Washington D.C.- The diversity of participation in hunting and target shooting has increased in the US over the past decade, according to a new report released by the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council) and the Outdoor Foundation.
the 2022 Special Report on Hunting and Shooting Sports provides a comprehensive view of the more than 30 million Americans ages 6 and older who participated at least once in hunting or target shooting with firearms and archery equipment in 2021. The report identifies trends and includes detailed information about participation, including motivations, barriers and preferences of the participants.
“We are excited to release this report and believe it will prove valuable in the short and long term as we assess engagement trends. It is important to note that this data will not always align with hunting license sales data, but tracking sales and survey data goes a long way in providing a better overall picture of trends in hunting license participation. hunting and shooting sports”, said the member of the Council. Director of Research and Partnerships Swanny Evans while giving a preliminary look at this data during a presentation at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Meeting last week in Fort Worth, TX.
Highlights of the new report include:
Hunt:
- 4.6 percent of the US population age 6 and older went hunting at least once.
- Twenty-seven percent of the participants were women, up from 16 percent a decade ago.
- The proportion of hunters who were black or Hispanic increased by 4% and 1%, respectively, on average over the past 3 years
- “For food/meat” was the number one motivation for hunting
- 49 percent of hunters participated for the first time before the age of 18.
- 68 percent of hunters were introduced to hunting by family members.
Target shooting with firearms:
- 6.2 percent of the US population age 6 and older participated in target shooting
- 32 percent of the participants were women, up from 25 percent a decade ago.
- The share of Black or Hispanic shooters increased 5% and 4%, respectively, on average over the past 3 years
- “For recreation” was the number one motivation for target shooting
- “High cost” was the number one reported barrier to target shooting
Archery target shooting:
- 2.4 percent of the US population ages 6 and older participated in archery.
- 39 percent of participants were women, the highest level since 2016
- Archers are a bit more diverse than firearms marksmen.
- “For recreation” was the number one motivation for target shooting
- 19 percent of participants shot only on public land/firing ranges
The special report was developed to serve as a supplement to the Recreational Fishing and Boating Foundation. Special Report on Fisheries they produce annually in association with the Outdoor Foundation.
the 2022 Special Report on Hunting and Shooting Sportswhich provides participation data for hunting and shooting sports, can be accessed on the Council’s website, cahss.org/our-research/2022-special-report-on-hunting-and-the-shooting-sports.