From: altar@beaufort.sfu.ca (Ted Wayn Altar)
Subject: Why Hunters Quit
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 05:56:24 GMT

 
     What stated reasons do hunters themselves give for quitting?
Believe it not, not only a few quit, but quite a significant
number within a short period of time from first starting.  That
was the question posed to 296 people who first hunted in New
Jersey in 1976 but who did not purchase a hunting licence in
1981.
 
     Over the past decade there has been about a 30% overall
decline in New Jersey's hunting-licence sales.  You can be
assured that the "wildlife management" officials are mighty
worried since the larger portion of their salaries comes from
these licence sales.  Such, is the weakness of a system of
wildlife "protection" that would make that system depended upon a
vested interest group (hence, we have not wildlife protection,
but "management").  The following results were compiled by
trained interviewers at the Eagleton Instutite at Rutgers
University.  Based upon a content analysis of responses to an
earlier open-ended questionnaire, a set of 10 reasons for
quitting were educed.  A sample of 296 "deserters" were then ask
to rate each of the 10 reasons.  The following results are from
James Applegate (1989; Dept. of Horticulture and Forestry,
Rutgers University).  "Patterns of Early Desertion Among New
Jersey Hunters".  WILD. SOC. BULL., 74:476-481. (note their
obvious worry as expressed by referring to attrition as
"desertion")
 
 
           Reasons why former hunters did not purchase
            a hunting licence in New Jersey in 1981.
                                
reason                                       very        not very
                                           important    important
-----------------------------------------------------------------
----
1.  Other things I like better
     than hunting .........................  54%            45%
2.  Too many other hunters ................  35%            65%
3.  No good hunting places ................  34%            66%
4.  Hunting is more expensive
      than I thought ......................  26%            74%
5.  Don't like to kill animals ............  21%            77%
6.  Hunting not as much fun          
      as I thought ........................  20%            80%
7.  Can't get anything while
      hunting .............................  18%            82%
8.  Now one to hunt with ..................  16%            84%
9.  Don't have equipment to hunt ..........  12%            88%
10.  Some people I know disapprove
      of hunting ..........................  11%            89%
 
 
     Now, the first thing that our inveterate hunters should note
is that it is not us AR folk who are threatening your so-called
"sport", but rather, it is that the activity of hunting
inherently is not all that interesting or challenging (I know,
you will noisily testify otherwise, but stop thinking about
yourself for a moment and keep in mind that we are talking about
those people who do quit, why they quit).  The most often cited
reason for quitting was simply that there are other more
interesting or meaningful recreational options to be preferred
over that of hunting.  Incidentally, residential proximity to
hunting had no relation whatsoever to this "desertion".
 
     The next most often cited reasons simply bear on what
hunters themselves are doing to themselves.  I regret to say that
you and your "sport" are your own worst enemies.  Too many of you
are stalking after that one Bambi.  It is crowded out there, and
it is no wonder that hunting firearm deaths and crippling are a
serious problem (see "Hunting Firearm Injuries" AMER. J. OF
PUBLIC HEALTH, 1988, 78(12): 1585).
 
     Note that only 1 in 5 chose ethics (5th on the list) as one
of the reasons prompting their not bothering to purchase a
hunting licence.  Not very impressive, is it?  With respect to
social pressure, only 11% chose reason #10 as having any weight
in their decision (the least frequently chosen reason).  And what
might we conclude from this?  Again, it is not us AR folk that
are your worst enemies, nor is it even your conscience, or even
social disapproval by friends, etc.  So why are you Elmer Fudds so
hostile to us harmless AR wabbit folk?  Looking for a scapegoat?
What the above results show is that according to ex-hunters
themselves, it is inherent to hunting that this killing of
harmless animals is simply less interesting than many other
things, and it is you yourselves and the loss of habitat that is
destroying the opportunity for easy kills and even its "pleasure"
(such as it may be for whatever cross-grained reason).  So guys,
don't blame us if your numbers are declining, blame this "sport"
for being uninteresting and yourselves for finding better things
to do.
 
                                              ted