The future of hunting depends on you

[Myreezoning]

              Yesterday, I concluded my final UBNJ event as an officer from here on out I hope to be a dedicated member. Although successful our Jamboree attendance has been down the last couple of years. Last week, I went to the Whittingham shoot and again there attendance is down. Some people think that there's too many shoot, I don't believe there's more shoots then there was 5 years ago. One the quality and quanity of the deer herd has fallen tremendously and many bowhunters have given up the sport or take their hard earned dollars to other states. The other reason was the introduction of the crossbow into the archery season. I had 4 friends that I know have picked up the crossbow and they all told me the same thing I suspected, why do I have to go to a shoot when I can pick up my crossbow, shoot 2 arrows and put it away, I'M ON! This is not a knock on crosssbows but it's a fact.

               My whole reason for this rant is that there are still people who love bowhunting and there's still people who want to fight and keep it around for future generations. I feel that the political climate of the country is changing and that people who hate our way of life may come into power. Hunting is definitely not safe from their assaults and if the legislature changes hand we may be fighting to keep hunting legal. Archery shoots attendance is not the only problem, Hunting Organizations like the Federation, UBNJ, NJOA and others are losing memberships, this is a real problem because these are the people fighting for your rights. Less than 1% of all hunters in NJ are actually involved with their state organziations and less that 10% are even associated with their state organizations, archery clubs and gun clubs.

                The time to fight is now, not when we get hit with a hunting ban, the time to show hunters unity is now, it doesn't matter if you hunt gun, long bow, coumpound, muzzleloader or crossbow, when they do come for us, it will be all of us. Please support your local groups, the Federation, UBNJ, NJOA, whatever group you choose but join them, volunteer some time to help them. I've lived my life on a Fred Bear quote I heard 40 years ago " If you not helping to support hunting, you're helping to ban it". As long as I can walk, carry a gun or bow, I will support all hunting, where are you standing?

 

Good luck this year, be safe, wear your safety harness        

 

Jack        

 

[Rusty]

Another stat to throw out there, less than 1% of people in NJ hunt.  We need to get hunter numbers back up, TAKE A KID HUNTING!! 

[LittleM]

You guys really read WAY to much into things.  Could it have been the heat?  Could it be the new generation who'd rather sit in the AC and play on their iPhones?  Could it be the economy sucks and less folks have the disposable income anymore?  Maybe folks are working harder/longer hours to make ends meet?  Could it be that it was the end of August and a lot of folks were on vacation for the last hurrah?

 

All of the above pertains to your first paragraph only ............

Edited August 29, 2016 by LittleM

[Haskell_Hunter]

I didn't go because I got the notice late, and the UBNJ website is really out of date (and confusing to navigate).  Also, the Lincoln Park event was the same weekend, and that's 15 minutes from my house versus 90 to go to Assunpink.  Maybe that had an effect on the Jamboree attendance as well as the other excellent points LittleM brought up.

 

I joined UBNJ this summer, so there's a +1 for ya'.  And I brought two new hunters to hunter education last year, so there's a +2.  Every little bit helps.  If every hunter brings two additional hunters into the sport, that's not an unreasonable goal and is good overall for the sport.

[rebelboy]

LittleM & Haskell_Hunter both make good points. I’ve been a member of UBNJ for a couple of years and thank you for your time.

 

Time is a huge factor, most of my free time goes to helping a group of our youth.

 

I added a hunter as my son passed the hunters education test a few years ago. I spent the weekend on my boat with my wife and son enjoying what few weekends there are over the summer. Just not enough time to go to a groups organized event.

[BowhunterNJ]

Agreed time is a huge factor but on the same token hunting here isn't quite the same for me. I just talked about it on another topic but ever since baiting was legalized years ago along with unlimited antlerless, I've lost the year round motivation for hunting and am just not into it as much as I used to be. My interests shifted to other areas and while i still hunt it's now with a crossbow (to maximize efficiency with less time devoted to practice instead doing other things). I haven't been to a 3D shoot in ages, used to shoot them every week years ago when hunting was a year round pursuit of scouting, shooting, and hunting. Now it's more about getting one or two deer for the freezer and if a good buck shows that's great but if not that's ok too.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Myreezoning]

I think way to much into things? You only commented on one paragraph

[Myreezoning]

I appreciate the comments, but it seems you guys are all doing something!

