When market hunting was challenged and ultimately banned in 1909, the word “sport hunting” was not pejorative and it fit the times. That was the hunting culture before the big buck and big game craze. Afterwards, organizations like Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young created trophy criteria and a platform for hunters to be recognized for successfully bagging a trophy class animal or several. (Note: We are not suggesting that taxidermy and use of wild game meat are mutually exclusive).
The marriage between gun rights and hunting has fallen victim to something which for many older generations has been a zero sum game. There has been a cultural shift recently regarding gun violence, and the challenge is how we can start to disassociate hunting for food from “my cold dead hands” and second amendment/gun rights. “What is responsible gun ownership?” We need to redo that image.
Advertising directed at hunters influences public perceptions more than actual interactions with hunters. Mainstream hunting media is essentially at the core of hunter decline as it has failed to inspire new generations and lacks the authenticity and raw emotions needed to paint a positive image to both hunter and non-hunters. We live in a media-saturated and consumer-driven world. Capitalist propaganda and marketing schemes peaked in the 80s and 90s; thus it is the core identity of millenniums. Nevertheless, new generations have different values regarding nature, land, how they obtain their food, and although they support meat hunting; they generally do not support trophy hunting. The locavore movement unknowingly has recruited hunters due to the assimilation of values between those who hunt and those who seek a local diet free from industrialized food. Local food makes people pay attention to where it’s coming from. The next natural extension to that is hunting for your own food. However, the concept of hunting for meat is of course not new or novel. Nevertheless, truth be told, there’s a fair amount of the hunting community that does purely hunt for sport or trophy and are completely ego driven. Many folks bristle at having a phone in the field…but photos can do a tremendous job in allowing the hunters in the field to share their experiences...These images and ‘real-time’ sharing of experiences while in the field can be a powerful tool for involving new hunters. On the flip side, social media can be a destructive tool too. As hunters, it’s on us to present the best example we can when sharing our experiences with others and being conscious that careless photos or videos can turn off people who might otherwise be curious about these activities.
There is almost no part of hunting which isn’t contested by other hunters. Crossbows vs. vertical bows, antler point restrictions vs. none, baiting vs. not baiting, and the list goes on. However, when these debates within the hunting community lead to legislation or agency regulation, the decisions are wholly or in part, of a social nature, not a biological or conservation one. Despite this, the tribalism of the hunting population discourages members from creating division. Ironically, the acceptance of division depends on the context; some groups are largely disenfranchised. Even if not, the majority has a tendency to create such an illusion to hinder marginal groups. Hunting is eclectic, and the current population of hunters is at least 10 million. Thus, it is ridiculous to believe (or expect); such a large and diverse population to be alike or without bad actors. Therefore, the suggestion that all hunters and gun owners stick together, unconditionally, is neither realistic nor wise.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry trade organization; says “it is easier to encourage more hunting among those who already have the skills to enjoy the sport rather than marketing to people interested in learning hunting skills.” However, the Nature of Americans study tells us that 27% of Americans have some or a lot of interest in hunting. And yet we are still struggling to connect with that quarter of the US population who might become hunters with a little guidance. Many hunting recruitment programs exist for youth, but there is still a lack of recruitment efforts for adult hunters. It is important that efforts transition from the idea of focusing on youth to focusing on recruiting young adults and families. Firearms are involved; adults have more financial resources, decision-making authority, access to transportation, etc. and can teach their own kids as they learn, or after they learn. We must realize that becoming a hunter and adopting the hunting lifestyle is a process. It is not a one-time training. Often it is through father to son initiation and sown into the fabric of their daily lives. Existing hunters didn’t suddenly learn how to hunt because they took one class. They learned over many years and are still learning about it. Currently, family-supported hunters are outnumbered by non-family supported hunters 3:2. Peer initiation into hunting is very common among friends, coworkers, and classmates. Recently, peer initiation of wives and girlfriends has been on the rise. For some new hunters it is easier to relate to someone who is only a few steps ahead of them. At the same time, the mentor learns more through the process of teaching. They can learn together through that peer mentoring process.
