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Half Of U.S. Hunters Now Live In Family-Friendly States





NEWTOWN, Conn.—If you’re a parent longing to share big-game hunting with your young son or daughter, your odds of doing so legally in your home state have risen to about 50-50.

Nearly half of U.S. hunters—more than ever in modern times—now live in states where they’re free to mentor young people into a cherished lifestyle that instills self sufficiency, respect, discipline and stewardship of the outdoors. Plus provides healthful table fare.

The other half live in states where that sort of parenting is considered criminal.

Lawmakers in Ohio and Pennsylvania recently eliminated legal barriers—minimum age restrictions and coursework mandates—that once prevented some families from hunting together. Those two states now join Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia as safe, family-friendly oases for residents of everywhere else.

“They’re America’s Top 20 states for hunting families to live in and visit,” said Doug Painter, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

Painter added, “The new laws in Ohio and Pennsylvania created opportunities for another 10 percent of America’s hunters to enjoy our country’s greatest outdoor tradition with youngsters. And that’s just counting residents of those states. We’re predicting that all 20 of today’s family-friendly states will become more and more popular destinations for non-resident hunters, too.”

Across the country, sales of non-resident hunting licenses, tags, stamps and permits have risen 41 percent over the past 10 years.

The average hunter now spends $1,638—mostly trip-related expenses—on their sport annually, up 11 percent over the past 10 years.

Painter says these statistics show that hunting families today are more mobile than ever, and more willing to spend hard-earned dollars traveling wherever they need to go for a quality hunting experience.

A year ago, NSSF partnered with the National Wild Turkey Federation and U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance to launch “Families Afield.” The program encourages states to restructure hunting laws to accommodate more family participation. Research shows that states without minimum age restrictions or coursework mandates are more likely to engage youths, maintaining healthy hunting culture, conservation funding and economic benefits in the future.

With the success in Ohio and Pennsylvania, Families Afield legislation has now passed in two of three states. The third bill appears stalled in Wisconsin.

More state efforts will be launched later this year.

To learn more about resident and non-resident hunting license requirements in each state, visit www.wheretohunt.org. The site is one of many service-oriented sites managed by NSSF, a trade association that works to keep hunters and shooters safe and active.
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