The Founding Fathers Would Be Ashamed At How Few American Men Still Hunt…

[Ingomike]

“Thomas Jefferson was also an outdoorsman who regularly hunted small game and birds. He strongly advocated for sport shooting. He encouraged his nephew to regularly shoot guns because the practice “gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind.” Jefferson described himself as “a great friend to the manly and healthy exercises of the gun.”

“In his “Information to Those Who Would Remove to America,” Benjamin Franklin says that, unlike their European contemporaries, the founding generation of Americans were both learned and capable. Americans worked the land and lived humbly but also devoted themselves to study and the arts.”

“That is not the case, however, in modern America. Only 2 percent of American families live on ranches or farms, and only 4 percent of Americans with graduate degrees set out on a hunting expedition in 2022. The well-rounded citizens of the early republic seem to have disappeared.”

The Founders Would Be Ashamed At How Few Men Still Hunt

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report revealed that only 9 percent of American males ventured out into the woods to hunt wild game in 2022.

thefederalist.com

 

[Twangbanger]

In before "Thomas Jefferson was a Fudd..."

 

[Michigan Slim]

I think this would be low on their list.

 

[Ingomike]

I think this would be low on their list.

Question, is this phenomenon a cause or symptom of the big issues they might be more concerned with?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Jefferson was an Agrarian Romanticist, so yeah, he'd be all cranky about the increased urbanization of the US and all the attendant effects that go along with it. I bet Franklin wouldn't give two shits, though. Not a lot of book stores and whore houses in the woods.

 

[Michigan Slim]

Question, is this phenomenon a cause or symptom of the big issues they might be more concerned with?

I can see an argument for both. But I believe that less hunters, shooters, fishers, etc. is a result of, rather than a cause of, said phenomena. The pussification of society, changing values, more alternate activities and lifestyles, loss of rural areas and population. The list could go on but I am not fluent enough to list my true thoughts without getting a timeout.

 

[rbhargan]

If the founding fathers saw our nation today, I doubt they would have bothered.

 

[Michigan Slim]

If the founding fathers saw our nation today, I doubt they would have bothered.

We could use their guidance right now.

 

[Route 45]

I don't hunt because I vastly prefer the taste of beef, chicken, pork and turkey over rabbit, squirrel, venison, etc. Waste of time to me. Same as fishing. I don't care for fish, outside of the typical mild fish at a local fish fry. It's basically a practical matter.

I also believe that the idea that some disaster is going to require one to hunt and fish for actual survival is silly. I doubt that there is enough wild game in Indiana to sustain the entire population for an extended period of time.

 

[Tombs]

“Thomas Jefferson was also an outdoorsman who regularly hunted small game and birds. He strongly advocated for sport shooting. He encouraged his nephew to regularly shoot guns because the practice “gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind.” Jefferson described himself as “a great friend to the manly and healthy exercises of the gun.”

“In his “Information to Those Who Would Remove to America,” Benjamin Franklin says that, unlike their European contemporaries, the founding generation of Americans were both learned and capable. Americans worked the land and lived humbly but also devoted themselves to study and the arts.”

“That is not the case, however, in modern America. Only 2 percent of American families live on ranches or farms, and only 4 percent of Americans with graduate degrees set out on a hunting expedition in 2022. The well-rounded citizens of the early republic seem to have disappeared.”

The Founders Would Be Ashamed At How Few Men Still Hunt

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report revealed that only 9 percent of American males ventured out into the woods to hunt wild game in 2022.

thefederalist.com

Well when people work 60+ hour weeks with commutes and multiple jobs and the wife also working, it's hard to find the down time or the energy to have a hobby like that.

Not to mention, most people aren't stepping off their back porch into the woods anymore. And there's far too many people for everyone to be a hunter.

 

[Chewie]

Then there are those of us who don't hunt anymore because of idiots (from the city) who decide they are the great provider!
How do I know this?
About 1976 while bow hunting once of those providers took a shot at some brush that moved. Luckily he was a lousy shot and only scared the snot out of me, a few choice words transpired and after the comment being made about having the arrow shoved up his behind he decided it was best to vacate the area.
This happened in WI (my state of residence) and he was from a rather large city on Lake Mich (IL resident).
I finished out the day and haven't hunted since.
I figured I used up all my luck on that 1 day.

 

[Flash-hider]

The last time I hunted Pheasants was opening day 1975 when I was 20y.o., 48 years ago. Not because I didn't want to but because the population was disappearing and not sustaining itself. It was on that day I took my last shot at one and purposefully shot way behind him. I made a split-second decision not to take him down.
Deer never interested me; fishing was kind of boring.
I changed over to stalking woodchucks in the soybeans, hay fields, and tree lines. I find this a pleasant challenge.

