Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Outdoors

Executive Summary

Michigan Hunter Recruitment and Retention

Work Group Recommendations

www.michigan.gov/dnr

A report presented to Director Rebecca A. Humphries of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources

January 2006

Chuck Nelson, Facilitator, Michigan State University

Patricia Stewart, Chairperson, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Rob Anderson, Michigan Farm Bureau

Maury DeYoung, Sportspersons Ministries International

Jason Dinsmore, Michigan United Conservation Clubs

Jerry Hall, Natural Resources Commission

Ed Ingvartsen, Hunter and Outdoor Enthusiast

Jerry Keck, Michigan Bow Hunters

Alan Marble, DNR

William Moritz, DNR

Dave Noble, Ducks Unlimited

Tom Oliver, DNR

Mike Parker, Pheasants Forever

Ben Peyton, MSU

Dan Potter, National Wild Turkey Federation

Rodney Stokes, DNR

John Wencley, Troy Public Schools

Gary Williams, MSU Extension

Steve Wyckoff, Ducks Unlimited

Michigan Recruitment and Retention Work Group Members

Hunting is not merely an acquired taste; the instinct that finds delight in the sight and pursuitof game is bred into the very fiber of this race (man). We are dealing, therefore, with

something that lies very deep. Some can live without opportunity for this exercise and control ofthe hunting instinct, just as I suppose some can live without work, play, love, business, or othervital adventures. But in these days we regard such deprivations as unsocial. Opportunity for

exercise of all the normal instincts has come to be regardedmore and more as an inalienable right.

-Aldo Leopold

Perspective

Hunting is a tradition that has been in existence formore than 5 million years (Stanford 1999). In theUnited States alone, surveys show nearly 80% ofAmericans support hunting, although less than 10%actually participate. The economics of thesestatistics are astounding: some 18.5 million hunterscontribute more than $30 billion annually to the U.S.economy, supporting more than 986,000 jobs.Hunters underwrite—to the tune of $1.5 billionannually—conservation programs benefiting allAmericans who value wildlife and wild places(National Shooting Sports Foundation 2005).

Michigan has long enjoyed a strong hunting heritage.For almost one hundred years hunting has provideda tool for sound wildlife management, and has beenthe key link to educate citizens about theenvironment and the cornerstone of funding forMichigan natural resource conservation. Accordingto the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2002),hunters boosted Michigan’s economy in 2001 byspending $490 million in the state.

There were more than 865,000 licensed hunters inMichigan in 2002. The total number of Michiganlicensed hunters has remained relatively static overthe past 40 years. However, the proportion ofhunters in the Michigan population has declinedfrom an average of 10.1% in the 1960s to anaverage of 8.7% during 2000-2002 (Frawley2004).

To reverse this trend, new hunters, especially non-traditional hunters, must be brought into the shootingand hunting sports. This will strengthen the fundingbase for conservation, include the increasingdiversity of society and preserve Michigan’s huntingheritage. One path to follow is enhancing socialsupport systems for new hunters (Wentz and Seng2000) by connecting the novice with a mentor who

Michigan Recruitment and Retention Work GroupReport and Recommendations

• In 1968, 45% of small game hunterspurchased only a small game huntinglicense—compared to 16% in 2002.

understands and can explain the relationshipbetween hunting and the natural world. As AldoLeopold noted, this “…reminds us of ourdependency on the soil-plant-animal-man food chainand of the fundamental organization of the biota”(Leopold 1949:178).

Besides a decline in the proportion of Michiganianswho hunt, there has been a shift in Michigan huntingaway from species that can be hunted by youngerhunters with firearms toward deer hunting. AsFrawley (2004) notes:

• Hunting in Michigan has become increasinglyfocused on deer hunting.

• At least 91% of license buyers purchased adeer hunting license.

• In 2002, 62% of the deer hunters purchasedonly a deer hunting license—compared to51% in 1968.

