The Outdoor Scene

An obvious symptom of cabin fever is the onset of plotting what you’ll do when the mercury rises and it finally stops raining, sleeting and/or snowing. Those of us living in the Deep South really should be spared from this condition. However, this winter has provided few opportunities to brag to our northern kin about how great the weather is down here. So, we plan for better days.

After summarily dismissing the idea of painting my living room, kitchen and dining room this winter, I decided what I really wanted to do was improve my handgun shooting skills. Personal protection is the primary reason for this new interest. Plus, I have just enough experience to know target shooting with a handgun is really fun.

One program I looked into is First Shots, which is conducted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. First Shots seminars give newcomers an opportunity to try handgun shooting while learning about firearms safety. While the program is open to everyone, nearly half of the participants are women, according to a survey completed by more than 3,100 seminar participants.

I’d fit right into the program because the average age of women attending a First Shots seminar is about 42. Okay, so maybe I’m a little above average on that account.

I do fit this demographic, though. While I have shot a handgun before, similar to 8 out of 10 women surveyed, First Shots would be my only formal introduction to handgun shooting. And because I want to be safe and competent, taking a course is really important to me. So is learning from a certified instructor, a commonality I share with 96 percent of female First Shot participants who are considering attending a handgun personal protection skills course.

Those who attended a First Shots seminar reported they now have a greater understanding of handguns and are more likely to purchase one and continue shooting. Personal protection is the biggest motivator for buying a handgun and that desire appears to increase with age.

NSSF surveyed participants again six months after they took a First Shots seminar, and they learned two in 10 women sought more training such as basic handgun, concealed carry, defensive handgun, NRA safety course, one-on-one instruction, home defense or other programs. Half of the First Shots participants had already met their state’s requirements to own or buy a handgun. Overall, women who took the course were pleased with the experience and many expressed an interest in learning more about the rifle and shotgun shooting sports as well.

While the data in NSSF’s survey doesn’t represent a national sample of female target shooters, it is another indicator that interest in our constitutional rights to own a firearm is alive and well. It’s also reassuring to know women are getting the training they need to take responsibility for protecting themselves and their families. We have come a long way, baby.

If you’d like an introduction to handguns through the First Shots program, visit http://www.firstshots.org/.

Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 3, the Women’s Outdoor Wire will be featured as part of The Outdoor Wire.

Readers will continue to receive news and information specifically for women and families except it will come packaged in The Outdoor Wire every Wednesday. I accepted an invitation from Jim Shepherd, publisher of the Outdoor Digital Wire Network and editor of The Outdoor Wire, to write features and blog posts as well as track down products, events and advice for women.

The reason we agreed to make this change is while the Women’s Outdoor Wire boasts some wonderful sponsors, it did not receive enough industry support for us to continue producing it as a separate entity. I’m not pointing fingers either because I am well aware of the numbers and so, too, are outdoor manufacturers and retailers.

Results from the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Association Recreation from 1991 to 2006 reveal women continue to comprise a small portion of the overall market. While the number of women hunters held steady from 1991 to 2006, the National Survey indicates fewer women are fishing.

Results taken from the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Association Recreation
1991
Women anglers —9.9 million (28 percent of all anglers)
Women hunters —1.1 million (8 percent of all hunters)

1996
Women anglers —9.5 million (27 percent of all anglers)
Women hunters — 1.2 million (9 percent of all hunters)

2001
Women anglers — 8.9 million (26 percent of all anglers)
Women hunters —1.2 million (9 percent of all hunters)

2006
Women anglers —7.6 million (25 percent of all anglers)
Women hunters —1.2 million (9 percent of all hunters)

Though I’ve read a lot of hoopla about the number of women hunters increasing, the jury is still out on that. The National Sporting Goods Association participation survey showed the number of female hunters decreased from 2002 to 2007, though an increase was posted from 2003 to 2008. Some statisticians question NSGA’s web-based survey methodology, though; whether or not there are enough respondents and if survey results are representative enough of the American population to provide statistically significant results. While no survey is perfect, the National Survey is one of the most trusted sources of information on fish and wildlife recreation in the United States.

As far as female target shooters, I dug into those numbers with the help of Jim Cururuto, director of research and analysis for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. According to a Southwick Associates research effort, which was partially funded by NSSF, there were approximately 10.3 million target shooters in 2008. However, Jim reported no gender data is available from that survey but the latest NSGA Shooting Sports Report shows 23.7 percent of those involved in target shooting are female. We should know more soon. NSSF recently funded a large research project through Responsive Management that will provide another source for numbers of target shooters, including women. Results will be available in early March.

Don’t take this journey into the numbers as me throwing in the towel on encouraging women to find health and happiness in the out-of-doors. I’m just keeping it real. Any good marketer knows you have to understand the true situation to develop strategies that will get you to the goal. One of my tactics is to reach a wider audience, which is exactly what I’ll do by writing for women every Wednesday in The Outdoor Wire.

I hope you’ll join me as I profile amazing outdoor women, cover breaking news and unearth the most important information you need to know whether you hunt, fish, shoot, bird watch, camp, hike, kayak, canoe or climb. So make sure you watch your inbox for The Outdoor Wire.

Tammy Sapp

Let me know what you think. Leave a comment here or you can find me at:

Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2
Twitter @TammyDianeSapp
tammy@womensoutdoorwire.com

When Virginia hunters who had not purchased a license in 2008/2009 were asked in a telephone survey why they didn’t, their answers came as a surprise. Twenty-five percent of respondents said they hunted but it was on private land, and thus they were exempt from purchasing one.

