Because the majority of funds for wildlife management continues to come from license sales to hunters, changes in the number of these recreationists can have important impacts on wildlife programs. Recent speculation by Brown et al. (1987) that we may be on the threshold of a general decline in numbers of hunters brings a sense of urgency to the need for a better understanding of hunter population dynamics. In earlier studies (Applegate 1977, Applegate et al. 1985), we found that much desertion from hunting occurs within 5 years of initiation, and we suggest that a better understanding of factors related to desertion behavior during this critical period could be a key to predicting or affecting future changes in hunter populations. This paper reports findings of a panel study of a cohort of new hunters in New Jersey who began hunting in 1976 ( Applegate and Otto 1982) and who were interviewed following hunting seasons in 1976, 1977, 1979, and 1981.