By Scott Linden New hunters are the future of conservation, and many of you are embracing the concept of finding and helping them. Keep up the good work! But you also love watching your dog. It’s why you go hunting. Bird dogs work hard, are beautiful to watch, and boy, the adrenaline rush when the bird gets up!

https://youtu.be/bwl3XNJZ-tc

If you’re a bird hunter, you probably will never forget that first point or flush. Odds are, it’s what made you into a hunter. But did you ever think of your dog as a way to recruit new hunters? Inviting a friend to help you train your dog is a fun, convenient, safe way to introduce the magic of dogs — and hunting — to a newcomer. Watch the video to find out how and why — and while you’re at it, take the +ONE Pledge today and introduce someone new to hunting. You May also be interested in: https://www.letsgohunting.org/articles/5-things-to-look-for-in-a-hunting-dog/

By Josh Honeycutt It’s no secret, our hunting heritage is in trouble. According to the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, for most of the past decade, hunter numbers have declined significantly. Fortunately, there are many organizations working to help reverse this detrimental trend—and who have taken the message of NSSF’s +ONE^SM Movement mentoring initiative to heart. The NSSF^®, the trade association for the firearm industry, launched the +ONE Movement in 2019. Designed to encourage seasoned, experienced target shooters and hunters to extend an invitation to someone new—especially those people who have never handled a firearm, gone hunting and, most importantly, don’t come from families or communities where these pastimes are handed down from one generation to another. NSSF research has shown that there are millions—really, millions—of people who want to learn about firearms, target shooting and hunting but don’t know where to turn to start that journey. The +ONE Movement works to make that connection. The +ONE message resonated with those in conservation and anxious to invigorate their R3 (recruitment, retention and reactivation) efforts. Here are the stories of just a few of those organizations and how they’re finding new R3 success.

National Wild Turkey Federation

Located in Edgefield, South Carolina, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Hunting Heritage Center is over 700 acres of R3 activity, with its Outdoor Education Center’s premier forestry and wildlife habitat used for deer, turkey and small game mentored hunts, as well as learn-to-hunt programs. The Palmetto Shooting Complex is also used to help create hunters via its sporting clays, trap, skeet and 3D archery courses. “The Palmetto Shooting Complex is an outlet to reach those who are shooting enthusiasts but who may not hunt,” said Travis Sumner, NWTF’s Hunting Heritage Center and habitat manager. “Our Winchester Museum is also used as an outlet. Through our tours there, we are able to reach those who are interested in hunting.” [caption id="attachment_3531" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Travis Sumner helps a new hunter during an NWTF dove hunt.[/caption] NWTF also partners with the U.S. Forest Service, South Carolina Forestry Commission, American Forest Management and other groups to conduct hunts. Last year, NWTF helped conduct 17 hunts reaching hundreds of participants, while the Winchester museum hosted thousands of guests and the Palmetto Shooting Complex entertained tens of thousands of shooters. NWTF also touts an established landowner program with 18 private properties used to conduct R3 hunts and events. “For those of us who are seasoned hunters, we need to be aware that what we have enjoyed for years is in danger,” said Sumner. “We all need to get involved, and we offer opportunities for hunters to become mentors, including a yearly mentor workshop for those individuals who would like to help with these hunt programs.”

Mule Deer Foundation

Like other non-profits, the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) runs a series of R3 programs, but it really shines with the M.U.L.E.Y. (Mindful, Understanding, Legal, Ethical, Youth) Program. “The program was created to help reverse declining hunter trends by actively engaging youth in a variety of hunting and shooting sports activities, while also teaching conservation principles, safety and ethics through mentored, hands-on experiences,” says Jared Hinton, MDF’s Outreach Coordinator and Conservation Partner Liaison. [caption id="attachment_3533" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Volunteers help run one of the M.U.L.E.Y. trailers.[/caption] According to Hinton, the M.U.L.E.Y. program trailers serve an average of 20,000 youth per year. With these, coordinators and volunteers emphasize safe handling of bows and guns. Youth received reinforced lessons by practicing on an actual range. They also learn the basics of ethical, responsible hunting, with a focus on conservation. MDF encourages potential mentors to work with local chapters.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Located in Missoula, Montana, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) uses its Visitor Center and museum next to the administrative office building as an opportunity to educate both existing and new hunters. “Our Elk Country Visitor Center receives over 44,000 visitors per year,” says RMEF Hunting Heritage Program Manager Bruce Rich. “Nearly 5,000 of those are in hosted monthly Hunting Heritage and Conservation Outreach programs or in formal tours for schools, daycares, summer camps and other groups.” These programs are focused on not only creating new hunters but also communities of hunters who can help serve one another once recruited. [caption id="attachment_3532" align="aligncenter" width="650"] A look at the RMEF facility helping to create new hunters.[/caption] RMEF also partners with other organizations and facilities and contributes about $1.3 million per year to promote the shooting sports, hunter education, hunter advocacy and outreach, mentored hunts, outdoor skills instruction and natural resource education in sponsoring approximately 400 Hunting Heritage and Conservation Outreach programs per year. This program reaches more than 220,000 people annually at facilities across the country. “Connect with a local RMEF chapter to learn more about what they have going on and opportunities to help out with a volunteer project,” Rich says. “Ensuring the future of our hunting heritage is a crucial part of RMEF’s work.”

Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited (DU) is well-known for hosting youth hunts, Green Wing Days and other programs to introduce kids to the outdoors. Interestingly, it’s now focusing significant efforts at the high school and collegiate levels. It has 54 collegiate DU Varsity chapters across the country. Those members are helping to spread the hunting heritage message to their peers — all in the name of recruitment, retention and reactivation. [caption id="attachment_3534" align="aligncenter" width="650"] More than 200 students from 54 chapters attended the 2019 Third Term summit.[/caption] Part of this program includes Third Term, a college leadership summit that focuses on collegiate DU chapters. Gathering students from across the country, Third Term was started in 1984. “We use our headquarters to bring in hundreds of students from across the country,” says Mark Horobetz, DU Manager of Youth and Education Programs. “This symposium includes an R3 breakout. It’s a social event, but they bring in all walks of life — people who’ve hunted and people who haven’t.” These breakouts share insight on ways attendees can reach potential hunters, how to approach them, and methods for retaining them one recruited. “These students collaborate together to introduce new hunters to the outdoors,” Horobetz says. “ We have volunteers who come and help.” Once back at their respective colleges, these young adults work to share hunting with other students on campus.

Powderhook

While the above use their physical facilities to critical effect in their R3 efforts, Powderhook went online. Co-Founder and CEO Eric Dinger says it’s a purpose-built app that helps new hunters get started by making local experts available to answer their questions. “Powderhook makes available thousands of local groups and events,” Dinger says. “Our local experts program capitalizes on local, current information only someone in an individual's region might know. It's easy to read about ‘where to place the shot’ on the internet, but much more difficult to figure out when to take that day off of work to time the rut or which person at the local [hunting store] knows their stuff.” Thousands of people use the app to jumpstart their journey as hunters. It’s free, and there are experts in every state ready to help those in need. According to Dinger, it’s one of the only apps on the market that’s solely dedicated to helping create more outdoor participants. “Existing hunters can become local experts on Powderhook and offer their wisdom and experience to the people seeking it in the app,” Dinger says. For existing hunters, serving as mentors goes a long way towards reversing the decline in hunter numbers. Teach new hunters until they are ready to embark on this journey alone. Then, they’ll be prepared to serve as a mentor, too, and pass hunting on down the line.

President Donald Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), H.R. 1957 into law. This historic federal law is among the most meaningful legislative measures for sportsmen conservationists ever.

https://youtu.be/GTGVHnckmXo

The GAOA is a leap forward to delivering on the promise of sustained wildlife conservation, public land hunting and recreational shooting for current and future generations of outdoorsmen and women. The bipartisan legislation ensures full, dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and addresses the maintenance backlog of public lands and water projects across the United States. Those projects include wildlife habitat conservation, road and trail repairs and increased recreational access to our public lands and waters. The GAOA provides $9.5 billion over five years for deferred federal public lands and waters maintenance projects, with $3 billion set aside for infrastructure restoration on hundreds of millions of acres for increased access for America’s sportsmen and women. The Great American Outdoors Act also provides $900 million annually for permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The legislation also ensures that a significant portion of LWCF funding is dedicated to increasing public access for hunting, recreational shooting, fishing and outdoor recreation. Sportsmen and women play a critical conservation role in the nation’s wildlife resources and to date, hunters and purchasers of firearms and ammunition, collectively, are the single largest source of wildlife conservation funding, contributing more than $13 billion since the enactment of the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act.

Enter the Wingshooting USA^® +ONE^SM Sweepstakes

Thank you for entering the Wingshooting USA^® +ONE^SM Sweepstakes and joining the +ONE^SM Movement. Now it's time to invite someone hunting and make good on your +ONE^SM Pledge. #LetsGoHunting!

