The Elusive Hunter

[Converted]

Sometimes I wonder if bringing more people into our passion is helping or hurting. I hate overcrowding as much as anyone. Those that hunt with me know that I'd much rather shoot two ducks all morning in an area that took an hour boat ride than a limit in 15 minutes with folks all over us.

Read this article, our very future hangs in the balance. If we can't stop the decline in hunter numbers our children will face the very real possibility of finding themselves LOCKED OUT of the woods.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15892909/site/newsweek/from/ET/

[Steve W]

I guess this was the main reason UW-FL was started.

The problem lies with access for all hunters.

We in the NE region of Florida need to do a better job of finding areas to open up to duck hunting. The few we have are overhunted, to the point where the ducks leave the huntable areas early in the season.

Some areas could be managed better in a fashion similar to Goodwin, with assigned areas.

The main issue is access and cooperation from non-hunters, including fisherman. I am sorry to say this but sometimes fisherman can be very difficult when it come to sharing the water with duck hunters.

[Randy Clark]

thats why we all must continue to educate and introduce more people to hunting explaining about the money going to conservation and what we as a group try to do.

[David B]

THe next time someone says something about the negativity of hunting, I plan on asking them how much they have donated to conservation efforts.

The sportmen and women of this country have been paying for conservation efforts throught the sales of licenses and stamps for many years. I say, it is time for the rest of the country to ante up.

Why is it that the Park system can charge for recreational use , yet the Bird watchers, bikers, horse back riders, hikers, campers and nature viewers can utilize the same WMAs and do so without an imposed useage fee?
When are we going to start spreading the cost of our conservation lands equally across the board. The arguement that hunters take from the WMA and the others are not doesn't get it in my mind. Try hunting in a state park and see what that will get you.

I am not saying that everyone needs to pay $27.00 dollars. The others can be rated at a lesser amount of money based on the recreational type of use.
Maybe the budgets constraints wouldn't be as bad as they seem to be played up in the media.

[Randy Clark]

watch the paths those horses go down talk about wear and tear but when i tried to mention keeping hydrilla the sjwmd about threw me out yet they were happy to discuss putting in those wooden stairs to help the horse back riders get on and off.

[Captmako]

Gentlemen, I agree with your points of view. As a newer member, I'm really enthused to see a proactive group of waterfowlers pursuing their passion not only on the marsh, but also in the legislative and biological arenas!

As a native son to Florida, my father took me hunting throughout the '70s. The ducks and coots literally turned the sky black at Loxahatchee then. I miss those days, but there has been some improvements to Florida duck hunting since the decline of the late 80's early 90's, no doubt due to many of this organizations efforts. I used to be adversarial in my points of view toward the sfwmd, and anti-freedom groups, but as times have changed, I see the positives when educating others who are not necessarily sympathetic to the benefits of controlled harvests.

I've managed to enlist one of my own buddies since joining, and will continue to expound the importance of a unified voice to others! It seems to me, this group has some highly intelligent sportsmen who are on the right track to keep a great sport going, inspite of Floridas' urban sprawl. Let's keep up the good work and take a youngster, (or older father) hunting/fishing.

Remember, it's not the game you bring home from the field, that's a bonus, the real joy is getting out there & doing it! With our combined efforts we can keep this tradition alive!

[N. Cook]

In Florida the number of duck hunters has remained fairly consistent over the last 12 years.....fluctuating between (in round numbers) 13 to 17 thousand state waterfowl "stamps" purchased.....DU numbers would indicate about 17,000 actual folks have an interest in ducks...mostly hunting for sure.

Meanwhile, hunting license sales have declined from about 250 thousand to 135 thousand. Not hard to figure out why in my opinion...NO WHERE TO GO.

Duck hunters have many thousands of acres of "open to the public" marsh and water habitat. Some is controlled, like Goodwin/Broadmoore and the STAs, but most is simply open to anyone to access any day on a moments whim. Thus the number of duck hunters is at least consitent over the period of major license sales decline.

Not so "public land" habitat for small game, deer and turkey. Since Deer Hunting drives license sales numbers, it is easy to see what is driving down license sales....If you own land, have a lease, or has a friend or family member who can get you on.....you have no problem hunting in FL. BUT, how many have THAT PRIVATE ACCESS....a few tens of thousands. The only other hunting is on WMAs, and all but a few have highly restricted Quota Hunts....in fact there are about 60,000 permits....Some WMAs like Corbett and National Forests are more open....but travel time and crowding must be accepted. Why would anyone other than the "lucky" 60,000 buy a license? And because the system is gamed (I sometimes get 2 or more permits on a WMA) really not even 60,000 are involved in the sport. EAsy to see 135,000 being close to the floor....but with no political capital in a state of 20 million.

What Florida must do to SELL at least 100,000 new licenses within the next 5 years is to change the way the "product" is marketed. Like duck hunting, deer hunting must have easy access on a whim on open public land to once again become as popular as before. I know there is tremendous opposition to adding 100,000 hunters in the field....but if we do not do so....Hunting on public land will all but be ended due to pressure of the other users who far outnumber the hunters. The WMA system will become another park system.

[duckmanJR]

Everything Newton is saying is true. In addition to that sometimes people that you may view as "the enemy" can be a powerfull ally. While scouting this past thursday I came upon "birders" and we chatted for quite some time...We have alot in common regarding saving the marshes we all love..and they being from the mid-west understood the vital role hunters play...It is the urbanites who have to be educated.