Hunting hurtin' in Utah, U.S.
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Tuesday, September 11, 2007 | 
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No Comments [ Add Comment ]By Robert Johnson
Standard-Examiner staff
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By Robert Johnson
Standard-Examiner staff
OGDEN -- Norm Hancock thinks the pheasant population is going to pot and that today's youth are computer freaks.
Those are two reasons the retired chief of game management for the Division of Wildlife Resources cites for the decline of hunting and fishing in Utah.
Utah is changing from its rural roots to a more urban population.
"We're not as home-grown as we used to be," said Dana Dolsen, wildlife planning manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources.
"The kinds of recreation have shifted."
Dolsen thinks the change is a cultural move to a more urban environment by rural farming residents who traditionally hunted.
"You've got less participation and exposure to substantive activities like hunting and fishing," Dolsen said. "There are a lot more diverse recreation attractions in Utah."
The Intermountain Region saw a 15 percent decrease in hunting from 2001 to 2006, the largest drop in the country in hunter participation by those 16 and older, according to recent numbers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Survey of fishing, hunting and wildlife-associated recreation.
The numbers are based on U.S. Census Bureau data.
A similar trend occurred in Utah.
In 2001, 486,000, or 30 percent of state residents, fished or hunted. In 2006, the number dropped to 365,000, or 20 percent of the population.
But while fishing and hunting are dropping, watching wildlife is on the rise. Wildlife watching by Utah residents ages 16 and older rose from 572,000 in 2001 to 580,000 in 2006.
Individual numbers don't tell the whole story, though. Despite Utah's fast-growing population, overall participation in wildlife recreation has gone down as a percentage of the total population between 2001 and 2006.
The changing climate of Utah's recreation is even more apparent when looking at money spent on each activity.
Spending on hunting trips in Utah dropped from $88.3 million in 2001 to $69.2 million in 2006. Spending on fishing trips increased from $172.4 million in 2001 to $192.4 million in 2006. The largest increase was for spending on wildlife-watching trips, which grew from $175.9 million in 2001 to $310.8 million in 2006.
Northern Utah Hunting Club owner Matt Norman thinks the decline of hunting has a lot to do with parental involvement.
"Twelve-year-olds can't drive themselves to go hunting," said Norman, who takes his own children hunting as much as he can.
"My dad hunted when he was a kid, and then he quit when there wasn't anything left to hunt."
The numbers don't take into account those under the age of 16, and Dolsen thinks there is a shift of the new generation trying to stay in touch with wildlife mostly through watchable wildlife activities rather than traditional hunting and fishing.
"We're being challenged to come up with new ways to engage the younger generation," he said.
The Division of Wildlife Resources has programs in place to introduce youth to hunting and fishing.
Youth hunts for upland game birds give those 15 and younger an early chance to hunt while supervised by a nonhunting adult. Youth fishing clubs use adult volunteers to teach kids about fishing in community waters. Also, the lowering of age limits for small-game hunting makes it possible for youth to start hunting earlier in life.
Some hunters have a different view of why there is a decrease in participation in Utah. One cause may be the growth of housing and the resulting decrease of public hunting grounds.
"Where I live right now, I hunted pheasants and deer, and now it's all houses," said Reggie Price, former president of the Weber Basin Chapter of Trout Unlimited. "We quit hunting because we can't hunt anymore."
Jon Leonard, president of the Utah chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, said the decrease may be because of restrictions placed on hunters.
He cites a study by the National Shooting Sports Foundation that shows states that have fewer restrictions had a higher retention rate for hunters.
"We made an effort to eliminate barriers to help young folks start early," Leonard said. "Utah should react favorably as other states have and allow youngsters to participate earlier."
Leonard thinks that if youth don't get involved by the time they are 15, their attention gets lost in other activities.
"Most people I know that got involved in hunting and fishing got involved with their parents at a young age," he said.
"Too many kids are spending time in front of the TV and computer and not in the outdoors."
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