Kids or Grandkids hunt?

[hdshot]

I just wondering how many have grown up children that hunt waterfowl?  DU and Delta concerns are the younger generation is going bye bye to waterfowl hunting.  If they hunt do they tag along with friends and family or are they geared up going public, paid leases/club, or both?  Are they taking their kids as well?  Grandchildren on their own going alone and taking their friends on public lands or private?  How many people shown a good time and now they are geared up and hunting public or seeking permission with a sure from the land owner?

Just curious to see if our public lands are getting others serious into hunting like what it did for me.  My answer would be a no since it has been a long time since someone my age started hunting on their own because I took them on public lands and sounds like the ones that did, have not waterfowl hunted in years.  One friend that got me into goose is having a hell of a time trying to get his kid to go hunting steady.  At that age I was up and ready but there was always ducks shot or enough flying around to give me hope.               

[hdshot]

   My topic is only a few days old but if no responses by now the topic is dead.  I was hoping to hear our public lands are still producing waterfowl hunters.  Looks to me I might be the last big generation that got started waterfowl hunting because of public land 20+ years ago.  Rare for people to pay hundreds of dollars for first time hunts since they don't get the first urge from public hunts  .  Hate to think where our sport is going going to be in 20+ years.             

[Kola16]

  When I got certified for hunting, a while back, my first hunt was for deer (public land). Next came ducks. My dad didn't hunt ducks for twenty years, so we both went out, and did (attempted) jump shooting (public land). The first duck season was unsuccesfull, and we had gone out about 15 times  I didn't care how many ducks I shot, I was still hooked I was about 11ish  The next season, I got my first duck  Then I was definitely hooked. Now I can kill plenty of ducks. I got my friend hooked, and I will be bringing another friend this year. All on public land.

[hdshot]

Glad to hear your experiance 16.  Not to many out there stick it out or have the time to keep going, even I am getting burnt out with all the change.   Not the only one, heard a story Idaho has seen a steep drop in out of state hunters which leads to no money for smaller towns that support hunting/shooting sports.  The cause is the lack of big game and ID had to make more changes to the elk season.  Off topic but a trend that seems to be taking over.  Hope this can get reversed but  will have to be with a new additude.       

[runamuk]

Both my sons were big into waterfowl hunting until they turned teen and chose drugs and probation etc... my olest lost his rights to guns and my youngest is on probation so who knows ... their father quit hunting entirely when I left him and I dont duck hunt...

[Huntbear]

  My topic is only a few days old but if no responses by now the topic is dead.  I was hoping to hear our public lands are still producing waterfowl hunters.  Looks to me I might be the last big generation that got started waterfowl hunting because of public land 20+ years ago.  Rare for people to pay hundreds of dollars for first time hunts since they don't get the first urge from public hunts  .  Hate to think where our sport is going going to be in 20+ years.           

All hunting is heading that way unless HUNTERS as a group band together and quit in fighting about this and that... 

[hdshot]

Both my sons were big into waterfowl hunting until they turned teen and chose drugs and probation etc... my olest lost his rights to guns and my youngest is on probation so who knows ... their father quit hunting entirely when I left him and I dont duck hunt...

In my teenage years I walked a straight line so not to lose my priveledge of bird hunting.  Atleast waterfowl was better back then so I could get my instint gratification in while taking the energy out of me.  Also high school sports didn't interest me so that is how I got my exercise.  Off season running the dog and keeping them somewhat sharp in retreiving. 

If teen today I would have to do something different to stay out of the drug/alchohal life or getting big.

[hdshot]

  My topic is only a few days old but if no responses by now the topic is dead.  I was hoping to hear our public lands are still producing waterfowl hunters.  Looks to me I might be the last big generation that got started waterfowl hunting because of public land 20+ years ago.  Rare for people to pay hundreds of dollars for first time hunts since they don't get the first urge from public hunts  .  Hate to think where our sport is going going to be in 20+ years.           

All hunting is heading that way unless HUNTERS as a group band together and quit in fighting about this and that...

Yes and that is what I would like to see more.  I don't believe hunters are fighting each other but have a hard time respecting other hunters area and game.  Waterfowl hunters are well know trying to do everything possible to get working birds off other spreads instead of just letting them hunt.  The way I use to combat this was to let other blinds get their shooting in, then they would relax more since I didn't screw up flock after flock for them.  Now with fewer flocks over public land seems others can't get their fill in and shoot asap since they fear other blinds will whale on the calls or try to shoot 1st while range is not much of a factor for their birds.  I have never been upset with others taking shots at decoying birds, but get irritated when birds are going to decoy but the other blind ends up taking a pop shot at their birds 70+ yards or light up the calls to screw other spreads.   

