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Question about hunting "trends"
1/26/2012 12:42:42 PM
When I grew up, 70's-80's, in rural Virginia it seemed like the preferred whitetail rifle was the 30-30, now it seems everyone uses some sort of bolt action scoped rifle, predominantly 30-06.
Why the change? Is it a change in the way deer are hunted? Has the behavior of the deer changed? Cost of equipment?
I ask simply out of curiosity. I am not a hunter myself. Not against it, may try it some day. Just have other hobbies that take up my time, spare cash. This was a topic discussed by myself and a groupd of friends recently and we could not come up with a good reason.
Have you noticed a change in hunting styles, preferred weapon etc over the years?
Why the change? Is it a change in the way deer are hunted? Has the behavior of the deer changed? Cost of equipment?
I ask simply out of curiosity. I am not a hunter myself. Not against it, may try it some day. Just have other hobbies that take up my time, spare cash. This was a topic discussed by myself and a groupd of friends recently and we could not come up with a good reason.
Have you noticed a change in hunting styles, preferred weapon etc over the years?
1/26/2012 1:02:12 PM
For some, the reason was/is, hunting in situations where shots are taken at longer distances. The .30-30 is a great rifle, but can't compete with
a good bolt action at 200 yards as far as accuracy goes. I hunted with a Remington 700 ADL in .308 for a number of years with good results. It
seems the trend now, is more towards AR platforms for a lot of people.
1/26/2012 5:41:15 PM
Patchz pretty much nailed it.
I hunted my first season (no deer that year) with my father in law's extra 30-30. Great gun, reasonably accurate, will drop a deer.
However, when I went to buy my own rifle I looked at getting 1 rifle to do it all.
Went with 30-06 because I can dial it down to 150 grain for deer or all the way up to 220 for elk. Put a Cabela's Pine Ridge 6-18 X40 on top of it.
While it might be considered overkill I was able to clearly take my deer at 70 yards, and I know I could see a 300 yard shot perfectly clear which the 30-06 is well capable of making.
All caliber choices are personal for rifles, but that's my reasoning for bolt action 30-06.
I hunted my first season (no deer that year) with my father in law's extra 30-30. Great gun, reasonably accurate, will drop a deer.
However, when I went to buy my own rifle I looked at getting 1 rifle to do it all.
Went with 30-06 because I can dial it down to 150 grain for deer or all the way up to 220 for elk. Put a Cabela's Pine Ridge 6-18 X40 on top of it.
While it might be considered overkill I was able to clearly take my deer at 70 yards, and I know I could see a 300 yard shot perfectly clear which the 30-06 is well capable of making.
All caliber choices are personal for rifles, but that's my reasoning for bolt action 30-06.
1/26/2012 10:35:12 PM
Long range = more better. 
More people are keen to the idea that higher muzzle velocities are better than big slow bullets.
More people are keen to the idea that higher muzzle velocities are better than big slow bullets.
1/27/2012 9:37:34 AM
Is underbrush a factor at all? I'm other words if you are hunting in a forest rather than a clearing or field?
1/27/2012 9:52:54 AM
Originally Posted By macjazzy:
Is underbrush a factor at all? I'm other words if you are hunting in a forest rather than a clearing or field?
Is underbrush a factor at all? I'm other words if you are hunting in a forest rather than a clearing or field?
For? The bullet? Of course it is. The old 'brush buster' adage is pure myth. A tree limb will deflect a bullet traveling 2000 FPS just like it will a bullet traveling at 2800 FPS.
1/27/2012 10:07:08 AM
More seem to use bolt actions here as well, more people are buying guns rather than handing them down? Also lots of baiting ,scents, lures ect nowdays.
1/27/2012 11:11:03 AM
Hunting is a big money business these days.
1/27/2012 3:47:28 PM
I believe hunting has changed as well; or what some call hunting.
When I was a kid, we carried our lever action rifles and did a lot of walking/stalking/still hunting. We were wearing jeans & plaid flannel shirts, no camo. And we were taking shots of no farther than 100 yards; with most being within 50 yards.
Now days, many consider "hunting" is sitting near a feeder at sunrise/sunset from a distance of 100+ yards in an elevated blind with a heater & using the window sill as a benchrest.
Don't take this as a slam for different styles of hunting; I've done both & found the former more to my enjoyment & satisfaction. It is just a personal preference with me.
