Had lunch the other day with a good friend who once hunted his own place in East Texas but later sold it after getting remarried. He admits the reason he sold it was because his wife wanted a place on the lake, which he has now. He loved hunting when he had his own place but has since showed no interest in getting back into it, not even making occasional trips to the range just to shoot. Through the years I've known a guy or two who tried hunting but quickly lost interest. There just seems to be something in a person's genetic makeup that makes hunting either an obsession they could never walk away from, or something that can be easily replaced with some other activity.

My whole family(extended, about 30 people) used to hunt, all my cousins and uncles, some of my aunts. We all had our own leases. One by one some lost a lease and never bothered to look for a new one. We eventually bought our own place and gave up the leases. The others may or may not go on a package hunt/invite hunt every great once in a while, but mostly not. I do not understand it. I couldn't/wouldn't do it. Use to be a big deal to talk hunting with all my uncles, the successful hunters would bring a rack to show off etc. Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations with the extended family were planned around hunting because everyone did. Now my dad brother and myself are literally the only ones in the family that still hunt.

While money isn't a limiting factor for any of them, I do believe most don't hunt anymore because they think a current lease costs too much and or they are not willing to put in the effort.

You are running with the wrong crowd it seems like.

They people I know who got out of the sport were either not that big into it to begin with ( weekend warrior types ) or got too old to go hard at it anymore.

Not surprising

All hobbies are that way. I don't hunt (really enjoy shooting, but not hunting so much), but I feel that way about golf - I could never really walk away from it for good. I have times where I can't play as much but I try to keep those few and far between.

Agreed. Wasting time on social media has become a problem for many people, including myself.

You could always delete your account since it was wasted time and meaningless posts.

My dad never missed an opening day of rifle season for 38 straight years. He got a bad taste in his mouth from a bad deal on a lease and has only hunted a hand full of time since

The only ones I know that have stopped all did so because of aging out in their 80s/90s.

I can't remember how old I was when the hunting bug bit me, was nothing I didn't like to hunt, now at 80 the passion is still there, the body not so much, I would like very much to shoot a hog ( my custom savage 38-55) would be a great memory, but, all my contacts have passed away, now don't have a place to go.

Dan it's not a sport or a game. it's an instinct we all possess, some more than others.

I have rarely seen anyone quit hunting altogether unless old age mandates it. I have seen some slow down and/or change quarries and/or change methods.

I had several uncles who hunted and then one day they just quit. Several people I know hunted a bit when they were younger they just don’t go anymore.

I’ve never seen anyone who was gung ho hard core into it just up and quit. I’ve seen quite a few people who were dabblers in it stop doing it.

I enjoy the game of golf and used to play 1-3 times a year. I have a good time when I go. I could also never play another game of golf in my life and it would not bother me. This is how these folks view hunting. It’s not a lifestyle for these folks it’s just a casual hobby.

Age has slowed me down along with mobility problems that have caused me to change my methods, but I can't see myself throwing in the towel after all these many years.
I have to be "out there" even if I don't kill something.
Certain small details I remember of past hunts that seem so clear, but yet are so insignificant as seeing and smelling smoke coming from a wood burning stove, or a norther blowing the trees, and watching the leaves flutter to the ground that brings back a fond memory.

I am posting this from a tree stand in eastern Oklahoma during deer muzzleloader season. While living in this area for 46 years, I was a pretty hardcore hunter. Deer, duck, quail, squirrel, hog, turkey. I was hunting pretty much every weekend from October 1 through the end of January, and took my vacation for hunting. Since moving to Texas in 2016, pretty much the only time I hunt is Oklahoma muzzleloader. Too hard (and expensive) to find a good lease in Texas. Hunted public land in Arkansas and Oklahoma. I believe access will be the major issue in hunter recruitment in Texas going forward. Eventually, it will be a sport for the rich/elite.

2 types of hunters: folks who hunt for food/quiet and those that hunt for sport.

Same with shooters: folks there to socialize vs guys practicing an art.

We have a lot of vet buddies that grew up hunting, but now want nothing more at the deer camp than quiet and campfire chatter.

Only way it will become a rich/elite way of life is if the Democratic Party mandates extensive yearly firearm/ammo taxes/registration.

US is 28% public land. If we fail to recruit it’s because we are to lazy to get off the couch and show new people HOW to hunt public. We would rather project or keep our spots secret.. etc.

I grew up hunting Oklahoma, and still hunt private and public there. I still hunt private and public in Texas.

I laugh when people say they don’t hunt texas anymore because of lease cost but drive to CO to hunt OTC.

People can drive 9+ hours to CO but not 2 hours to hunt TX public. It’s humorous.

Ya bit they don’t have mule deer, black bear and elk in the Davy Crockett nat. Forest either

They don't have those around the Garven Store area either but that does not stop folks from buying land there.

But Garvens Store has jerky and a nice selection of biker apparel

The people I know leaving the deer lease have aged a bit or found the lease price to be more than they wish to pay. Then there are those that hunt opening weekend only .

Not to mention a beautiful flock of peacocks and chickens

When I was a kid we hunted south of Utopia one year.

6000 acres 13 guys on the lease. 11 guys would shoot the first halfway decent 8 point they saw opening weekend and call it good.

For me personally, the expense of hunting today isn't worth it anymore. I never was a trophy hunter, just hunted for the meat, but for most of my life I always had places that I could go hunting that didn't cost thousands of dollars to do it. Those people have either died or sold off their property, or the family member's that have it now want to charge outrageous prices for hunting leases.
I haven't hunted in 4 years, and just won't justify the prices that people want for a lease. It's cheaper to go to the local sale barn and buy a steer/cow, and have it butchered.