Watch Wingshooting USA

Wingshooting USA focuses on the FUN of this great sport and honors the dogs that make it all possible. This dog-centric series follows Scott Linden as he travels across the Upland Nation, hunting with pro dog trainers, hunting guides and lodge owners and is loaded with tips, advice, fun and plenty of dogs! Watch it on NBC Sports, AMG-TV, TUFF-TV, Legacy TV and Pursuit Channel.

Join the +ONE^SM Movement as a Supporter

One way Scott Linden Outdoors and CZ-USA are helping to support the mission of NSSF is by getting behind the +ONE^SM Movement that encourages people to introduce someone new to hunting. Join the +ONE^SM Movement!

By Bill Miller For a long time, far too long, hunting has been “a man’s world.” However, a glimpse at social media today will reveal more and more women trying—and liking—hunting. Successful hunting and fishing writer Kristine J. Houtman’s new book, “Why Women Hunt,” tells the stories of a wide range of women who have come to hunting and learned to treasure it. We recently interviewed K.J. to see what she learned from the extensive interviews it took to tell this story. BM: Your previous hunting and fishing books were very different from this one. What made you choose “Why Women Hunt” as your next creative outlet? KJH: The publisher wanted a book about women hunting, but neither of us wanted celebrity profiles. My hope was to write something where every woman could find herself in the stories; getting deep was integral for me. I asked each woman to tell me about a hunt that changed her, one that provided growth, empowerment and adventure. The goal was never a how-to manual, but rather exciting and endearing stories of lives changed. BM: How did you select the women the book is about? KJH: Many were women I’d met in my time in the outdoor industry and had a glimpse into their lives. Some were new and recommended by Brenda Valentine, who wrote the foreword for the book. The goal was a diverse group in age, hunting experience, types of hunting and geography. BM: What was your favorite part of researching and writing “Why Women Hunt?” KJH: Hearing their stories, digging deep at times into the memories and unlocking the emotion and the details. I was inspired by their bravery: some of them fearless and others simply meeting fear head-on. I enjoyed seeing the world through their eyes and discovering the joys and the pains that are a part of life—and hunting. It didn’t start out to be a coffee table book—but it is one! Once the publisher saw the quality of the stories, he wanted to invest more and make it a beautiful book. Getting the photography to elevate it was a challenge, but so worth it. BM: Based on what you learned from these women, what is the greatest barrier for hunting today? KJH: For women who weren’t raised in a family that hunted, the biggest need is for mentorship, and almost all mentors were men in these ladies’ lives. Life partners, coworkers, acquaintances through hunting initiatives like Camp Compass Academy or Becoming an Outdoor Woman or just a good circle of friends or family can open the doors. Honestly,  many times they didn’t know they would love it until they hunted for the first time. Invitation, encouragement and assistance with skill-building are key. BM: Did you discover any commonalities, anything universally experienced or believed, among women who hunt? KJH: Nearly all shared threads of disappointment regarding anti-hunter sentiment and social-media challenges. Most felt we could do a lot better job in how we talk about hunting where non-hunters and even anti-hunters are listening. More thumbs-up on encouragement and thumbs-down on keyboard warriors and judgment. BM: What impact do you hope the book will have? KJH: I hope it will open doors to hunting. I hope women will see themselves in the pages and become inspired for who they will be years from now. BM: You weren’t a lifelong hunter. What was your journey to hunting? KJH: Well, my story is in the book, too. I didn’t begin until I was in my 50s. I mean, no excuses ladies, if I can do this, you can, too. It’s hard work for sure, but incredibly rewarding. I’m a better person for it because hunting challenges me to get outside my comfort zone and tackle things that are hard. BM: With what you’ve experienced in your own hunting journey and what you now know after researching “Why Women Hunt,” what is the most important advice you can offer? KJH: Don’t wait—go. Find someone you trust who wants you to succeed and ask all the questions. How do I use this scope on my rifle? What’s it like to walk into the woods at oh-dark-thirty? How do I climb a tree stand? How do I field dress an animal I harvest? Sure, there’s a YouTube video for absolutely everything, not to mention all the resources at NSSF’s LetsGoHunting.org, but a mentor—and this is why NSSF’s +ONE mentoring initiative is so important—is really what is needed. And it may take several people for the job. BM: What would you say to the faction of women who are biased against hunting, either passively or pro-actively? KJH: I’ve been hopeful that some anti-hunters will read “Why Women Hunt” and see a different side as they meet the women and hear their stories. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but what a great gift it would be for an anti-hunting family member this holiday season. I think if more women knew how a growing number of women are empowered and gain confidence through hunting, they’d see it in a different light. BM: Do you think there’s a best way for women to experience hunting and determine if it’s for them? KJH: First, it’s probably not sitting in a treestand for eight straight hours in the cold the first time out. Consider turkey hunting or wingshooting instead. Second, don’t set her up for failure and don’t laugh when she can’t hack it. Women don’t have to hunt every species on the continent to be authentic, either. Let a woman you’re introducing pick what she wants to pursue and how much she wants to do herself. She may be all over that big-game hunt—or maybe not. She might want to learn every detail of gutting it and caring for the meat, or she may prefer to watch the first time out. BM: What’s the right or best role for men to play in creating hunting opportunities and a welcoming atmosphere for women in hunting? KJH:  Most mentors are men. Inviting, setting new hunters up for success, advising, skill-building and helping with gear and opportunity. As one of the gals, an inner-city Chicago resident, said, “You don’t just decide to go hunting one day like you’d decide to go to the grocery store.” Simplify and be patient, because no one can learn it all in one dose. BM: For whom will this book make an appreciated gift and an interesting read? KJH: I think any man who would like a daughter, partner or coworker to try hunting should consider reading this book and then sharing it with them. It will be a springboard for conversation. Of course, any woman who hunts or has questions about getting started in hunting would surely appreciate this volume. BM: Best question for last: Where can people buy the book? KJH: It’s available exclusively from the publisher Wild River Press at www.whywomenhunt.com. Enjoy it. I know how much I enjoyed putting it together.  

