License Sales Down

Tag prices have gone up. Food prices have gone up. Fuel prices were high until recently. We lost a member of our deer group due to the rising costs of everyday items. Factor in (for my group) the antlerless tag allocation for WMU 46 went from 2,000 licenses in 2013 to 400 licenses for 2014 a 2015 it made a big difference. I have never won the lottery for a antlerless license, but my friend has every year. So we party hunt.

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Originally Posted by Fox

What I have been saying is that the expense of hunting is keeping people from going, there are a lot of people who will not shell out $50 to go golfing. I remember when my family had trouble just putting food on the table, dad would take a week of holidays to go hunting but that was the only vacation he ever had, never a trip south or a cruise, he would take us to see family and that was it, if we did not have a place to sleep for free and a place to cook food then we could not afford to go. This is now the reality for a lot more people, this economy is hurting families and not just the ones you would expect.

I look at people buying $2500 scopes for their guns and bad mouthing the economy brands but that scope cost was the entire grocery budget for our household growing up, it is not something that everyone has money for no matter what their priorities are and things are only getting more expensive with a lot less value for the experience.

If you had to make a choice of a deer license or putting food on your families table for a week I really hope you would buy that food and not go deer hunting.

Along these lines, I know for certain that the number of people shooting for sustenance in northern Ontario is going up and I would never call that poaching.

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Well most ( I hope all), of us would call that poaching, because that is what it is , poaching. What would you call it?

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Originally Posted by fishermccann

Well most ( I hope all), of us would call that poaching, because that is what it is , poaching. What would you call it?

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Feeding your family, that is what I would call it.

If someone shoots a deer so that their kids don't go to school hungry I think it it sustenance and is ok in my eyes. People who go out and shoot something for the antlers, leave the deer in the bush or pile the meat on top of their full freezer, I call that poaching.

Well you would be wrong. Why did they shoot a deer, is a racoon, skunk, squirrel , rabbit, rat, crow, not good enough if you are hungry ?

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Originally Posted by fishermccann

Well you would be wrong. Why did they shoot a deer, is a racoon, skunk, squirrel , rabbit, rat, crow, not good enough if you are hungry ?

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Whatever they see will work, shooting a rabbit in July would be illegal too, snaring a rabbit south of the French and Mattawa rivers would also be illegal.

I am glad you use such a blanket statement, I hope that you are never in a situation that you do not have food to eat.

I think most people can separate poaching for food from recreational poaching.

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Originally Posted by Fox

I look at people buying $2500 scopes for their guns and bad mouthing the economy brands but that scope cost was the entire grocery budget for our household growing up, it is not something that everyone has money for no matter what their priorities are ....

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Absolutely. It's easy to talk about priorities when you already have the gear.

Small game hunting is pretty cheap. Big game hunting, not so much.

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Originally Posted by werner.reiche

I think most people can separate poaching for food from recreational poaching.

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Absolutely, for sure, but I would question a selective harvest when you are supposedly doing it because you are hungry. If they say they have no money for food, have a couple of deer in the garage but no racoons or rats.......? How long do you let them poach for food, a one off, or indefinitely?

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Originally Posted by fishermccann

Well you would be wrong. Why did they shoot a deer, is a racoon, skunk, squirrel , rabbit, rat, crow, not good enough if you are hungry ?

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I am sure there are alot of those going in the pot too. Many deer that got shot likely were ones that people came across well hunting small game for food.

I know people that have susistance licenses and 70 to 80 % of the animals they shot and snare/trap are small game..

I find that hunters with all the toys,new guns every few years,good gear,ATV,s don,t mind spending on these but if you suggest to them to invest in their own land and camp they suddenly cant afford it.

So I have my own place but don,t have all of the above,its all about priorities people set.But I can tell you I have benefited in a big way after my first purchase.

The hunters that complain about lack of places to hunt are the very one,s spending on other priorities.

Having come from Europe I can tell you Canadians do not place a high enough value on hunting as they have never really had to pay for it.

Example http://www.monarchsport.com/prices/ Red Deer.

Small game http://www.thefield.co.uk/shooting/s...00-a-day-22424

So $800.00 gets you a rought shoot for a day,pheasants,rabbits.Thats a deal BTW.