• In contrast, a smaller proportion of smallgame hunters purchased only small gamelicenses in 2002 than in 1968.

• A major drop-off in hunting participationappears to occur between the late teenyears and early 20s.

1

The Process

The group as a whole met five times. At the secondmeeting, it was the consensus to break into four sub-groups:

1. Access/Supply of Hunting Opportunity

2. Companion/Mentor Networks

3. Education/Public Relations/Outreach

4. Regulations and Enforcement

Each sub-group met several times in addition to themeetings of the whole, and was asked to define andidentify barriers. The groups discussed obstaclessuch as a disconnect with and lack of appreciationfor the natural world in today’s youth (Louv 2004),urban sprawl and the loss of access to qualityhunting habitat, lack of social support for younghunters, hunting age restrictions, list, discuss andevaluate current programmatic approaches torecruiting and retaining hunters, suggest 3-5 new,“doable” programmatic approaches, set measurablegoals/objectives, and describe how to evaluateperformance to meet measurable goals/objectivesover a defined time period.

The Mission

The Hunter Recruitment and Retention (HRR) WorkGroup was established in January 2005 by DirectorRebecca A. Humphries of the Michigan Departmentof Natural Resources. Director Humphries chargedthe work group to review existing data, includingGovernor John Engler’s Hunting and FishingHeritage Task Force Recommendations publishedJanuary 1996, and develop an action plan by June2005 that identifies 3-5 approaches to increase thenumber and proportion of Michigan residentshunting and to retain new as well as current hunters.She challenged work group members to think aboutkey priorities, both in terms of individual roles andthose of the organizations represented, and to workin a cooperative process.

The Work Group

The HRR work group was comprised of membersfrom the university, governmental (DNR),educational, non-governmental (conservation andenvironmental groups), and hunting enthusiastcommunities. The group acknowledged the need forinput and review by a broad range of stakeholderswith a vested interest in and appreciation for hunting,and an understanding of science-based conservationmanagement of Michigan’s natural resources.

Group members:

Chuck Nelson, Facilitator, Michigan State UniversityPatricia Stewart, Chairperson, Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesRob Anderson, Michigan Farm BureauMaury DeYoung, Sportspersons Ministries InternationalJason Dinsmore, Michigan United Conservation ClubsJerry Hall, Natural Resources CommissionEd Ingvartsen, Hunter and Outdoor Enthusiast

Jerry Keck, Michigan Bow HuntersAlan Marble, DNRWilliam Moritz, DNRDave Noble, Ducks UnlimitedTom Oliver, DNRMike Parker, Pheasants ForeverBen Peyton, MSUDan Potter, National Wild Turkey FederationRodney Stokes, DNRJohn Wencley, Troy Public SchoolsGary Williams, MSU ExtensionSteve Wyckoff, Ducks Unlimited

2

We hunt because we love it...Amongnature pursuits, hunting and fishing

connect us mostprofoundly with animals and

nature...When we hunt we experienceextreme alertness

to the point of an altered state ofconsciousness.

-Dr. Randall Eaton

The groups were asked to identify barriers tohunting and prioritize their recommendations basedon the following criteria:

• Overall feasibility

• Cost

• Impact

• Governance (Natural ResourcesCommission or Director’s order, legislation,etc.)

• Evaluative capability

• Creation of social support system

• Accountability

• Mission fulfillment

The Sub-Group Recommendations

The three top priorities of each sub-group provideimportant guidance to developing finalrecommendations. These may involve integratingtwo or more recommendations into a morecomprehensive approach to recruitment or retention.To implement such sweeping recommendations mayinvolve legislation, incentives related to existing grantprograms and forming of new coalitions amongstakeholders. Following are the top threerecommendations from each of the four sub-groups:

Access/Supply of Hunting Opportunity

1. Reinvigorate the public access programthrough increasing landowner payments,providing options meeting landowner needsfor land management and security (e.g.,small game hunting only, time of entry limits,etc.), multi-year leases and quality maps(similar to those used in KS and ND). Theprogram would be funded by those whohunt in southern Michigan through a visibleaccess stamp on their license.

