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September 22, 2011

Strong Support for Hunting Continues


This Saturday marks the 40th anniversary of  National Hunting & Fishing Day. As dads and moms bring their children to NHF Day events around the country, it’s good to know that public, including those who do not hunt or fish, support these traditional outdoor activities.

Results from a survey commissioned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation were released today showing that three-fourths of survey respondents (74 percent) said they approved of hunting, a level of support that has not varied by more than a few percentage points since 1995. “The numbers have been consistent over the past two decades,” said Mark Damian Duda, executive director of Responsive Management, the research firm that conducted the study. “Support for hunting is solid.”

The new study went a step further than previous research, revealing extraordinary support for the “right to hunt.” No matter what their opinion about hunting, Americans stand firmly behind a person’s right to hunt, with 94 percent agreeing it is “OK for other people to hunt if they do so legally and in accordance with hunting laws and regulations.” Only four percent of respondents wanted to strip citizens of the right to hunt.

The survey also revealed that Americans have a taste for eating what sportsmen harvest. Sixty-seven percent of respondents indicated they have eaten some type of wild (non-farm) game meat or fish within the last 12 months. This finding corresponds to people’s growing interest about their food sources. Hunters and their families have always known the benefits of eating healthful, hormone-free game meat, and now more people are enjoying cooking and eating game, with some even taking up hunting because it connects them directly with locally acquired, sustainable foods.

Read the NSSF news release.

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Tags: hunting National Hunting and Fishing Day National Shooting Sports Foundation NSSF surveys

Categories: Conservation, Education, Hunting, Industry News, Safety, Shooting