Despite the fact that hunters are taking deer with bigger antlers, overall hunter numbers continue to decline. It appears some state wildlife agencies are trying to combat that by drawing a greater focus on deer as the source of a meal, rather than something to hang on a wall.

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The combination of an aging population and rural depopulation points to a decline in the number of hunters in the field. If this bothers you, then take a kid hunting.

I think there are more hunters than ever. Just my opinion

I am surprised the numbers aren't declining ... due to the shear cost of what it takes to hunt in Texas with it being mostly private lands and LO realizing how much they can get for leasing the hunting rights out.

The people hunting exotics have only added to those numbers as well.

I think they are in a decline but that could just be my area or what I’ve saw

I did speak w a man from Mississippi a weeks ago at a local gun range. He was probably nearing 60 and told me back home he saw a decline in hunters over the last few years too

all reports show a decline

You evidently didn't read the article.

The problem isn't that kids today don't have the opportunity. It appears too many of them just don't have the interest.

If the state would allow more hunters and less babysitting, maybe there would be more interest.

They make kamillions off of the draw then bring a pocket load of hunters to a ground box blind in some places and tell you that you have to be in by a certain time and that you cannot leave the stand until another time.

Face it, the state doesn’t want hunters, they want hunter’s money because they suck

Pop culture is overwhelmingly dominated by urban themes, and kids, as a general rule, do what their peers do. As long as it's not "cool" to be a hunter, most kids won't hunt.

I've been reading about this for a few years now, new hunters being more interested in the meat than the horns. I don't think it's a bad thing at all. I wonder if it will change the management priorities of state G&F agencies. There may be a demand for more tags instead of trophy areas.

Their dads are too busy working/don't have the skill sets, etc to take them and be consistently successful.

Kids today are bombarded by instant gratification, sports, etc. that have their attention span down to almost zero. I have 3 kids I know.

My oldest kid went hunting a few times, passed on some shootable but lesser bucks then gave up. Then he complains that he didn't get a buck. Its just how kids are.



The new "eat what you kill" movement has gained a lot of traction with urban and suburban types ( mainly young, single men ) and is overall good for the sport. I don't know how much traction its gonna gain in Texas though.


Me, i'm a mix between the two. Aside from the occasional steak or lamb chop all the red meat I consume is stuff we've shot. I don't mind eating wild game and I've gotten a lot better at preparing it. But at the end of the day I'm still a trophy hunter....I go afield HUNTING for a animal to hang on the wall. I need meat I do it by pretty much whatever legal means necessary and don't put much extra effort into it then go back to trophy hunting

No question there are multiple forces behind the continued drop in license sales.

also too consider that a lot of the drop outs were not big game hunters. Small game just isn't popular and wingshooters aren't as passionate about hunting as they once were and boom you have a decrease in sales.

And add to it many leases are not family friendly.

When I was a kid back in the 70's, we hunted mostly for entertainment.

As the article pointed out, kids today wouldn't consider anything that requires getting up well before sunrise as entertainment. They have far too many more comfortable options for that today. And don't even mention having to sleep in anything other than a bed.

We have restaurants and entertainment everywhere now. Anything you want is available. Kids have more homework in a week than I had in a whole year. I have lots of friends that used to hunt but it was entertainment but now have families and careers.... Excuses. I am still the only one I know pulling kids out of school or leaving immediately after athletic games to go hunt with my kids. Is perfect attendance really that imporrant?? Though my daughter says sitting in a stand is boring. I do more deer watching than killing. Though she loves eating what I kill. Not sure if they will hunt when they are on their own. I have surrounded myself with friends who hunt which is vital. So much land is owned by absentee landowners or large ranches now so you have to know folks.

On my lease, our LO has family that lives up there. They don't hunt. No idea why. We lease and enjoy it though. Not sure some them have shot a gun in years. I will say almost all hunting now is trophy hunting like it or not. Watching a 15 inch 8 pt walk off would never happen 30 years ago. Of course, 30 years ago many places didn't have as many deer as we do now.

I frequent a town out west by my friends place often. The locals don't hunt. All the hunters are from the larger metro areas. Locals are more interested in chasing tail, finding an oil field job and drinking beer. It's weird but society apparantly changed everywhere. I used to duck hunt every weekend with good friend. Not sure he has bought a license in 10 years... Even invite him to my lease but too busy...

I just read an article that claims hunter numbers are up in TX.

The doom and gloom they use is based on % of population who buys licenses even though the total # is well over a million in Texas. Since we aren't making more land but the population rises, do us hunters really want to see the % of pop who buys licenses rise every year? It can't and won't. This isn't Wall Street even if they want it to be. Almost all the land all directions of my lease is hunted there is no more room for more hunters unless we remove ARs and shoot any deer we see. Not sure the results would be positive...

I used to be butt deep in kids hunting my place. Then they grew up and I feel like Puff the Magic Dragon.

Well said.

I think Octavius said much the same thing to Septimias as they sharpened their swords and awaited the Gauls attack. Every generation thinks it eats nails and spits fire compared to the succeeding generations.

As for me, I'm not a trophy hunter and never have been. I hunt because I love it and the memories are enough for me.

Well, conversely, damn near everyone I know hunts and their kids hunt too. Being from a rural area thats just what we do. The permeation of urban pop culture and identity politics has caused people to be more interested in peein in the wrong bathroom than in gettin out in the woods. Sad days

I think the number of deer hunters may be declining and the number of small game hunters have to have declined. Though I think the number of migratory bird hunters has probably skyrocketed the last 5-10 years.

As for myself with deer hunting, I am hands down a meat hunter first and foremost, but if Bambi’s daddy makes a mistake he will be sausage.

Wait, you can get a trophy buck that does not have any meat on his bones? I can do both and have all my life. I have been a meat hunter and now do both, trophy with meat and meat hunter. I think more hunters are hunting today in my area, just they are spread among different weapon choices, species and locations.