6 minute read
Join The Hunt
Emma Macek
Emma Macek is a public information officer in the DNR’s Office of Communications.
Enjoying outdoor spaces, watching wildlife, harvesting wild game and spending time with family and friends are just a few of the joys hunting can bring. Yet barriers exist that prevent some from experiencing these benefits.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, people of color comprise only about 23% of hunters.
Groups like Color in the Outdoors, the Minority Outdoor Alliance, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and Hunters of Color encourage people of all backgrounds to try hunting by providing new opportunities through welcoming and inclusive programs.
Bringing new people into hunting increases interest in and support for wildlife conservation, allows more Wisconsinites to benefit from the state’s natural resources and helps grow the next generation of hunters.
Public Lands For All
A recent study of Black hunters was led by the Wildlife Management Institute and partners with funding from the Multistate Conservation Grant Program, jointly managed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the USFWS. Supported by Hunters of Color and the Minority Outdoor Alliance, the study found three significant barriers to participation: land access constraints, competing time commitments and costs.
Jimmy Flatt, executive director of Hunters of Color, said land access issues have long existed for minority groups, partly because most privately held land in the U.S. is owned by white Americans.
“That means public land is even more important to communities of color,” Flatt said.
The study of Black hunters found that 35% of respondents use public land, with 24% hunting on public lands exclusively, higher percentages than the national hunter population.
Although that seems to drive home the importance of public lands, fear of using such areas might remain a deterrent — especially given recent high-profile incidents of discrimination against people of color recreating outdoors.
Christopher Kilgour, founder of Wisconsin-based Color in the Outdoors, said going to public lands can be scary for people of color who hunt.
“When people use that response of, ‘It’s public land; anybody can show up,’ well, yeah, but a haunted house is a house and the door’s open, but do you want to go in?” Kilgour said.
“It’s a terrifying-looking building. I’m not going in there, even if the door’s wide open.”
Learn to Hunt programs can support new hunters in using public land, said Keng Yang, a board member of the Minnesota chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.
“The main thing we’re highlighting is public land,” Keng said. “We’re hoping brand-new hunters will go out on their own and be comfortable on public land.”
Such hunting was common for Keng’s family.
“My parents are immigrants from Laos, and we’re Hmong,” Keng said. “When I was born in California and we moved to Minnesota, my dad brought back a whole bunch of skills and knowledge and traditions (as did) my uncles, and the only opportunity they had to hunt was public land.”
Start Small And Learn
Perceptions about costs can be another deterrent, but hunting doesn’t have to be expensive, Flatt noted.
“You can start small and build up from there,” Flatt said. “You don’t need very fancy things to go out. The key thing is going out and learning as you go.”
These groups offer workshops around the state that provide a safe space for new hunters to learn about hunting through classroom and field instruction before hunting with a mentor. They may provide equipment to borrow for getting started.
Durrell Smith, president of the Minority Outdoor Alliance, said Learn to Hunt programs provide a safe space for beginners.
“There are a lot of self-motivated people in this world, but you’re not going to be self-motivated if you don’t know where to start,” said Smith, who co-founded Minority Outdoor Alliance with his wife, Ashley.
The group is dedicated to uniting people through the joy found in the outdoors and in being a good steward of our natural resources.
“There is way more that unites us than divides us,” Ashley Smith said. “And we are all one human family tasked with taking care of our shared home.”
'We're A Part Of That'
Flatt said the first step to hunting is to gain confidence.
“A lot of us have that perceived notion it’s something we can’t do. First, get over that,” Flatt said. “Resources are supposed to be held in the public trust, and we’re a part of that.”
Joining a group that promotes hunting can help, Keng said. “Meet people and have conversations, and eventually you’ll find someone who’s going to really want to help you get out and hunt.”
As with anything, making time for hunting can be a big part of the challenge. Start somewhere and go from there, Smith advised.
“Figure out what you want to hunt and go,” he said. “You have to take the first step, even if you don’t know anything.”
Growing into hunting can lead to great rewards, said DNR hunting and shooting sports program specialist Emily Iehl.
“Keep chipping away at it, even if it’s for an hour or two at a time,” Iehl said. “Start by building the skills you enjoy most — the longer you stay with it, the more doors will open.”
Learn More
Explore DNR Learn to Hunt opportunities online. To learn about grant opportunities for groups to help expand hunting education, visit the DNR's Hunter Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation Grant Program webpage. For details about specific groups mentioned here, visit their websites:
