Predicting the future

When I guess what the future state of angling will be, for some reason I can’t get the line by Mike Myers’ character Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers movie out of my mind: “You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads!”

I’m not sure fish will seek revenge with lasers, but I am pretty sure that two areas of focus will dominate the conversation: technology and environment.

Concerns

Innovations have changed how we fish and hunt — and made us more efficient at it. But what lies ahead?

With society’s electronic addiction, are we going down a virtual-reality path where kids and adults alike fish and hunt in a rec room wearing a VR headset?

What about the future of our environment? Will pollution, population growth, restricted access and loss of habitat, invasive species, wildlife diseases, climate change, and myriad of other concerns alter hunting or fishing as we know it?

Only time will tell.

Positive vibes

Besides those concerns, anglers and hunters do have a lot to look forward to.

Interest in the outdoors has boomed. Yes, it means more people in the woods and on the water, but it also means more people care about protecting what we love.

I’m also looking forward to what replaces the centuries-old gunpowder in ammo. Will hard and soft baits have microchips and swim on their own? Will personal jet packs replace ATVs and bass boats?

All I know for sure is that I will continue to love and protect the wild places I crave and the creatures that inhabit them.

Read “The future?” on page 24 of the Jan.-Feb. 2023 issue to see what our staff and contributors think might be in store for anglers and hunters.