THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY’S
VOLUME
OLDEST TRADITION
2
//
AUGUST
ISSUE
1
2019
• C O N F I R M I N G B I R D D O G S A S A S I LV E R B U L L E T O F R 3 • • H I P S T E R S , M I L L E N N I A L S , A N D T H E I N D U S T R Y ’ S G R E AT E S T M I S C O N C E P T I O N S • • H O W T H E M E S S A G E O F C O N S E R VAT I O N FA I L E D , C L I M AT E C H A N G E , & A N E W C U LT U R E • • C O N S E R VAT I O N I S A L O U S Y C A R R O T • • A L O O K I N T O T H E M I N D O F A F I R S T G E N E R AT I O N H U N T E R • • 2 0 1 9 N AT I O N A L U P L A N D H U N T I N G S U R V E Y •
N O R T H WO O D S CO L L EC T I V E I S A M U LT I M E D I A C R E AT I V E AG E N C Y D E D I C AT E D TO T H E R E B R A N D I N G A N D R E D I S COV E R I N G O F T H E OUTDOORS.
Harnessing the power of narrative storytelling, visually stunning content and lifestyle branding, Northwoods Collective has become a bridge between mainstream America and timeless outdoor pursuits. By leveraging our multiple award–winning digital series, creating dynamic social media campaigns and building all-inclusive multimedia platforms, we are partnering with state agencies, NGOs and enter- prise stakeholders across the nation to secure the future of conserva- tion, hunting, fishing and shooting sports in the United States.
TM
Northwoods Collective would like to thank Eukanuba and Dakota 283 Kennels for making this research possible and for their commitment to the future of hunter recruitment, retention, and re-activation.
2
TO F I N D N AT U R E N O M AT T E R W H E R E I T I S . TO L I V E T H E T R A D I T I O N S O F M A N K I N D. TO I N S P I R E G E N E R AT I O N S TO CO M E . TO R E D I S COV E R T H E O U T D O O R S .
3
A s a c u lt u r e , w e n e e d to b e d e l i b e r at e . A s a co m m u n i t y, w e s i m p ly n e e d to p o r t r ay hunt ing for w h at i t i s . N o more, no less.
4
AN OPEN LETTER
L
ET IT BE said that no one ever woke up one morning in
Unfortunately, our contributions to conservation can
the hunting industry and decided to doom the future.
also be used in such a way as to further alienate non-hunters.
Nevertheless, it’s in the process of happening and we only
The fact is that conservation is a by-product and afterthought
have ourselves to blame. We have become an incubator for
for most hunters. Conservation occurs through laws, licenses,
isolation and extreme response rather than participants
and taxation associated with hunting.
and contributors to mainstream culture. Take the Facebook
hunter does as the law requires, it does not make one a
profile picture phenomenon of hunters sharing the PETA
conservationist. Like antlers that steal the spotlight, it’s hard
“Shoot Selfies – Not Animals” filter on their dead animal-hero
for the mainstream of America to see past what is obvious
shots and we can quickly see what we are talking about.
to them — the perception that hunters use conservation as
PETA may well be classified as an extremist group but, by engaging in their content, our community helped them with
Simply because a
an apologetic for killing animals. Simply put, doing so comes across as tone-deaf.
half a million shares of their filter. By doing so, we’ve merely
We think as hunters, industry employees, and biologists
pitted hunting as the opponent to PETA-style extremism,
because that is what we are. It often becomes difficult to
thus making hunting a co-equal extremist enterprise. Much
remember what it was like or think of what it might be like
like our industry’s misguided creation of the “super hunter
to be an everyday person that happens to stumble upon our
syndrome” and trophy-driven culture that has alienated
culture. We need to consciously think of how our behavior
ourselves from the mainstream, we continue to isolate
and rhetoric either fuel our isolation and put us further out
ourselves as “extremists” regardless of our intentions.
of touch with mainstream culture or present hunting culture
Our attempts to troll PETA have become a massively
in a more positive and welcoming fashion.
successful campaign for them. And all that PR didn’t cost
Hunting is a natural part of human behavior. It’s really that
them a dime. This serves as another example of how we’ve
simple. Make it more complicated, tell a complex narrative,
fueled a world where hunting is shrinking faster than we
and we’ll continue to find ourselves on the defense as our
could have imagined. Too often our decline has been
culture dies in front of us. We need to love hunting for what it
hastened by self-inflicted injuries.
is and show hunting in its purist form. It is an opportunity to
As a culture, we need to be deliberate. As a community,
connect with ourselves at basic human levels, to spend time
we simply need to portray hunting for what it is. No more,
with dogs as our first partnering species, and to put food on
no less. We eat sustainable, organic, free range animals, but
our table in a deliberate manner. If we hunt, it is because that
careless celebration of Big Game as mere “antler-delivery
is who we are and we want to be morally responsible for that
systems” continues to be the overwhelming, and damaging,
act. We do not take our actions lightly, nor the responsibility to
norm. If we think that celebrating hunting in this particular
see to the sustainability of our actions. The truth is, we have
way is going to create sustainable growth in participation, we
many overlapping values to modern culture, we simply need
are sorely mistaken.
to do a better job of communicating them.
5
I wo u l d r u n away f r o m m y urban deer hunting life for t he nort h co u n t r y a n d wa n d e r endless ov e r g r ow n lo g g i n g t r a i l s wa i t i n g f o r t h at t h r i l l i n g thunder of a flushing grouse.
6
1
Co n f i r m i n g B i r d D o g s a s a S i lv e r B u l l e t o f R 3
H
IS EYES SHIFTED slightly to his left, watching me as I
hunting again, it was for different reasons than my father.
started to pick up my pace and push through the thick
First, it was about food. Organic, sustainable, locavore,
brush. He was rigid, almost to the point of shaking. I looked
add all the new generation terms here. Then it evolved into
back. Should I say “Whoa,” I thought to myself. No, just keep
the idea of escape and that’s when I found a love for grouse
going into the point, trust what was bred into him. A few
hunting. I would run away from my urban deer hunting
more steps and what seemed like eternity passed. Suddenly,
life for the north country and wander endless overgrown
the whistle of woodcock wings began to rise between us.
