This project will provide state fish and wildlife agencies (SFWAs) with a reliable, replicable, and field-tested methodology for initiating new partnerships that increase their capacity to effectively deliver hunting, angling, and shooting sports recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) efforts. The need for effective methods of finding and partnering with new, R3-vested groups and organizations has … Read more
This project aims to provide key insights to help practitioners of recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) and the recreational fishing industry bolster fishing participation by exploring the underexamined role that fishing guides play in recruiting, retaining and reactivating anglers. Fishing participation counts and rates are at or near their highest levels in recent years; however, … Read more
The 1999 publication “Bowhunting in the United States: A Market Study” was based on national research by the Archery Trade Association and Responsive Management and remains one of the most requested reports by industry groups agency partners and other bowhunting stakeholders. To remain a useful resource for agency and organizational planning and recruitment, retention and … Read more
The purpose of the proposed project is to strengthen conservation workforce development by enhancing undergraduate preparation for careers in fisheries, wetlands, and aquatic systems through targeted professional development and applied training. This approach directly supports the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) strategic priority of Professional Development by enhancing undergraduate preparation for conservation careers … Read more
Past research from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (funded by Federal grant F20AP00134), the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s Special Report on Fishing, (funded by Federal grant F23AC00806), and Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation’s Honing Youth Fishing Programs to Create Avid Anglers (funded by Federal … Read more
Recreational target shooting is a fun and safe activity enjoyed by millions of Americans each year. It is also an extremely important funding source for wildlife conservation. Recent research on recreational target shooting participation shows some good news and some bad news. Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundations’ Welcome New Shooters research, funded by Multistate Conservation … Read more
Reliable research supporting the evaluation of Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3) efforts have progressed significantly in recent decades with methodologies and tools being developed and increasingly adopted by R3 practitioners. Central to the structuring of these numerous evaluation techniques is the Outdoor Recreation Adoption Model (ORAM), a foundational theoretical framework that has been instrumental in … Read more
The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is partnering with the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council) and the National Wild Turkey Federation to launch a regional Hunt for Good campaign aimed at increasing support of legal, regulated hunting among non-hunters. Responsive Management’s Americans’ Attitudes Towards Hunting and Shooting Sports 2025 … Read more
The purpose of this project is to boost hunting participation by reducing no-show and dropout rates among hunter education registrants. Anecdotal feedback indicates about 40% of registrants do not show up for their in-person course, and we have no current understanding of online dropouts. With over 275,000 in-person graduates annually, as many as 110,000 potential … Read more
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) identified the need for an interim survey to provide actionable national and regional estimates of participation in fishing, hunting, and wildlife recreation between the 2022 and 2027 National Surveys, both conducted by National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (NORC). For this proposed project, NORC … Read more
The upcoming 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to substantially increase interest and participation in target archery. Archery will receive unparalleled global visibility thanks to the spotlight of the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, presenting a major recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) opportunity to bring new and … Read more
The purpose of this project is to combine the strengths of the public and private sector to increase target shooting capacity and participation where demand is the greatest: urban areas. Recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) grant-funded research shows most target shooters will not travel more than 30 minutes to a range (2012 NSSF, … Read more
