Generation X doesn’t hunt. That’s the conclusion of a
National Shooting Sports Foundation’s recent survey, which found
that only 8 percent of hunters are between the ages of 18 and 24,
down from 17 percent in 1986. The last decade has seen the
percentage of hunters in the 25-34 age bracket drop as well, down
to 17 percent from 31 percent. “We aren’t bringing in enough kids
and women,” said Walt Gasson of the Wyoming Game and Fish
Department. With an aging population of baby boomers, “hunting is
not going to be as big a deal in the future as it has been in the
past,” he told the Wyoming Wildlife News.
A
recent survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that
hunters now comprise less than 10 percent of the population in many
Western states, including Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. People
in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho are more likely to hunt: 25-36
percent of all residents have hunting licenses in those states.
– Danielle
Desruisseaux
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Hunters need young blood.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