The marriage between gun rights and hunting has fallen victim to something which for many older generations has been a zero sum game. There has been a cultural shift recently regarding gun violence, and the challenge is how we can start to disassociate hunting for food from “my cold dead hands” and second amendment/gun rights. “What is responsible gun ownership?” We need to redo that image.
Advertising directed at hunters influences public perceptions more than actual interactions with hunters. Mainstream hunting media is essentially at the core of hunter decline as it has failed to inspire new generations and lacks the authenticity and raw emotions needed to paint a positive image to both hunter and non-hunters. We live in a media-saturated and consumer-driven world. Capitalist propaganda and marketing schemes peaked in the 80s and 90s; thus it is the core identity of millenniums. Nevertheless, new generations have different values regarding nature, land, how they obtain their food, and although they support meat hunting; they generally do not support trophy hunting. The locavore movement unknowingly has recruited hunters due to the assimilation of values between those who hunt and those who seek a local diet free from industrialized food. Local food makes people pay attention to where it’s coming from. The next natural extension to that is hunting for your own food. However, the concept of hunting for meat is of course not new or novel. Nevertheless, truth be told, there’s a fair amount of the hunting community that does purely hunt for sport or trophy and are completely ego driven. Many folks bristle at having a phone in the field…but photos can do a tremendous job in allowing the hunters in the field to share their experiences...These images and ‘real-time’ sharing of experiences while in the field can be a powerful tool for involving new hunters. On the flip side, social media can be a destructive tool too. As hunters, it’s on us to present the best example we can when sharing our experiences with others and being conscious that careless photos or videos can turn off people who might otherwise be curious about these activities.
There is almost no part of hunting which isn’t contested by other hunters. Crossbows vs. vertical bows, antler point restrictions vs. none, baiting vs. not baiting, and the list goes on. However, when these debates within the hunting community lead to legislation or agency regulation, the decisions are wholly or in part, of a social nature, not a biological or conservation one. Despite this, the tribalism of the hunting population discourages members from creating division. Ironically, the acceptance of division depends on the context; some groups are largely disenfranchised. Even if not, the majority has a tendency to create such an illusion to hinder marginal groups. Hunting is eclectic, and the current population of hunters is at least 10 million. Thus, it is ridiculous to believe (or expect); such a large and diverse population to be alike or without bad actors. Therefore, the suggestion that all hunters and gun owners stick together, unconditionally, is neither realistic nor wise.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry trade organization; says “it is easier to encourage more hunting among those who already have the skills to enjoy the sport rather than marketing to people interested in learning hunting skills.” However, the Nature of Americans study tells us that 27% of Americans have some or a lot of interest in hunting. And yet we are still struggling to connect with that quarter of the US population who might become hunters with a little guidance. Many hunting recruitment programs exist for youth, but there is still a lack of recruitment efforts for adult hunters. It is important that efforts transition from the idea of focusing on youth to focusing on recruiting young adults and families. Firearms are involved; adults have more financial resources, decision-making authority, access to transportation, etc. and can teach their own kids as they learn, or after they learn. We must realize that becoming a hunter and adopting the hunting lifestyle is a process. It is not a one-time training. Often it is through father to son initiation and sown into the fabric of their daily lives. Existing hunters didn’t suddenly learn how to hunt because they took one class. They learned over many years and are still learning about it. Currently, family-supported hunters are outnumbered by non-family supported hunters 3:2. Peer initiation into hunting is very common among friends, coworkers, and classmates. Recently, peer initiation of wives and girlfriends has been on the rise. For some new hunters it is easier to relate to someone who is only a few steps ahead of them. At the same time, the mentor learns more through the process of teaching. They can learn together through that peer mentoring process.