There was a blog post on the online version of High Country News (a magazine broadly concerned with environmental issues of the west) written by a young bearded hipster whose only variation from the mean might be that he grew up hunting and fishing. www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/gone-hunting-wolves The editors had to come onto the comment section twice to explain that it was simply a blog post about a legal activity (hunting wolves), the Facebook link to the same article drew close to 100 comments mostly negative. There is still a ways to go.

My hope is that the broader acceptance of deer hunting will lead to an understanding of hunting's role in conservation.

As commanded I will run around hugging soccer moms.
I've long used the "If free range is better wild is best" logic in discussion with my non-hunting friends. It generally strikes a chord.

the best part of this article is the point that being a hunter does not automatically mean that your politics fit into a very specific (read: conservative) mold. there are liberal minded hunters now and there always have been. the discussions on this website are further evidence of that.

Cannot get the thought out of my head of the hipster who buys a fly rod, visits a dude ranch out west, catches a few trout under a strike indicator, then calls himself a fly fisherman.

On what possible basis could I shoot you down on this? Seriously, this article should be called a “jump for joy” article rather than “shoot me down.” Having grown up an outdoorsman who has lived in the Boston Metro area of Massachusetts for the entirety of my short life, I am genuinely pleased to know that perhaps we have finally gained ground in this battle.
There are other reasons that suburbanites may be gaining a greater acceptance of hunting other than just the localvore movement. Increased deer populations in suburban areas have meant that limited hunting opportunities have reopened in these areas for the purposes of herd reduction. Townspeople might now see hunting as a necessary way to stop forest degradation and limit the spread of lymes diseases as well as finally seeing the logic of sorely needed population reduction. In Weston MA, a town that neighbor’s mine, the deer population has reached approximately 25 deer per square mile, which is bad considering this is an urban area with no farmland. The town recently opened up a bow season there, and the realization is finally dawning on the folks there that hunting is not only favorable, but necessary. Still, we must remain vigilant, for with the increased exposure will come more opposition. Already there is a group in Weston committed to stopping the hunt.
Ultimately, it’s these kinds of localvores who I believe are going to save our sport. Guys like Hank Shaw (The Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook) and Tovar Cervuli are taking hunting from a “good ol boy” activity and bringing it to the masses of the new generation. If we want to see hunting continue, then we must embrace these newcomers, and show them what it’s really all about. If we do, then watch with amazement as groups like PETA and HSUS start to lose their powerbase and crumble, as their suburban followers suddenly realize the folly of these groups and embrace hunting.

Excellent points, by the way, ne.

I'll have to agree, and I'll take it even a step further. Not only are the "hipters" getting into hunting more and more, but around here, I've seen a definate increase in the younger generation getting into hunting as well. I've only been hunting for about 5 years now, but as I got more and more into it, I also involved my son, who will be 16 in Jan. Not only has it grown to be a passion of his, but many of his friends are making their way out to the fields & woods, as well. My great-uncle owns a near-by trap range and Jake (my son) & I have taken a half-dozen or so of his buddies with us to shoot clays...now my phone is constantly buzzing with texts asking when we're going again! I think it's great to see more people, especially the younger generation, getting involved in hunting and the outdoors, in general. Anything that gets high school kids off the XBox and outdoors gets a thumbs-up from me! Now, if we can just get the "hipsters" to describe it as something other than "trendy" we'd be in good shape. Trends come and go. Hunting is something that needs to be passed down from one generation to the next. Not only is it about the end product, harvesting game and filling a freezer, but more importantly it is about spending quality time with friends & family.

Great article, and great news for the outdoor community. In my opinion, it would be foolish to shoot this one down. If people want hunting and fishing to flourish then accepting anyone who is interested is the best medicine. Those who shun or scoff at the "hipster" because they dont fit the bill of the classic hunter image is actually acting like a hipster themselves. "You arent cool enough like the rest of us to hunt."

I will bite. I don't think hipsters have any use in the woods other than hugging trees or piddling their soon to be baby momma. The hipsters or BDZ's (Brain Dead Zombies) if you will doesn't understand hunting or the origins/tradition of it, they would be merely out there to kill. Don't get me wrong these skinny jean wearing hipsters need a little taste of the outdoors and what it means/takes to be a man. Most of them think being in touch with their softer side, wearing skinny jeans, popped collars, fake diamond earings the size of my t3st3es, etc... is cool. When my wife and I go out she always has the same comment, "There are no real men left in this world" (of course not talking of me because I'm pictured in the dictionary next to manly)!!! She's thouroghly convinced that 75% of all males switch hit and I couldn't agree more. So thats my broad generalization of hipsters.

Now for the reason they don't need to be in the woods hunting:

1) They don't understand hunting. It isn't for fun although it is enjoyable.It's about nature, instinct, God, love, tradition, survival, and the satisfaction of being self-sufficient providing for yourself, your family, and others that you may help with food. They don't get that otherwise this would have been a non-issue to begin with. They don't get that it isn't just killing even though your taking the life of a living thing. I pray over all my animals and thank God for them, I don't think they would understand the spirituality that most hunters have.