2. Create a new “habitat stamp” similar tothose in use in the plains states that providesfunds to enhance wildlife habitat on privatelands of willing owners, links to agriculturalconservation programs and providesadditional incentives to those enrolled in thePublic Access program.

3. Better publicize the availability of publiclands for hunting in southern Michigan andexplore opportunities to open additionalpublicly owned lands to hunting such asMDOT properties.

Companion/Mentor Networks

1. Create and use opportunities to infuseshooting sports, hunting and related outdoorrecreation into existing successful mentorprograms, such as Big Brothers, Big Sistersor the emerging 4-H program.

2. Produce a Web site that can serve eventsponsors and mentors as well as apprenticesseeking information and opportunities forparticipation.

3. Collect information over time to track trendsin hunting recruitment and retention. Oneapproach would be to follow a panel ofhunter safety students over time with a Web-based survey diary type of instrument on asecure system.

3

The Final Recommendations

Each individual group member was asked to selectat least five top priorities from the 12recommendations. Three final recommendationsrose to the top:

1. Provide additional public huntingin southern Michigan.

Rationale: Southern Michigan has over 8 millionpeople, and only 2% of public land (south of BayCity to Muskegon) is open to hunting (mostly stategame and wildlife areas and portions of state parkand recreation areas). In the 1970s, the PublicAccess Stamp program provided an 180,000additional acres for public hunting (almost equal tothe public land hunting opportunities). In 2004, thiswas down to less than 20,000 acres. Additionalland for public hunting will enhance huntingrecruitment and retention by facilitating theintegration of hunting recreation in local and regionalactivities for southern Michigan residents andassisting the DNR in managing wildlife populations.

Approaches:

Reinvigorate the hunter access programo Recognize voluntary landownerparticipation is the key Learn from ongoing landowner studyo Seek multi-year agreements Higher annual payments for longerterm agreements o Inform landowners of their statutoryprotection from liability through staterecreational user statute (work through FarmBureau and county conservation districts)o Meet owner needs for land managementand security May involve limiting specieshunted, seasons, sporting arms DNR meet regularly with accessprogram participating landowners DNR conduct survey oflandowners every five years.

Regulations and Enforcement

1. Lower the minimum age from 12 to 10 forhunter safety certification and for all smallgame, waterfowl, and turkey hunting; andlower the minimum age from 14 to 12 for allbig game hunting. It is imperative thatlanguage be included that states the youthmust be under parental/legal guardian,“within arm’s reach,” or words to that effect.

2. Increase and expand access for hunters withdisabilities.

3. Standardize and simplify the DNR hunting/fishing/trapping digests.

1. Work with Michigan Recreation and ParksAssociation and local community membersto incorporate hunting, fishing and campingprograms into park and recreationprograms.

2. Partner with the Michigan Natural ResourcesTrust Fund Board to give extra points toapplicants who foster natural resource basedrecreation (e.g. hunting, fishing, camping,etc. integral to the DNR’s core mission.

3. Work with the state Department ofEducation and other partners to develop K-12 environmental and outdoor educationcurricula that clearly identifies the role ofhunting and hunters in conservation andenvironmental stewardship.

