I know there are A&M grads in Texas employed in the fish & game dept by the state. Am curious:

-- Have annual nbrs of fishing and hunting licenses in Tx been holding steady?

This was in my today's Spokane (WA) newspaper:

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In Washington state, there has been an 11 percent drop in state hunting license holders over the past 10 years. Even more worrying for state officials, youth hunting participation is down 22 percent. During that same decade, the state's population grew 16 percent.

Overall, only 3 percent of the state's population hunts. Ten years ago, it was 4 percent.

In 2007, there were 845,111 anglers, or about 16 percent of the state population. In 2017, that number dropped to 759,325 anglers, or about 12 percent of the state population. That represents a 10-percent drop in anglers over the course of a decade, WDFW spokeswoman Madonna Luers said.

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Hunting and fishing license fees and associated federal money make up more than one-third of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife annual operating budget, Pamplin said.

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WDFW is facing a budget deficit..... the 2019-21 biennium the department will have an estimated "shortfall north of $30 million"...

WDFW asked the Legislature to increase hunting and fishing fees.... Lawmakers did not pass the bill, leaving the department with a $25 million deficit.

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Pheasant populations, historically an entry-level animal for new hunters, have decreased. Changes in habitat and ecology have made those... harder to find.

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Though geographically close, Idaho's hunting landscape couldn't be more different than Washington's. Over the past decade, Idaho's hunting and fishing numbers have increased.

It helps that roughly 70 percent of Idaho is public land, providing many easy and accessible hunting options. Phillips points out that despite working in Idaho's biggest metropolitan area, Boise, he still only drives 5 to 10 miles out of town to hunt.

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I live, hunt and fish in eastern WA. I also buy an annual fishing license every year for Oregon. And some years I go to Montana in September/October for 3 weeks to fish and hunt sharptails & huns. The cost of buying all those licenses adds up, but it has been money well spent, imo.

I don't have data to back this up but just judging by the boat traffic on the intercostal running down to Baffin, I'd say fishing is doing pretty well.

I had a about 8 years in between consistent hunting and have purchased licenses for both hunting and fishing licenses every year just for the off chance I wanted to tag along on a hunt. I think the price for a Texas license is too cheap to not have.

Ursus has my first guess. WA probably doesn't have our growth rate so the decline is more noticeable.

Take a kid fishing. Simple as that.

MouthBQ98 said:

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Urbanization and increasing costs to participate + video games. It is that simple,

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Along with the demonization of firearms and the snowflake mentality that simply being outside is dangerous (see Penn State essentially shutting down their hiking club because it was deemed "dangerous" for students to be outside in nature).

schmellba99 said:

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MouthBQ98 said:

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Urbanization and increasing costs to participate + video games. It is that simple,

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Along with the demonization of firearms and the snowflake mentality that simply being outside is dangerous (see Penn State essentially shutting down their hiking club because it was deemed "dangerous" for students to be outside in nature).

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Link or it didn't happen. You've got to be kidding me.

Ol Jock 99 said:

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$2500 leases & $10k "management" hunts will effectively kill hunting in Texas in 20-30 years. VERY few of my friends without family land still hunt.

Fishing seems to be a bit more resilient.

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no, no. Texags, Texashunting forum, 2cool all say that is a lie.

Exactly. There is too high of an entry point. The costs these days are ridiculous, but frankly I don't blame the people with land having to lease it for that much bc of the costs of taxes, insurance, and the risk of somehow getting sued for things that happen on your land.

Was the in politics boards.

We had a pretty lengthy discussion a little over a month ago on it, so if you want to see more opinions and ideas on it see here Previous Thread

On the whole I agree with the people who blame costs of hunting and barriers to entry. I wouldnt be near the hunter and outdoor person I am if we didnt have family land, there's no way I could afford the addiction if I was either having to buy land or pay for a hunting lease at this stage of my career.

Video games always seem to be a popular scapegoat from the older generation that I dont quite agree with. At least for people my age, I know plenty of them (myself included) that spend tons of time outdoors but also want a easy, slightly more interactive than a movie, way to wind down in the evening sometimes. For me gaming and outdoor activities arent substitutes, and most people that I know are the same. I will concede that I have no knowledge of the younger generation and dont have kids of my own yet, so maybe that isnt the case with younger people.

MouthBQ98 said:

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Urbanization and increasing costs to participate + video games. It is that simple,

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Not just money, but time. It is getting hard to find a hunting lease within an hour of a major city. Fishing isn't much different. Unless it is a lifestyle commitment, most people don't have the attention span to do these things spontaneously.

I'm curious what, if anything, the rise in popularity of "modern sporting" weapons has done to hunting. 20ish years ago or more, shooting was hunting pretty much. Now you and a buddy can go toss a ton of lead down range for a few hours close to home and cheaply.

dr_boogs said:

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schmellba99 said:

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MouthBQ98 said:

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Urbanization and increasing costs to participate + video games. It is that simple,

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Along with the demonization of firearms and the snowflake mentality that simply being outside is dangerous (see Penn State essentially shutting down their hiking club because it was deemed "dangerous" for students to be outside in nature).

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Link or it didn't happen. You've got to be kidding me.

