Workshop. Food for Thought: Increasing Return on Investment by Recruiting New Adult Hunters

摘要

Managers would benefit from a better understanding of the factors that influence social changern(Lincoln et al. 2014). Demand for training new adult hunters appears to be growing. Particular interest inrnhunting as a source of food has been highlighted in recent research by Holsman (2012) and ResponsivernManagement (2013), and the rapidly evolving social habitat has resulted in several states developingrnprograms to specifically recruit and train AOHs. Response to pilot programs in several states hasrndemonstrated that hunting for food is a bridge motivation, connecting current hunters with untappedrnsegments of the population who extol “sustainability” as a virtue and who are interested in becomingrnhunters. The shared food motivation is critical because it serves as an introduction to a complex activityrnthat attracts people for diverse and multiple reasons and provides them with various types of satisfaction.rnThe focus on food is a gateway motivation to avid support of, and participation in, hunting. Recruitingrnand mentoring adults (who have the means and motivation to pursue a burgeoning interest in hunting) isrnmuch more effective than attempting to recruit children (who may have limited social support or who mayrnhave become hunters regardless of agency efforts). A return on investment in new adult hunters can bernmaximized in an environment where the social habitat supports hunting as a means to a sustainablernlifestyle.