Virginia regulations do allow hunting on private land without a license in specific situations, and hunters take full advantage of that opportunity. That same telephone survey revealed 46 percent of the hunters Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) thought had lapsed were actually hunting on private land.

This is alarming news because it means the agency is losing funds, which could be used for conservation work, in two ways. The first is the obvious loss of license sales money from private land hunters who qualify for an exemption. The second way is less apparent, yet extremely important to VDGIF funding. Fewer licensed hunters means the agency qualifies for less money through Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration. This program authorizes hunters and shooters to pay an excise tax on firearms and ammunition that is apportioned back to the states based on a formula that factors in the number of licensed hunters. Bottom line, those who don’t buy a hunting license reduce federal matching money for VDGIF’s wildlife management and habitat improvement projects.

You’re one of the first to hear about these new research results from Virginia. The reason is I am involved in a marketing communications project with VDGIF. Working with partners such as Mile Creek Communications and Southwick Associates, we assessed current factors affecting hunting participation and license sales in Virginia. Then Responsive Management conducted focus groups and a telephone survey to better understand why some hunters don’t buy a license every year.

We’ll use this information to develop communications messages and strategies aimed at bringing Virginia’s lapsed hunters back into the fold. Year one of this project was funded by the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Hunting Heritage Partnership, a program that awards grants to support state-level hunter recruitment and retention programs.

The focus groups and telephone survey unearthed a treasure trove of information VDGIF can use to improve its products and services as well as market those opportunities to Virginia hunters. We learned why Virginians hunt, who they hunt with, what they hunt for, how often they hunt and what types of licenses they purchase and how often they’ve purchased a license in the last four years.

The survey also revealed factors that affect their enjoyment of hunting. Survey respondents told us not having enough time, work and family obligations were the top factors that took away from their enjoyment of hunting.

However, not having enough places to hunt and not having enough access to places to hunt were among the top four factors that strongly took away from lapsed hunters’ enjoyment of hunting in Virginia.

We first heard about their dissatisfaction with public land in the focus groups. Participants said they perceived much of the available public hunting land to be overcrowded with other hunters.

In needs to be said that providing hunters with a good experience on public lands is no small task because this group is not a homogenous blob. Hunter expectations vary greatly. Some hunters want a wilderness experience while others want to see a lot of game or have a chance to bag a trophy. VDGIF has its public land management work cut out for them whether they’re trying to attract those Virginians who aren’t buying a license because they’ve dropped out of hunting or not buying a license because they’re hunting on private land.

While there are no easy answers when it comes to managing public lands, this market research project does make several points abundantly clear. Wildlife agencies must understand their customers. They must provide products and services their customers want. And they must be more aggressive about reminding Virginia hunters to buy a license so they don’t miss sharing the hunting heritage with friends and family, connecting with nature and, of course, helping pay the bills of managing wildlife and their habitats.

Leave a comment here or you can reach me at: tammy@womensoutdoorwire.com, Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 and Twitter @TammyDianeSapp.

If you’ve been invited to speak to a local club (or even larger venue), write an article for your group’s newsletter or you’re a blogger, you have an ideal platform to talk about hunters, anglers and target shooters. We can’t wait for the mainstream media to cover how many people participate in these activities, their economic power and contributions to conservation. So, it’s important we take matters in our own hands. The hard part for many, though, is finding basic information about hunter numbers or how much anglers spend. Fortunately, this information is available, and I’m going to provide links that unlock the mystery of where these facts and figures are located.

Every five years the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service releases the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. It is considered to be the definitive source of information concerning participation and expenditures associated with hunting, fishing and other forms of wildlife-related recreation nationwide. You can find numbers of women hunters, how many days saltwater anglers spend on the water and how much wildlife watchers spend in pursuit of their hobbies. It’s a great tool and you can find the 2006 survey here:
http://library.fws.gov/pubs/nat_survey2006_final.pdf

Another valuable resource is found at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Web site. A publication highlighting the economic impact of sportsmen sheds light on how many jobs hunters and anglers support, days they go afield and dollars they spend on everything from gear to travel. While our current economic woes have likely affected these numbers, I am not aware of any information that spells out that impact. So, this information at least provides a baseline snapshot. You also can pull up state reports that bring the information closer to home.
http://www.sportsmenslink.org/reports_and_data/Sportsmens-Economic-Impact.html

Target shooters often cringe at how the mainstream media reports the facts and figures related to their sport. If only reporters would use the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s “The Writer’s Guide to Firearms and Ammunition.” While that may not happen, you can benefit greatly from this guide’s detailed information on the economic impact of the shooting sports, safety facts, regulations, a glossary of firearms terms and more.
http://www.nssf.org/media/WritersGuide/

Ever wonder how many people go camping or how many women hike or mountain bike? You can easily find that information in the sports participation reports at the National Sporting Goods Association Web site. You can even see participation trends from one year to the next or over a 10-year period.
http://www.nsga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3346

These are just a few of the basic resources you can tap into to arm yourself for your next speaking engagement, writing assignment or even a meaty chat with friends. Just remember, you as an individual can make a big difference in getting the good word out about hunters, anglers and target shooters.

Catch up with me on Facebook at facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 and Twitter @TammyDianeSapp.