The license is free for the young kiddos, which is great - gets them out, keeping the tradition going.
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/youth.html
Who's going with their kids?
crbutler wrote:What I suspect is the case is that these “youth seasons” really don’t make a difference with recruitment of hunters.
I suppose one could find a few examples of youth that otherwise would never have hunted take it up due to the exposure, but it’s been my experience that the vast majority of the kids out there on these days are also in hunting families and are out there on opening day as well.
For most, hunting is a shared family experience and how is taking them out without the rest a positive?
Really, it’s about giving the kids a better experience by reducing competition for space.
Folks talk about reduced participation... you can’t tell it by me where I am at. The spots are crowded to the point of inducing bad behavior. Your best hope is private access, and that is either expensive or family only in most cases.
I’ve been hunting in MN for over 40 years, pretty much in the same location. The resource is being over utilized by density, yet the DNR still insists on building numbers. In my experience, the biggest change is the number of days afield is different, with a dramatic reduction in “casual hunters” meaning the old group of go out opening day/weekend only folks is gone.
I don’t have an answer, as without hunters the wilderness goes away, but the current policy isn’t going to increase participation.
crbutler wrote:There may be fewer folks hunting, but those that do are out every week.
The DNR has some results from the duck hunting license survey. The number of days afield on average was quite high, I was shocked by it. If the average guy who buys a license is spending 10 days afield, what does that tell you?
I can remember the days when I first started. There were a lot more folks out there on opening day. Less than half that the next day. Maybe a twentieth that on the next week. Once pheasant season opened, if there were 2-3 boats out on swan lake it was because the northern flight had come down and was loitering.
I remember seeing 20-30 guys driving a field for deer. Now everyone is putting up stands, and the same area is crowded with 4-5 guys. (I’m not claiming that the diving deer was better, but that there were a pile of folks out back then...) success is better with deer now than in my youth- 4-5 deer out of a day’s drives was doing well)
In essence we have more man/days of hunting now than before.
crbutler wrote:Kind of my point.
Few folks have access other than public land.
I agree with the not fair to the folks who hunt the regular season crowd.
Look at it this way- which is personal experience.
You get a 14 y/o kid who has not hunted.
Take him out there to a good spot on youth waterfowl day. He shoots half a case of shells, essentially shooting all day and gets a couple birds.
He’s ecstatic.
He begs to come along opening day, and gets invited. He’s hyper about hunting. Opening day comes and he’s having fun in the first couple hours. The next 2 hours are boring and he misses opportunities by not watching. He wants to go in before noon.
The following day he has fun the first hour.
He goes out maybe 1-2 times after that and doesn’t see much, but gets excited when others bring birds back.
The next year he is gung ho for youth day.
On opening weekend he starts asking why we aren’t shooting where the birds are like on youth day (on the same general spot) but still has enthusiasm to go at other times.
This repeats until he’s 16, and can’t do youth day. Goes out on opener with his folks, but other items interfere with hunting otherwise (sports and girlfriend)
Comes back at college break, and when offered a chance clearly states he’d love to come, but only if there are birds around.
A few years later, comes on a hunt in Canada with the group, and enjoys himself.
Asked why he doesn’t hunt, states that if it’s good, he enjoys it, but getting up early just to watch the sun come up is not his idea of fun... and now that his grandfather is gone, he isn’t interested in hunting locally. But, if we invite him to the good hunts, he’s happy to come.
That’s the last time I saw him.
Clearly, he enjoys good hunting, but he doesn’t have the drive for it to do that when it’s not like the good old days. States that hunting with his dad is boring, and too much like work.
He’s brought 2 MN licenses. Back when he was going with grandpa. He says he will be back when his kids are old enough to go on youth day.
striped1 wrote:I will go on record as being against all of these "youth" seasons. This isn't about hunter recruitment. This is an additional season so that dad can take the kids now and leave them at home to go to deer camp on opening day will all of his buddies. If you want a special season, great, but then exclude them from the regular season. Or better yet, take away the youth seasons and just take them hunting during the regular season. At least limit it to 10-14 years old. 17? Fricking 17 year olds are driving around in $20,000 trucks with decoy trailers for duck hunting and talking on $1,000 cell phones but they need a special 4 day season and a reduced price license? No.
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