sportsmen: over the last 15 years or so, millions fewer people have been hunting and fishing in a country with a rapidly expanding population. There are countless reasons for the trend, chief among them urbanization and changes in America’s rural culture. Video games and cable television vie for the attention of young kids, and their parents can’t find the time or gain access as readily to the nation’s rapidly disappearing hunting fields and fishing holes.

Mark Damian Duda of the outdoor research group Responsive Management in Harrisonburg, Va., says he was especially surprised by the sharp drop in fishing, but understands it: “We just have less time overall for recreation, and there’s a lot more competition for the time we do have.” Another problem: traditions are not being passed down. Duda says 90 percent of the kids who hunt grow up in a hunting family, and starting from scratch is difficult. Duda is optimistic about the long haul, because states are noticing the trends and working hard to stop the slide. Another reason he’s hopeful: “The old image of the hunter and fisher as Teddy Roosevelt burns deep in the American psyche.”

That may prove true down the road, but the 2006 survey shows that the number of migratory bird hunters dropped a whopping 22 percent in just five years; while small-game stalkers fell by 12 percent. The number of big-game hunters has remained relatively stable over the last half decade, falling only 2 percent.

Still, 12.5 million people over the age of 16 went hunting in 2006, down from about 13 million in 2001, and they dropped $23 billion on the stuff it takes to get out in the field (roughly the same amount of money spent on hunting five years ago).

Fishing participation fell three times the rate of hunting over five years—down a jaw-dropping 23 percent in the Great Lakes region. Freshwater fishing outside the Great Lakes was off 10 percent; saltwater fishing fell by 15 percent.

In 2006, 13 percent of the U.S. population still took the rod and reel out for a cast. Nearly 30 million people—five million less than 2001-went fishing, spending an average of 17 days angling during the year. They dropped about $40 billion on licenses, equipment and trips to support the activity.

Nicholas Throckmorton, a spokesperson for the Fish and Wildlife Service, admits that the hunting and fishing trends are “disturbing.” But he argues that the data is secondary to the report’s real news, that “the value of wildlife remains high to millions of Americans, who know that outdoor recreation rejuvenates our spirit and gets us away from the wired, modern world.”
Sportsmen can take heart in the fact that despite the declining numbers, nearly 34 million people still found time to fish and hunt in 2006, and spent a combined $75.4 billion doing it. That’s important, because federal taxes on guns and sporting equipment are spent on conservation efforts and wildlife refuges; without those places, many of the 71 million “watchers” identified in the survey would be left staring at a starling on a bird feeder.
The real lesson of the report is that as a nation we’re gradually finding new, less violent ways to interact with nature. If this keeps up it won’t be long before Elmer Fudd goes after Bugs Bunny with a pair of binoculars.

But its also harder for young boys to go down the road and fish local ponds, when we were coming up everyone let you fish in there ponds also plenty of pay ponds were also available. With all the lawsuits going on no one can take a chance. Its sad that it came to this but we made it that way. Thats why so many kids are in jail, and just running wild. They can't do nothing but sit in the house. How many kids in the neighbor hood get out and play baseball or football in the neighborhood, hardly none because the neighbors and ourselves don't want the grass disturbed. All the local parks usually have locks on the gates to keep from someone stealing the bases or pulling down the goal post. ITS SAD WE HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN, but this is life so if you get a chance to carry a kid take one or two because I try at least once a week to do hunting and fishing with my kids because as much as you try there always trouble staring them in the eyes everyday at school or the buttons that I'm pushing right now can cause kids alot of trouble please try to keep an EYE own your kids the best you can and just hope what you have done helps.Because I don't care how much our local dnr does they can't do it all but they could hold a few more take a kid fishing rodeos with our help. Sorry but I reckon this was my itch for the week. also when you elect to vote on the person thats against gun control and hurting fish because when our great grandkids have to go through there life it will probably be much worse than now. later