logging trails waiting for that thrilling thunder of a flushing
His head rose as the bird began his climb for the top of the
grouse. I started targeting woodcock after stumbling upon
canopy that was still holding all its leaves despite the days
some in my grouse adventures. One thing after another, it
of Fall. I shouldered my gun and a shot rang out as the bird
fell into place. The point of all of this (no pun intended) is that I
disappeared into the abyss of leaves overhead. Grim, my wirehaired pointing griffon, did a 180 and
experienced falling in love with hunting in a few different
disappeared into the thicket. Within seconds, I could see his
ways. What I did not know at the time, was that it would give
tail wagging so hard it was shaking his whole body. In his
me a unique perspective on how bird dogs can be the most
mouth was our first woodcock of our second season. I was
intoxicating way to get lured into hunting. I spent a couple
ecstatic for him. This was about him. The moment — when I
years on the road filming other dogs and one day I decided it
was in it — was frozen, but once it passed I realized that it all
was time to get my own. Now, the journey of getting a first bird dog would take
went by all too quick. Now you may think this story ends with me saying, “I
volumes to explain. So, in the simplest way I will say it’s a
took up hunting because of dogs.” I did not. I grew up in a
complex user experience that has layers of really personal
hunting family. My grandfather was the first hunter in our
journeys and emotions. If you have never owned a bird dog,
family since they had immigrated from Italy. My father, in
think about what it feels like when a turkey gobbles back
turn, grew up hunting. He loved it. He took my older brother
to your call. It is breath taking. It is a human interacting
and I throughout our youth. We did some bird hunting, but it
directly with nature. It’s powerful, even emotional. But now
was mostly about deer.
take man’s best friend and the many millennia since we
Years went by and I fell out of hunting. I remember
domesticated dogs and built a foundational relationship.
not particularly caring for it when I was a kid. Well, the way
Fall in love with it. Train it. See it all together and you have a
they did it, to be more accurate. That is a theme for many
hunter for life. It becomes “All about the dogs.”
millennials. There is a disconnect between the last guard and
Now enough of storytelling. What are the hard facts?
a new generation and changing culture. When I finally found
The data?
7
When the Project Upland audience was asked “Which would you describe as your TOP motivation for hunting?”, 39%
me pull two quotes from Project Upland films . . .
of the audience said “for the dogs.” That’s an overwhelming
The first is “I fell in love with hunting because I fell in love
number when second place motivation was tied at 15% for
with a bird dog.” from the film Revel in the First. Second, “I
“being in nature” and “sport.” Now that word “sport” got me
started bird hunting because I got a bird dog. It’s as simple as
worked up for sure. (if you haven’t read the article “The Word
that. There is no awesome, epic story about it. I got a German
‘Sport’ in Hunting”, please do.) I am someone strongly against
shorthaired pointer, and he is a bird dog, so I decided to use
the word when put in relation to hunting. But for hunters 18
him as a bird dog and learn how to hunt birds.” from the film
to 44, the motivation of “sport” dropped to 8%. In fairness,
Camp Thunderbird.
“fun” hit 14%, which ultimately is just word play between two
The number is 28%. More than a quarter of the audience
cultures. Those aged 18 to 44 identified “being in nature” at
said “I got a bird dog then became a bird hunter.” And that
18%. Now I am getting off track here. Back to dogs.
astonishing number increased to 34% when only looking at
This is where things get exciting! Of course we did not
ages 18 to 44.
want to leave the data there. We also asked “Would you say
Now I do not feel a need to write further about how
that dogs played a critical role in you becoming a hunter?” An
compelling this all is. I hope this article poses a very real
overwhelming 75% answered “Yes.” We really have to point
question the R3 community should be asking. “How do we
something out here that was generally not present when
use dogs as a tool to recruit more hunters?” I would challenge
comparing age demographics on most responses: Common
the community to look at non-profit groups like NAVHDA,
ground. When broken down by age, 18 to 44 was at 74% while
who has operated for years as an amazing organization of
ages 45 and older held at 75%. In marketing, this is called a
mentoring and the use of bird dogs as a catalysts, all while
“timeless” storytelling opportunity. Much like authenticity, it
never being an “official part” of the R3 movement. They’ve
shows that there is a mutual story here that can be promoted
been doing the work because that’s what NAVHDA does: love
to both audiences without alienation.
dogs and build communities around them. It’s time for the
To dig another level deeper, we asked the classic “what
R3 community to embrace this overlooked segment and help
came first the chicken or the egg?” question. Of the 88% of
articulate the future of bird dogs as a tool for R3 and also a
our audience that identified as owning a bird dog, we posed
critical factor in the world of small game hunting.
the question: “What came first, being a bird hunter, or the
8
bird dog?” Now before I give you this last morsel of data, let
T he number is 28%. More t han a quarter o f t h e a u d i e n c e s a i d “ I g ot a b i r d d o g t h e n b ec a m e a b i r d h u n t e r . � A n d t h at a s to n i s h i n g n u m b e r i n c r e a s e d to 3 4 % w h e n o n ly lo o k i n g at ag e s 1 8 to 4 4. 9
I f yo u s t e r e ot y p e u s , w e w i l l s i m p ly r e j ec t yo u a n d r e p l ac e yo u wit h someone or something else... Yo u w i l l fa i l . M a n y b r a n d s h av e a l r e a dy.
2
Hipsters, Millennials, and t h e I n d u s t r y ’ s G r e at e s t M i s co n c e p t i o n s
I
F I HEAR one more professional writer tell the world what
yet to find said content, eventually they will, and consider your
“hipsters” think and do in hunting I may pull my hair out.
brand scratched off the list of deserving loyalty.
Not really . . . but it is almost entertaining because it only
Even more outrageous is the tone of some of these
further exposes the gap in the hunting industry as it relates
articles. Essentially, they are fuming rants about how hipsters
to millennials. Some people are just plain out of touch with
drink artisanal coffee and cannot do anything difficult. The
facts and reality. As someone who has been called “hipster”
end result is often, of course, that some old hunter comes out
and “millennial” as insults, I hope to give you a more factual
looking like a bad ass because the said “hipster” is shocked
account of the “hipster” story. To be frank, I’m telling you this
by his rugged authenticity. Which reminds me, that never
because I care about hunting and find a need to point out
actually happens. It’s click bait, feeding on the mainstream’s
how the industry is alienating the future.
need for an ego boost with little thought to the very real hole
First off, one definition of hipster is “a person who follows
they continue to dig.
the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as
Let’s go down this rabbit hole a little deeper. Hipsters
being outside the cultural mainstream.” (Google Knowledge
do not prefer the term “harvested” when referring to killing
Base). Let’s first point out that the term is a stereotype and
game while hunting, despite what all these articles tell you.