I like take a kid hunting

every hunter should bring two people to the sport

15 minutes verses 90 minutes is a no brainer

wife boat I get that

I run a hunter's internet site, thanks Matty you're getting the word out

 

You're all doing something, maybe only the less than 10% come on this and other sites. We need to get the other 90% active.

[kuz]

i introduce at least 1 if not 2 people to hunting each year, because i believe in promoting the outdoor sports in a POSITIVE way. Not to say all clubs are not positive, but my experiences at some events have turned me off to them. When I was a new hunter I had a mentor that hunted with me and took me into the woods. So that's what I try to do for others. Get them in the woods. 

    I think the shoots are a good thing and I encourage people who want to check it out to do so. But its not for me. I will go to some of the game dinners with friends and show support, but joining a club or a hunting club is not for me. 

 

You want to make hunting in this state or the country for that matter more popular, cut the cost of the sport. Its becoming a rich mans game. Well, its being promoted as a rich mans game so when I introduce new people to the sport I show them you don't need all this BS. Cost of license is another story. I guess I will never get an endorsement. Oh well. 

[Haskell_Hunter]

Agreed time is a huge factor but on the same token hunting here isn't quite the same for me. I just talked about it on another topic but ever since baiting was legalized years ago along with unlimited antlerless, I've lost the year round motivation for hunting and am just not into it as much as I used to be. My interests shifted to other areas and while i still hunt it's now with a crossbow (to maximize efficiency with less time devoted to practice instead doing other things). I haven't been to a 3D shoot in ages, used to shoot them every week years ago when hunting was a year round pursuit of scouting, shooting, and hunting. Now it's more about getting one or two deer for the freezer and if a good buck shows that's great but if not that's ok too.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

This is what buying a house and having a girlfriend do to you.  Just wait until after the wedding and the kids start showing up!  

 

Once the little ones are old enough to shoot in the same general direction without falling over, then you'll be back in the woods with a vengeance!

 

I hope this post scares the crap out of you.  I just married you off and gave you a litter of kids in three sentences.  But it got you back in the woods, so there's that...

[BowhunterNJ]

This is what buying a house and having a girlfriend do to you.  Just wait until after the wedding and the kids start showing up!  

 

Once the little ones are old enough to shoot in the same general direction without falling over, then you'll be back in the woods with a vengeance!

 

I hope this post scares the crap out of you.  I just married you off and gave you a litter of kids in three sentences.  But it got you back in the woods, so there's that...

 

That and I'll certainly have to buy more guns so each kid has at least 5 or 10 of them!

[smoking gun]

I didn't renew my membership.my hats off to anyone who has time to commit to such a organiztaion.I will be hunting my old lady will so will my friends and I'm in the process of recruiting a friend into it and I have 3 kids that more then likely will hunt.it's been a humid hot summer nobody wants to shoot in this heat plus work takes up alot of time.will I join ubnj again I don't know I don't feel they do enough down in this part of the state plus I went bat shit crazy on a thread about the program on njhunter slash nj xingpaoz about a question.

[Axiom]

 

  My interests shifted to other areas and while i still hunt it's now with a crossbow

 

..  Interesting... I'm just the opposite.. I started off in archery with a cross bow but really don't have much interest in it now that I moved on to a compound.. I'll prolly miss out on bow season again this year because of a shoulder injury..  I could use my cross bow if I buy a crank for it but, again, I don't have much interest in it sooooo....

[Axiom]

But it's bad for the future of archery long term, as fewer and fewer people dedicate the time to shooting a bow and arrow.

 

 

I disagree... The legalization of crossbows only brought to archery those who would have otherwise stayed away from it.. Yeah it may draw a few traditional and compound archers but that effect is probably offset by the number of Crossbowers if you will, turned compound and traditional.. Like ME<...>

 

I agree with those who say time has become an issue.. Archery requires practice, practice takes time.. Time is money... And nowadays most ordinary folks are spending more and more  time to make the same amount of money ....Cost is also another issue, though, licenses  aside, its mostly an imagined one.. If you listen to some of the pro staffers and gadget salesmen posting in these forums YOU HAVE TO HAVE a million $$ in equipment if you hope to bag the stupidest of game.. and its SO NOT true... But a beginner wouldn't know that

[LPJR]

Good post. Makes you think what has happened over the years.............

 

With regard to having youth hunters get out, I have to say the majority of kids today are not only attached to but addicted to technology including their phones, Xbox, Internet, etc......

 

I have asked my son how many of his friends are getting out with the bow this year with their parents or other adults and the answer is surprisingly low. 

 

As a kid I could not wait to get out in the woods..............