Citizen Attitudes In The U.S. About Children Learning To Hunt

These survey findings suggest that the interest in hunting among youths is on the decline, and consequently the likely effects will be the domination of public policy discussions and group management of the activity by non-hunters, as well as a decrease in effectiveness of private hunting as a means of controlling deer population. (Note, this was an online survey)

According to the results of this survey, youth involvement in hunting within the U.S. has been on the decline for many years, likely reflecting the steady migration of the population from rural to urban areas. Those who do hunt are more often hunting trophy animals as opposed to hunting as a food source.

While the absolute number of hunters may hold steady or increase over time, it is likely that as a percentage of population, there will be a decline in hunters, with two likely effects [excerpted from report]:

1. Public policy discussion and formation with respect to game management increasingly will be dominated by non-hunters, and
2. Holding other factors constant, private hunting will cull progressively fewer and fewer deer and, consequently, become an increasingly ineffective means of controlling deer populations.