maybe we need a bit of a check on our manners before
And, without throwing too many stones here, we can certainly
proceeding. At least that’s what my mother would say and,
thank some unnamed non-profits for the propaganda
no, I am not in her basement right now. Stereotypes are
campaigns about hunting lingo that were thought up in
something we should stay away from as they have little
board rooms with no one even remotely close to the “hipster”
ability to sway the subjects being stereotyped. Yes, that’s
age group present. After all, what could a kid that plays video
right. Every time the hipsters hear that the “hipsters” think
games all day possibly contribute?
this and “hipsters” do that, it only serves to alienate that very
In our recent survey, I believe we’ve gathered enough
same group of people. Nothing helpful will ever come of it.
feedback to kill the term “harvested.” As expected, millennials
One can simply google “hipster hunters” and quickly be
used the term “harvested” less than their baby boomer
delivered a run of articles from some of the biggest hunting
counterparts. Authenticity is universally considered the
brands in the country stereotyping (and alienating) a whole
cornerstone of millennial marketing, in all industries. When
class of people. And, lest the implication be lost, those are
you hunt, you kill an animal. Hard stop. There is no softening
potential future hunters. Quite frankly, if those “hipsters” have
that fact, no “spinning” it. The chance to encourage a new
11
generation is built on the ethics before and after the kill. And
quite frankly, the hunting decline happened on their watch
those ethics must be rooted in the environmental impact, the
and the only honest way forward is to examine the attitudes
social responsibility, and human experience.
and activities that contributed to the fall. This is meant to
So if millennials and/or “hipsters” are lazy, they would
get the industry to wake up and realize that millennials and
certainly avoid the effort that goes into hunting wild birds.
hipsters are taking over the space and if the industry doesn’t
They would surely prefer to hunt stocked birds because
embrace them, it’s doomed. And let’s not forget to mention
all they really want is their participation trophy, right? Not
that Generation Z is already on the playing field…
only do millennials hunt stocked birds less than their baby
Be conscious of how you speak about and to a millennial
boomer counterparts, they also identified that hunting
audience. If you stereotype us, we will simply reject you and
stocked birds was not an authentic experience at a greater
replace you with someone or something else. It’s rather
rate than baby boomers. What we have is a generation that
simple, stay away from assumptions and theories found in
wants an authentic experience above all else. And they’re
executive committees and board rooms where these key
willing to work their tails off to make it happen.
demographics have zero representation. You will fail. Many
Now this brief look into “hipsters” is not meant to be a baby boomer bash fest at all. It’s more of a gut check because,
12
brands have already.
I t ’ s r at h e r s i m p l e , s tay away f r o m assumpt ions and t heories found i n e x ec u t i v e co m m i t t e e s a n d board rooms where these key demographics h av e z e r o r e p r e s e n tat i o n .
13
“ A h , yo u ’ r e a co n s e r vat i o n i s t … s o t h at ’ s h ow yo u j u s t i f y yo u r k i l l i n g ? ” 14
3
H OW T h e M e s s ag e o f Co n s e r vat i o n Fa i l e d , C l i m at e C h a n g e , a n d a N e w C u lt u r e
T
he neighborhood party is under way. It is the first time
the point where it simply cannot move anyone from their
you have met almost everyone in the room since you
established opinion. We must understand how there is almost
moved here. A man walks up and shakes your hand. “I saw
zero chance the opposing party is now going to say. “Oh that
you getting in your truck in camouflage the other day,” he
makes perfect sense, I am sorry that I offended a person who
notes with a tone of curiosity.
is so proactive about conservation.” In reality, this is now a
Like most hunters, there is a spike in your pulse. Talking
hostile conversation and all words are weaponized, including
about hunting? This party might not be so bad after all. You
the word conservation itself.
think to yourself.
In fact, we have all heard the retaliation to the
You smile. “Yeah, I was on my way to hunt deer. Do you
conservation apologetic. It goes something like this: “Ah, you’re
hunt as well?”
a conservationist….so that’s how you justify your killing?”
The answer comes back fast: “I am against hunting.”
Before we go any deeper into how I’m proposing
The statement is plain and sucks the wind out of sails of
that these types of interactions should be handled, let’s
excitement.
make sure we hash out the idea of conservation itself. A
Now let us pause right here. Have we prepared our
conservationist is a person who advocates or acts for the
community for such interactions? Sure, we would like to
protection and preservation of the environment and wildlife.
think so. Tell him about all the conservation hunters do!
Now, I am not trying to poke too hard here, but how does
We’d be thinking. And we’d be right. More likely than not,
buying a hunting license (which is required by law) and paying
the conversation would quickly lead to defensiveness on
excises taxes on gear translate to that person “advocating
the hunter’s part and, without a doubt, as some point the
or acting?” My town requires us to recycle by law, does that
poisonous words would be muttered, “Hunters do more for
make me an environmentalist? I would submit that being a
conservation than anyone else.”
conservationist is much more than simply buying a hunting
Did I just say poisonous? I did. Because there is a
license and paying excise tax. And many hunters have no
problem that I think we already instinctively know…the
business weaponizing a word that they have no business
conservation apologetic doesn’t work. If it had been working,
claiming for themselves.
hunters would not possess such poor perception from the
If a hunter desires to be a conservationist, he or she
non-hunting public. What should be a very positive message
would have to actually act or advocate. Maybe join a non-
has been weaponized by both hunters and anti-hunters to
profit, volunteer time, raise awareness on environmental
15
issues that affect wildlife. Ranting about big bucks and
This new culture is being built by millennials. Despite what
the need for more deer when we live in a world plagued
some may think or say, the millennial world of hunting is
by overpopulation leading to CWD, invasive plant species
booming and they probably do not see it because this new
expansion, and destruction of diverse habitat sounds like
culture is not only different from the big buck craze but is
quite the opposite of conservation.
intentionally contributing to its downfall.
