Post by Ted Frost on Apr 15, 2017 21:19:46 GMT -5
What's going to happen to fishing, hunting and the shooting sports in the next 20 years? It shouldn't come as a big surprise, it has already begun.:
1) Less people are joining our ranks;
2)The economic importance of hunting and fishing is on the decline;
3) A smaller market means less business opportunities in the outdoors.
In some states that are highly urbanized you will find few outdoor magazines in stores, few sporting goods stores and few gun shops. There doesn't appear to be much interest--lat alone growing interest--in the outdoors.
Is this situation an inevitable consequence of urbanization?
No, it isn't. Football, basketball, track, tennis, golf, soccer, hockey, gymnastics, figure skating, and the rest of competitive sports haven't declined. What's happened to our favorite activities?
Nobody is actively recruiting young people to participate the way they recruit youngsters for the "organized sports." the competitive activities we do have in fishing and shooting are not designed for spectators. They are very dull to watch.
The decline in participation by young people in fishing, hunting, and shooting is our own fault. We haven't gone after them, we haven't tried to encourage them, and we haven't developed fishing and shooting activities that appeal to youngsters in our times.
If we are going to turn this trend around, and start turning young people on to the outdoors, then we have got to change our attitudes.
1) Replace the "Nintendo Syndrome" with the idea that the great outdoors is all around us, and we should enjoy hunting and fishing in the fields, woodlots, ponds and rivers near home.
2) Promote hunting and fishing for food, and when there isn't enough fish or game, cultivate the habitat and supplement the population with hatchery and pen raised stock.
3) Develop new, innovative shooting sports that are fast paced and challenging for the quick eyesight and reflexes of kids, and design these competitions for spectator appeal.
4)Go after youngsters. Recruit them into these activities. Particularly fishing and the shooting sports. Develop teams, clubs, and events just for young people so their families can come and watch them compete.
We can't wait for the government, or the DNR, to do this. Government doesn't operate Little League or the competitive sports. The responsibility is ours as individuals, and as clubs.
For all of us to just do business as usual is going to give our grandchildren a very different world.
1) Less people are joining our ranks;
2)The economic importance of hunting and fishing is on the decline;
3) A smaller market means less business opportunities in the outdoors.
In some states that are highly urbanized you will find few outdoor magazines in stores, few sporting goods stores and few gun shops. There doesn't appear to be much interest--lat alone growing interest--in the outdoors.
Is this situation an inevitable consequence of urbanization?
No, it isn't. Football, basketball, track, tennis, golf, soccer, hockey, gymnastics, figure skating, and the rest of competitive sports haven't declined. What's happened to our favorite activities?
Nobody is actively recruiting young people to participate the way they recruit youngsters for the "organized sports." the competitive activities we do have in fishing and shooting are not designed for spectators. They are very dull to watch.
The decline in participation by young people in fishing, hunting, and shooting is our own fault. We haven't gone after them, we haven't tried to encourage them, and we haven't developed fishing and shooting activities that appeal to youngsters in our times.
If we are going to turn this trend around, and start turning young people on to the outdoors, then we have got to change our attitudes.
1) Replace the "Nintendo Syndrome" with the idea that the great outdoors is all around us, and we should enjoy hunting and fishing in the fields, woodlots, ponds and rivers near home.
2) Promote hunting and fishing for food, and when there isn't enough fish or game, cultivate the habitat and supplement the population with hatchery and pen raised stock.
3) Develop new, innovative shooting sports that are fast paced and challenging for the quick eyesight and reflexes of kids, and design these competitions for spectator appeal.
4)Go after youngsters. Recruit them into these activities. Particularly fishing and the shooting sports. Develop teams, clubs, and events just for young people so their families can come and watch them compete.
We can't wait for the government, or the DNR, to do this. Government doesn't operate Little League or the competitive sports. The responsibility is ours as individuals, and as clubs.
For all of us to just do business as usual is going to give our grandchildren a very different world.