Receiving your first rifle at the age of 12 used to be a rite of passage for many youngsters in Mercer County who joined their fathers and grandfathers — and some mothers and grandmothers — in search of whitetail deer that populated Penn’s Woods.
Winning the lottery for a duck blind at Pymatuning Lake or for participating in a state-approved elk hunt, was quite a thrill.
Hunting was a way of life for many families, an outdoor activity that many people embraced not only here but throughout the United States.
However, if you read the front page story in Monday’s Herald, it was clear that the activity does not hold the same appeal it once did. Studies show that in the past 10 years the number of U.S. hunters dropped about 10 percent to about 12.5 million.
In Mercer County, where the job market has diminished and tough economic times are upon us, you can bet that hunting has decreased. It can be a relatively expensive form of recreation.
In fact, sports like golf and bowling have also seen drops in the past decade.
But it’s not just the economy. In western Pennsylvania, we are getting older. Many young men and women who might have been hunters have headed for greener pastures rather than woods. Families are forced to move away in search of better-paying jobs.
On top of that, private land for hunting is dwindling as many farmers and landowners have posted their properties banning hunters. Part of the reason is because a few inconsiderate hunters have ruined it for others by damaging property or leaving trash behind.
The Associated Press story also pointed out that the National Rifle Association has hurt the image of hunters in the eyes of many. The NRA stance against the ban of automatic weapons and handguns has soured some people.
But perhaps the biggest change is the attitude of young people. In an era where boys and girls become glued to a computer or television for hours on end, many would rather play a hunting video game than sit in a tree stand or stalk small game.
Then again, sports are become so competitive that even in the off-season many athletes are working hard at training instead of spending time in the outdoors.
Of course there is also the fact that many people don’t believe in killing helpless animals.
The major problem with the drop in hunters is that our Pennsylvania Game Commission, which manages our wildlife habitat, is funded by hunting licenses. And if the number of hunters decreases, it means license fees will have to increase or part of our state taxes will need to be used to support hunting and other recreational uses of wild lands.
If we are going to perpetuate the species we have living in Penn’s Woods and the environment that supports them, that commission is an important agency.
Our state legislators need to tackle this problem as soon as possible. Even if the hunting numbers in the commonwealth are declining, the management of all Pennsylvania outdoors is still important to our future.