So, back to our confrontation from earlier. How could
We are talking about a generation that has different
that conversation have gone better? Allow me to draw on
motivations, ideology, lifestyles, religions (or lack thereof),
some personal experience. My usual answer when challenged
politics and views on conservation. This is a culture that
is that my family is very committed to “understanding where
embraced the sustainability movement, the organic craze,
our food comes from and being morally responsible for the
fights tooth and nail for public land protection, and picked
act.” The idea of connecting with nature on such a level and
up the torch for climate change. Sounds almost like an
obtaining organic meat in the process is very human and
environmentalist movement.
reframes the whole argument in a positive fashion. In fact, we
I recently read a study that pointed towards “food”
could argue that the idea of killing an animal for food is one
being a motivational factor for hunting in both previous
of the oldest human ideas. As where conservation is a rather
generations and millennials. Where that study failed was the
modern idea and not as “natural” as
failure to recognize that this is not a
hunting. The Wildlife Restoration Act
T h e i d e a o f co n n ec t i n g
two-dimensional theory. Millennials
is not even 100 years old!
w i t h n at u r e o n s u c h
are quite literally taking up hunting
I wrote and published an article online entitled, “The Good Reasons Old Hunting Culture is Dying.” I
a l e v e l a n d o b ta i n i n g o r g a n i c m e at i n t h e
sound argument that the big buck craze generation took up hunting
apologize for how click bait-ish that
process is very human
title sounds and I know that I should
and reframes the
their hamburger came from. Sure,
have went something more in line
whole argument in a
that was a byproduct, but not the
with its argument and titled it, “The Fourth
Hunting
Rebellion.”
That
p os i t i v e fa s h i o n . I n
because they wanted to know where
initial motivation. That shift is having a domino
title would have been based on the
fac t, w e co u l d a r g u e
effect.
book the “Marketing Rebellion” by
t h at t h e i d e a o f
obsession, and all the other things
Mark Schaefer. That book inspired
killing an animal for
the industry has created have given
the idea, if I am being honest. In it, Schaefer explains four marketing rebellions that have occurred in the
food is one of t he oldest human ideas.
past 100 years or so. The latest being spearheaded by millennials, the largest consumer segment. I translated his rebellions for the hunting culture in the US.
Trophy
hunting,
method
way to ‘how can I put the most meat in a freezer in the fastest and most ethical way.’ Plenty of millennials fall in love with the process, but this is a
major shift in thinking from previous generations. Add in all the culture changes of a new generation and
Rebellion one was the birth of market hunting.
we are actually left with a lot more conservation-minded
Rebellion two was the birth of the days of Teddy
culture. There is an impending need to make sure the system
Roosevelt and conservation, which lead to the death of
is not only sustainable now but stays sustainable. I would fall
market hunting. Rebellion three was the big buck craze,
on the floor if any big buck craze-culture hunter ever spoke
which caused the death of celebrating the numbers in
to me in that tone.
conservation and by the accompanying rise of celebrating names next to numbers. And now, I believe, we are very much in the middle of the fourth rebellion. And as I am sure I will not reword it better now, I will pull this from the article.
16
for food. You will never make a
Plenty of this new culture has left a tough pill to swallow for the previous generations. The marriage between gun rights and hunting has fallen victim to a staunch put-thebrakes-on moment. Further, differences in the concept of public lands and
“Who knows what to call it? Honestly, it’s much in its
a near hatred for privatization are causing the old culture
infancy. But what we can do is accurately identify the parts.
begins to wane even more. Try and argue with a millennial
that hunting in any part of Africa is good for conservation
“Sport” is the reason that 21% of baby boomers upland hunt
and you will be met with complex knowledge on government
while only 5% of millennials cited the same.
corruption, social inequalities, and ultimately a generation
Further into the millennial stats, 60% are from urban or
that says, ‘It’s not that simple.’ This is, in fact, the culture that
suburban areas and 31% are first generation hunters. There
gave rise to millennial-minded organizations like Backcountry
are many more intriguing data points that can be viewed
Hunters and Anglers.
throughout this study and our past studies, all of which paint
But the fact still stands: none of this can be stopped.
a very viable picture of the future of millennial hunting culture.
This is the death of a hunting culture and the birth of a new
In the end, my long-winded point to “how the message of
one. And if you plan to be an organization/brand that exists
conservation failed” is that conservation does matter, but we
in this brave new world, you will have to fit the new narrative.
cannot put the cart before the horse. Having a generation that
But what kind of data can we support this with?
is inherently more environmentally conscious will help grow
Looking at Project Upland, which has a strong core
the future of conservation, but it is not the sales pitch to create
of a millennial followers, we have dug into these trends.
hunters. It is also not the rallying call to combat anti-hunting.
So let’s start by looking at attitudes about hot-button
I believe that embracing honest human ways of
terms like “climate change.” While 57% of upland hunters
interacting with nature will win in the end. Yet we are an
in the baby boomer demographic are concerned about
industry scared to speak about climate change, lead shot,
the effects of climate change on upland birds, nearly
and anything else that may offend the hunting culture that is
72% millennials were concerned. Accordingly, 91% of
in the process of dying. Our future (and present) is driven by
millennials believed climate change is real, and 46%
an organic craze, a sustainability movement, and the carrying
believe it is man made.
of a banner for the environment as advocates and whistle
Digging into hunting specific practices and attitudes,
blowers. When you think of it that way, this new culture is
26% of millennials have switched to shooting only steel shot
no longer that far away from the days of Teddy Roosevelt.
for environmental reasons, which is double the number of
A world where the “message of conservation” is not needed
their baby boomer counterparts. While 41% of baby boomers
because it has become common knowledge. A byproduct of
belong to a gun rights group, a mere 15% of millennials do.
a generation inspired to be more human.
17
Co n s e r vat i o n i s a n e x t r e m e ly va l u a b l e by-prod uc t of hunters and hunt ing, b u t I d o n ’ t k n ow i f I ’ v e e v e r m e t a h u n t e r t h at g ot i n to i t s o t h at t h e y co u l d b eco m e a co n s e r vat i o n i s t. 18
4
Co n s e r vat i o n i s a L o u sy C a r r ot
I
STOOD BEHIND the bench, looking over my squad of
ensure/protect/enable the future of conservation….if you
seven and eight year old hockey players. We were in the
care about conservation, thank a hunter…” And so on.
third period and tied up with the rival team from the next
Setting aside for a moment that this particular approach is
town over. With only a few minutes left, the tension was thick
fundamentally on the defensive, it is also simultaneously
and their smiles were huge. They were experiencing the best
ignoring the intrinsic motivations for hunters (i.e. adventures,
of what youth hockey has to offer.
challenges, experiences, camaraderie, etc.) and focusing on a
I was proud of the kids. They had been hustling hard on
single extrinsic motivation: conservation.
every shift, cheering each other on, and doing the “little things”
To put it another way, we’ve been dangling the wrong
that help teams win games. It was time for an encouraging
carrot in front of the horse. Conservation is an extremely
word from coach. I cleared my throat. “Alright guys, let’s keep
valuable by-product of hunters and hunting, but I don’t know
pressuring them, taking away their opportunities to score.
if I’ve ever met a hunter that got into it so that they could
Let’s move the puck and get one more goal!” Little black
become a conservationist. Frankly, there are plenty of other
helmets bobbed up and down. They were motivated. The
ways to be involved with conservation that don’t involve
entire team was completely in the moment. Well, almost the
hunting. Just like there are plenty of ways to get ice cream
entire team…
that don’t involve scoring goals.
