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Much has been said about the decline of hunting, with recruitment as the leading cause. This refers to the lack of new members joining the ranks, young people who never pick up a bow or a rifle and head into the field. But there is another side to the coin: retention. Retention refers to individuals who do try hunting but, for some reason, leave the sport. Sometimes this is due to time constraints, competition with other activities, moving away or simply a lack of interest. However, I believe there is something else to blame. Hunting has become boring.
Sure, bagging a big buck or downing your first bird is exciting, but how often can that happen? What I mean is the day-to-day activity of hunting no longer holds the excitement it did one or two generations ago. Hunting today is not a game of outsmarting the prey. It is a game of sit-and-wait. And sitting and waiting is never very interesting, especially for the young people we are trying to get into the sport, the ones who will carry it forward into the next generation.
Today's youngsters have a world filled with excitement and things to do. Video games, YouTube and movies are literally at their fingertips. Sitting in a blind for hours on end, day after day, cannot compete. But old-school hunting can, if there is a mentor available to teach them the old-school skills that many of today's hunters are losing.
Navigation
Growing up, my friends and I spent hours roaming the woods and creek bottoms between our homes. We knew the area as well as we knew our own living rooms. Exploring and learning to navigate were part of the excitement, and when it was time for hunting season, this inside knowledge gave us an edge.
Today's hunters rely on GPS, smartphone apps and computer maps to learn the lay of the land. While this might give them the knowledge needed to find their way from point A to point B, it does not provide the same insight or connection to the land. And what happens when the signal is lost, or batteries die? Some hunters could get lost simply by stepping out of sight of their vehicle.
Scouting
One of the most exciting parts of hunting is outwitting your prey, getting into their backyard or just outside their bedroom, setting up in the perfect spot, and being there on opening day. There was a time when that was done via boots on the ground, nose to the wind. You gathered information and put it all together for the perfect plan.
Today's trail cameras are a great addition to your scouting arsenal. There is no doubt that being able to cover larger areas 24 hours a day is a significant advantage. What hurts is when that replaces being in the woods. Scouting is about more than seeing where your prey may be. Scouting is about learning how to think and act like your prey so you can hunt them. Seeing them on a camera does not compare.
Patience
I started by saying hunting has become boring. Instead of scouting, tracking, finding new spots or exploring out-of-the-way areas, today's hunters are taught to walk to a blind or stand and sit there. They sit there for hours, day after day, waiting for their target to appear. Sure, they are often aided by cameras that show them when the target has been there before, but that does not mean they will repeat the pattern today. It has become a game of sit, wait, and pray rather than actual hunting.
This can not help but become boring after a bit, but this boredom bleeds over into other areas as well. The inability to remain focused and see minute details. A lack of awareness of what is going on around them. Most importantly, a lack of patience when it comes to the shot. They have spent so long doing nothing that when a shot presents itself, they will hurry and blow the chance they have been given. Whether that means a missed shot, scaring the prey away, or, worst of all, a bad shot, the result is the same -- an unfilled tag and disappointment.
To keep hunters from becoming golfers, you need to give them a reason to stay. Filling a tag can be the goal, but it is never guaranteed. Therefore, the hunt needs to be more than just sitting and waiting.
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Tom Burrell is a retired Waterways Conservation Officer, veteran and lifelong outdoorsman. He now spends his days hunting, fishing and sharing his experiences with readers.