FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Farlang]

Just before I am heading out, I came across this article which has nothing to do with mineral collecting, yet it does: it's about hunting, NYT article can be found here:
Moderator: please add emailed NYT link here.
Interestingly enough some states resort to "hunting classes" and handing out "junior licences" to revive hunting which has seen a 20 % decline in the last 30 years. Similarly in other news articles a decline (25 %) in fishing, visit to national parks and camping was discussed.
For example here: Moderator: please add emailed link here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/us/08hunting.html?hp

https://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/03/08/freetime/doc47c901b8da5a4723555663.txt

The articles make some interesting points: from the shift to video games (and I would like to add that it's by no means only video games: include social networks, instant messaging, mobile, ipods, online virtual worlds etc etc into this) to being "lazy": modern hunters want to drive the 4x4 to a platform eat popcorn and shoot.

However... that's only part of the story. In the NYT article it says that OTHER outdoor activities are UP: wilife photography, birdwatching (both need time AND patience !) etc.
The NYT article also touched another important point in my opinion: the UNDERLYING DYANMICS of hunting: where this requires effort (tracking, going through mud, looking for trails) from both parents and children, bringing your kid to a sports match and watch and cheer for a few hours requires quite a different type of involvement. However that does not explain the increase in bird watching or photography in my opinion.

So what is it then ? Hunting is a somewhat loaded activity perhaps (no pun intended) but.. then compare bird watching with national park visit and nature photography with camping. Why are some up, and some down ? What's the dynamics of all this ?

Now.. does this mean our interest in global warming, alternative energies and environment, all VERY Important to the younger crowd, is abstract ? Is birdwatching more interesting because it is more "passive" than hunting or mineral collecting ? After all collecting oftentimes involves sweating and hitting rocks.

Personally I do not think there's an easy answer to this. My post is to relate a trend within mineral collecting, if there is one, to other trends (As you know from my other points of view, I do not believe in an "isolated situation") There are parallels to draw, but the data is confusing. Or is it ? And what can we conclude from this ?