License Sales Down

[pbonura]

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.

Poaching is poaching... Wonder if a CO would take your side. Stealing is stealing.

[GW11]

Poaching is poaching... Wonder if a CO would take your side. Stealing is stealing.

If I didn't know where my family's next meal might come from, what a CO may or may not have to say about it would be the least of my worries.

That being said, I think we're getting off track...lol

[jaycee]

I have dairy farms and beef farms over run with birds...care to test your sharpshooting skills? My most successful place is INSIDE the city limits but the birds eat a steady diet of grains and seeds from the livestock feed.
You think your a good shot. Can you hit a starling on a beam 20 feet above the floor with a single pellet? Care to try?

Quite often as there are a few dairy barns around it's no great feat, how about English Sparrows and Cow Birds at 54 ft. off the bird feeders , it's not that hard.

[Snowwalker]

[/B]Quite often as there are a few dairy barns around it's no great feat, how about English Sparrows and Cow Birds at 54 ft. off the bird feeders , it's not that hard.

When should I have your cot and some supper ready, I assume you would like to come up and have some fun.
Of course there are only Air rifles allowed in the barns, and around the farm..

[greatwhite]

Yes poaching is poaching. However there are times it has been done to literaly feed ones families and sometimes still is in the North.

My Grandfather in NS poached Lobster, Deer and small game to feed his family in the 50's and 60's. Back then it was a matter of survival and some places further north it still is.

Poaching is poaching... Wonder if a CO would take your side. Stealing is stealing.

[trimmer21]

Poaching is poaching... Wonder if a CO would take your side. Stealing is stealing.

Yes,poaching is poaching,but,I'm proud to know CO's and LEO's that would definitely turn a blind eye when someone took a Deer or a couple of Turkeys when he knew the person didn't have two nickles to rub together for groceries,was out of work for a long time with benefits exhausted and kids to feed. It's one thing to be educated,graduate at the top of one's class and be hired as a CO or LEO and be an excellent officer,but,they also need to understand "compassion" for their fellow man. After all,we're not talking bank robbery or murder,right?

[Longears]

Sure the numbers are down and they will keep going down . Unless you were raised and brought up with this great sport it will never increase. Mentors are everything ,now its all about playstation and how big your tv is. Its hard to mentor because of the trust issues i dont think too many of u would take me out to one of your prime hunting spot would u?...probably not likewise. The old guys are done so , the spots are dwindling and its not easy to harvest a deer duck moose rabbit etc..Times have changed and if its not engrained in you this is what happens.Forget the # do your part and and enjoy this great passion while you can and enjoy the great outdoors!!

[JoePa]

Hunting license sells are going down just about everywhere - as an example - here in Pa. there were 1,013866 license hunters in 2004 - in 2014 there were 94,3836 - 70,000 less - another interesting thing - resident senior licenses in 04 were 37,714 - in 14 they were 18,407 - this shows you that the old-timers are dying off or no longer going because of health reasons and not being replaced - from what I read the biggest reason is that the younger generation is more interested in others things then siting in a tree on a cold morning - the Pa. commission is doing all it can to get younger kids interested in hunting but it is a hard sell -

The bad thing is as the number of hunters goes down so does the influence that hunters have on overall state of hunting - we are fortunate here in Pa. because we have a lot of public land to hunt and a long drive to hunt isn't necessary -

[werner.reiche]

PensNylvania's hunter numbers being down has largely to do with the deer numbers being way, way, way, way, way down due to the controversial whitetail management there. Controversial enough that there's even a book about it. http://www.psupress.org/books/titles/0-271-02885-8.html

Very little to do with cost or demographics.

[fishermccann]

Yes poaching is poaching. However there are times it has been done to literaly feed ones families and sometimes still is in the North.

My Grandfather in NS poached Lobster, Deer and small game to feed his family in the 50's and 60's. Back then it was a matter of survival and some places further north it still is.

If you have to steal to feed your family......MOVE.