I didn't even own a scoped rifle until I was in my 30's. I hunted with it a couple of years from stands overlooking fields & bordering feeding areas. I sighted in on deer that were 300 yards away that couldn't see, smell or hear me. They had no reason to feel threatened since they had no idea that I was around. But I felt that I hadn't challanged them or myself; I was merely "sniping" them.
I went to using a recurve bow & arrows and I LOVED the challenge of this. Again, I was using fairly primitive tools compared to what is/was available. The only problem I had with this was I was unable to kill as efficiently as I preferred.
I went back to using my old Winchester 94 or a pistol. I have to be very disciplined & limit my ranges, but it works for me. I actually used a scoped rifle again this year (AR15 in 223) but again I had to get a standing broadside shot within 100 yards to satisfy my self set limitations.
These are MY opinions and I realize others feel differently. I respect their outlook & do not condemn them for it. I think it is great that we have different options so we can get more people involved in the sport. Some, just as I have, change from 1 style to style to another to challenge themselves or their equipment.
When I was a kid, we carried our lever action rifles and did a lot of walking/stalking/still hunting. We were wearing jeans & plaid flannel shirts, no camo. And we were taking shots of no farther than 100 yards; with most being within 50 yards.
Now days, many consider "hunting" is sitting near a feeder at sunrise/sunset from a distance of 100+ yards in an elevated blind with a heater & using the window sill as a benchrest.
Don't take this as a slam for different styles of hunting; I've done both & found the former more to my enjoyment & satisfaction. It is just a personal preference with me.
I didn't even own a scoped rifle until I was in my 30's. I hunted with it a couple of years from stands overlooking fields & bordering feeding areas. I sighted in on deer that were 300 yards away that couldn't see, smell or hear me. They had no reason to feel threatened since they had no idea that I was around. But I felt that I hadn't challanged them or myself; I was merely "sniping" them.
I went to using a recurve bow & arrows and I LOVED the challenge of this. Again, I was using fairly primitive tools compared to what is/was available. The only problem I had with this was I was unable to kill as efficiently as I preferred.
I went back to using my old Winchester 94 or a pistol. I have to be very disciplined & limit my ranges, but it works for me. I actually used a scoped rifle again this year (AR15 in 223) but again I had to get a standing broadside shot within 100 yards to satisfy my self set limitations.
These are MY opinions and I realize others feel differently. I respect their outlook & do not condemn them for it. I think it is great that we have different options so we can get more people involved in the sport. Some, just as I have, change from 1 style to style to another to challenge themselves or their equipment.
1/29/2012 10:15:46 PM
I feel like you do although being as I don't hunt I don't feel I am in a position to say. But it does seem like hunting has changed to be less and less of a challenge for the hunter due to falling prices of high power scopes and rifles, and technology in general.
Whether or not that is a bad thing for the sport is not for me to comment. But I think it would make for a very good discussion.
Whether or not that is a bad thing for the sport is not for me to comment. But I think it would make for a very good discussion.
Originally Posted By BrokeHoss:
I believe hunting has changed as well; or what some call hunting.
When I was a kid, we carried our lever action rifles and did a lot of walking/stalking/still hunting. We were wearing jeans & plaid flannel shirts, no camo. And we were taking shots of no farther than 100 yards; with most being within 50 yards.
Now days, many consider "hunting" is sitting near a feeder at sunrise/sunset from a distance of 100+ yards in an elevated blind with a heater & using the window sill as a benchrest.
Don't take this as a slam for different styles of hunting; I've done both & found the former more to my enjoyment & satisfaction. It is just a personal preference with me.
I didn't even own a scoped rifle until I was in my 30's. I hunted with it a couple of years from stands overlooking fields & bordering feeding areas. I sighted in on deer that were 300 yards away that couldn't see, smell or hear me. They had no reason to feel threatened since they had no idea that I was around. But I felt that I hadn't challanged them or myself; I was merely "sniping" them.
I went to using a recurve bow & arrows and I LOVED the challenge of this. Again, I was using fairly primitive tools compared to what is/was available. The only problem I had with this was I was unable to kill as efficiently as I preferred.
I went back to using my old Winchester 94 or a pistol. I have to be very disciplined & limit my ranges, but it works for me. I actually used a scoped rifle again this year (AR15 in 223) but again I had to get a standing broadside shot within 100 yards to satisfy my self set limitations.