By Michael Pendley The crowd surrounding the Quality Deer Management Association’s Hank Forester and his grill had been attracted by the enticing scent of grilled venison wafting across the farmers market. Few if any of the urban locavore crowd were hunters, but they were all there that morning to procure locally grown (and preferably organic) food for themselves and their families. As the market’s customers began to gather around the grill, Hank and his coworkers from QDMA took the time to explain that hunting had never really been about trophy measurements. Since the time records were kept as paintings on a cave wall, hunting has always been, at its core, about food. The thought of sustainable, local, additive-, antibiotic- and hormone-free protein appealed to the mostly metropolitan group, and Forester took advantage of the interest to introduce the QDMA’s Field to Fork program to anyone interested in learning to hunt to supply their own meat.

Gathering Food Drives Interest

That scene has been repeated countless thousands of times across the country. Groups like the National Wild Turkey Federation and fish- and- game agencies from just about every state are implementing this same approach. Interested non-hunters attend one or more classes with an emphasis on how to hunt a particular species, how to process the animal into edible portions and how to prepare their game for the table. Once participants go through the classroom portion of the class, they get teamed with mentor volunteers to take part in an actual hunt. The pairing of new hunters with experienced mentors—the cornerstone of NSSF’s +ONE^SM Movement—is the most crucial part of the program. Unlike traditional hunter recruitment where young or new hunters tag along with more experienced friends or family members to learn the sport, many of the Field to Fork participants don’t have anyone in their circle to teach them the ropes. Mentors fill that role by being there to answer questions on planning and gear before the hunt and offer guidance in the field as the hunt unfolds. The approach of QDMA’s Field to Fork, as well as NSSF’s +ONE Movement, has become so successful that it has become a central tool for R3—recruit, reactivate and retain—programs nationwide seeking to attract new hunters. Derek Stoner, Hunter Outreach Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, says, “We are working on connecting to non-traditional participants who are interested in learning to hunt and need a quality mentorship experience to guide them through the process. Our hunter outreach team identified the Field to Fork program as an ideal initiative that reaches new adults and provides a well-balanced approach that emphasizes conservation, wildlife management, ethics and harvesting of wild game meat.”