4

Education/PR/Outreach

o Provide high quality maps similar toprograms in ND, KS, etc.o Explore ALL publicly owned lands forhunting potentialo Explore corporately owned lands forpublic hunting potentialo Showcase publicly owned hunting lands(especially in southern Michigan) in bookletformat o Fund through a mandatory hunter accessfee for all hunting in southern Michigan o Use current Public Access Programassessment data when available o Explore increased lease payments Highest rate for best habitat Explore links with habitatrestoration/enhancement partners/programs Explore a property tax incentive basedsystem with farmers patterned after thesuccessful Commercial Forest Act withforest landowners that provides morethan two million acres of public hunting landin the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower

2. Provide opportunity for a widerspectrum of society to participate inhunting.

Rationale: Youth face an increasingly complexarray of positive and negative leisure time choices.By the time they reach 12, many are so busy in non-hunting pursuits, often not involving parents, that theynever start hunting and lack opportunities to maintainstrong family bonds. Providing the opportunity to becertified through hunter safety training and hunt atage 10 will facilitate parental/guardian involvement intheir children’s leisure time through mandatoryparental/guardian supervision in all youth huntingexperiences, enhance safety by providing training tothose at a receptive age, and strengthen respect forthe environment among youth. The experience ofother states with hunter safety training requirementsthat allow hunting at younger ages is positive

Reduce the age for for small game huntingfrom 12 to 10. All hunters in the field underage 17 must be directly supervised by aparent, guardian or responsible adult.Reduce the age for firearm big game huntingfrom 14 to 12. Youth ages 12-13 must bewithin arm’s reach.Parents will be held responsible for ensuringproper supervision.

It is a vacation from the humancondition...that submerges man deliberately

into something of a religious rite andemotion in which homage is paid to what isdivine, transcendent, in the laws of nature.

-Jose Ortega Y Gasset

5

for safety, hunter recruitment and parentalinvolvement. Also, providing a more welcomingset of opportunities is vital for adults with little orno previous hunting experience, individuals fromdiverse cultural backgrounds, and women/girls.

Approaches: Reduce the age for hunter safety certification

from 12 to 10 Recruit and train additional hunter safety

training instructors, especially females andpersons of color Stress the inclusiveness of hunting as a form

of recreation Enhance educational emphasis on the

importance of conservation and the role ofhunting in conservation Enhance educational emphasis on ethical

hunting behavior Provide adult-oriented hunter safety courses

Include entire family, not just targetedyouth, in hunter recruitment/retentionprogramsCooperate with other states’ huntereducation programs through the Interna-tional Hunter Education AssociationDevelop parental guides/booklets andinstructional sessions for parents/guardiansof hunter education students

o

Facilitate hunting opportunities throughwilling Big Brothers Big Sisters chapterso Provide hunter safety instruction foryouth and mentors if necessaryo Link participants with partners whoprovide access to hunting land, equipment

Facilitate hunting opportunities throughwilling county 4-H organizationso Link to existing and growing 4-Hshooting programo Provide hunter safety instruction foryouth and mentors if necessaryo Link participants with partners whoprovide access to hunting land, equipment

Approaches:

Hunting continues to renew us, give us humbling mortality insights, and provide hope forour next role escape. There are so very few things in our lives that yield these most preciousof gifts: renewal, humility, insight, and hope. We must treat hunting with the same reverence

we hold for our religions, our children, and the world’s greatest works of art. -Dr. Lee Foote, University of Alberta

6

Better coordinate and publicize youth-related hunting events through conservationorganizations, local rod and gun clubs, etc.o Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited,Michigan Duck Hunters Association,Whitetails Unlimited, National Wild TurkeyFederation, Rocky Mountain ElkFoundation, Ruffed Grouse Society, etco Establish a Web site to clearly publicizeand help coordinate mentoring opportunitiesfor hunting to reach youth, parents,guardians, etc.

Rationale: Many youth lack parents, parents withoutdoor experience or the wherewithal to provideequipment or travel to enjoy outdoor pursuits suchas hunting. Many youth-serving organizationsprovide critical mentoring to opportunities withcaring adults such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and 4-H. In addition, many local park and recreationagencies have skilled youth mentors on their staff, arecreational land base and facilities which willsupport recreational hunting and a need to managewildlife populations.

3. Create and expand opportunities toinfuse hunting and related outdoorrecreation into existing andemerging mentoring programs.

