RJ
11-19-2007, 07:43 PM
NEWTOWN* Conn. -- America's oldest outdoor tradition may be growing younger.
New data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show that young people represent ever-larger portions of America's ebbing hunting population. The ratio of hunters age 6-15 has grown nearly 4 percent since 2001.
Percentage of Youths Age 6-15 Among Total Participants
Hunters Anglers Wildlife Watchers
2001 10.9% 23.0% 16.0%
2006 11.3% 21.7% 14.4%
Percent Change +3.7% -5.6% -10.0%
Of the three outdoor activities tracked by the federal conservation agency* only hunting showed an increase in the percentage of youth participation. The ratio of young anglers fell more than 5 percent while young wildlife watchers showed the largest decline at 10 percent.
The statistics are part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2006 National Survey of Fishing* Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The survey shows that hunters age 16 and over slipped more than 3 percent to 12.5 million since the previous survey in 2001* while hunters age 6-15 held steady at 1.6 million.
The shooting* hunting and firearm industry's nonprofit trade association* the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)* attributes the youth stability to several factors.
"These new data suggest that hunter attrition between 2001 and 2006 centered on aging hunters. Participation among youngsters hasn't wavered* which makes them a larger subset within the total. That's welcome news because hunters have long emphasized the recruitment of youth as critical to the future of hunting and conservation*" said Chris Dolnack* senior vice president of NSSF.
Dolnack added that some of the most innovative and promising youth-hunting initiatives* such as Families Afield* are only beginning to bear fruit.
Families Afield* launched in 2004 by NSSF* National Wild Turkey Federation and U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance* urges states to eliminate unnecessary hunting age restrictions and ease hunter education mandates for first-time hunters.
Twelve states have changed laws and regulations to enhance future hunting opportunities for youths and their families. Half of those states are already reporting a significant climb in new hunters. Data from Florida* Illinois* Michigan* Minnesota* Mississippi and Ohio reveal that apprentice hunting license programs brought nearly 34*000 new hunters to the field (without a single hunting-related shooting incident) in just two years.
Families Afield states include:
Florida: Created a supervised hunting program that permits a newcomer to hunt with a mentor for one year before completion of a hunter education course.
Illinois: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 10 and higher hunting for one year before completion of a hunter education course.
Kansas: Permits newcomers under 16 to hunt with a mentor before completion of a hunter education course.
Kentucky: Created a one-year non-renewable exemption from hunter education classes for novices hunting under the supervision of a qualified mentor. Also raised from 10 to 12 the age at which a youth must take a hunter education class prior to hunting.
Louisiana: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 16 and higher hunting for one year before completion of a hunter education course.
Michigan: Lowered the minimum hunting age for small game from 12 to 10* and for big game from 14 to 12. Also created an apprentice hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 10 and higher hunting before completion of a hunter education course.
Minnesota: Permits new turkey hunters to hunt with a mentor before completing a hunter education course.
Mississippi: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting at any age for one year before completion of a hunter education course.
Ohio: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting for no more than three years at any age before completion of a hunter education course.
Pennsylvania: Created a mentoring license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting at any age for deer* turkey and groundhogs before completion of a hunter education course.
Tennessee: Created a program that exempts newcomers age 10 and higher from hunter education requirements for one year.
Utah: Eliminated the age minimum for small game hunting.
For more information* visit www.familiesafield.org.
New data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show that young people represent ever-larger portions of America's ebbing hunting population. The ratio of hunters age 6-15 has grown nearly 4 percent since 2001.
Percentage of Youths Age 6-15 Among Total Participants
Hunters Anglers Wildlife Watchers
2001 10.9% 23.0% 16.0%
2006 11.3% 21.7% 14.4%
Percent Change +3.7% -5.6% -10.0%
Of the three outdoor activities tracked by the federal conservation agency* only hunting showed an increase in the percentage of youth participation. The ratio of young anglers fell more than 5 percent while young wildlife watchers showed the largest decline at 10 percent.
The statistics are part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2006 National Survey of Fishing* Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The survey shows that hunters age 16 and over slipped more than 3 percent to 12.5 million since the previous survey in 2001* while hunters age 6-15 held steady at 1.6 million.
The shooting* hunting and firearm industry's nonprofit trade association* the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)* attributes the youth stability to several factors.
"These new data suggest that hunter attrition between 2001 and 2006 centered on aging hunters. Participation among youngsters hasn't wavered* which makes them a larger subset within the total. That's welcome news because hunters have long emphasized the recruitment of youth as critical to the future of hunting and conservation*" said Chris Dolnack* senior vice president of NSSF.
Dolnack added that some of the most innovative and promising youth-hunting initiatives* such as Families Afield* are only beginning to bear fruit.
Families Afield* launched in 2004 by NSSF* National Wild Turkey Federation and U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance* urges states to eliminate unnecessary hunting age restrictions and ease hunter education mandates for first-time hunters.
Twelve states have changed laws and regulations to enhance future hunting opportunities for youths and their families. Half of those states are already reporting a significant climb in new hunters. Data from Florida* Illinois* Michigan* Minnesota* Mississippi and Ohio reveal that apprentice hunting license programs brought nearly 34*000 new hunters to the field (without a single hunting-related shooting incident) in just two years.
Families Afield states include:
Florida: Created a supervised hunting program that permits a newcomer to hunt with a mentor for one year before completion of a hunter education course.
Illinois: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 10 and higher hunting for one year before completion of a hunter education course.
Kansas: Permits newcomers under 16 to hunt with a mentor before completion of a hunter education course.
Kentucky: Created a one-year non-renewable exemption from hunter education classes for novices hunting under the supervision of a qualified mentor. Also raised from 10 to 12 the age at which a youth must take a hunter education class prior to hunting.
Louisiana: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 16 and higher hunting for one year before completion of a hunter education course.
Michigan: Lowered the minimum hunting age for small game from 12 to 10* and for big game from 14 to 12. Also created an apprentice hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 10 and higher hunting before completion of a hunter education course.
Minnesota: Permits new turkey hunters to hunt with a mentor before completing a hunter education course.
Mississippi: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting at any age for one year before completion of a hunter education course.
Ohio: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting for no more than three years at any age before completion of a hunter education course.
Pennsylvania: Created a mentoring license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting at any age for deer* turkey and groundhogs before completion of a hunter education course.
Tennessee: Created a program that exempts newcomers age 10 and higher from hunter education requirements for one year.
Utah: Eliminated the age minimum for small game hunting.
For more information* visit www.familiesafield.org.