Hunting used to be a common American activity, BUT: it also used to be common for landowners to say, "yeah, I guess you can hunt as long as you close the gates behind you , respect my cattle, and don't litter." NOW it is, this deer lease is xxx$ per acre--PRICING THE AVERAGE GUY OUT. Land access, both public and private will be the real limiting factor when it comes to the future of hunting in Texas. How can you say, here is sustainable "field to fork." if it costs ten times what steak costs?
Our public lands should especially be managed to introduce new hunters, otherwise the revenue hungry state will find other sources of income from it. Don't believe me? Even here in Dallas, the government shut down one of the few parks on lake Ray Hubbard, selling it to business development because it brought in more tax revenue. Want to fish there? Better have a boat. Tough luck new fishermen who can't afford one. The boom for gov revenue from hunters is now--where do they even think it will come from when this generation passes? Leaving it to government to figure out when the time comes is waiting for a train wreck.