[Kola16]

Yes and that is what I would like to see more.  I don't believe hunters are fighting each other but have a hard time respecting other hunters area and game.  Waterfowl hunters are well know trying to do everything possible to get working birds off other spreads instead of just letting them hunt.  The way I use to combat this was to let other blinds get their shooting in, then they would relax more since I didn't screw up flock after flock for them.  Now with fewer flocks over public land seems others can't get their fill in and shoot asap since they fear other blinds will whale on the calls or try to shoot 1st while range is not much of a factor for their birds.  I have never been upset with others taking shots at decoying birds, but get irritated when birds are going to decoy but the other blind ends up taking a pop shot at their birds 70+ yards or light up the calls to screw other spreads.

  When my area gets crowded at the end of the year, I try to let them just hunt. But one time I had a duck locked up, coming down to land in my decoys and the guy that was about 100 yards down from me fires a shot  There were no ducks around him, he was just firing because I had my thrid duck coming in, and he had none  I didn't do anything bad to him, and I got my spot first  The only duck that flew over him was a merg  Serves him right.

[hdshot]

I almost got a ticket from your same senarion K16.   The warden ended up turning a blind eye and let us hunt that day but said he didn't care who got there 1st since the other party threw me under the bus and lied by saying they got to their spot the same time.  Then the warden had no choice and say to me the party who doesn't want the ticket next time better move no matter who's 1st since he can't prove who got set up 1st. 

Ended up never hunting there again because a good spot for the lazy slob hunters to set with in 200 yards of the prime spot.   

[Goose Pit]

Access is becoming tougher and tougher to come by.  I hunt a lot of public land and have done so most of my life.  I also have access to some high quality private land hunting but I still prefer my time on public ground more than the private.  My son has been brought up hunting public ground and has been shown how to hunt it properly.  The problem is that most young hunters have never been shown how to hunt ducks properly when you're hunting a crowded refuge.  This leads to frustrations with other groups and a bad rap for the refuge.

[hdshot]

Access is becoming tougher and tougher to come by.  I hunt a lot of public land and have done so most of my life.  I also have access to some high quality private land hunting but I still prefer my time on public ground more than the private.  My son has been brought up hunting public ground and has been shown how to hunt it properly.  The problem is that most young hunters have never been shown how to hunt ducks properly when you're hunting a crowded refuge.  This leads to frustrations with other groups and a bad rap for the refuge.

I believe watching all the dvd's and youtube on waterfowl hunting just shows fantasy hunting.  They show lots of poor shot selections because I'm sure the people making these clips are just trying to get as many kill shot as possible instead of good decoying action.  Video makes the birds look a 100 yards away and videos are not a good tool for new hunters to learn from except do the opposite.  I liked the duck and goose society videos but no one that hunts waterfowl might not understant private land, but shows good decoy hunting. 

Private land is always fun and helps keep hunters modivated, but there is sastisfaction having some good hunts sharing with the average joe.  Never had much private land myself but in the past I ended up getting good hunts then the farmer advertises to family and friends.  Then the hunting turned dry or pushed out by people who have no business bird hunting because they treat the sport like a day on the clay range.       

[Goose Pit]

any *censored* bag with a barrel sticker and a Go Pro is a video producer trying to put a dvd together, that's the motivation of the majority of the "younger" generation.  It has nothing to do with tradition, respect and passing it on as much as it is about sponsorships, dollars and facetime.

[NW-GSP]

A friend of mine got me into hunting ducks and geese on public land in 2005 and I have been hunting since then. I got a co worker into hunting ducks on public land last year.

[hdshot]

any *censored* bag with a barrel sticker and a Go Pro is a video producer trying to put a dvd together, that's the motivation of the majority of the "younger" generation.  It has nothing to do with tradition, respect and passing it on as much as it is about sponsorships, dollars and facetime.

+1  Those go pro clips suck as well, only show little scared black dots going down.  Shows nothing about the real action of decoying birds.

Good to hear it NW!  I have a co worker interested as well since I have a small aluminum boat for this year to get to spots well out of walking range.  Will see, he is a boating junkie but different from summer time or hunting.  I can see he could be in for a surprise because not a party BAR-ge, only a tool.