Deer hunter numbers down

[Hoosier Carry]

2012 deer license sales decreased 28% from 2011 but deer privileges increased by 15%.

2012 firearms license sales were almost cut in half due to the bundle.






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[King31]

I'm curious how far back folks go into public ground, most I've seen around here only travel about 100 yards from the entrance which explains some of the density problems. Before buying my own ground I looked into one of those wheeled contraptions that you take deer out on as a way to take a one man camp deeper into the woods.

In my experience it is not very far. I'm not sure that there was a single hunt this year where I didn't see a deer. I hunt public 90% of the time and very rarely see any hunters once you get back off the paths. I do it for exercise and it is the way I was taught to hunt. Sneaking up on deer is quite a bit of fun. One hunt sticks out this year. I hunted from one road to another which was in total about 4 miles. When I was about 150 yards to my truck I found 3 other people. Deer aren't completely stupid.

 

[Willie]

Yep, I've got believe that there are less deer hunters today than in 2012..

……Deer License* .....Privileges

2012 - 199,542 - 316,858

2013 - 190,571 - 314,877

2014 - 183,529 - 313,235

2015 - 178,341 - 315,389

2016 - 169,801 - 314,283

2017 - 163,615 - 305,591

* Does not include youth licenses

Exempt landowners numbers are probably pretty consistent but LTL holder numbers are declining..



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[Hoosier Carry]

Yep, I've got believe that there are less deer hunters today than in 2012..


2013 - 190,571 - 314,877





2016 - 169,801 - 314,283









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Willie this not an attempt to argue but trying to understand why we see it differently...


Looking at '13 and '16, it seems that roughly 20k hunters made the switch from buying single licenses to buying the bundle. The privileges are almost exactly the same. I am not getting why you see fewer hunters??

 

[Willie]

How does 2012 compare to 2017?

 

[Hoosier Carry]

5 years in a row the privileges were steady. 2017 shows a 4% drop.


Going back to the original post, I do not see a drop in hunters by 100,000.

 

[rooster]

Two points here. Add more public land for the public to hunt. Access issues are driving people out of hunting. Less ground is owned by small farmers that used to give permission and most farming is large corporations that don’t even have a door you can knock on to try.

Second, if revenues are the concern how about we introduce some elk into the Hoosier national forest. Kentucky took in over 700k in 2015 from application fees alone. They could do like some western states and require purchasing a hunting license to apply. Elk are a huge monetary asset to every state that has a huntable population and I believe that we have enough public land in the south to support a couple thousand.

 

[Leadeye]

Farmers in southern Indiana won't be interested in having elk around. A large animal that eats a lot.

 

[King31]

Two points here. Add more public land for the public to hunt. Access issues are driving people out of hunting. Less ground is owned by small farmers that used to give permission and most farming is large corporations that don’t even have a door you can knock on to try.

Second, if revenues are the concern how about we introduce some elk into the Hoosier national forest. Kentucky took in over 700k in 2015 from application fees alone. They could do like some western states and require purchasing a hunting license to apply. Elk are a huge monetary asset to every state that has a huntable population and I believe that we have enough public land in the south to support a couple thousand.

You also have to factor in the environmental conditions that the mountains in eastern Kentucky provide. I'm not real sure that the HNF would provide enough for a herd of elk. Kentucky is making money because they literally have some of the biggest elk in the United States.

 

[jasonh31]

We as a family are a -3 from 2012. We owned no farms then and now own 2 farms. We no longer buy a deer license.

 

[Willie]

5 years in a row the privileges were steady. 2017 shows a 4% drop.


Going back to the original post, I do not see a drop in hunters by 100,000.

Since we have the bundle now I don't think privileges mean anything. Licenses bought mean a lot. That somewhat represents the numbers of hunter buying licenses. in 2017 that number was 163,615. Down from 199,542 in 2012. I say somewhat as a hunter could buy several different license such as archery, crossbow, general firearm, muzzleloader and bonus tags. So that 163,615 could be a lower for actual hunters. Then we have to figure in how many landowners actually hunt and the number of LTL holders that are still kicking and hunting. My guess is that we have less than 225,000 total deer hunters statewide.

I do know in my area that deer hunter numbers ARE down as the ground around me is leased up by fewer and fewer deer hunters. Plus the coal company cut off all access to their property. It seemed half of Evansville used to hunt that ground. So ground that was hunted by a dozen people is now controlled by 3 or 4..

