12. What research has been done on youth hunting?
I think one of the best sources of information on the topic of youth hunting
is " Factors Related to Hunting and Fishing Participation Among the Nation's
Youth". This report was conducted by Responsive Management and
provides an excellent overview of what needs to be done in reaching future
generations of sportsmen. Responsive Management’s website is www.responsivemanagement.com
Below is a summary of some important points from the study. The NSSF also
conducted a survey that focused on our STEP OUTSIDE Program and its ability
to foster a continuation in outdoor activities among youth. The STEP OUTSIDE
program is one of the recommendations in the report mentioned above.
Youth Participation (Hunting)
* Just under a quarter of youth (24%) had gone hunting at some time in the
past, and 15% of youth had hunted in the previous year. Youth participation
in hunting is positively related to being male, to having family members who
hunt, to having also been fishing, and to living in a rural area or spending
time in rural areas.
* The mean number of times that youth went hunting in the past year was 8.8
times.
* The mean age at which youth hunters had started hunting was 10 years.
* Youth hunters typically had a mentor who had a positive influence on their
interest and/or participation in hunting. (Most often to be their father or
another male family member). Youth who were very interested in going hunting
were significantly more likely to have a family member who hunt or come from
hunting families.
* The top reasons that would encourage youth to go hunting or to hunt more
were being asked by another person, such as his/her father, another family
member or a friend.
* Single-parent households, including female-headed households are not negatively
affecting hunting participation.
* Youth hunting is most commonly linked to having fun, being close to nature/outdoors,
being with friends or family and for the challenge.
Social Implications (Hunting)
* Demographic trends indicate that the percentage of youth in relation to
the total population is decreasing and will continue to decrease in the future.
This shift may affect the recruitment and retention of youth hunters. Since
most youths are initiated into hunting by an adult, the implications of an
aging population present additional challenges in recruitment and retention.
* Another major demographic shift in the US is the increase percentage of
households in urban areas and the decrease in the percentage of households
in rural areas. One of the most important variables related to hunting is growing
up in a rural environment.
* The proportion of two-parent families in the U.S. in which both parents
work has increased; the number of hours that wage earners are working has also
increased. These too have implications for the availability of time to go hunting.
Lack of time is one of the most important constraints in hunting participation.
Recommendations
* The most important tenet of hunting recruitment is that hunting initiation
takes place within the context of the family. 92% of all youth hunters came
from a hunting family. Programs that foster hunting initiation within this
context will be most successful.
* Programs that go beyond fostering hunting initiation within the context
of the family should strive to replicate a close mentor, an experienced hunter
and provide repeated exposure to hunting and its culture over time.
* Mentoring is very important in the hunting participation program. An important
program to encourage hunting participation that builds on the idea of a mentor
is the STEP OUTSIDE Program.
* Hunting is predominantly white, rural, male. Strategies to increase participation
need to target this demographic group.
* There is a positive correlation between hunting and fishing.
* Traditional hunting programs are not as important to today's youth. Therefore
programs should emphasize fun and family aspects first.
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