Cultural support for legal hunting and recreational sport shooting in america is declining at a rapid pace

Since 1995, responsive management has tracked public opinion on hunting and sport shooting through periodic national trend surveys. The latest trend survey, americans attitudes towards legal, regulated fishing, sport shooting, hunting and trapping 2023, marks the first time in recent decades there has been a statistically significant decrease in americans approval of both activities. Results show hunting losing support of 9.9 million adult americans, aged 18 and over, and recreational sport shooting losing support of 8.4 million adult americans in just the past two years. These national results are not an anomaly, as recent state level surveys conducted by responsive management in arizona, maine, and washington reflect the same trend of declining overall support. This trend is particularly worrisome given that hunting and recreational shooting remain uniquely vulnerable to attacks from opponents and subject to new restrictions on access and opportunities. The R3 (recruitment, retention, reactivation) community recognizes the importance of ensuring that hunting and sport shooting remain acceptable in the eyes of the public: a recent survey of stakeholders of the council to advance hunting and the shooting sports found that maintaining, and increasing, cultural acceptance of hunting is the R3 community highest priority. The latest national and state-level trend data make clear that cultural support for hunting and sport shooting is waning what is not clear at this point are the reasons why. This project involves new research to identify the why and understand the specific reasons driving the declines in support for hunting and sport shooting. Following the research, the grant team will take action and work directly with the R3 community, as well as the outdoor industry, to explore application of the research findings to existing campaigns and programs. Outdoor stewards of conservation foundation and responsive management will disseminate the insights from the research through webinars that focus on how current messaging campaigns and outreach programs can be strengthened to address and, as necessary, combat harmful misperceptions affecting public support for hunting and recreational shooting.