Doug Leier posted on January 23, 2007 04:06 :: 5941 Views
Two of the most often used buzzwords around state wildlife agency offices across the nation are “recruitment” and “retention” of hunters. Recruitment is attracting new hunters to replace those who move on or drop out. Retention is the process of keeping those who are current hunters interested in buying licenses and staying in the field.
The big picture of hunter retention is really not much different than for numerous other activities and interests across the United States. The baby boomer generation is advancing in years and members are reducing their participation in the work force and in volunteer organizations. The same is true for recreational pursuits, including hunting. The question is, how do you replace the workers, volunteers, and active participants when a significant portion of the population ages?
In some parts of the country, the number of young hunters is considerably lower than the number of middle-aged hunters who are starting to scale back. In North Dakota, however, that is not the case. State Game and Fish Department license sales statistics indicate that North Dakota has more young hunters now than ever before, despite the fact that the pool of kids to draw from isn’t as big as it once was.
North Dakota also has more total resident hunters – youth plus adults – than at any other time. In 2005, the number was more than 107,000 license buyers, and that doesn’t include landowners who are not required to buy a license to hunt on their own land. That’s approximately 26,000 more hunting license buyers than in 1990, though the state’s population remained about the same.
It’s probably not surprising that a high number of youth hunters coincide with a high number of adult hunters. Parents are primarily responsible for introducing their kids to a variety of interests, from piano lessons to Scouting to youth sports. If more parents are hunting, it’s reasonable to assume that more kids are tagging along.
It’s also fair to assume that the high number of hunters has a lot to do with high wildlife populations, especially white-tailed deer, pheasants and waterfowl, over the past decade or so. In 1990 when hunting license sales bottomed out before heading back up again, waterfowl populations were in crisis, deer numbers were much lower and the pheasant population was just starting to climb due to establishment of the first significant acres of the Conservation Reserve Program.
While North Dakota youth hunting participation is currently keeping pace or even exceeding adult participation, and is well above the national youth participation rate, the Game and Fish Department still has concerns. In 2005, North Dakota had about 8,900 9th graders. This is the biggest class in North Dakota’s school system right now. The number of 5th graders was about 7,800 (includes both public and private school enrollments), according to State Department of Public Instruction records.
In three years, North Dakota will have 1,100 fewer 14-year-olds available to buy their first deer license. And yet, if North Dakota can maintain the percentages, it will still have enough hunters.
First time or young hunters in North Dakota now have opportunities never afforded to my generation of 35-year-old hunters. These include the youth waterfowl season, youth deer season, youth pheasant weekend and other great programs sponsored by hunting and conservation organizations across the state.
Fact is, most hunters, club members and citizens recognize the positive influence hunting has on kids, and these people are willing to go the extra mile. There are even special YOUTH stickers which landowners may put on posted signs to indicate if a young hunter asks permission, they may be granted permission to hunt.
Because North Dakota hunter numbers remain strong, it’s vital to maintain those programs and projects that help young hunters get started, or help create positive first experiences.
Doug Leier is a respected JustNorth columnist and a biologist with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@nd.gov
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