STEP OUTSIDE® Eyes A
Half-Million Newcomers
NEWTOWN, Conn.—STEP
OUTSIDE®, the popular National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) program
that helps people get started in hunting, shooting, fishing and archery,
is poised to reach a milestone: By the end of the year, the program will
have reached a half-million newcomers.
NSSF officials aren’t sure where or when in
2006 the milestone will be reached, but are making plans to celebrate
the introduction of the 500,000th new hunter, shooter, angler or archer.
Special recognition will be given later this year.
To find a STEP OUTSIDE event in your area,
visit www.stepoutside.org.
Launched in 1997, STEP
OUTSIDE partners with state fish and wildlife agencies, businesses,
clubs and other organizations to assist in hosting recruitment
activities, which provide newcomers with a hands-on introduction to
America’s outdoor traditions and a vehicle to future participation.
“That’s not only 500,000 people who spent a
day learning about hunting, shooting, fishing or archery, but
potentially a half-million new lifelong participants of these
activities,” said Melissa Schilling, STEP OUTSIDE national coordinator.
A survey conducted last
year found the STEP OUTSIDE program has made a significant impact on
recruiting newcomers to the outdoors.
As a direct result of their STEP OUTSIDE
experiences, 58.5 percent of survey respondents said they continue to
participate in target shooting (shotgun), 52.9 percent continue to
participate in fishing and 48.5 percent have continued to hunt
(shotgun). Others said they have continued to participate in archery
(35.6 percent), hunting with a rifle (39.2 percent) and target shooting
with a rifle (45.2 percent).
The survey also showed that nearly all STEP
OUTSIDE participants are purchasing outdoor sports equipment for their
next experiences. When asked if they had purchased outdoor sports
equipment in the past year, 91 percent said, “yes,” while 93 percent
said they plan to purchase equipment in the next year.
“There are 40 million Americans who
participate in hunting and the shooting sports each year. If each of
them were to take a STEP OUTSIDE with one person, the results would be
astounding,” added Schilling.
To learn more about
NSSF’s STEP OUTSIDE program, visit
www.stepoutside.org.
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