Page 2 - March/April 2020 - Outdoor Oklahoma

Panoramas

emember the days when you’d come in from the grams across the nation were R3-focused, but mostly on the
woods and go to your local check station? Hear Recruitment segment, and mostly using one-day events.
everyone’s stories and share yours? Tell of the Experts now encourage Retention and Reactivation, because
R huge buck you just barely missed? Check sta- if we keep current sportspeople from lapsing, they can be
tions and hunting camps are becoming memories. Nowadays, the natural recruiters of the next generation. State wildlife
there is less community and more individualism. agencies are restructuring programs such as Controlled Hunts
The next generation’s hunters are venturing out by and implementing marketing strategies to keep our sports-
themselves to chase that Boone and Crockett buck they’ve people engaged.
watched for three years. Many leave their ODWC’s newest program, Learn to Hunt,
kids behind because they’re squirmy and loud, is a true recruitment program and will debut in
and they think they would rather play video July. We will pair a mentor with a novice and
games. Truth is they are waiting to be asked a family member for a yearlong mentorship.
to go, but they really want a buddy to come Mentors will come from groups like National
along as well. Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever,
There are hunters who fell out of the sport Quail Forever, and Ducks Unlimited. Each
because the folks that let them hunt now have month, the mentor, novice and family member
their property leased. Then there are hunters will enjoy an exercise or hunt. These sessions
who got too busy with life, work and kids to will build on each other to give the novice a
get into the woods anymore. well-rounded experience.
The sad fact is we’re losing hunters at a steady rate. Partici- ODWC, NWTF and all our partners are very optimis-
pation as a whole is declining. Currently 60 percent of license tic about Learn to Hunt. We believe that multiple exposures
holders actively participate. Just 30 years ago, that number was combined with the social support of a mentor and family
78 percent. Why? Mostly because the largest cohort of hunters member will help to ignite a passion and establish a tradition
(Baby Boomers) is aging out. Within 10-15 years, most will for the outdoors that can last a lifetime!
have dropped out. Our hunter numbers will plummet.
Current hunters are not replacing themselves by introducing
new people to the outdoors. That’s probably the last thing cur-
rent hunters want to consider, because the woods are crowded
as it is. But more 40-and-younger hunters is exactly what is
needed! Hunting supports conservation. What will happen Kasie Joyner, NWTF, R3 Coordinator
without hunters?
State agencies and nongovernmental organizations have P.S. Make it a point to take someone hunting this year!
been trying to combat this problem. In the past decade, the
push has picked up steam. The label “R3” was coined, stand- Editor’s Note: Joyner’s position as hunting R3 coordinator was
ing for Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation. Many pro- made possible through a partnership of ODWC and NWTF