Looked at this thread with a glance. Losing land is the sad fact of hunting due to thousands of reasons. Most public land with good access is over hunted causing not to be worth the drive on $4 gas. Also lack of birds is another reasons for the rapid decline in hunters. I hunt geese most of the time but got back into some of my public spot for ducks and in my mid 30's I am the young dude to my surprise at first. But more to almost my outrage decoying ducks is almost a lost art to the areas I can hunt with licence and duck stamps only. Maybe I'm different but that is what got me hooked as a kid how fun it was for that coming to you in your face action, which big game hunting just does not do that. Now duck hunting public is like big game hunting, in range 60 yards you better shoot if you want birds.
Today it is hard to take kids because they get on youtube, watch hunting videos posted with acid rock music shooting game that looks over a mile away. Which is nothing like the real thing and sets them up for disappointment. My day it was duck hunt on the Nintendo but looked fake as hell.
In conclusion people who want to hunt for free like me are going to have to change with the times, swallow pride, and work together to provide quality hunting in our public spots. One way is to limit our shots to decoying birds only. Also if in the wrong blind, let the blind with all the action get their limits, then move in, or get up earlier the next day. But the sad part is I will get puked on in here for these statements and no one will seem to want common sense.
