Hunter Reactivation: Replenishing Our Numbers
Dr. John Woods 02.12.20
It is impossible to escape the fact that hunter participation numbers are declining. This downward sliding trend has been going on now for more than a decade. Unfortunately it seems that very few current hunters recognize this fact or much care about it. I think it is an awareness issue.
Most state wildlife agencies across the country have some sort of youth hunter recruitment program, but I am uncertain just how successful they have been. The sociology of family dynamics has changed so much that many young people today are living in single-parent households, which often means they don’t engage in outdoor activities — especially hunting.
Several outdoors and hunting-related conservation organizations are also working on hunter recruitment programs. Outfits like the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Quality Deer Management Association have efforts trying to get more people involved in outdoor sport hunting. It is a struggle for sure.
A new concept that is gaining traction is the reactivation of so-called “retired” hunters. These may be adults that have just left the hunting fields for a wide variety of reasons like fewer places to hunt, nobody to hunt with, or access to hunting clubs or other reasons. Some may be health-related, but many have just lost interest.
Then there are the true senior hunters that may have just been left behind. Actually it may be a father or grandfather that used to hunt, but just quit. Maybe all it would take is an invitation to once again join you on a hunt. It could be they might enjoy the camp experience again, a session at the campfire, or helping out with the camp cooking or just plain ol’ visitation with relatives and friends.
Most seniors don’t even have to purchase or possess a hunting license in many states. Check the regulations where you live to see if a senior can hunt without a license. All you have to do is help him gather up some hunting gear including appropriate clothing and boots. He or she may already have a beloved gun they would love to once again carry afield. Make it happen.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can simply be deer hunting in a comfortable shooting house, a duck blind set up for two or more hunters, a brushed-in ground blind, or a leisurely stroll down a woods trail in search of rabbits or squirrels. It is the outdoor experience alone that might reactivate a hunter to once again join the ranks.
