Hunting and Fishing in Michigan On The Decline – Where’s This Headed?
With firearms deer season opening day in Michigan only days away, the reality is - the number of hunters has gone down 20% just in the last 20 years. According to the Detroit Free Press, the numbers may go WAY down in the next 15 years.
You can guess what's happening - people don't have access to their own hunting land like they used to (I've seen some monster bucks taken on State land) Kids would rather play video games than go outside and chance sitting there for hours without anything happening (but, the first time a kid sees a deer or any animal in the wild - they're usually blown away) And of course, for a big slice of America - hunting is a dirty word. But nobody questions where their steak or chicken nuggets come from (my guess is a lot of them don't know).
I agree that the world is changing. And hunting isn't for everybody. And it might be a stretch to get kids into it in big numbers these days (my daughters loved target shooting their bows, but enjoyed fishing more than hunting) But, I do know, after deer hunting as a teen-ager in Missouri (I was too impatient and cold all the time - thank God for Thinsulate) and not doing very well, I got frustrated and quit to spend my time and money learning to fly. BUT, then I moved here and I came back to hunting at the age of 40. And finally got some bucks with my bow and gun. And now it's more about spending time in the woods on a quiet morning and hanging out with friends than anything else. And maybe, if we just introduce kids to the outdoors now, they'll come back later in life when they're looking for some quiet time in the woods.
This is an interesting, but sobering article about the future of hunting in Michigan. Read it and maybe you can reach out when somebody - a kid, a grandkid or a co-worker - decides they'd like to try.
And good luck to everybody headed into the woods.
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