Deer hunting in the USA is going to be European in that only the rich can hunt.. Sad, but that is the way it is going...



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[rooster]

I disagree the sentiment that hunting is going solely to the wealthy who can afford a lease. We have ample opportunities on public land in this state for those that are willing to take a long walk away from the road and put in the effort.

What at is going away is the idea that you can just show up on a Relative or friends property the day before opener to hang a stand and “scout”. Then get up the next morning and reliably kill a deer

Backcounty hunters and anglers are in the process of starting a chapter here in the Hoosier state. They are an organization dedicated to the protection and expansion of public lands through the willing seller willing buyer model.

I stopped hunting for a few years when I lost access to the private ground I used to hunt. Just recently I started putting in the work on public ground and have a freezer full of venison to show for it, it’s not easy but it can be done.

 

[Ark]

Nobody willing to teach me any of this ****. No land to hunt on that isn't swarming with other people to the point that I've *never* seen a deer on public land once in my life. Nonsensical caliber restrictions that require me to go out and buy a new pistol caliber deer rifle specifically to hunt with. Regular firearms season that's only two weeks. Ownership of huntable land is a pipe dream. The deer are quite comfortable staying in the cities where there is ample food and no predators.

Uh, yeah, is it any wonder deer hunting is increasingly an option only for a privileged few?

 

[Hookeye]

Nobody taught me.
You can always just use a shotgun w slugs.
Have seen deer on public land after opening gun weekend.
You gotta bring your A game though.
Some folks see it as a challenge.

Maybe too much for some folks.

 

[Hookeye]

If wanting a deer in the freezer, from public land.........might be best to hit it in early archery.

 

[Hawkeye]

Nobody willing to teach me any of this ****. No land to hunt on that isn't swarming with other people to the point that I've *never* seen a deer on public land once in my life. Nonsensical caliber restrictions that require me to go out and buy a new pistol caliber deer rifle specifically to hunt with. Regular firearms season that's only two weeks. Ownership of huntable land is a pipe dream. The deer are quite comfortable staying in the cities where there is ample food and no predators.

Uh, yeah, is it any wonder deer hunting is increasingly an option only for a privileged few?

Nobody "taught" me to hunt deer. Did some reading and thinking and then went out and did it.

No need to buy a PCR or PCC just to deer hunt. Many a deer's been taken with a shotgun using slugs. And many shoutguns offer for slug barrels you can swap out and still use the gun for birds or other activities.

Lots of excuses are available though. A bit of envy too?

 

[rooster]

The ideal Indiana deer hunting weapon imo is now a crossbow. Good to 50 yards, can buy a whole setup for 300 bucks, and can hunt with it from October 1-January 6th.

No one taught me to deer hunt either. I got a bow at 14 and basically taught myself because my father was on the road working. Harvested my first deer that year standing on the ground in front of a big oak tree Because I didn’t have a tree stand.

 

[Ark]

Lots of excuses are available though. A bit of envy too?

If all you do is sneer at new people who want to break into hunting, you have no right to complain when hunting becomes a thing of the past.

 

[Hawkeye]

If all you do is sneer at new people who want to break into hunting, you have no right to complain when hunting becomes a thing of the past.

I'm not sneering. Whining about it definitely does not solve anything, though. Look again at what I said, and look again at what you said.

It's absolutely certain that you can learn to hunt without someone taking you out and showing you. While the latter would be nice, and perhaps, more efficient, there are plenty of books on hunting and probably You-tube videos. If you really want to hunt, you can self educate and then get out there.

You definitely don't need to purchase a pistol caliber carbine or rifle to hunt deer. You do need some sort of firearm, though. . But if you have, say, a Remington 870 with a regular shotgun barrel, that will do just fine with slugs. Likely it will have a "Rem-choke" and you can buy either a rifled choke or an improved cylinder to use slugs. Or you can buy a slug barrel, either rifled or smoothbore. I happen to have a couple of PCC's in 44 mag, but I bought those before the DNR change to allow them. Ability to hunt deer with them was just icing for me.

I can't help you with the economics of purchasing your own private land for you to hunt on. I can't purchase my own either. But over the years, I have had plenty of friends offer to let me hunt on their properties. And Ive hunted public lands, too.

If you really want to hunt deer, don't let your excuses stand in your way. Stop whining and get out and do it. And don't accuse me of sneering when I point out that all you are doing is making excuses and whining.

 

[Hookeye]

Btown..............figures.

Got a deer problem down there too.