One of the speedier kids, let’s call him Johnny, who had
We could probably even take it a step further and toss
scored two goals for us already, leaned over to the player
the carrot out altogether. If we look at why people engage
next to him, “I don’t really care if we win, cause my dad told
in interests that are adjacent to hunting, like conservation,
me if I scored two goals, I’d get ice cream.” I guess you have
locavore movements, photography, hiking/camping, and
to appreciate the honesty of eight-year-olds.
the like, I think we would notice that the motivations are
We ended up winning the game in sudden-death
intrinsically tied to the activities themselves. Conservationists
overtime on a beautiful goal from one of our unlikely players.
are passionate about conservation. Locavores find joy in
The bench erupted and stormed the ice in celebration. And I
local food. Photographers labor to produce beauty in a single
couldn’t help but be a little sad that Johnny’s joy in this moment
image. Hikers and campers are in hot pursuit of outdoor
was perhaps a little tainted. The intrinsic thrill of a close game
adventure that can only be experienced in the places hiking
and narrow victory, or even the individual accomplishment of
and camping can take you.
scoring a goal weren’t the driving motivations for Johnny. It
these pursuits that is beckoning the participants onward,
was something extrinsic to all that. It was ice cream.
the pursuit itself is the reward. So why are we trying to sell
You’re probably wondering what that story has to do with
There is nothing outside of
hunting in any other way than simply celebrating hunting?
hunter recruitment. And I would venture to say, “Everything.”
So how do we correct course? We must start by creating
It is illustrating a fatal flaw in our historic approach to R3. For
hunter recruitment programs that showcase the thrill,
decades, our standard recruiting pitch has been, “Hunters
the joy, and the beauty of hunting in and of itself. I believe
19
the best way to do this is through storytelling. We need to
lasting enthusiasm for hunting itself. Every single time we
hear hunters share the things about hunting that get them
point to an external motivation, we are undermining the much
excited, that get them teary-eyed, that get them out into
more compelling internal motivation. Substituting external
the field day after day. Hunter recruitment is not going to
for internal rewards produces an eight year old who isn’t
be accomplished with statistics of acres conserved, but by
interested in winning an exciting hockey game, so long as he
hearing real people share their passions. We need to spark
gets ice cream. I don’t think it’s a bold prediction to say that
the imaginations of non-hunters by sharing a compelling
whatever enthusiasm he has for the game itself will continue to
picture of the hunting life. A life of adventure, challenge, and
dwindle until it disappears altogether. And, after a few decades
camaraderie. Who doesn’t want that?
of this tactic, I think we’re already there for hunting.
If we continue to try to sell hunting as a stepping stone to some other thing, we will quickly see that there will be no
I f w e co n t i n u e to t r y to s e l l h u n t i n g a s a s t e p p i n g s to n e to s o m e ot h e r t h i n g , w e w i l l q u i c k ly s e e t h at t h e r e w i l l b e n o l a s t i n g e n t h u s i a s m f o r h u n t i n g i t s e l f.
20
Every single time we p o i n t to a n e x t e r n a l m ot i vat i o n , w e a r e undermining the much m o r e co m p e l l i n g i n t e r n a l m ot i vat i o n .
21
“ W e k n ow t h at small game is a n e xc e l l e n t g at e way a n d a n y t h i n g t h at requires dogs m a k e s i t t h at much bet ter.�
22
5
A Lo o k i n to t h e M i n d o f a F i r s t G e n e r at i o n H u n t e r
T
HE HOLY GRAIL of hunter recruitment is being able to
mentoring. I always felt that, when given the option, I would
understand the process and thinking of a first generation
have chosen a path that did not involve mentorship as long
hunter. By capturing that world view, the thinking goes, we
as I had the resources available to get educated on my own.
can replicate their experience for others. If we are able to
The above proved that my introvert tendencies were that of
do that, we will grow our ranks in a more efficient and robust
a minority and the responses to another follow up question
manner. For Project Upland, this information has always
— Of the following which path would you prefer as a path to
been important — the mindset of that sacred group inside
upland hunting? — Further supported that conclusion, when
our subculture. How did they get here? What challenges do
81% chose “Having a mentor to teach me to become a bird
they face? And how can we create more “first generation”
hunter” and only 19% chose “Having online content to teach
hunters?
me to become a bird hunter.”
In this year’s survey, 31% of the audience identified
E M P OW E R M E N T
themselves as first generation hunters. That is a 1% increase from the 2018 upland hunting survey. The definition of “first
These responses do show that while some people
generation” being that neither their mother or father hunted.
do not want to be mentored, most prefer it to being self-
This is an inside look into these new hunters.
taught. But if we are still interested in serving/converting those introverts as well — and we should be — the question
M E N TO R S H I P
becomes, Are there enough resources available to empower
We began by exploring the idea of mentorship, which
introverts to become self-taught hunters? Our instincts
has played a critical role in R3 efforts in recent years.
pointed us to ask about online resources due to the fact
According to our new hunters, 64% identified that they were
that they are immediately available to most people and
mentored in the process while 36% did not have a mentor.
don’t require any additional social interaction. A significant
They were then asked to agree or disagree with the following
percentage (68%) of the audience agreed or strongly agreed
statement. “I prefer a mentor over being self-taught.” 67%
with the statement “I would like to be able to find enough
agreed or strongly agreed, whereas only 5% disagreed or
information online to become an upland hunter” and only 3%
strongly disagreed, the rest answering neutral or N/A.
disagreed or strongly disagreed. Our conclusion, based on
As an introvert, I have often wondered at the idea of
those responses, is that there is a need — even from those
23
who desire to be mentored — to expand online resources to
this survey currently own a bird dog. While we don’t believe
educate aspiring hunters.
in any one “silver bullet” of hunter recruitment, we certainly can see that leveraging the general population’s interest in
BARRIERS
and passion for dogs is one of the most promising entryways
Next, we explored our audience’s perceived barriers to
for cultivating new hunters.
