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SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCING OUR TIME- HONORED TRADITIONS
BY ELLARY TUCKERWiLLiAMS SENiOR COORDiNATOR, ROCKY MOUNTAiN STATES, CONGRESSiONAL SPORTSMEN’S FOUNDATiON
Why do you hunt? It seems like a straightforward question, but for many it’s not that simple. For me, I hunt for many reasons and to narrow it down to one would be disingenuous. I hunt because my family did. I hunt to put high-quality meat in my freezer. I hunt because it provides me with an unrivaled and profound connection to nature. I hunt because it’s a challenge requiring the perfect combination of preparation, skill, and luck to be successful. As a hunter, I am playing an active role in sustainable wildlife management while providing critical funding for state-based conservation efforts. However, as the demographics of our country evolve, fewer people outside of the hunting community understand this reality and it’s negatively impacting the future of conservation.
For over 80 years, sportspeople have played a crucial role in funding conservation efforts in the United States through the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF). The ASCF is a “user pays – public benefits” structure, unique to the rest of the world, in which those that consumptively use public resources (i.e., hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers) pay for the privilege, and in some cases the right, to do so. This funding system has allowed the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to become recognized as the As with anything, most successful conservation framework in history. Today, most state fish and change is inevitable, and wildlife agencies receive it is up to us approximately 80% of to respond their funding through the ASCF while some states still rely nearly 100% on accordingly or get left behind in the the funding generated process. from sportspeople.
Despite being broadly effective, the ASCF is not infallible. Because of its “user-pay” structure, the system is dependent on the active participation of sportspeople buying licenses and sporting-related goods subject to excise taxes via the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Acts. Without hunters, anglers, trappers and recreational shooters, the system fails, which has become all too apparent in recent years as the number of hunters has declined.
Hunting participation peaked in 1982, when nearly 17 million hunters purchased 28.3 million licenses. Since then, hunter numbers have steadily declined. In 2016, just 11.5 million people hunted, equating to less than 4% of the national population. Fewer hunters mean less critical funding available through the ASCF to our state fish and wildlife agencies in support of their conservation goals and objectives. So, what has changed?
The United States is not the same as it was in 1982, nor can we expect it to be. As with anything, change is inevitable, and it is up to us to respond accordingly or get left behind in the process. The decline in hunter participation can be attributed to numerous factors, but for the sake of brevity, we are going to focus on how shifting demographics plays a key role in hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3).
AGiNG COHORT OF HUNTERS
Baby boomers (individuals born between 1946 and 1964) encompass about 1/3 of all hunters nationally today. Through license purchasing trends, we know that when people reach their late 60’s and early 70’s, they generally stop hunting, not for a lack of passion, but primarily due to the constraints that come naturally with time. It is not unreasonable to estimate that within 15 years, most baby boomer hunters will stop buying hunting licenses entirely. This could be disastrous for the hunting community if we do not have the hunter recruitment numbers to counteract the 33% vacancy. Many organizations and state agencies have committed substantial time, energy, and resources into hunter R3 efforts to address this imminent threat to the ASCF and wildlife conservation.
RURAL-URBAN DiViDE
Where people live matters. Historically, hunters have been predominantly from rural backgrounds and that makes logical sense. In general, individuals from rural areas have social systems that support hunting, they have a close family member or friend to serve as a mentor, live closer to huntable areas and have a greater overall level of exposure to and knowledge about hunting, hunting culture and the role it plays in conservation. Contrastingly, individuals from urban areas are less likely to have similar experiences or opportunities, which creates significant barriers to hunter R3 efforts. To put it into perspective, since 1960, U.S. rural population levels have remained stable at approximately 57 million, while urban populations have increased by 146.45 million people. Simply put, our urban populations are outpacing our rural populations, and our hunter R3 efforts need to reflect this reality.
DiVERSiTY – MORE THAN JUST A BUZZ WORD
It comes as no surprise that hunters have historically been Caucasian men. However, in a recent study titled “Diverse University Students Across the United States Reveal Promising Pathways to Hunter Recruitment and Retention,” the authors surveyed undergraduates from 22 universities across the country and found that 22% of students surveyed had no hunting experience but were interested in trying it. Identified as “potential
Left: Fairly new to big game hunting, Ellary had a successful public land hunt where she harvested her first white-tailed buck in eastern Wyoming with her older brother. Right: On a spring hunt in eastern Washington, Ellary was able to harvest this beautiful Merriam’s gobbler with the help of her older brother and fiancé.
hunters,” this group was particularly diverse in which 47% were female, 38% identified as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian, American Indian or other, 43% percent came from urban hometowns, and 74% had no immediate family members who hunted. Increasing minority groups exposure and involvement in hunting is critical for the continued success of the ASCF and subsequent wildlife conservation. By recruiting and retaining hunters from diverse, underrepresented groups, we create a positive feedback loop, helping to breakdown existing barriers such as mentorship, lack of exposure, and supportive social systems which in turn facilitates future R3 efforts.
YOU HAVE YOUR REASONS AND i HAVE MiNE
In addition to a shift in demographics, we know the motivations behind wanting to hunt within the “potential hunter” group is centered on “ethically and locally sourced meat” and their individual contributions to conservation (e.g., contributing to the ASCF, population control, or ecosystem benefits,) and less concerned with the “trophy” aspect. If we want hunter R3 efforts to be effective, appealing to this narrative may encourage those “potential hunters” to take to the field for the first time. Our message must resonate with the intended audience, otherwise it is a miscommunication and missed opportunity.
Though many see these challenges as an indication that the ASCF needs to be reformed and that hunting is becoming an obsolete activity, we at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation see it as an opportunity to do better. We know the ASCF works! It has been working for the past 80 years through countless conservation success stories too numerous to list. As a community, we did a poor job paying attention to the shifting demographics and perspectives relative to hunting that has landed us in the current predicament. R3 programs are more important than ever and as a community, we need to ensure that those resources are being spent in the areas that can produce significant return on investment.
While we hope to retain as many new hunters as possible, the fact is that not every person will become a lifelong hunter. This does not, however, necessarily equate to wasted resources. By providing those individuals with a positive hunting experience and educating them to the role hunting plays in conservation, we are creating allies. Now, when these individuals are presented with a contrasting opinion or misinformation about hunting, they have firsthand experiences and knowledge to question that rhetoric. So, when it comes to the ballot box, conversations within their social networks, or actively supporting someone’s interest in hunting, they are helping to breakdown the same barriers they faced. Let us do better, together.
If you are interested in a more in depth look at Shifting Demographics: Challenges and Opportunities for Advancing our Time-Honored Traditions, visit www.nascsummit.org. ★
