I think I have most of the ideas updated, I will look at the link provided by jackelope, please continue to comment on hunter retention:
YOUTH & NEW HUNTER RECRUITMENT & HUNTER RETENTIONThese proposals have been compiled by a group of concerned hunters and hunter-ed instructors with the involvement by many members of an online hunting forum
www.Hunting-Washington.com. It is understand that WDFW is already utilizing many programs but hunter recruitment and hunter retention continues to be problematic, to be the most effective at recruiting new hunters and retaining current hunters all possible options must be employed to reverse the trend of fewer and fewer licensed hunters.
How to get WDFW involved? Encourage WDFW personnel to support the idea
Lobby key WDFW managers
Submit to the Parks & Recreation Task Force
Submit to the Wildlife Commission
Send letters/email to WDFW
Propose ideas through Regional Offices
Propose the ideas at GMAC meetings
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Identify the limiting factors for youth and new hunter recruitment and issues for retaining current hunters Identify the issues that discourage new participants to hunting
Identify why hunters quit hunting in Washington
Query all hunter education instructors on what can be done to improve hunter education and recruitment of new hunters
At the completion of hunter ed classes, query students on what information could have been covered that would have helped them better prepare for their first hunt
After 6 and 12 months email/postcards to graduates with a link to online surveys to query what information could have been covered that would have helped them prepare better for their first hunt. Ask if they have purchased a hunting license. If not, why not?
Youth with parents who do not hunt
Lack of mentors
Limited availability of hunter-ed classes, most classes are full well in advance
Businesses are not allowed to teach Hunter-Education such as allowed for driver licensing and boating
Complexity and confusion of hunting regulations
Conflicting interests, particularly among youth
Societal shift in attitudes about hunting and firearms
Increasing costs of equipment and access
Urbanization
Unethical behavior of other hunters
Youth and adults may not know Hunter-Ed is available
Youth and adults may not know how to get started hunting
Limited access and availability of hunting land
Low harvest success, compounded by unrealistic expectations
The negative outlook of the State of Hunting portrayed to the public
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Steps to increase recruitment of youth and adult hunters, convert more hunter-ed grads to license buyers Increase number of hunter ed instructors by at least 20% each year for 5 years
Increase availability of hunter ed classes by at least 20% each year for 5 years
Poll existing Hunter-Ed Instructors regarding their concerns, take steps to improve relationships with existing Instructors
There are many hunters and others who could serve as instructors, they need to be asked and treated properly
If not in existence, create and promote Hunter-Ed Teaching Group Kits, kit includes guidance videos, class videos, gun sets, paperwork, and other supplies to get new teaching groups started
Allow private business to teach hunting education and hunting skills classes, similar to driver licensing and boating
Encourage groups to have mentor programs to recruit new hunters
Foster relationships with hunting and conservation groups that encourage first time hunters to participate
WDFW should continue to grow the Hunt by Reservation Program
Expand on Take a Kid Hunting
Create a toll free New Hunter Info Line such as 800-NEW-HNTR
Provide class instruction on how to buy licenses, how to apply for permits and tips about areas with public land access
Create online videos on the WDFW website to teach new hunters basic hunting skills
Encourage and facilitate contests, especially youth contests, hunting and photo contests
Free small game license for youth up to age 17
Increase the age for reduced price youth licenses from 15 to 17
Free small game license to all hunter-ed graduates regardless of age
Free hunting licenses and a deer tag to graduates of Hunter Education training if they hunt the year they pass
Allow certified instructors to enter hunter ed information for graduates in the WILD system, so graduates may purchase licenses online immediately upon completion of a course
Increase the fee for Hunter-Ed (to encourage those wanting to hunt to participate, but will this be counter productive)
Offer benefits for taking youth hunting & fishing, not only to the youth, but to anyone taking them, this will encourage adults to take youth
Make hunting and fishing as easy and successful as you can for kids
Encourage private land owners to offer opportunities to youth and hunters who take a youth with them
Create more Upland Bird and Waterfowl hunting opportunities, especially for youth and new hunters
Work with groups to develop more upland bird raising and releasing to provide more hunting opportunity, especially for youth
A reduction in license fees for a parent/child combo that take Hunters Ed and then purchase their licenses together
Increased bag limit when kids are included
Create doe days and cow days for kids, no permit needed, in areas throughout the state
Increase youth waterfowl hunting opportunities
More youth seasons in all areas of the state
More youth seasons around holidays when youth are out of school
More quality tags and special hunt opportunities for youth
Allow schools to offer hunter-ed training or provide info about hunter-ed classes that are available
Allow youth hunters to use a parents tag (like in Oregon)
Create first time hunter opportunities and incentives
Create Brochures to outline all youth and new hunter programs and incentives, distribute to groups and license vendors