hunting. We found that only 20% of the audience identified “finding a mentor” as a barrier. We hope that this surprisingly small number is a result of the efforts from the R3 community
CO N C L U S I O N
to make mentoring more available to the public, but we didn’t
One of the important take aways here is that there
dig further into that perception in this survey. The more
are significant chunks of the population to recruit as first
looming barrier is one that we would identify as an online
generation hunters.
resource or media issue. A little over 72% said that “finding
hunting family requires perhaps a different approach to
a place to hunt” was the most difficult factor in becoming a
recruitment, but they are certainly “gettable.” Availability of
hunter. While this certainly is an issue of access, we believe
information seems to be the largest need, whether it’s “how
it is an issue related to the above questions; a lack of online
to” hunt or finding new land to hunt. We know that small
resouces. We came to this conclusion partly based on a later
game is an excellent gateway and anything that requires dogs
question: Do you think there are enough online resources
makes it that much better. It is also clear that mentoring is
about finding new places to hunt on public land? Of which
still desirable and effective and efforts on such causes are
57% said no and 43% said yes. We believe that these results
worth the resources devoted to them.
Someone who didn’t grow up in a
can and must be addressed by an expansion of online resources, the question becomes how and who should be filling such a gap in the community? B I G G A M E V. S M A L L G A M E One of our working theories is that the decline in hunting participation is directly related to the inverse growth relationship of Big Game vs. Small Game hunting. At the peak of hunting participation, small game hunters outnumbered big game hunters at a roughly 2:1 ratio. This statistic is virtually reversed today.
We theorize that the perceived
accessibility and repeatability of small game hunting creates fewer barriers than big game hunting. When we compared the responses of our first generation hunters versus those who grew up in hunting families, we found that 42% of first generation hunters hunted big game as where those from hunting families came in at 58%. While this feedback is not conclusive, it does show that, among the first generation hunters in our audience, big game is not as big of a deal. DOGS Lastly, we were curious to explore how dogs played a role in the recruitment of first-generation hunters. More than half (54%) said that they shot their first bird over a dog. An astounding 79% said that dogs played a critical role in them becoming a hunter. Further, 36% said they got bird dogs and then became a hunter. And 85% of first-generation hunters in
24
“ B Y C A P T U R I N G T H AT WO R L D V I E W , T H E THINKING GOES, WE CAN R E P L I C AT E T H E I R E X P E R I E N C E FO R OT H E R S ”
25
26
6
2 0 1 9 NAT I O NA L U PL A N D H UN T I N G S URV E Y A L o o k i n to t h e M OT I VAT I O N S , B A R R I E R S , A N D C U LT U R A L VA L U E S T H AT I N F L U E N C E U P L A N D H U N T E R S T O DAY AC R O S S T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S .
To cite this report: DeRosa A., Hervey C. (2019) 2019 UPLAND HUNTING SURVEY
community with a look to discover practical gateways for
E x ec u t i v e S u m m a r y
R3 success.
Introduction
I
Survey Objectives
N RESPONSE TO declining hunter participation numbers throughout the Unites States, Federal and State Agencies
The objectives of the Northwoods Collective 2019
along with industry NGO’s have spearheaded a recent surge
Upland Hunting Survey were to identify the current
in hunter Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation efforts
demographics within the upland hunting industry and non-
on a national level. The effect of hunter decline is widely felt
traditional demographics within the national upland hunting
throughout the conservation field with potential to negatively
community. The upland hunting community was chosen as
impact a broad spectrum of environmental, cultural and
the token focus of this survey.
social issues.
Through questioning, the intent of the survey was to
Recruitment, retention and reactivation, or more
track any shifts in the audience and identify some of the
commonly referred to as R3, is essential to addressing
key motivations, barriers, and cultural values that influence
this decline and prioritizing efforts to prevent overall loss
active upland hunters today, with particular attention paid to
of culture and conservation funding. R3 professionals
“first generation” hunters. Questions were crafted in such a
throughout the nation have identified numerous strategies to
way as to identify possible changes to modern R3 marketing
combat this decline based upon documented shortcomings
and programming in order to directly addresses the decline
throughout agency and industry.
in hunting participation.
There has been a significant amount of time, energy,
Special attention was paid to one particular ancillary
and money spent on studying the problem of declining
interest that was discovered during the 2018 Upland Hunting
hunting participation. Those whose boots are on the ground
Survey (DeRosa A., Hervey C., St. Andre J. (2018)) — dogs.
are yearning for the next step of action to turn the tide. Many
In addition to benefitting the R3 community with some
strides have begun in this regard and this survey is hopefully
statistics into current upland hunting culture, the survey
another step in that direction.
results can also be used for a glimpse into broader cultural
The overlying goal of this survey was to dig into the
views which potentially have an impact on R3 efforts.
perceived barriers, adjacent interests, and cultural values of the growing hunting demographics within the upland hunting 27
Methodology
L I S T O F TA B L E S
Northwoods Collective staff conceptualized, created and
implemented
the
2019
upland
hunting
survey
completely “in-house.” Through cooperation with Eukanuba
•
Table 1: What best describes where you live?
•
Table 2: What is Your Age?
•
Table 3: Did either of your parent’s hunt?
•
Table 4: Which would you describe as your TOP
Premium Performance Dog Food and Dakota 283 Kennels, Project Upland brand followers were enticed to participate in the survey through a 4 day/3 night wild pheasant hunt at Chronkhite Farm in South Dakota (a value of $2,700). In an effort to maintain consistency and comparability
motivation for hunting? •
factor when becoming a hunter? •
Hunting survey. Survey participants were gathered through targeted marketing of social media channels and web-based applications. The chosen medium for gathering respondents was selected due to the overwhelming universal access to social media and web-based applications through handheld mobile devices and desktop computers. Facebook, Instagram, generated email lists and search engine optimization were all tackled to achieve strategic exposure of the survey specifically to followers of the lifestyle
The focus groups were surveyed throughout a period of 2 weeks during the month of March 2019, when upland hunting participation begins to taper off and spanned the
hunter? Table 8: Have you mentored another bird hunter?
•
Table 9: Of the following which would you prefer as path to upland hunting?
•
Table 10: Did you shoot your first bird over a dog?
•
Table 11: Would you say that dogs played a critical role in you becoming a hunter?
•
rate for a total of 2620 responses. The findings of the survey are reported at a 95% confidence interval with a sampling
Table 12: What came first, being a bird hunter, or the bird dog?
•
Table 13: Do you own a bird dog?
•
Table 14: Do you believe that climate change is real?
•
Table 15: Do you only hunt with non-toxic shot?
