AUTHORS: Jordan Pusateri Burroughs*, Michigan State University; Keith Warnke, Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesABSTRACT: Over the past three decades, hunting participation in the United States has declined and, based on demographic analyses, the decline is expected to continue and accelerate. A shift in hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) tactics that take advantage of a growing interest in hunting for food by training new adult hunters may enhance hunting participation by people of diverse genders, cultures and backgrounds. The first Food for Thought symposium (TWS 2013; Milwaukee WI) was the initial introduction of this idea; the second, at the 2014 North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, described and demonstrated pilot programs for recruiting and mentoring new adult hunters. Attendees of this symposium will receive an update on the national plan and results chain process to effective R3, discover new tools and evaluation techniques associated with successful adult Learn to Hunt programs, learn tactics to recruit millennials, and explore the concept of mentoring adults through research, mentor certification programs and first-hand experience from a panel of hunting mentors.
- 10:20-10:30am Welcome, Session Overview
- 10:30-11:00am Update on National Plan, Results Chain Process and Hunter Adoption Model
- 11:00-11:20am The Minnesota Experience Recruiting Millennials
- 11:20-11:40am Wyoming Forever Wild Families Program
- 11:40-noon Next Steps for Retention and Continuation
- 1:20-1:40pm Evaluating Wisconsin’s Learn to Hunt Program using Mark-recapture Survival Analysis
- 1:40-2:00pm Wisconsin’s Mentor Certification Training
- 2:00-2:45pm Adult Learn to Hunt Mentor Panel
- 2:45-3:00pm Closing
