{"id":218585,"date":"2025-08-02T09:39:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T14:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=218585"},"modified":"2025-09-26T08:56:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T13:56:12","slug":"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\/","title":{"rendered":"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">0<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even in today\u2019s wild political climate, most Americans still get it: hunting and recreational shooting are not only legal \u2014 they\u2019re a way of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A nationwide <a href=\"https:\/\/cahss.org\/our-research\/americans-attitudes-toward-hunting-and-sport-shooting-2024-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\">study<\/a> commissioned by the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (CAHSS) shows 76% of Americans approve of both hunting and recreational shooting. That\u2019s solid ground, but there\u2019s a catch \u2014 the numbers are trending down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s break it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-support-is-still-strong-for-now\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" data-level=\"2\">Support Is Still Strong\u2026 For Now<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-who-s-got-our-back\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" data-level=\"2\">Who\u2019s Got Our Back?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-why-you-hunt-matters\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" data-level=\"2\">Why You Hunt Matters<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-people-are-confused-and-that-s-a-problem\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" data-level=\"2\">People Are Confused \u2014 And That\u2019s a Problem<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-hunting-for-what-and-with-what\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" data-level=\"2\">Hunting for What \u2014 and With What?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-shooting-for-a-reason\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" data-level=\"2\">Shooting for a Reason<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-conservation-still-counts\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" data-level=\"2\">Conservation Still Counts<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-bottom-line-we-re-winning-but-we-re-slipping\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" data-level=\"2\">Bottom Line: We\u2019re Winning, But We\u2019re Slipping<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-support-is-still-strong-for-now\">Support Is Still Strong\u2026 For Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"617\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/americans-attitudes-report-graph-1.jpg\" alt=\"Graph on hunting approval.\" class=\"wp-image-218586\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/americans-attitudes-report-graph-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/americans-attitudes-report-graph-1-389x300.jpg 389w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/americans-attitudes-report-graph-1-150x116.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/americans-attitudes-report-graph-1-768x592.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Support for recreational shooting followed the same path. It\u2019s not a huge drop, but it\u2019s real \u2014 and it shows we\u2019re starting to lose ground with the public. (<em>Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/cahss.org\/our-research\/americans-attitudes-toward-hunting-and-sport-shooting-2024-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\">CAHSS<\/a><\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Right now, 76% of Americans say they support legal hunting and recreational shooting. That\u2019s a big majority. On top of that, 87% are okay with other people hunting legally, and 85% say the same about others who shoot for sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But here\u2019s where things get shaky: support was even higher just a few years ago. In 2021, approval for hunting hit 81%. Now it\u2019s dropped to 76% \u2014 and that decline is statistically significant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Support for recreational shooting followed the same path. It\u2019s not a huge drop, but it\u2019s real \u2014 and it shows we\u2019re starting to lose ground with the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-s-got-our-back\">Who\u2019s Got Our Back?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest supporters? Rural folks, Midwesterners, and men \u2014 no surprise there. People who grow up around guns, game, and tradition know the truth: hunting isn\u2019t some blood sport \u2014 it\u2019s a way to feed your family, manage wildlife, and connect with nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And when it comes to recreational shooting, support is highest in small towns and the Mountain West \u2014 the beating heart of <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/the-7-most-american-guns\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"216\">American gun<\/a> culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-you-hunt-matters\">Why You Hunt Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not all hunting motivations are created equal in the public eye. Americans love hunters who hunt for meat. Locally sourced food? Big thumbs up. Conservation and wildlife management? Also solid. But trophy hunting? That\u2019s a hard sell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news: approval for hunting for meat, sport, and challenge all jumped this year. That may have something to do with inflation \u2014 more Americans are realizing that putting venison on the table isn\u2019t just tradition, it\u2019s smart economics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-people-are-confused-and-that-s-a-problem\">People Are Confused \u2014 And That\u2019s a Problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One major issue? The media muddles everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Too many Americans lump together sport shooting, hunting, and mass shootings like it\u2019s all one thing. Spoiler: it\u2019s not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that\u2019s what happens when politicians and headlines blur the lines. After high-profile shootings or anti-gun speeches, surveys show support for hunting and shooting dips \u2014 even though those events have zero connection to hunters or responsible gun owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-squirrel-hunting-tips-and-tricks-for-success\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\">Squirrel Hunting: Tips and Tricks for Success<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Case in point: after President Biden\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cFxDFq-Cd1Y\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\">2023 State of the Union,<\/a> where he called out gun violence, support for hunting dropped. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And remember the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Killing_of_Cecil_the_lion\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\">Cecil the lion <\/a>debacle in 2015? That media frenzy tanked not just support for hunting \u2014 but for recreational shooting, too. Talk about guilt by association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hunting-for-what-and-with-what\">Hunting for What \u2014 and With What?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to species, Americans approve most of hunting deer, duck, turkey, rabbit, squirrel, and elk. Not so much for predators like mountain lions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also judge hunting methods. Archery and traditional firearms earn the most respect. High-fence operations, high-tech gear, and baiting? Not so much. The idea of \u201cfair chase\u201d still matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-shooting-for-a-reason\">Shooting for a Reason<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/trump-declares-support-for-gun-owners\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"217\">Support for sport shooting<\/a> depends on why you\u2019re doing it. Self-defense and prepping for a hunt top the list. Hanging with buddies and challenging yourself? Less convincing to the general public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But here\u2019s the kicker: 70% of Americans say sport shooters are safe and responsible. That\u2019s the kind of stat we need to hammer home \u2014 especially with 30% either unsure or thinking otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conservation-still-counts\">Conservation Still Counts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A solid 62% of Americans consider themselves conservationists. That\u2019s a big opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we keep tying hunting and shooting to conservation \u2014 as we should \u2014 we can keep building bridges with people who care about the outdoors, even if they don\u2019t pull a trigger themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bottom-line-we-re-winning-but-we-re-slipping\">Bottom Line: We\u2019re Winning, But We\u2019re Slipping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Support is still high. But we\u2019re not bulletproof. Anti-gun rhetoric and sensational news stories are eating away at public understanding. We can\u2019t assume people get the difference between hunters and criminals \u2014 because many don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why we\u2019ve got to tell our story louder, prouder, and clearer than ever. Hunting feeds families. Shooting teaches discipline. Both protect traditions that built this country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s make sure future generations don\u2019t just approve of our way of life \u2014 they live it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong><em>*** <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\" title=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A nationwide study commissioned by the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (CAHSS) shows 76% of Americans approve of both hunting and recreational shooting. That\u2019s solid ground, but there\u2019s a catch \u2014 the numbers are trending down.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":158,"featured_media":218586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4305,1273,1217],"tags":[1209,1276],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-218585","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-expert-guides","8":"category-huntnews","9":"category-hunt365","10":"tag-hunt365","11":"tag-huntnews"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Perception Is Slipping<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A national survey shows strong support for hunting and recreational shooting in the U.S., but shifting public sentiment is cause for concern.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Study: Americans Still Back Hunting \u2014 But Public Perception Is Slipping\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A nationwide study commissioned by the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (CAHSS) shows 76% of Americans approve of both hunting and recreational shooting. That\u2019s solid ground, but there\u2019s a catch \u2014 the numbers are trending down.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-study-americans-still-back-hunting-but-public-perception-is-slipping\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-02T14:39:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-26T13:56:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/americans-attitudes-report-graph-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"617\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Larry Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/GunsAmerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Larry Z\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" 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