So much of it comes down to time. I don't remember things being so complicated when I was growing up. My dad and I fished at least once a week, even if just in a small stream somewhere. I struggle to find time to get my boys out on the water a couple times a month. And I live two minutes from the lake. Also, you can't fish hardly anywhere anymore. The days of the local farm ponds and streams are past. Either you aren't allowed to fish these because the owners are afraid of being sued, or developers have bought up the land they sit on and turned them into subdivisions and made them private. You can't park anywhere to access fishing holes I used to fish either. I remember when I first started driving I could go to backroads along the river and find pulloffs to park your car and walk down to fish. With ever widening roads and expansion, there are fewer places to access the water. And you can't just turn your kids loose to walk to the local fishing hole anymore. When I was a kid, I'd spend a couple weeks each summer at my aunts house out in the country. My cousins and I would spend every last minute of daylight walking or riding our bikes from farm pond to pond, stream to stream fishing. You can't let your kids do that sort of thing anymore, not for fear of drowning, but the wackos of the world are everywhere now. The love for the outdoors starts with the kids. If you can't find time to take them out, and you can't let them go out by themselves, it doesn't look promising for the future.

I agree with everyone here.

1) Pedophiles keep you from letting your kids go anywhere without you. Forget letting a little boy or girl go to a pond on their bike without you and your shotgun.
2) Fishing Lakes are becoming treasure droves for the Jet Ski and speedboat.
3) Little access
4) Fish quality and quantity are way down
5) Over regulation on hunting and fishing
6) Stressed out parents who work twelve jobs
7) Gas prices and bait cost
8) And drunken weirdoes, ex-looking cons and derelicts at every bridge make you have the creeps.

I miss the old days,

D

When I was growing up I lived so far out in the country that going to town wasn't an option. I fished many ponds riding to each of them on my bicycle with a fishing pole across the handle bars. I knew all the local farmers (went to church with them) and all of them were kind enough to let me fish, frog gig and squirrel hunt. My dad didn't get to do all these things with me.....having four kids he was forced to work all the time.

Today my son loves to hunt and fish as much as I do because I take him every chance I get. I make time for it. My daughter isn't as crazy about fishing, but I still take her as well. Most the time I trade out a fishing outing for a trip to the roller skating rink with her.

My son's friends, my newphews and other kids their age are all into other sports. Baseball and soccer is the craze around here. Most of them are either practicing or playing a game three to four times a week. They have little time for anything else and the parents I talk to are always at the ballpark. I've tried several times to take my nephews camping and fishing, but there is always a game or practice that they might miss. And a lot of parents think their kid will be the next Michael Jordon, Derek Jeter or Brett Favre. Where are the priorities? I'm all for organized sports....I'm a big fan of football and college basketball but would not walk across the street to see a baseball game or the NBA (not critisizing those who do) But the outdoors is being left out.

I do feel that the availability of hunting lands and access to lakes, ponds etc. has had a big impact on things. I'm still fortunate enough that where I live I don't have to be part of a hunting club, own land or pay to hunt somewhere. I hate to think that only the rich would be entitled to the luxery of the outdoors.

The only way to address the problem is by promoting the outdoors....The archery in the schools program is being taught here and has been very successful. Camps such as Camp Currie and Trooper Island promote the outdoors, but obviously they can't reach out to everyone.

I would love to be a part of the solution to this problem.

Simply, bullcookies. Here is what I think is happening.

America is urbanizing. They aren't just moving to the cities, they are dragging their city behinds out to the country and building big houses with fences around them and neon incandescent lights out front so the deer don't break into the lawn sheds at night and steal their spotless kabota lawn tractors, and then they proceed to live like city people in the country. Which mean they drive big SUV's only on pavement, buy big boats and plant them in big fancy marina's where they never take them out, just go there to party for the weekend at the docks. If they ever took them out they would crash them into all the other docked boats and beach the boat on a sandbar, then try to call AAA with their cell phones to come pull them off. They buy in ground pools for their spoiled, whiny, wimpy nintendo wii playing brats, so they don't get dirty in the the rivers, lakes and ponds we all swam in as kids. They listen to Hillary Clinton that guns are bad and PETA that animals and fish have feelings and we should be kind to them and leave them alone. People have to pay for all this crap they don't use so they work all the time and don't have time to kick back and learn the pleasures of fishing and shooting, and of course don't teach their kids what they don't know themselves. They are slaves to their payments.

