I think we as parents are also to blame. At dinner time, we make them eat their desert last, at christmas we save the best gift for last, but when it comes to hunting, it seems many fathers take them from the hunter safety course to the deer stand. I bet most of us, like myself, cut our teeth in squirrel woods, or rabbit hunting, quail hunting or hunting bull frogs with our first 22 or shotgun. Deer hunting was something we worked up to after years of honing or skills and accuracy shooting at tiny targets. So when we finally did start deer hunting we already serious hunters who paid their dues. Now I think many kids have hit the "climax" of their hunting experience too soon and move on to something else. I have a tons of students nowdays that have never killed a squirrel, rabbit, coon or quail. They believe hunting is sitting in shooting house overlooking a field of biologic. That do not appreciate the hunting heritage and diversity of hunting the volunteer state has to offer. They are just not as "invested" into the hunting experience as we were, so it is easier to walk away from.

Dead on the money. Excellent post.

Deer hunting used to be the pinacle of hunting, and something you had to work up to. First you had to learn patience and woodsmanship by becoming proficient at hunting small game.

Jumping right from a non-hunter directly into the most difficult form of hunting requiring the greatest patience and woodsmanship skills is not a recipe for recruiting young/new hunters.

They no longer "live" on the farm and no longer see the flip side of reality that life = death. Their visions of "circle of life" have been formed only by a cartoon movie or Hollywood "idol". Not biological reality.

They still love their hamburgers and chicken McNuggets! But they don't have to look those in the eye! So they live in their sanitarily, disinfected world of denial and look down on hunting as something that hurts "Mother Nature".

And without a hunting parent or mentor for those kids, they will never really question that image. Most will simply grow older and continue to think hunting is bad and never go out on their own to give it a try.

I think many things take a small percentage and all of it together takes the huge percentage of kids away from hunting.

. . . . . . Peer pressure.

. . . . . . If you want to keep a kid hunting....take him AND his buddy! That keeps the herd together.

Most people in general have become so separated from farm life and indoctrinated with PETA, Green, Save The Whales, on and on...they see killing something as morally bad" or "wrong" and as being against the environment.

Their visions of "circle of life" have been formed only by a cartoon movie or Hollywood "idol".

Not biological reality.