•
Table 16: Which of the following statements do you most commonly use?
•
Table 17: Do you hunt stocked game birds?
•
Table 18: What other small game did you hunt more than 3 days last season?
•
Table 19: Did you hunt big game more than 3 days last year?
entirety of the United States. The survey took an average of eleven minutes to complete and garnered a 97% completion
Table 7: Have you been mentored by another bird
•
brand – Project Upland – who utilize modern technology and social marketplaces.
Table 6: How much of your hunting is done on public land?
•
Northwoods Collective employed the same methods of gathering survey participants as the 2018 National Upland
Table 5: What do you think was the most difficult
AG R E E / D I S AG R E E •
Comment 1: “I think Hunting stocked birds is an authentic experience.”
error of less than 3%.
•
Limitations
•
Comment 2: “I think lead shot has negative effects on the environment.”
The focus of this study was directed to users which utilize modern technology and does not necessarily present the views of generational cohorts less apt to use such technological interfaces. Generalizations about broader hunting populations based on the results of this study should therefore be cautiously interpreted.
28
Comment 3: “My reasons/motivations for hunting are the same as my parent/mentor.”
•
Comment 4: “I am concerned about the effects of climate change on upland habitat and birds.”
•
Comment 5: “I prefer a mentor over being selftaught.”
•
Comment 6: “I would like to be able to find enough information online to become an upland hunter.”
•
Comment 7: “I think my parent/parents displayed a positive hunting culture.
2019 Upland Hunting Servey
respondents identified that just their father hunted, 0.38% just their mother hunted and 6% came from a family where both parents hunted. These numbers have remained consistent with less than 1%
S E C T I O N 1 : Ta b l e s
variation from previous surveys.
Ta b l e 1 : W h at b e s t d e s c r i b e s
Ta b l e 4 : W h i c h wo u l d yo u d e s c r i b e a s
w h e r e yo u l i v e ?
yo u r T O P m ot i vat i o n f o r h u n t i n g ?
RURUAL
45.46%
SUBURBAN URBAN
42.18%
FOOD
The numbers represented in Table 1 have remained consistent for subsequent surveys of the upland community. Previous survey results from 2018 showed that participants living in rural areas were the same as suburban areas with both cohorts registering at 44%. The remaining 12% of respondents identified as residing in urban areas.
Ta b l e 2 : W h at i s Yo u r Ag e ? 1.72%
1.15%
4.82%
SPORT
12.37%
18-24
SUSTAINABILITY
14.96%
FUN
13.51%
POPULATION CONTROL SELF-RELIANCE EXERCISE
0.88%
0.95%
FAMILY TRADITION TROPHY
0.08%
4.35%
0.08%
CONSERVATION
3.21%
25-34
18.02%
BEING IN NATURE
14.73%
35-44
18.36%
FOR THE DOGS
38.82%
45-54
21.11%
54-64
OTHER
25.73%
65-74
12.37%
77+
2.10%
2.67%
The fact that 3x respondents selected “For the dogs” as compared to the next highest response shines a significant spotlight on the potential role that can play in the recruitment of hunters.
While the 2018 data showed a fairly uniform between age cohorts with ages 25-34 making up the largest age cohort at 25%, the 2019 data shows an increased following in ages 45-65 and a reduced following of ages 18-44.
Ta b l e
5:
W h at
do
yo u
think
pa r e n t s h u n t ? 62.67%
MOTHER BOTH
FINDING A MENTOR
0.38%
GETTING A LICENSE
76.11%
13.36%
TAKING HUNTERS SAFETY
FATHER
the
hunter? FINDING A PLACE TO HUNT
Ta b l e 3 : D i d e i t h e r o f yo u r
wa s
m os t d i f f i c u lt fac t o r w h e n b eco m i n g a
2.86%
30.99%
LEARNING TO USE A FIREARM
6.83%
5.96%
NEITHER
30.99%
Finding a place to hunt is a very common barrier to those getting into hunting. The data represents that upland hunting equally has a great amount of difficulty to the new hunter trying to identify a place to hunt.
One of the more notable data sets received from the 2019 survey was that 30% of all followers were first generation hunters, meaning neither of their parents hunted. Not unexpectedly, 63% of
29
Ta b l e 6 : H ow m u c h o f yo u r h u n t i n g i s
age of 54, though the first option dropped to virtually zero for age
done on public land?
groups greater than 55.
ALL OF IT
18.85%
MOST OF IT
Ta b l e 1 0 : D i d yo u s h o ot yo u r f i r s t b i r d
39.62%
ABOUT HALF OF IT
25.23%
BARELY ANY OF IT
13.24%
NONE OF IT
ov e r a d o g ? YES
53.05%
NO
46.95%
3.05%
More than 60% of upland hunters utilize public land for the vast majority of their upland hunting pursuits. When crossed with the data in table 5 showing that finding a place to hunt is one of the largest hurdles to becoming an upland hunter (76.11% of respondents) it is apparent that the lack of resources to educate hunters on how to locate public hunting land is a major barrier.
Ta b l e
11:
7:
H av e
yo u
been
m e n to r e d
s ay
t h at
dogs
a hunter? YES
by
a n ot h e r b i r d h u n t e r ?
yo u
p l ay e d a c r i t i c a l r o l e i n yo u b eco m i n g
74.92%
NO Ta b l e
Wo u l d
25.08% Adjacent pursuits, in this case dog ownership, are critical to
underlying R3 themes. In upland hunting the dog itself acts a major catalyst into one becoming a hunter.
YES
66.79%
NO
33.21%
Ta b l e 1 2 : W h at c a m e f i r s t, b e i n g a b i r d
The data in table 7 shows that the majority of upland hunters have received some level of mentorship in their hunting pursuit.
Ta b l e
8:
H av e
yo u
m e n to r e d
a n ot h e r
hunter, or t he bird dog? BIRD DOG
28.07%
BIRD HUNTER
71.93.%
bird hunter? YES NO
72.29% 27.71%
Ta b l e 1 3 : D o yo u ow n a b i r d d o g ? YES
While the data shows that the vast majority of upland hunters
NO
87.75% 12.25%
feel as though they have mentored another bird, this data should be used with caution as the word “mentorship� holds many meanings to many different people. Portions of this number may be referencing an act as simple as just taking another person hunting.
