NEWTOWN, Conn. – Access to hunting land and to shooting ranges are key indicators affecting the future of hunting and sport shooting. A new study, announced by the National Shooting Sports Foundation®, reports on findings regarding current availability of public and private areas accessible for hunting and sport shooting collected from a nationwide survey that included a trend analysis to see how perceptions have changed over the last decade.
With support from a grant awarded by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ (AFWA) Multistate Conservation Grant program, the report titled “Assessing the Quality and Availability of Hunting and Shooting Access in the United States,” produced by Responsive Management, provides major findings from the surveys reporting on activity locations, factors considered for location selection and factors that affect hunter/shooter enjoyment, access constraints and ratings, information sources for locations and user awareness of programs and resources.
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Beyond the survey information reported is a robust recommendations section – 99 of them in all. A recurring message in many of the recommendations is the importance of current information supported by using effective communication, marketing, branding and outreach strategies. These efforts have a clear impact on awareness of, participation in, and satisfaction with access programs/resources, and will increase the success of implemented programs.
Attached to the Assessing the Quality and Availability of Hunting and Shooting Access in the United States report is a Hunting and Shooting Access Inventory Report that includes a national summary total and a one-page report per state. A detailed Excel file reporting all 50 states is also available for download.
About NSSF
NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.