Thoughts on the next generation.

[tg]

"Something to ponder on. Thougts appreciated'

Whudd he say?

 

[buttonbuck]

there is the show with Steve Rinella that takes hunting etc...into the PC world that appeals to "sustance" hunting. This ideal of eating non store bought meat was what drew me to hunt back in 1993. I suggest urban agriculture ie goats, backyard chickens and rabbits, and hunting public land via lottery. I would push on a large scale for people to eat the invasive species like hogs and asian carp, or go on safari for wild pigs. Sort of like what they do in the so called third world.

 

[longcruise]

I'd say that drawing non hunters into the hunting fold would be a huge undertaking. Doing it with ml firearms would be even more difficult.

How will you identify this/these person(s) who are to be introduced to the sport? That is the real question. Once they are identified it is done on a person to person individual basis. There is no formula or methodology that can be applied to all.

It's easy for us to fall into an analysis of why people don't hunt and what is the matter with society today, etc., etc., ya da ya da. That may explain why it is hard to find potential converts, but it will not do a thing to help to actually identify them.

When you do find one, their interests may lean toward a shotgun or bow or modern scoped rifle. If you want to turn that person into a hunter, best to take them where they want to go rather than try to force them down our own path.

Your series of articles may work if you can get them in front of the right people and then get them to read them as well. Mostly looks like an exercise in futility. I'll just stick with hunting with my two son in laws (one of whom wanted to hunt but did not have the opportunity till he joined my family) and their seven children, all of whom are determined to be hunters by the time they are four years old.

 

[stone knife]

Now what if an urbanite tree hugger could for 500 dollars and a couple weekends worth of training time be transformed into a flintlock smooth bore toting bicycle riding meat hunter?

I think that is a workable plan indeed. You would not believe how many people at our church that didn't eat venison or didn't like it for some reason or another(mostly self induced hatred) marvel at how good it really is. My feeling is that step one is to share the bounty with non hunters to ease them into the fold. I see plenty of young people that are interested in hunting including girls.

 

[buttonbuck]

considering some of the posts and my own experience I started out with a slug gun and bought my first ML 5 years later. At the time you could buy a traditions percussion for 75-80 but it was cheap, didn't shoulder well, light and kicked like a mule. I am a decade+2 into hunting with percussion and now am considering and lusting after a flintlock with my fear being my percussions & centerfires going away.

 

[ohiosam]

There was an article in one of the big East coast rags(maybe NY Times)in the last couple of years about a growing trend with people concerned about healthy food hunting for meat. Archery hunting was popular with them. I'd think trad muzzleloaders would be too.

 

[ohiosam]

Found it. The article isn't about traditional hunting but more about an "attitude" that I think the OP was talking about. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/dining/25hunt.html?pagewanted=all