Hunting and Sociodemographic Trends: Older Hunters from Pennsylvania and Colorado
Future hunting trends may be related to growth in Sunbelt states, declining residential stability, urbanization, increasing education, and increasing participation in nonconsumptive activities. I used mail surveys to study relationships among these trends, wildlife value orientations, and participation in hunting, fishing, and gathering wild foods among Pennsylvania and Colorado hunting licence holders ≥50 years old (n=598). State of residence predicted perceived similarity in value orientations of family members, hunting frequency, and fishing and gathering participation. Rural upbringing predicted perceived similarity in value orientations. Rural residence as an adult predicted gathering participation. Residential stability predicted perceived similarity in value orientations. Education related positively to strong utilitarian value orientations, perceived differences in value orientations, and gathering participation. Participation in nonconsumptive activities related positively to hunting frequency and participation in fishing and gathering. Complex findings and generally modest effect sizes suggest that the future of hunting is being shaped by many variables. Findings also suggest that hunting frequency, rural-urban differences, and residential stability should be measured on multiple scales and across many studies.
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