“hunting participation”

The 2022 National R3 Symposium wrapped up last week in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The 220 participants representing over 100 different organizations with an interest in hunting and shooting sports were the first to lay eyes on data released from the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council), documenting a slight decrease in hunting license sales in 2021.

You wouldn’t go hunting without proper preparation; likewise, it’s equally important to prepare to communicate effectively about hunting before you find yourself trying to defend it.

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.

In 2021, ‘Join the Hunt’ will provide—thanks to the NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum—research, tips and talking points to teach hunters how to talk about hunting’s positive impact.

While hunting participation at the nationwide level is down, license sales in Western and Southeastern states are booming.

Lessons the author learned while introducing friends and family to our pastime can be brought to bear by other hunters who seek to add to our fold.

The numbers don't lie. Though residents fill the fields, nonresident hunters are a loyal bunch, and their interstate travels increasingly are helping sustain conservation efforts.

Acknowledging youth hunter recruitment efforts may not necessarily pay dividends, many states now focus additional effort on the 27- to 40-year-old adults, people who have the time, money and resources to hunt and take their kids hunting.

Hunting buddies provide more than a laugh and a hand at camp. Studies show they are a driving force behind our desire to go afield.