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Hiking too risky, says Penn State

Also bans scuba club from doing scuba trips and tells cave exploration club no more cave exploring

I would gladly go hunting and fishing every weekend but the family land was sold to some t-sip years ago. The stock tank on my uncle's land where I never struck out on bass was allowed to empty out and fill up after he passed away. Hunting leases are just too expensive and the costs seem to keep escalating. I'd kill for a bass boat, almost, but they cost as much as half a house.

Nothing to add other than I think I'm finally at a point that I have bought more Washing and Idaho fishing licenses than I have Texas fishing licenses despite never residing outside of TX, LA, and NC. So, you're welcome.

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University officials are holding "ongoing" discussions with the club's leadership to explore a possible makeover for the group from a nature-exploring organization to a film-watching club.

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ursusguy said:

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Texas is pretty well holding steady, but are declining pretty quick as a percentage of the population. TPWD is planning for an eventually drop in numbers.

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Would be interesting to see an in-depth study of population shifts. The population of Texas has certainly grown, but much of that growth has been in major cities - Houston, SA, Dallas, Austin. So I would venture that urban populations are growing at the fastest rate and that percentage of urbanites who hunt/fish declines as the population swells. Furthermore, I've also seen lots of references to the large influx of residents from more liberal areas, such as California. On average, I would think people migrating to Texas (or to Wash,) from more liberal urban areas are less likely to hunt/fish than someone migrating to Texas from Oklahoma City or other urban areas that aren't as liberal.

Finally, you have to factor in the cost of access as others have noted, but also combine that with another major factor in swelling urban populations in Texas and elsewhere - immigration. So between rising urban populations, an influx of transplants from more liberal areas where hunting wasn't as common, rising cost of access and changing population demographics I'd say I'm not at all surprised that the percentage of hunting/fishing licenses has trended in the opposite direction of population.

76Ag said:

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I'd kill for a bass boat, almost, but they cost as much as half a house.

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Don't wait till you're dead. There are lots of good deals on used boats. Having a boat opens up fishing access to so many great fisheries.

I'm in my mid-60's, and I had never owned a fishing boat till 6 yrs ago. I bought a used 1990 Alaskan Smokercraft v-hull aluminum 14 footer off craigslist for $3500. I figured it would be a good starter boat. It came with a folding canopy, console, fishfinder, electric trolling motor, full windshield and 1990 Evinrude 20 hp. It was not a boat for big water, but it was plenty good for mid-size lakes, and that 20 hp could push it up to 28 mph if there was no head wind.

Sold that first boat last yr on Craigslist for $3000, & then I bought (off craigslist again) a used 2012 18' aluminum Lund with 110 hp Merc, 9.9 Merc kicker, Minnkota, fishfinder, and canopy for $21,000. The Lund gets garaged, so it should last me till I die, even I live into my late 80's. Aluminum boats last a long time and are easy maintenance. Keep em garaged or covered.

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Unless it is a lifestyle commitment

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SteveBott said:

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Ursus has my first guess. WA probably doesn't have our growth rate so the decline is more noticeable.

Take a kid fishing. Simple as that.

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https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/1019429001

Washington is growing quickly.

Ol Jock 99 said:

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I'm curious what, if anything, the rise in popularity of "modern sporting" weapons has done to hunting. 20ish years ago or more, shooting was hunting pretty much. Now you and a buddy can go toss a ton of lead down range for a few hours close to home and cheaply.

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Now apply that same logic to Shotguns. Pretty much why I gave up NSTRA and Quail Hunting in favor or Skeet and Sporting Clays. Last time I went quail hunting the weekend set me back close to two thousand bucks. Great experience, but, I definitely have better things to spend money on these days. Plus I get a lot more shooting in at the Clay's course.

Ol Jock 99 said:

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I'm curious what, if anything, the rise in popularity of "modern sporting" weapons has done to hunting. 20ish years ago or more, shooting was hunting pretty much. Now you and a buddy can go toss a ton of lead down range for a few hours close to home and cheaply.

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I disagree completely. Maybe that was the situation for you but I grew up shooting at a range. We're talking 70's and 80's here. Lots of buddies too. I've never been deer hunting a day in my life.

I think the answer to the original question is that hunting became a business and no longer a past time or means to a meal.

I'll throw you an odd one. I have a cousin that grew up in Fredericksburg, spent 15 plus years in the Marines, Republican...and absolutely loves California. Why? "It is way easier finding place to hunt and shoot than Texas". Had a coworker come to Texas from Conneticut and subsequently moved to Oregon. It was easier to find affordable hunting opportunities in Connecticut (amd Oregon) than in Texas. Several of my coworkers now have given up on hunting in Texas, and go to Oklahoma or even Kansas.

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I think the answer to the original question is that hunting became a business and no longer a past time or means to a meal.

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Don't believe everything you see on tv.

ursusguy said:

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I'll throw you an odd one. I have a cousin that grew up in Fredericksburg, spent 15 plus years in the Marines, Republican...and absolutely loves California. Why? "It is way easier finding place to hunt and shoot than Texas". Had a coworker come to Texas from Conneticut and subsequently moved to Oregon. It was easier to find affordable hunting opportunities in Connecticut (amd Oregon) than in Texas. Several of my coworkers now have given up on hunting in Texas, and go to Oklahoma or even Kansas.

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This seems to be the normal now. It took me years to find another lease and when I did find one, they expected $25 an acre for a property that had been mismanaged for years. Texas is tough. Fortunately I finally found one, but 8 years is a long stretch between hunting.