“recruit”

LaCrosse Footwear and Mossy Oak are proud to announce their partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF).

In our zeal to teach hunter-recruits marksmanship and fieldcraft we must not forget to arm them with the knowledge of everything American hunters have done to conserve our natural resources. A well-armed hunter, after all, is our best advertisement.

As we celebrate 150 years of the NRA and reflect on the progress generated by NRA hunter members over the years, let us also acknowledge that our once widely accepted pastime is being pushed to the fringes then commit to recruiting others to “Join the Hunt.”

Sooner or later all hunters “have a moment” while hunting. It’s a good bet a new hunter will experience one the first time he takes a head of game. That possibility makes now a good time to prepare him for the emotions that may come this fall.

Allowing someone to tag along while you chase squirrels or rabbits may be the simplest, most effective way to recruit new hunters.

In 1985, we launched a program to facilitate friendly competition among youths 18 and younger that would advance hunting skills including wildlife identification, orienteering and rifle, shotgun and archery marksmanship. Today, thousands of hunter education volunteers and parents still conduct this program at the state and local level to produce safer, more skillful and more ardent American hunters.

In 1973, the NRA introduced a monthly magazine focused solely on hunting. At a time when existing publications tailored to a wide array of sporting endeavors, such a singular-focused publication was a gamble. But within a decade, American Hunter boasted a million subscribers.

Article written by MeatEater founder's brother has the potential to divide hunters, but we should not let that happen.

Despite its importance as a good food source, as a wildlife-management tool and as a crucial source of funding for conservation in the United States, hunting remains vulnerable to misinformation and negative attention from ill-informed media, which can encourage support for restrictive legislation. The hunting community must appeal to non-hunters through common goals, motivations and values if our pastime is to remain a fixture in American life.