Understanding the Gap: Profile Development for Recruitment and Retention of College Age Hunters

Participation in hunting in the United States has declined since the 1980’s with the 18-24 year age bracket being a particularly inactive group. This age group relates to traditional college students, and little research has... [ view full abstract ]

Participation in hunting in the United States has declined since the 1980’s with the 18-24 year age bracket being a particularly inactive group. This age group relates to traditional college students, and little research has been done in the area of recruitment and retention targeting college students. This study intended to discover a profile for ideal hunter recruits within this population to aid management agencies in recruitment efforts. An online survey of students at three regionally diverse universities in Kentucky was conducted in the spring of 2014. A total of 27,529 individuals received invitations via email to participate, with 2,804 completing the survey, for a total response rate of 10%. A non-response bias-check was conducted, and no meaningful difference existed between the non-bias survey and the full survey. A cluster analysis revealed two distinct groups. The Environmentally Inclined (EINC) group (n=1,576) tended to report that environmentally friendly behaviors were more important in their lifestyle as opposed to the Environmentally Indifferent (EIND) group (n=1,322), who reported that environmentally friendly behaviors as less important. Students who placed more importance on EINC were slightly more likely to be interested in hunting, and were slightly more active hunters in 2011-2013. This may show that many college students see a link between environmentally friendly/responsible living, and hunting. However, of the 1,576 individuals who made up the EINC group, 65% had not gone hunting in 2011-2013, and roughly 55% had never been hunting in their lifetime. This shows that there is significant room for growth in the number of hunters within the EINC group. In order for an increase in the number of hunters who fall in the EINC group to occur, significant targeted and intentional education may be needed. As the American population ages, college students represent a significant demographic that can sustain hunting in the future. This study has implications for wildlife management agencies, 28% of the sample expressed interest in participation in hunting, but had not participated in the previous three years. Thus, finding ways to partner management agencies with universities could provide opportunities for this population.