National Youth Hunting Trends

NATIONAL YOUTH HUNTING TRENDSBy Olivia DorothyYouth Program CoordinatorDepartment of Natural ResourcesAugust 12, 2009

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What encourages hunting and shooting participation?

What do current and potential participants need to increase participation?

How can we market these activities?

WHY JOHNNY WON’T HUNT

The number of hunters have decreased

The public supports hunting

Fewer youth are involved

Sportsmen contribute significantly to species management and habitat conservation

Conservation donations Hunter: $53 / year Average American:

$32 / year

Trends Who cares?

TRENDS

RETENTION

Younger initiation correlates with greater avidity

Initiation is most common through male family members

IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY

“It takes a hunter to make a hunter”

MOTIVATIONS

WHY DON’T PEOPLE HUNT?

Hunters Non-Hunters

RESULTS

Declining due to increasingly urban and aging society

Lack of access and awareness Lack of sufficient financial resources Lack of coordination to guide

recruitment and retention programs

SUGGESTIONS

Increase awareness of recruitment and retention programs, especially among outdoor recreationists who do not already hunt

Create standardized teaching methods that maximize hunting participation after the course

Foster the natural path to hunting, which begins at a young age when mentors take kids out hunting. Family support of hunting is critical.

Enable the most simple activities for beginning hunters

Intense hunting education courses should occur after initiation