Lower Barriers To Hunting & Fishing Opportunities

A nice little winter bass for Cole at Boerne Lake.
Photo: Chris Carson

Last week, a blog post caught my eye and I only skimmed over it with the intention of getting back to it later.  Of course, I can't find it now.  However, it touched on my post that I wrote earlier in the week Grumpy Old Men: Retirement or Bucket List. 

Basically the post outlined the decline in hunting and fishing licenses sold in Minnesota.  I don't remember the statistics, but it is safe to say that there is a HUGE decline in hunting and fishing in that state.  It seems alarming to me that a place as wild as Minnesota would experience this sort of decline.  The other point that it made was that many states are making it MORE DIFFICULT to hunt or fish.

As a community, outdoor enthusiasts must work to turn the tide on this situation.  You may not think that this is an issue for you in your state, but you are probably wrong.  Early this year, I attended a Angler's Education Course to be certified as an instructor through Texas Parks & Wildlife.  One of the things we discussed in that course was the fact that license sales and the sale of hunting and fishing merchandise were declining across the country as a whole and that programs like the one we were training for and others across the country depend on the taxes levied on outdoor products and funds collected from license sales to exist.  I'm not going to waste my time or yours with statistics in this post.  I will research it in depth at some point and provide some concrete evidence, but here in Texas, those numbers are declining as well.

Caitlyn Glassing the South Texas brush for a deer.

The connection made between the two posts was that we should be lowering barriers to hunting and fishing opportunities (adventure), not increasing them.  Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating repealing game laws or licensing requirements, but our legislators and wildlife agencies should be looking for ways to remove barriers wherever possible.  One way could be to build more neighborhood ponds and small lakes.  When I was a kid, there were public archery ranges in parks in San Antonio. There are dedicated Archery Parks in Alabama (and I'm sure other states as well).

"The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Archery Trade Association and local communities have developed 10 community archery parks. The parks are located throughout the state and feature a variety of shooting distances and targets." - outdooralabama.com 

Even a cranky teenager
cracks a smile and lets down
 her guard outdoors.
Photo: Chris Carson

Many times now, the problem is access.  I don't practice shooting my bow as much as I would like to because I share a backyard fence with no fewer than 5 neighbors.  Granted, they are privacy fences and I am not shooting any crazy distances (at least not there), but I don't want to have my kids out there shooting either because sometimes, you never know where that arrow is going.  We usually relegate our shooting to the lease or our demo range behind the store.  I haven't looked, but my guess is there is a city ordinance against such things.  The program outlined above would be a great way to increase access to outdoor activities and provide a safe practice range for bowhunters and archery enthusiasts.

Yesterday, I was just thinking about the lack of opportunities for good fishing around San Antonio. There are creeks and lakes around town, but most are a little suspect.  Too many people, too much trash, too much drinking and partying, not enough fish. More importantly, not a place I want to take my kids.  Although, I will say that yesterday, I did take Cole to a small pond close to the house and we had a pleasant afternoon. We didn't catch any fish, but Cole had fun chasing and catching frogs. But I'm talking about places you can launch a kayak and fish for few hours after work without an hour drive.

Uncle Chuck teaching Cole
the "rod holder method".
Video: Chris Carson

We travel to Austin and the surrounding communities quite a bit for baseball.  I have noticed that they have done what seems like a fantastic job of adding ponds to their park facilities.  In addition to  Lake Travis and Lake Austin, there is Decker Lake, Lady Bird Lake, Granger Lake, and numerous ponds in parks and communities off the top of my head.  I am assuming these are for flood and erosion control in many instances.  San Antonio has Olmos Basin (which only holds water in flood events), along with Woodlawn Lake, Calaveras, and Braunig.  All of which are on the opposite side of town from me and tend to be crowded and over-fished.  Not to mention somebody usually drives a car into Woodlawn Lake at least once a year.

San Antonio has done an outstanding job developing the creeks into a linear parks system called greenways.  It's a great concept that links parks via the creeks with walking/running/riding trails including some off the beaten path segments for hikers, mountain bikers, and BMXers.  We have enjoyed them immensely and look forward to more park development as what is there is becoming more and more crowded.  I do think and hope that more ponds and possibly some archery ranges could easily be incorporated.

Big smile anticipating a great fishing trip
and it was.
Photo: Chris Carson

With the myriad of things wrong with the leadership in this country, it seems like this should be the least of our worries.  However, there are those that seek to destroy our way of life (and it is a way of life Why Do I Hunt & Fish? It's A Way Of Life ), by limiting our access to these activities if not removing them altogether.  I see it everywhere... Last night, I was watching a rerun of CSI and a deer hunter was continually referred to as a "deer hater".  Add CSI to the list of shows and movies I no longer want to watch.  Don't even get me started on the trash I see on Facebook or what I have seen removed.

We live in uncertain times.  This country is changing and life as we know it will not be the same for our kids and grandkids much the way ours differs from our ancestors.  A hundred years ago, nobody would have thought twice about seeing a dead animal.  Nobody questioned the natural cycle of life or that humans are at their core predators.  But, in this day and age that all seems to be up for debate.

So, ask your local politicians where they stand on these issues. Pressure city and county leaders to incorporate lakes and ponds and ask your state wildlife officials to stock them.  Texas Parks and Wildlife has a program for this purpose called Neighborhood Fishin'.  This is an excellent way to connect kids to the outdoors.

All the photos in this post are my kids enjoying the outdoors.  Can you imagine an America where this would be frowned upon?  To some folks, it already is frowned upon.  Note the smiles that never would have happened if it were not for these trips!  Video games, computers, and indoor activities don't generate these sort of responses.  Would you frame a photo of your kids playing on a cell phone or snap a quick pic of high score on a video game?

If you have any relevant ideas or program ideas, let us know in the comments below or on Facebook.

A great fishing trip out of Port Mansfield, TX.  Cole's first saltwater trip.  A Texas Slam for the weekend.
Photos: Chris Carson