Simply put, there are less real country folks, but if they had taken the time to actually poll the country folks that are left I bet they would have found that we still fish and hunt just as much as we ever did, if not more. Polls are manipulative and misleading, and are typically questioned in a way to get the answers they want. I believe polls are designed to manipulate, not inform.

I may be wrong, but I don't care. It was fun saying that. :p

Hey guys i will tell you what is worng with the hunting and fishing in the world to day most people work 60-80 hours a week so there spoiled kids can get what ever thay wont. And when you work 60-80 hours you dont feel like taking the kids to the lake and fishing or to the woods to go hunting all you wont to do is set around the house the one day a week you get off work. When i was a kid you never heard of people working 80 hours a week if thay could not get buy on 40 hours a week thay wear spending to much money and would do with out some of lifes better things like a new car ever 5 years are that new boat. If you drive up to your old HIGH School and look at all the new cars the kids are driving today i live 1/2 mile from my old school and work there some and the kids drive better cars than i have i asked on of the kids on day how do you pay for that car and he said i dont mom and dad do. When i was in school there wear only 3 kids that had new cars and there family had big farms and made lots of money my first car was a 1972 nova and this was in 1993 so the car was well used but people now days try and out do each other with new cars and bigger bass boats thay cant be happy with what thay have.When all thay need to do is spend time with there kids and live life and have fun and teach there kids to love to fish and hunt and that life is not all about the O mity DOLLAR.

As for hunting, the only way to hunt around here is in a club or walk forever into public land where you have no idea who is out there. As for clubs, that is why you can't hunt where you want like when I was a boy. It is all about money now. Fishin, same thing. Folks lease their land to huntin clubs and they also get the fishin rights. Some are just tired of spoiled kids that don't know how to close the gate behind themself. Also, let a kid fish your pond, the next day he comes back with all his buddies and build a fire, throw trash every where and such. All boils down to parents spending too much time doing their own thing and letting the kids raise themselves. I am a new father with another on the way and I intend to MAKE time for my kids EVERY week at least one day a week. And it will be outdoors. Hunting, camping, fishing, canoeing, or just take a long walk through the woods. I sure hope they like it! Don't know what I will do if they don't.

A good way to train a kid who wants to fish on your pond is to do this:

Ask him to bring you a clear plastic bag full of trash that he found along your property. Thats right. He must clean up some trash that he finds along your property that meets the road. Or he cleans up some brush along the pound. Either way he has to show respect for the property and then you will allow him to fish. That will get rid of the bumbs.

As regard lawsuits; The child must demonstrate that he is old enough and has the ability to swim. If he cannot swim he must have on a life preserver.

That will also weed out some of the trouble.

I am sure you have your tricks too,

D

I know that when I was a kid, I fished every day all summer long. When I was old enough to hunt, I was out in the woods after school and every weekend.

Now I'm in the wonderful world of adulthood - work, mortgage, car payments, coaching little league and on and on. I simply don't have the free time that I did in my youth. I take my son fishing at least once each weekend. Even on weekends where we've got all sorts of commitments, we get up early and get in a couple hours before we have to go do whatever "planned" things we've got to do.

I haven't hunted in probably 20 years - just don't have the time because the days are too short in the fall and winter. My son wants to hunt when he's old enough, and I want him to be able to enjoy hunting, so when he turns 12, I'll be getting him his hunter's safety course and will get him his first shotgun - and will MAKE time to take him hunting, same way as I MAKE time to take him fishing now. I miss hunting, and am looking forward to getting back into it again.

I think GRIZZ is right about city folk moving to the country and bringing their city lifestyle with them. Too bad for us country folk.

As for the Hillary's and PETA's of the world, I'd tell them to go jump in a lake, but I don't want the lake polluted.