Expand and include links to youth & new hunter opportunities and info on the WDFW Go Hunt web page
http://apps.wdfw.wa.gov/gohunt/ Encourage more Youth & New Hunter Info on hunting forums and other outdoor forums
Send WDFW News Releases especially hunter-ed, hunting, and fishing opportunities to media outlets and post on forums so the info is more publicly available
Image (improve the image and importance of hunters as conservationists)
Promote and encourage more participation in complementary outdoor activities. Wildlife viewing, orienteering, and other outdoor activities
Emphasize that success in hunting is measured by more than harvest
Create realistic expectations among new hunters. Harvest success on big game is statistically low
Expand the Hunting By Reservation concept and prioritizing first-time-hunters during landowner agreement negotiations
Provide training in land access tools such as GoHunt, county assessor websites, and other resources
Ask select hunting related publications (Outdoor Life, Field and Stream, etc.) to provide free one year subscriptions to Hunter Education graduates
Offer a bonus drawing point for Hunter Education graduates that purchase a hunting license the year they pass
Offer a bonus drawing point for anyone participating in the Hunter Education Deferral Program provided they take Hunter Education training and buy a hunting license the next year
Offer lifetime hunting licenses with cost based on actuarial tables
Offer multi-season deer permits over the counter, at a reduced cost to youth and possibly first time hunters
Pursue partnerships with state, non-profits, and businesses to create a funding base to provide stipends to first-time-hunters for the purchase of licenses and gear for hunting
Develop an outreach program to non-hunters, there is recent evidence that a growing number of health conscious locavores are turning to hunting as a source of local, natural protein
Encourage better spokesmen in the hunting community. The messages sent by long-time hunters and leaders in the hunting community influence others perceptions
Take a closer look at overall hunter satisfaction and take more serious steps to improve hunter satisfaction for higher hunter retention
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Establish a Hunting-Skills Program to teach basic hunting skills to new hunters with no mentor to get them started hunting Solicit input from hunter-ed instructors regarding establishment of a Hunting Skills Education Program
Solicit input from the public regarding establishment of a Hunting Skills Education Program
Expand the existing Hunter-Ed curriculum to include optional Hunting Skills curriculum/activities
Create a new program to teach new hunters basic hunting skills
Create partnerships with hunting groups and allow certified businesses to teach hunting skills
Seek Master Hunters as volunteers to teach
Include training of WA hunting regulations and hunting skills during hunter education
Offer additional levels of Hunting Skill Education for an additional fee
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How to fund additional Hunter-Education Encourage and facilitate businesses and sporting groups to certify and offer Hunter-Ed and Hunting Skills training
Charge a fee to participate in Hunter Ed
Increase the cost of hunter education training, but credit the cost toward hunting licenses if purchased within 60 days
Pittman/Robertson funds?
Provide a donation opportunity for hunter-ed when purchasing licenses
Increase all hunting licenses and tags by $1 with increases dedicated to Hunter-Ed
Apply for grant money to fund more hunter education
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Steps to help retain current hunters Improve access to hunting lands
Prevent cost increases to hunt, reduce costs where possible
Offer 3-year license purchase, that will help retain a hunter for 3 years
Offer lifetime licenses, that will help retain a hunter for life
Restructure elk management, many hunters hate hunting spike bull elk every year
Offer a "Sportsman's Package" where you get everything possible at a reduced rate
Simplifying hunting regulations to encourage a hunter to want to buy a license next year
Offer a better cost:benefit value ratio that is higher than other state options
Increase herd numbers which will allow improve hunt quality, allow longer seasons, and will retain hunters
Flexible seasons could let people choose when to have their family hunting camp (set your date range when you buy your tags)
A "Family Maximum Cost" package could help, set it at $600, they'd sell thousands, plus kids will be involved that may have not been taken hunting
Costs go up and opportunity goes down, reverse that trend
Communicate honestly about controversial issues with hunters to improve hunter attitudes and retain more hunters
The crux is that the F&G agencies need to do a better job, and in many areas
Reduce the opportunity for bad experiences, they cause hunters to quit, less opportunity, poor success, bad contacts with a warden or sheriff or land owner, buying the wrong tag due to confusion
More verbal or written warnings without a citation by wardens for minor offenses without intent to commit a crime
Police pull drivers over for a tail light bulb (or some other small infraction) and give a warning, the same cannot be said regarding encounters with some WDFW officers
WDFW can retain more hunters by supporting hunters more
Expand predator seasons, cougar should be year round, more Spring bear hunts
More advanced hunter classes - maybe survival, conditioning, tracking basics, give incentives to take the classes
The big three....access, opportunity, and cost. With the lack of access, high priced fuel & licenses, increase in predators,
hunters eventually give up
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