Posted on 06/16/2007 10:29:13 AM PDT by roostercogburn
June 16, 2007 - If you’re a squirrel or a trout, we’ve got some good news for you: Americans are hunting and fishing less. Every five years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service puts together a massive survey of outdoor recreation, and the 2006 preliminary numbers were released today. They show ominous trends, depending on your worldview—or species. The number of anglers has dropped 12 percent since 2001; the hunter count has fallen off by 4 percent during the same five-year period. This doesn’t mean Americans aren’t spending time outdoors or interacting with wild animals; “wildlife watching” is up 8 percent since 2001. They’re just choosing not to kill them so much.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
By the way, I am planning a trip to WVA this fall for a little hunting with some family.
I am not going on a gator trip this year to Okechobee, but that is only because my name was not picked in the lottery. But I have been twice before.
Between the cost of the fishing license and the cost of gas, who can afford to go fishing? It stinks :(
There are some places I avoid because of the pleasure boats and jet ski's, but most fisherman are done fishing before any MSM hack is out of bed.
Tight Lines!
Guess those trout I caught the last 2 weeks won’t be celebrating this good news. Tasty.
That was a pretty interesting article- what it didn’t mention are the increasing number of hurdles that must be jumped to be able to fish or hunt. Decreased access to fish and game is also partially responsible. Unfortunately, in areas that are within reasonably distance from urban centers, access to water or wilderness is done like access to a prison yard... how much fun is it to fish if you have to jockey for position with 30 other boats when all you want is some peace and quiet time with your kids?
It’s even worse if, God forbid, one makes a modest income from harvesting wild animals. Anyone wanna buy a boat?
There are a lot of kids that get indoctrinated against the taking of natural resources for sport and supplemental food- schools are brutal there. I don’t hunt much, myself, but I fish and fish, and so does my family.
The economy is going great - many hunters and fishermen are independent folks who are entrepreneurs, and are simply working more.
I know it’s been true for me and my buddies!
Really? How much is it? A license here in NJ is about $25. That’s one family dinner from KFC. And even in NJ I’m only 25 minutes from good bass fishing. I don’t get to go as much lately. Busy working/striving. I tell myself fishing is best for kids and old men. God willing I will live long enough to have some quiet days on the lake, thinkin back on a good life of accomplishment. But right now it’s sort of a waste of time while Im young and healthy. I sneak in a few little trips here and there for sanity.
Did they mention, that one of the reasons there is less fishing now; might be beause some of us don’t like the idea of asking the gubmint for “permission” to do something that used to be done all time in my boyhood days?
regards
Overwhelmingly I suspect because it’s beginning to be considered some sort of weird southern Redneck activity by middle and upper middle class kids in suburban areas.
You never see Mountain Dew commercials where they’re fishing.
So while access is an issue I think it’s mostly a cultural thing.
The fact is today’s kids don’t have anybody to take them fishing, as most of their parent’s don’t fish, and many live many miles away from grandparents, etc.
I take a lot of kids fishing when I have time, and always have. Thank God my father taught me that joy can found in small, simple things, with something as simple as a fishing pole and bobber. No matter what life deals me I have these simple pleasures and will never be without joy.
I have dealt with kids who can’t find happiness because they can’t have the most expensive games and Disney trips, much like their parents. I wouldn’t want to be like that.
Remember too, that anglers have paid all the excise taxes that have purchased boating access areas and public fishing areas (and stocking of fish), much like hunters have footed the bill for the comeback of game and other wildlife.
When these users disappear everyone will suffer.
I realize in some states access to good fishing is limited, and license fees are high. But buying a kid a fishing license, teaching him/her to fish, is among the most valuable gifts you give a child.
Oh, and BTW, June is free fishing month in most states. The state wildlife agencies have special programs, where kids can fish free for a day, and in some places for the entire month without a license. In my state kids under 12 aren’t required to buy a license.
Oh, and BTW, June is free fishing month in most states. The state wildlife agencies have special programs, where kids can fish free for a day, and in some places for the entire month without a license. In my state kids under 12 aren’t required to buy a license.
One hunter is not a Hunter in name only! Duncan Hunter, a man’s man!
Unfortunately, because of unheralded inflation - have you been to the grocery store lately? - appalling gas prices - lower wages due to illegal alien intervention - people may have had to rearrange their priorities. But hunting and fishing, golf and baseball remain strong, no matter what the Soros owned MSM would have you believe.
