Getting Harder to find younger hunters to commit?

[topher]

Little far for me to travel this year. But good luck. What do you have a bull tag?

Bull,cow, calfs

[topher]

Sounds like everybody and their brother is heading to 21A this year. See ya there! lol

What week you going? We are heading the second week of rifle..

[LowbanksArcher]

What week you going? We are heading the second week of rifle..

Archery for us. Headin up this Thursday. But since I'm in my 20's I'll likely bail out cause I can't be away from my "i-thing". And there's no electricity or cell signal where we're going. LOL

[topher]

No cell signal up there? Ahhh f@#$ I guess I should rethink this.... I'm in my eatlrly 30's.... So I can't be away from my phone either ..

[ninepointer]

An old thread resurrected, but then again this is the time of the year on this board when "new hunter looking for help" posts start popping up.

I'm no ol' timer, but I do believe it is harder these days to get young hunters to commit. But its not so much for reasons of financial, family or time constraints. Its because of attitude. Slacker attitude.

I firmly believe in mentoring and creating opportunities for young hunters, and I make it my goal to help at least one newcomer every season. But I have also given up on helping hunters from internet boards like this one. I now only make the effort for family or people I meet; acquaintances, friends of friends, friend's kids, etc.

A decade ago I reached out to a stranger on this board who was looking for help. He has turned out to be a valued member of our hunt camp and a successful deer hunter who will someday be leader for other hunters. Unfortunately, he is also the exception.

I've since tried several times to create opportunities (big game, small game, clay sports) for other hunters who came to this board looking for help. But each of those subsequent experiences left me wondering why I bothered. To put it briefly, I've found too many who are all talk and no action. I convince my group to let a new guy in only to have the guy drop off the face of the earth never to be heard from again. Or I set up the hunt and the guy never shows while I'm waiting at 5:00 a.m., again without ever another word. I've actually seen some of the same slackers posting year after year.

Its too bad, because I'm sure that among the posters here looking for help there are some who are genuine and who would truly appreciate a break. I'm just tired of trying to find them among all the weeds.

[standup]

I'll say this for what everyone hopes is the last time. Hunting (And I use that word in it's loosest sense) with Bucketboy or Lazyman is garaunteed to leave You wishing You hadn't

[wolfhunter]

I'll say this for what everyone hopes is the last time. Hunting (And I use that word in it's loosest sense) with Bucketboy or Lazyman is garaunteed to leave You wishing You hadn't

Is this from experience?

[player11111]

On the subject of recruiting young hunters, me being 21 and having never hunted moose, I was looking for a group to hunt with to show me the ropes, but from the people I talked to, their groups were tight-knit and didn't want "rookies" or "outsiders". That being said, I got together with 3 classmates and we put a group together and we pulled a bull and a cow tag...the test will be if we do it gain next year!

theres definitely young people wanting to hunt.

[greatwhite]

I have to ask what is an "i-thing"

Archery for us. Headin up this Thursday. But since I'm in my 20's I'll likely bail out cause I can't be away from my "i-thing". And there's no electricity or cell signal where we're going. LOL

[greatwhite]

Every year around July and Aug even into Sept people post on here that they are looking for someone new.

Seen several this year for Deer and Moose. Also asking others out there to form a group is another option.

Next year I might go Goose hunting, cant this year.

I try to network with others on here so that I will either be able to form a group in the future or get invited. I have met several on here and hunted with some as well and hoping to hunt with some if my time permits.

On the subject of recruiting young hunters, me being 21 and having never hunted moose, I was looking for a group to hunt with to show me the ropes, but from the people I talked to, their groups were tight-knit and didn't want "rookies" or "outsiders". That being said, I got together with 3 classmates and we put a group together and we pulled a bull and a cow tag...the test will be if we do it gain next year!

theres definitely young people wanting to hunt.