These are MY opinions and I realize others feel differently. I respect their outlook & do not condemn them for it. I think it is great that we have different options so we can get more people involved in the sport. Some, just as I have, change from 1 style to style to another to challenge themselves or their equipment.
I believe hunting has changed as well; or what some call hunting.
When I was a kid, we carried our lever action rifles and did a lot of walking/stalking/still hunting. We were wearing jeans & plaid flannel shirts, no camo. And we were taking shots of no farther than 100 yards; with most being within 50 yards.
Now days, many consider "hunting" is sitting near a feeder at sunrise/sunset from a distance of 100+ yards in an elevated blind with a heater & using the window sill as a benchrest.
Don't take this as a slam for different styles of hunting; I've done both & found the former more to my enjoyment & satisfaction. It is just a personal preference with me.
I didn't even own a scoped rifle until I was in my 30's. I hunted with it a couple of years from stands overlooking fields & bordering feeding areas. I sighted in on deer that were 300 yards away that couldn't see, smell or hear me. They had no reason to feel threatened since they had no idea that I was around. But I felt that I hadn't challanged them or myself; I was merely "sniping" them.
I went to using a recurve bow & arrows and I LOVED the challenge of this. Again, I was using fairly primitive tools compared to what is/was available. The only problem I had with this was I was unable to kill as efficiently as I preferred.
I went back to using my old Winchester 94 or a pistol. I have to be very disciplined & limit my ranges, but it works for me. I actually used a scoped rifle again this year (AR15 in 223) but again I had to get a standing broadside shot within 100 yards to satisfy my self set limitations.
These are MY opinions and I realize others feel differently. I respect their outlook & do not condemn them for it. I think it is great that we have different options so we can get more people involved in the sport. Some, just as I have, change from 1 style to style to another to challenge themselves or their equipment.
1/30/2012 5:15:11 AM
Another contributing factor is the rising cost of a lease or hunting land. I actually stopped hunting for 3 years because I couldn't justify the cost of a decent lease. I've been in the position that if I paid that much money for a place to hunt I dang well was gonna get a deer or two. It wasn't near as enjoyable at that point so I just stopped.
1/30/2012 8:57:20 AM
i was unaware of this, so The days of stopping by some farm house and asking for permission to hunt on their "back 40" is no more?
Originally Posted By BrokeHoss:
Another contributing factor is the rising cost of a lease or hunting land. I actually stopped hunting for 3 years because I couldn't justify the cost of a decent lease. I've been in the position that if I paid that much money for a place to hunt I dang well was gonna get a deer or two. It wasn't near as enjoyable at that point so I just stopped.
Another contributing factor is the rising cost of a lease or hunting land. I actually stopped hunting for 3 years because I couldn't justify the cost of a decent lease. I've been in the position that if I paid that much money for a place to hunt I dang well was gonna get a deer or two. It wasn't near as enjoyable at that point so I just stopped.
1/30/2012 2:42:25 PM
Originally Posted By macjazzy:
i was unaware of this, so The days of stopping by some farm house and asking for permission to hunt on their "back 40" is no more?
i was unaware of this, so The days of stopping by some farm house and asking for permission to hunt on their "back 40" is no more?
Originally Posted By BrokeHoss:
Another contributing factor is the rising cost of a lease or hunting land. I actually stopped hunting for 3 years because I couldn't justify the cost of a decent lease. I've been in the position that if I paid that much money for a place to hunt I dang well was gonna get a deer or two. It wasn't near as enjoyable at that point so I just stopped.
Another contributing factor is the rising cost of a lease or hunting land. I actually stopped hunting for 3 years because I couldn't justify the cost of a decent lease. I've been in the position that if I paid that much money for a place to hunt I dang well was gonna get a deer or two. It wasn't near as enjoyable at that point so I just stopped.
Decent people can still be found occasionally to grant permission. Seems like many land owners have realized that people will pay dearly for hunting rights, and take full advantage of that situation. Either that or bad hunters have littered and torn up their property so badly in the past they won't allow anyone to hunt again.
1/31/2012 2:25:35 AM
Especially with the extended drought here in TX, many are counting on leasing their property for hunting more so than agriculture related income. Even with the hog infestation, about the only places to hunt them are paid leases. I've got friends/kinfolk that I can count on for a place to hunt. But they are leery of opening up to people they don't know.
