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Discussion Topic: Are You Too Busy to Hunt?
In reaction to British Columbia's well-publicized effort to increase the number of hunters in the province by 20,000 in 10 years, one Dave Vatamaniuck told the Quesnel-Cariboo Observer, “I think it would be great, but it’s not going to happen. With society the way it is, too many people are working too many jobs, and they are using computers and televisions as babysitters instead of taking their children out for recreational activities.”
What about you? Take this quick survey:
Do you have less time to hunt than you used to?
About how many days do you get out each year?
Are your kids more interested in TV, video games, or the computer than they are in the outdoors?
Do you think would-be hunters have enough time in today's world to take up our sport in significant numbers?
1.No
2.about 35-40 days.
3.No. I am a kid. I'm 14.
4.Many don't.
Just a few weeks ago I had to decide. I could quit playing football and baseball so I could shoot trap and have more time to hunt and fish so. I made the easy decision to quit football and baseball.
Posted by: alabamahunter | July 11, 2007 at 06:10 PM
i play football and basketball and still have time to hunt fish and shoot trap
Posted by: scboy | July 11, 2007 at 08:07 PM
I live, hunt & fish less than 2 hours N. of Quesnel, in what some have called the Nairobi of North America. Each year, the local Rod & Gun Club hosts a family Heritage Day, with supervised free shooting for the public. About 250 attended this year. Looks like almost none of them come back until the next Heritage Day. I don't know how to change that. I took my kids out a lot. Despite that, they have managed to distance themselves psychologically, from harvesting game and its subsequent appearance on the table.
I've made an effort to invite anyone to come with me to the club to punch some paper or shoot a little trap, my treat. No takers.
I don't know how to change that.
Posted by: Brian | July 11, 2007 at 08:55 PM
1.no
2.25
3.i dont have kids cause im 12
4.yes
Posted by: jonny | July 11, 2007 at 09:57 PM
I'm not sure were scboy is coming from, maybe he dosn't shoot as much I don't know, but it was impossible for me to shoot trap twice a week when football demands every week day for three months. I love football and miss playing it, but trying to do both was just about killing me.
Posted by: alabamahunter | July 12, 2007 at 11:59 AM
alabamahunter im 14 to but i play both varsity and junior varsity football for my school so i have games every thursday and friday but i still have time to hunt fish and well i dont shoot trap twice a week but i still have time to shoot
Posted by: scboy | July 12, 2007 at 04:20 PM
Too busy to hunt? Never! Am I busy? Yes. Do I make time for hunting? Always.
Posted by: darrell-AlphaTrilogy | July 12, 2007 at 04:57 PM
To busy to hunt?
I am very busy working but never to busy to hunt! ;)
-Othmar Vohringer-
Posted by: Othmar Vohringer | July 12, 2007 at 07:43 PM
I don't hunt as much as I used to, but that's by choice. Over the years I've come to appreciate the time with my family and loved ones more, and realized that they were getting short shrift when hunting season rolled around...especially here in CA where I can pig hunt 7 days a week, and 365 a year.
I now hunt probably around 60 days over the course of the year, including out of state hunts to CO, NC, and TX.
I have one child, my daughter, and she's handicapped and will never be able to safely handle a firearm. She used to love to join me in the field and I would carry her everywhere, for deer, hogs, ducks, and quail. Now she's too big for me to carry and not able to keep up in the rough country. Otherwise, I'm sure she'd still love to be there with me.
Do today's hunters have less time? That's a B.S. sellout if they say so. For most folks, especially Americans (dunno much about Canada), they still work 40-48 hours in a week, just like we did when I was younger. Sure a few folks have more than one job. I was in college, working two jobs, and still found time to hunt. It's all about priorities.
As for parents... Parents have the same time requirements for their kids as they did 30 years ago... football, scouts, piano, whatever... to blame modern society (whatever the hell that is), TV, video games, etc. is crap.
It's all about personal choices and the trend toward a short-term, right-now, instant-gratification mentality has taken away too many people's ability to enjoy things that take a little time and effort.
Posted by: Phillip | July 12, 2007 at 11:13 PM