2) I know everyone says hunters are declining, I say BS! Where I live and pretty much throughout Ohio it is nearly impossible to find land to hunt for 2 reasons, 1 being it is already being hunted, 2 it is off limits because of some idiots that can't respect other peoples property and in my area that is the main cause and thanks to many of the hipsters we are talking about.

3) Starbucks is hard to keep warm in a treestand. Try it!

4) No cell phone reception!

5) I would rather take my chances with a jihadist with a AK47 than with some gamer with a shotgun that revels in COD.

Many more to go but simple is better. I should also say I'm a 30yrs old male that many here would consider a hipster based on their view, and rightfully so because with everything views are regional and based on age. Many I know considers me a hillbilly and people that I consider a hillbilly would consider me no different than someone from Manhattan.

I have seen this shift in attitude first hand. I live near a midwestern college town crawling with hipster-locavore-foodies and littered with organic co-op grocers.
I used to be the meat manager at such a store. Trendy suburbanites and hipsters alike would fork over small fortunes for grass-fed organic beef. Daily I would hear them bemoan the high cost. It made me want to leap over the counter, grab them by the shoulders, and point out that they had the finest red meat the world has to offer running through their backyards. "Ya know, those hooved animals that eat your hostas and your vegetable garden every year!?"
Instead, I would shrug and say, "I'm a deer hunter so I just eat venison." This was usually met with a mix of genuine appreciation and curiousity, with a hint of envy and awe. I could sense that the concept of hunting for meat was completely alien to them; these folks were about as likely to walk on the moon as they were to take up arms and go hunting. But they respected what I was telling them, and many said they'd love to try some of my vension.
Like nehunter92, my town's burgeoning urban deer population has reached a critical point. Two years ago the city council formed a "Deer Advisory Task Force" consisting of several people that knew zilch about deer. After countless meetings, thousands of taxpayer dollars, and lenghty discussions concerning fairy tale solutions like deer birth control, the task force offered forth their "findings" to the city council. They finally came to terms with the fact that hunting is the only feasible means for controling the deer population. The council adpoted their "findings" and this was met with surprisingly little public opposition. Next year there will be bow hunting allowed on parcels of land 5 acres or bigger.
Hipsters are unlikey allies but we'll take 'em. Any friend of hunting should be a friend of ours. And you're right Dave...we should still scoff at them privately. And maybe snicker a little too.

buckhunter:
I fully understand your point about flyfishing, but I strongly disagree with that sentiment. Comments and mentalities like that strongly discourage people from trying and staying involved with hunting/fishing. Would you downplay a child's first trout even though it was caught with a worm under a bobber? Adults have to start somewhere too, and discouragement like that does nothing but reduce their interest in further pursuing that activity.

Dave just like the guy that shot my uncles Heffer. Saying it was OK because he had a Doe permit. I believe you miss IDed the species. What you saw was a Naturalist. Someone that believes the world is governed by natural law. Hipsters are urban dwellers and rarely seen outside San Fransico and Williamsburg.

It's great that people become understanding of hunting and fishing but some people just don't belong in the woods.
About 10 years ago on the first day of rifle season I'm standing in a buddy of mine's garage who proceses deer listening to him and his father laughing about 2 guys from Pittsburgh that came in asking about "what they should do". Aparently one of them came into a clearing saw what he thought was an albino buck and shot it. Well turns out he shot a local farmer's goat that had got loose!
Granted they faced the embarasment of what they did which most people wouldn't do. But to go deer hunting and not being able to tell the difference between a goat and a deer is just stupid!
I would've loved to have been there when the game commission showed up!

Dudes shouldn't hug dudes who wear skinny jeans.

I like bioguy01's comment that we need more than youth programs. Many youth agencies are municipal and even rural town councils are not likely to approve a youth bureau hunting program due to the nightmare liability and logistical issues (and of course non-municipal agencies have the same problems). And my hat is off to sportsman's clubs and groups that have youth programs and events, but it seems that this isn't really anything that reaches out to nonhunters since the kids participating are usually hunters' kids and would more than likely grow up as hunters anyway. I'm not saying any of these efforts should end; I'm just saying that I think it has too long been a knee-jerk reaction to talk only about the kids when we talk about how to solve our diminishing numbers problem. Jcarlin, great way to talk about the food issue, by the way: "If free range is good, wild is better." I plan to use that in my next conversation with a nonhunter, if you don't mind.

Anything that increases our numbers works for me. Hunters and fishermen (fisher people) are the main reason we have parks, game lands and preserves- so it's great they are finally catching on. Just remember- don't spark up the dube until the guns are stowed away and no man purses or Uggs are allowed in the woods. Different kinds of people hunt- most of the people I hunt with are very conservative, but haven't been to church since grade school.

Great comment buckhunter. +1 for you sir!