 

[Mikey1911]

Then there are those of us who don't hunt anymore because of idiots (from the city) who decide they are the great provider!
How do I know this?
About 1976 while bow hunting once of those providers took a shot at some brush that moved. Luckily he was a lousy shot and only scared the snot out of me, a few choice words transpired and after the comment being made about having the arrow shoved up his behind he decided it was best to vacate the area.
This happened in WI (my state of residence) and he was from a rather large city on Lake Mich (IL resident).
I finished out the day and haven't hunted since.
I figured I used up all my luck on that 1 day.

You should have used your AD/A-1 on him!

 

[thunderchicken]

Then there are those of us who don't hunt anymore because of idiots (from the city) who decide they are the great provider!
How do I know this?
About 1976 while bow hunting once of those providers took a shot at some brush that moved. Luckily he was a lousy shot and only scared the snot out of me, a few choice words transpired and after the comment being made about having the arrow shoved up his behind he decided it was best to vacate the area.
This happened in WI (my state of residence) and he was from a rather large city on Lake Mich (IL resident).
I finished out the day and haven't hunted since.
I figured I used up all my luck on that 1 day.

I get what you're saying, I've encountered the same kind of idiots on public land that weren't city dwellers. I've lived in the city my entire life, but outdoors/woodsman skills aren't lost on all of us. Stupidity runs rampant regardless of where one lives

 

[Kdf101]

I’m lucky enough to be able to step out my back door and straight into woods that we own. I hunt a lot, deer and small game. Neither of my adult sons hunt, although they have both done it and have both killed deer. My teenage daughter does like to go hunting with me, so maybe she is the one? A grandson co ing up, 3 years old, that likes to spend time with me so maybe he is another prospect.

 

[thunderchicken]

I can see an argument for both. But I believe that less hunters, shooters, fishers, etc. is a result of, rather than a cause of, said phenomena. The pussification of society, changing values, more alternate activities and lifestyles, loss of rural areas and population. The list could go on but I am not fluent enough to list my true thoughts without getting a timeout.

I tend to agree with this. But, I think our society's dependence on the modern global economy is a big factor. Created a lot of office jobs and overtook agriculture and manufacturing. Then the big push in the education system to send everyone to college and steer them away from what we now call blue collar jobs

 

[BehindBlueI's]

fishing was kind of boring.

You weren't trying to do it sober, were you?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I tend to agree with this. But, I think our society's dependence on the modern global economy is a big factor. Created a lot of office jobs and overtook agriculture and manufacturing. Then the big push in the education system to send everyone to college and steer them away from what we now call blue collar jobs

Speaking strictly for me, I stopped hunting years ago. It's not worth the bother of it. When I could walk out my back door into a stand of squirrels, I did. When I had to drive 90 minutes one way to do it, it lost a lot of it's shine. My son wants to start now, so that'll probably pull me back in for a bit, but I can't imagine doing it regularly again. I'd honestly just rather hike these days.

 

[thunderchicken]

Speaking strictly for me, I stopped hunting years ago. It's not worth the bother of it. When I could walk out my back door into a stand of squirrels, I did. When I had to drive 90 minutes one way to do it, it lost a lot of it's shine. My son wants to start now, so that'll probably pull me back in for a bit, but I can't imagine doing it regularly again. I'd honestly just rather hike these days.

I can respect that. I started hunting 36 years ago when I was just 9 yo with my dad and brother. Growing up, we would go hunting (mostly rabbit) almost every weekend throughout the season. As we've all aged and had other responsibilities take up the weekends, we don't hunt as much as we once did. Heck there have been a few years where we only got out once or twice. I've gotten my daughter and son in law into hunting and shooting and they both love it. I still enjoy hunting, but in a different way than when I was younger. Now, at least for me it's more about getting out in nature and spending time with family and the social aspect of it. We still have a beagle and go chase bunnies from time to time, but I've been on several hunts where I never even loaded my gun. I just let the dog work and try to get the kids where they might see the bunny and get a chance at shooting.
It's obviously not like we're relying on it to eat our next meal.
Now, I do still enjoy a good bird hunt too. Too bad wild population is almost non existent these days. But, an occasional preserve hunt isn't so bad either.

 

[wtburnette]

Completely different times. We have so much abundance of choices for food, why bother hunting? If you have the time and desire to hunt, good on you, but bemoaning that others don't do the same is silly. It might be a contributing factor to the pussification of society, but if so I believe it's pretty low down the list. I don't see anything wrong with not wanting to kill my food firsthand.