To insure revival of Chevrolet and apple pie, rely on the one capable candidate, the hunter, Duncan Hunter, that is.
Fishing, IMHO, is a thinking man’s game - A man who is comfortable in his skin as well as in God’s Own World.
I remember when it was cheap fun to go fish. Not cheap anymore. The cost of fishing licenses is outrageous. Like going to a ball game with 4 people nowadays and having to spend 90 freaking dollars.
You are describing a man like my Dad. The last Father’s Day he was alive I spent fishing with him. When I was growing up, he always found time to take me fishing, even though he worked long and hard hours.
It was the one Father’s Day present he wanted most of all.
Freepers, remember to take your Dad fishing this Father’s Day, especially if he is alone and has nobody to take him, and he took the time to give you this wonderful experience when you were a child. WIsh I could take my Dad again, but he is deceased.
Below is an article written by Jim Shepherd on www.thefishingwire.com:
Father’s Day Present — Delivered Early
With Father’s Day coming this weekend, it’s very difficult for me not to reflect back on the father who spent his too-few hours away from work teaching me the art of fishing with a cane pole and a bobber.
Those frustrating hours fishing and those too-few hours of “catching” are times I treasure.
If my father had too-few hours to spare, my own case is in itself most pitiable. As an overly-driven, career-obsessed young father, I routinely worked outrageously long hours for days on end, convinced that I was doing the right thing by allowing those precious hours of childhood to pass while I worked to build a better life for my family.
Fortunately, a dose of wisdom was delivered squarely to my heart by an adorable four-year old. Late on evening, this red-haired little cutie climbed up into my lap as I came in the door fresh from another 16-plus hour workday.
At that point, one of the very reasons I worked those long hours made a simple, but very sincere request for a birthday present: if her daddy would be home for dinner just one night that week, that night would be her birthday and that meal her present.
Nineteen years and many fond memories later, I don’t regret one minute the decision to have less money and more time with my family.
Neither do I begrudge my father the time he spent working. It was only years after I was on my own that I learned the allowance I complained about at college sometimes meant he didn’t eat lunch at work that week. But I never went without my allowance.
Those unspoken memories are what makes the coming weekend sweet and bittersweet for all fathers and many children.
This year, however, I received a terrific present in advance of this little holiday weekend. For the first time in several years, we managed to get the family calendar in synch and actually spend a week of real family vacation. Just like all family vacations, there were times we wanted a little less “family” and a little more “space” but all in all, it was an amazingly good time.
Most of the week I took either the afternoon or the morning off and went fishing. In that whole week, I did precious little catching, but watching a family of dolphins go about their business of fishing in the bay - only a few yards from my own largely-ignored bait was, as all fishermen know, more therapeutic than almost anything else.
But late in the week, I received an unexpected gift. Jokingly, I asked my wife and eldest daughter (the red head who saved me from an all-consuming career nearly 19 years ago) if they wanted to go fishing.
Surprisingly, they said yes, hopped into the H2 with me; and off we went - fishing. For the first time in many years.
After a quick stop at the bait shop, we were off fishing. In my usual patient manner, I was casting, retrieving, casting, retrieving and then wondering where the heck the fish were hiding.
Being a true believer in artificial over real bait, I asked my wife to hold my rig while I went to get some more tackle.
You guessed it. Before I made it to the end of the dock, they were squealing “fish, fish, fish” and watching a pretty good one flop around on the dock.
I told them to hang on, I’d be right back. Fortunately, while I was grabbing a bag of bait, I grabbed the digital camera.
When I got back to the dock, there were the two of them, each holding down a flopping fish with their shoes while my wife struggled with a third one still in the water.
Within three minutes, they’d landed three fish. While they squealed, I snapped photos - that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Pretty soon it was just like the old days again. They were fishing (catching) and dad was baiting hooks and handling fish. Their catching fish became so routine that my wife actually went back to reading her book - while carelessly holding a fishing rig in the crook of her arm. Once, she handed it to me, looked up and said “reel this one in, willya” just as she went back to her book. Sure enough, there was a fish on - the only one I actually brought out of the water myself.
Making a memory
Later that night, we laughingly realized that just for a little while, we were back in those times we normally only remember.
I hope all the fathers out there have a great weekend. And I hope all the sons and daughters out there realize it doesn’t take an expensive gift or a fancy card to say thanks.
It just takes a little time.
Happy Father’s Day, everyone.
—Jim Shepherd
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