Ta b l e 1 4 : D o yo u b e l i e v e t h at c l i m at e change is real? YES, AND IT IS MAN MADE
Ta b l e 9 : O f t h e f o l low i n g w h i c h wo u l d yo u p r e f e r a s pat h to u p l a n d h u n t i n g ? HAVING ONLINE CONTENT TO TEACH ME HOW TO BECOME A BIRD HUNTER HAVING A MENTOR TO TEACH ME HOW TO BECOME A BIRD HUNTER
19.36%
YES, BUT IT IS NOT MAN MADE NO
38.68%
17.06% The data represents that nearly 85% of upland hunters believe
that climate change is real with 46% believing that it is manmade.
80.65%
This data is representative the importance that mentorship has throughout the upland community. The division between the two options was not significantly affected by any respondents below that
30
46.26%
31
32
Ta b l e 1 5 : D o yo u o n ly h u n t w i t h
Ta b l e 1 9 : D i d yo u h u n t b i g g a m e m o r e
n o n - tox i c s h ot ?
t h a n 3 day s l a s t y e a r ?
YES
16.26%
NO
YES
31.60%
52.75%
NO
ONLY WHEN REQUIRED BY LAW
47.25%
49.81%
YES, EXCEPT WHEN USING A VINTAGE SHOTGUN
2.33%
S E C T I O N 2 : Ag r e e / D i s ag r e e
The data in table 15 shows that the majority of upland hunters still hold lead shot in high regards with 50% of participants only using non-toxic shot when the law requires them to.
In the following section, respondents were asked to agree or disagree at varying levels for each of the following questions. While the majority of respondents replied that they do
Ta b l e
16:
Which
of
the
f o l low i n g
hunt stocked game birds as represented in table 16, nearly
s tat e m e n t s d o yo u m os t co m m o n ly u s e ?
half of respondents felt that hunting stocked game birds was
I SHOT TWO BIRDS TODAY.
not an authentic experience.
60.42%
I HARVESTED TWO BIRDS TODAY. I KILLED TWO BIRDS TODAY.
28.59% 10.99%
Table 15 shows that a majority of upland hunters avoid using
17:
Do
yo u
hunt
sto c k e d
think
Hunting
sto c k e d
birds
is
an
au thentic experience.”
the word kill to describe their success in the field.
Ta b l e
“I
game
birds?
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE
2% 18% 36% 30% 14%
The upland community is fairly split about the effects on
YES
65.53%
NO
34.47% In table 16 it is evident that the majority of upland hunters
do hunt stocked game birds. When compared with question 1 in the proceeding agree/disagree section it becomes visible that large portion of hunters who hunt stocked game birds do not find it to be authentic, which perhaps indicates that they may hunt the stocked birds as a form of training.
Ta b l e 1 8 : W h at ot h e r s m a l l g a m e d i d yo u
whether lead has negative effects on the environment. This data is consistent with the data in table 14.
“ I t h i n k l e a d s h ot h a s n eg at i v e e f f ec t s o n t h e e n v i r o n m e n t. ” STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE
h u n t m o r e t h a n 3 day s l a s t s e a s o n ?
9% 28% 41% 14% 6%
The majority of respondents felt as though their motivations for hunting were relatively the same as the influencers who taught them
WATERFOWL RABBITS
to hunt.
18.47%
SQUIRRELS TURKEYS
42.71%
15.19% 34.85%
“My
r e a s o n s / m ot i vat i o n s
for
hunting
a r e t h e s a m e a s m y pa r e n t/ m e n t o r . ” STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE
16% 36% 19% 14% 3% 33
The responses to the effects that climate change are having
S E C T I O N 3 : Co n c l u s i o n
on upland habitat and upland birds was directly proportionate to the percentages we saw in table 13. Cumulative percentages would
Historically, recruitment of new hunters relied on
suggest that the vast majority of upland hunters agree that warming
families introducing younger family members to the pursuit.
climates are negatively impacting the uplands.
In modern society this is no longer the case. We can no longer sit back and wait for recruitment to happen without help. This survey was designed to bring insight to the attitudes
“I am concerned about the effects of climate change on upland habitat and birds.” STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE
28% 33% 23% 10% 6%
As most people would expect, the majority of hunters would prefer having a mentor when they are learning as opposed to being self-taught.
and perspectives of upland hunters as they relate to perceived barriers, adjacent outdoor interests, and modern societal/ environmental concerns. Our intention here was to provide feedback for those crafting R3 messaging and marketing materials as well as those engaged in R3 programming and mentor training as we confirmed that, while there is need and interest in online tools, mentors remain a significant factor in R3. While there is no skeleton key to open all the doors of effective R3, the utility of leveraging the popularity of dogs as a significant gateway for hunter recruitment is irrefutable.
“I
prefer
a
m e n to r
ov e r
being
self-
ta u g h t. ” STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE
When it comes to the environmental awareness of modern hunters, the data here demonstrates a significant concern for climate change and non-toxic ammunition
25% 39% 26% 6% 1%
options. These attitudes are seemingly very much in line with the broader non-hunting public and perhaps can be incorporated as additional gateways to invite user participation and interaction over shared values. The R3 community and its founders have identified the needs, threats and barriers which have plagued recruitment and retention and in the process revealed a dull light at
“ I wo u l d l i k e to b e a b l e to f i n d e n o u g h
the end of the tunnel. For those looking for potential real-
i n f o r m at i o n o n l i n e to b eco m e a n u p l a n d
world strategies, we hope that this information encourages
hunter.”
stakeholders to look at adjacent pursuits and shared
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE
27% 35% 19% 2% 1%
The responses present that the majority of followers strongly agree/agree that the ability to find enough information online to
perspectives as viable opportunities to reach prospective R3 targets.
HUNT RISING MADE POSSIBLE BY:
become an upland hunter. In an increasingly tech-centric world, this avenue is worth paying attention to. TM
“ I t h i n k m y pa r e n t/ pa r e n t s d i s p l ay e d a p os i t i v e h u n t i n g c u lt u r e . ” STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE 34
46% 23% 15% 5% 3%
Co n tac t I n f o r m at i o n CHET HERVEY Managing Partner, Business Affairs Phone: 805-276-6293 Email: chet.hervey@northwoodscollective.com AJ DeROSA Managing Partner, Creative Director Phone: 978-314-5193 Email: aj.derosa@northwoodscollective.com NICK LARSON Brand Communications Director Phone: 218-591-7467 Email: nick.larson@northwoodscollective.com © NORTHWOODS COLLECTIVE 2019 www.northwoodscollective.com
35
© NORTHWOODS COLLECTIVE 2019 www.northwoodscollective.com