The Action Plan

The following action plan is proposed:

External Reviewers

Chuck Connell, Children’s ChartersDave Dalton, Camp WildernessDale Elshoff, MSU 4-HMark Hirvonen, Orion Hunters InstituteBill Kendy, Commemorative Bucks Lynn Marla, Becoming an Outdoors-WomanGary White, Hunter Safety Instructor 7

noitadnemmoceR nigeBotnehW yramirPsrentraP laoGelbarusaeM etelpmoCotnehW

noitaulavE

edivorP.1cilbuplanoitidda

nrehtuosnignitnuh.nagihciM

6002gnirpS

stnasaehP,RND,reveroF

mraFnagihciMuaeruB

tnecrep5ybgnitnuhcilbupesaercnI

gniwohsspamytilauqhgihecudorPgnitnuhotneposdnalcilbup

7002llaF

7002remmuS

edivorP.2arofytinutroppo

fomurtcepsrediwetapicitrapotyteicos

.gnitnuhni

6002gnirpS

dnaCCUMrehto

noitavresnocspuorg

gnivignoitalsigeltroppuShtuoyllanilortnocsnaidraug/stnerap

egaecuderdnasecneirepxegnitnuhretnuhdnagnitnuhrofstnemeriuqer

ytefas

secruoseRlarutaNrewopmEgnitnuhtesotytirohtuahtiwnoissimmoC

ega

6002llaF

6002llaF

dnaetaerC.3seitinutroppodnapxednagnitnuhesufniot

roodtuodetalerotninoitaercer

dnagnitsixegnirotnemgnigreme

.smargorp

yletaidemmI

giB,RNDgiBsrehtorB,H-4,sretsiSlriGdnayoB

stuocS

nidetnemelpmimargorpytefasretnuHH-4dnaSBBB

gnirotnemrofdehcnualetisbeWRNDaidemothctip--seitinutroppognitnuh

,noitacudegnitroppusstnargkeeStnemtiurcerdnahcaertuo

6002remmuS

6002gnirpS

Literature Cited

Frawley, B.J. 2004. Demographics, recruitment, and retention of Michigan hunters.Report 3426. MichiganDepartment of Natural Resources. Lansing, Michigan.

Hunting and Fishing Heritage Task Force Recommendations. 1996. A report submitted to Governor JohnEngler. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Lansing, Michigan.

Leopold, A. 1949. The Sand County almanac. New York Oxford University Press, Inc.

Louv, Richard. 2005. Last child in the woods: saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. AlgonquinBooks of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

National Shooting Sports Foundation. 2005. Hunting. Retrieved September 13, 2005, fromhttp://www.nssf.org/hunting_idx.cfm?AoI=hunting.

Stanford, C.B. 1999. The hunting apes: meat eating and the origins of human behavior. PrincetonUniversity Press.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2002. 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-AssociatedRecreation. Washington, D.C.

Wentz, J. and P. Seng. 2000. Meeting the challenge to increase participation in hunting andShooting. Silvertip Productions, Ltd. Canal Winchester, Ohio.

First, it’s clear that wildlife and habitat conservation is important tothe sportsmen and women of America. But the reverse is equally true:sportsmen and women are of vital importance to successful wildlife

conservation. These folks are a powerful voice for conservation anda powerful force in our economy as well.

- Steven A. Williams, Former Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

8

Sub-Group Members

Access/Supply of Hunting Opportunities Companion/Mentor NetworksMike Parker Tom OliverRob Anderson Ben PeytonEd Ingvartsen Maury DeYoungJerry Hall John WencleySteve Wyckoff

Education/PR/Outreach Regulations and EnforcementDan Potter Jason DinsmoreRodney Stokes Jerry KeckGary Williams Alan MarbleWilliam MoritzDave Noble

9

Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesBox 30028Lansing, MI 48909

Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Outdoorswww.michigan.gov/dnr