Each year, 800,000 youth age 16 and younger; take a hunter education course. Since 1970, twenty million people have taken hunter education in the USA. Yet today – there are only around 10 million hunters in the United States. By 2033 the number of hunters will probably be down to around 7 million or fewer.
Events that occur in a time-period define each generation. The explosion of school shootings recently will define the next generation. Perhaps they will be dubbed the “school shooting generation”? This of course has made outreach about hunting or guns or recruiting even more controversial. Additionally, when this generation matures it will be antagonistic towards guns and hunting, because the current events define generations…
Many states have fought the antis and legislated hunting and shooting programs in the classroom and several bills have been introduced in New York. (Bills also have been introduced in NY to prohibit hunting and shooting programs in schools). In addition, there already are shooting and/or hunting programs in a few schools scattered across New York State. In the past, many New York schools, including a good number located in NYC have had shooting programs which have been discontinued a long time ago.
Events that occur in a time-period define each generation. The explosion of school shootings recently will define the next generation. Perhaps they will be dubbed the “school shooting generation”? This of course has made outreach about hunting or guns or recruiting even more controversial. Additionally, when this generation matures it will be antagonistic towards guns and hunting, because the current events define generations…
Many states have fought the antis and legislated hunting and shooting programs in the classroom and several bills have been introduced in New York. (Bills also have been introduced in NY to prohibit hunting and shooting programs in schools). In addition, there already are shooting and/or hunting programs in a few schools scattered across New York State. In the past, many New York schools, including a good number located in NYC have had shooting programs which have been discontinued a long time ago.
But what could “we” do? We are not fond of the DEC providing interest groups up to 50 adult pheasant each for special hunts for women and children. But we could apply for this program if we chose. And, as we have argued – there is nothing stopping anybody, including us, from taking a youth hunting during the regular season… Except one thing is stopping us – just where are all these kids that want to go hunting?
One of our criticisms with youth hunts, including those that do not involve DEC pheasant; is they are akin to “preaching to the choir”…
We’re giving the kids of folks who already hunt [about 80 percent of attendees] this opportunity, rather than reaching new audiences.” We previously discussed a laundry list of other issues with youth opportunities that should be addressed and no longer ignored. We also covered the wisdom in training adults to hunt; rather than only focusing on youth.
We hope that ten years from now the hunting narrative will be improved as a result of our outreach. The website hosts collect data on the total number of visits to our websites as well as the number of different IP addresses. Both of those numbers are surprisingly large and so far have been consistent. We also are on several social media platforms. We are most active on Facebook. However, the average Facebook user is 41 years old and most people age 13 to 30 use other social media sites. It is important to reach the proverbial “next generation” but doing so presents an array of hurdles.
Among other things, one claim made by opponents of hunting is that hunter education in schools is wrong, because it promotes violence. However, hunter education and/or gun safety courses are all about teaching students not to use guns in a way that endangers people, pets, and property. The opposition’s assertion insinuates that these courses are more about how to hunt or encouraging hunting behavior than they in fact are. However – the fact that these courses largely do not do those things is one of their flaws. When these courses were made mandatory in all of the states by 1970 or so; there probably was an assumption that hunting would not become an esoteric activity, access to land with abundant (small game) would be good, sportsmen would not lose a connection to the land, and hunting would remain largely through father to son initiation, so the father would teach novices and coordinate weekend hunting trips. Times have changed, but the system has not been adapted to these differences. Although some states have set up how to hunt programs and youth hunting seasons are widespread more, different, and aggressive approaches are needed.
One of our criticisms with youth hunts, including those that do not involve DEC pheasant; is they are akin to “preaching to the choir”…
We’re giving the kids of folks who already hunt [about 80 percent of attendees] this opportunity, rather than reaching new audiences.” We previously discussed a laundry list of other issues with youth opportunities that should be addressed and no longer ignored. We also covered the wisdom in training adults to hunt; rather than only focusing on youth.
We hope that ten years from now the hunting narrative will be improved as a result of our outreach. The website hosts collect data on the total number of visits to our websites as well as the number of different IP addresses. Both of those numbers are surprisingly large and so far have been consistent. We also are on several social media platforms. We are most active on Facebook. However, the average Facebook user is 41 years old and most people age 13 to 30 use other social media sites. It is important to reach the proverbial “next generation” but doing so presents an array of hurdles.
Among other things, one claim made by opponents of hunting is that hunter education in schools is wrong, because it promotes violence. However, hunter education and/or gun safety courses are all about teaching students not to use guns in a way that endangers people, pets, and property. The opposition’s assertion insinuates that these courses are more about how to hunt or encouraging hunting behavior than they in fact are. However – the fact that these courses largely do not do those things is one of their flaws. When these courses were made mandatory in all of the states by 1970 or so; there probably was an assumption that hunting would not become an esoteric activity, access to land with abundant (small game) would be good, sportsmen would not lose a connection to the land, and hunting would remain largely through father to son initiation, so the father would teach novices and coordinate weekend hunting trips. Times have changed, but the system has not been adapted to these differences. Although some states have set up how to hunt programs and youth hunting seasons are widespread more, different, and aggressive approaches are needed.