Kentucky Born

The program got its beginning in the Bluegrass State back in 2010. Folks at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife were frustrated that they didn’t have a program in place to support residents asking to learn about hunting. Since many of those requests were coming from people outside the traditional hunting demographic and seemed to be centered around hunting from a wild game meat-procurement perspective, KDFWR came up with Learn to Hunt, which taught basic hunting skills that included processing and cooking game. The new program was quickly successful, with more applicants signing up than spaces available. Those early attempts taught the department some valuable lessons. At the top was the realization that the locavore movement was gaining steam and there was a vast pool of possible new hunters in urban areas who were interested in learning to harvest their own game. KDFWR knew they needed to expand the curriculum. It immediately started applying for federal grants to expand Learn to Hunt. The agency refined the course while waiting and for good news on the additional funding. In 2014, the grant was awarded. Realizing that food was one of the main reasons for interest in the program, KDFWR had already changed the name to Field to Fork and had designed a new, and now familiar, logo to go along with the new name. Another lesson learned in the years leading up to the grant was that simply spending time in class learning about hunting wasn’t enough to get the participants afield on their own. Since few of the participants had any experience afield or any support network of seasoned hunters who could answer questions and offer advice, class time alone wasn’t providing the confidence necessary to hunt by themselves. The answer was an expanded mentorship component in which classroom participants went afield with a mentor for a hunt or two. The hunts allowed the participants to experience real hunting situations with knowledgeable hunters, instilling that much-needed confidence, and successful hunts were followed by hands-on lessons in processing of game and a wild game dinner. Besides teaming up new hunters with an experienced companion, the expanded program allowed the classmates to form their own peer groups, something that continued well beyond the weekend class itself. The revised program was immediately successful. Soon, the department added classes beyond the original deer format to include other species like dove, turkey and small game. Then, over the next two years, KDFWR began to share Field to Fork with other state agencies, all of which employed it with success. Besides state governments, conservation organization like QDMA and NWTF, private businesses like SIG Sauer and Traeger Grills, and private sportsman’s clubs around the country have taken Field to Fork to heart. QDMA’s Forester says the Field to Fork program is vital to his organization’s recruitment efforts. The program focuses on three angles: hunting for food, because it has a high public approval rating; adults because they have the best ability to pursue hunting as a pastime; and social support, which is critical to getting potential new hunters past the “try it” stage. “We started using Field to Fork in 2016. We followed the data, made a few educated guesses and created a mentored hunting program that is efficient and effective,” he told me. “We created a food-focused program for adults, and we knew that we needed good mentors and community to create social support. How well has this approach worked for QDMA? “Through Field to Fork, we are having success creating new diverse hunters who are then sharing their stories, sharing their venison and, ultimately, becoming tomorrow’s mentors and advocates,” said Forester.

More Than One Way to Talk About Grilled Backstrap

While starting one of the most successful hunter recruitment programs in history might seem like enough of an accomplishment, the folks at KDFWR weren’t finished. Brent McCarty, R3 Branch Manager for KDFWR, says the department is constantly researching new ways to introduce the program to anyone who might be interested in hunting. One of the most promising new initiatives is Cook Wild Kentucky. In a partnership with the University of Kentucky’s Cooperative Extension Service, the KDFWR is working with the University’s Nutrition Education Program to come up with delicious, easy-to-make wild game meals. The recipes and cooking instructions are printed on the back of color-photograph postcards that get distributed through the state’s 120 cooperative extensions. KDFWR is also working directly with approximately 80 county agents to train them to hold their own Field to Fork classes, making the program more accessible to the entire state. McCarty says this increased coverage is a key to stopping the decline in hunter numbers. “We simply aren’t seeing the numbers we need to sustain license sales from traditional sources,” he explained. “We need to recruit new hunters from non-traditional demographics and making proven programs like Field to Fork more accessible to everyone is key to moving the needle.”

Support from Capitol Hill

“Over and over, we hear that one of the biggest problems that new hunters face is a lack of access to land,” McCarty told me. “Unfortunately, a lot of our state is made up of private land. We have landowners who are interested in hosting youth and Field to Fork hunts for new hunters, but their land is already being hunted during our regular firearms season.” KDFWR realized that growing Field to Fork would require additional properties, so KDFWR worked with the Kentucky legislature to pass regulations allowing specially permitted firearm hunts on private land outside of the regular season dates. “We’ve found landowners are much more willing to host these hunts if they are still able to hunt their property or host friends during the traditional firearms season,” says McCarty. *** There is no denying that hunter numbers across the nation are going down. Population centers are becoming more urban, and conventional, familial induction of new hunters is falling as current hunters age and their children and grandchildren don’t remain in the sport. Innovative programs like Field to Fork are reaching out to non-traditional demographics to recruit and train a new kind of hunter—and it turns out those new hunters look surprisingly like those hunters of old who hunted with one goal: feeding their family. About the +ONE Movement NSSF encourages all current hunters to take the +ONE Pledge. Reach out to someone new—someone outside your circle of friends and family who hunt—and teach them what you know about hunting, conservation and the deeply meaningful ability to put food on the dinner table that you harvested yourself. Talk with your local game wardens and state game agency professionals or reach out to QDMA’s Field to Fork program and others like it and let them know you’d like to serve as a mentor. There are thousands of people out there who want to hunt for their own food and don’t know where to turn to get started. With +ONE and programs like Field to Fork, you’re the solution to that problem.