subsistence hunting study

C

Charshooter

New member
I have found out through questioners that men who grew up with fathers who subsistence hunted are about four times more likely to hunt themselves than sons of sport hunters who in turn are about six times more likely to hunt as sons whose fathers do not hunt at all. This research was conducted in Texas and Louisiana in 1995

This research suggested that boys from subsistence hunting families were about 24 times more likely to maintain future generations of hunting males. It further demonstrated that females whose fathers subsistence hunted were twice as likely to hunt as those whose fathers sport hunted. At the time the questioner was taken, the population sample did not demonstrate significant percentages of female hunters to conclude that women from any kind of hunting family other than subsistence hunters were more likely to hunt. The study did demonstrate that for men, having sport hunting fathers, increased the likelihood of a boy growing up to become a hunter by 600 percent and this likelihood was increased two to four times higher if their father was a subsistence hunter. The confounding factors that mitigated the strongest against future hunting were moving to an urban area, having a high salary urban job and marrying into an urban family.

I may want to add, the questions were posed to college age persons and working persons the same age and data was collected in over a dozen years ago.
 
I guess I'm really screwing up the stats, because 4 of the guys who I deer hunt with, picked up the sport from hunting with me, because their dads didn't hunt.

I will say that every one of the kids I hunt with, kill a deer almost every year, and their dads don't have much trouble helping them eat it.:D
 
My dad grew up on a subsistence farm in the backwoods of Alabama and Mississippi during the Depression, and he hunted and fished right up until the day he died. When I was just a little guy, I admired the deer, birds, rabbits and other food he brought home as being a sign of independence or not relying on others. As I grew up, I started hunting on my own, and developed my own tradition. When I got older, I spent a lot of time talking about hunting with my dad, and improved our relationship because of our common activity. But, as the study showed, he hunted because he had learned how to in order to eat, not to be independent as I did. So, it seems there may be as many reasons for hunting as there are hunters. When I ask my hunting buddies why they hunt, some of them just shrug and say they do it because they like to and it's accessible.
 
Subsistance

There are guys that livearound me that subsistance hunt. I let them use my farm to harvest as they need the food. It is not unusual around here to at least hunt as a money saver. We also let the guys take eggs and occasional chicken to help out.
 
Here in good 'ol Montucky my wife and I kill enough to keep the 3 of us from ever eating beef outside of a restaurant. We can eat up to 10 deer per year, and anything less than 7 will run us out of meat in about August. We have tags enough here to do it all on the up and up, but only take pictures of the trophies & firsts.


My father was a subsistance hunter. He grew up in a tarpaper shotgun shack durring the "Dirty Thirties", poaching only as needs dictated. Remember they had no freezers then. In those days a poor family could feed the local game warden a meal of fresh venison in April, but if a rich man poached a deer he would get the book thrown at him.

In fact, he once killed a WT doe as meat for his snowed-in CC camp with a slug he made out of a battery post and loaded into a birdshot shell. According to him he held the bead of his "Long Tom" shotgun dead center at a distance of just 20 feet. The hommade slug flew so poorly that it hit just below the ear! All was well that ended well, and for 2 days they had meat with their rice and beans. They were able to break a trail a few days later.
 
My family occasionaly hunted but only took me once as a kid. And it was a bad experience because they got me lost in the woods with no emergency supplies. But when I was growing up I read a lot of outdoor adventure books, etc. Love the outdoors. So I got into it as an adult. I wouldnt say it came from family tradition but more of my own interest.
 
I guess I'm one of those statistical anomalies; no hunting tradition in my family at all, yet I go out for a few species every year, and trying to increase my opprtunities all the time.

Of course, I hunt like I never had anyone to teach me, too:o
 
I have been "adopted" by my wife's family. They let me stock the freezer. My pops did a little hunting when younger, but didn't continue after serving. Now he puts out a mineral lick and takes pictures. When I visit I make the obligatory peqqqqqqqqqew sound each time I see a mulie or elk. He just smiles and reaches for the camera. He's happy to let me bring dinner.

I wish I had the kind of bonding with him that hunting brings. Maybe one day, but it had better come soon.
 
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