Public Perception of Hunters Is on the Downswing

As hunters, even those of us residing in relatively “hunter-friendly” areas, we wade through a stream of misconceptions about what hunting is and why we do it. We can make an impact on those around us, but there’s still a large number of folks who lack exposure to the activity.

A new survey, conducted by Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation, queried Americans (both hunters and non-hunters) on their attitudes toward several outdoor sports. The organization conducted phone and online surveys and received 2,000 completed questionnaires, which they extrapolated to what they claim represents the entire United States.

Main Takeaways

This year, 77% of Americans approve of hunting; 90% approve of fishing; 78% of recreational shooting; and 54% of regulated trapping.

The proportion of Americans who approve of “legal hunting” is down 4% from 2021, but that 77% is 4% higher than its low point in 1995 (73%). Disapproval is also up sharply since 2021 (12% to 17%), but record disapprovals were recorded in 2011 (20%) and 1995 (22%).

The most likely demographics to approve of hunting reside in a rural area, are male, white, or 35 to 54 years old. The most unlikely to approve of hunting are ages 18 to 34, black or African American, Hispanic and Latino, or reside on the Pacific coast.

Trapping has substantially less approval than hunting, but when used as part of a restoration program, for food, or to help control wildlife populations it was deemed far more acceptable than trapping for money, recreation, or fur clothing.

Only 12% of those surveyed said they personally harvested game meat in the last year. But 41% reportedly ate wild-caught game meat, such as venison, wild turkey, boar, buffalo, or duck in the same time period.

Hunting to Protect Humans?

Somewhat comical, but not altogether surprising, is that the second-most popular reason people approve of hunting (78%) is “to protect humans from harm.” What constitutes the “harm” is unclear, but presumably covers a whole slew of big, scary things in the woods, like bears and wolves.

A handful of folks get killed by bears every year, but it’s usually due to provocation or extenuating circumstances. In fact, statistically speaking, you’re just about as likely to die from a vending machine as you are from a bear attack. In other words, the perceived threat-to-life is greater than the actual danger.

And the last known wolf-related fatality? That was in 2010 when a schoolteacher went for a jog, at night, in the winter, with headphones on in the village of Chignik Lake, Alaska—a small community nestled on the east side of the Alaskan Peninsula, roughly 500 miles southwest of Anchorage. Wolf attacks, fatal or not, are few and far between.

That leaves only a smattering of other potentially lethal species: mountain lions, moose, coyote, rabid animals, and sasquatch.

Nuances of Hunting Approval

The number one reason people approve of hunting is for the “conservation of healthy wildlife populations.” And notably, trophy hunting was at the bottom of the list, with only 24% approval.

Broken down in a slightly different way, bow hunting had the highest approval rating (69%), and rifle hunting wasn’t far behind at 66%. Hunting over bait had a 37% approval.

In terms of species approval—deer, turkey, and rabbits had the highest approval ratings, with all near 60 to 70%. Grizzly bear, wolf, and mountain lion hunting had the lowest, all around 38% (which is notably incongruous with one of the main reasons Americans cited for approving of hunting in the first place). Only 10% said they would approve of hunting African elephants, though that represents a 6% increase since 2016.

When asked the question: “No matter your opinion on hunting, do you agree or disagree that it is okay for other people to hunt if they do so legally and in accordance with hunting laws and regulations?” Eighty-six percent of people agreed. That’s down from 93% in a similar survey in 2011.

The survey also asked some broader questions such as, “Do you consider yourself a conservationist?” to which 64% of the surveyed group responded, “yes.”

But did people actually stand behind their words? The survey followed up with the question, “Have you ever taken trash that was NOT yours out of the woods or waters while you were participating in other nature-based activities?” Of people who were active hunters, anglers, shooters, and trappers, 80% said “yes.” Whereas only 55% of people who were none of the above responded “yes.”

While some states have constitutionally enshrined the right to hunt, most states still consider it a privilege. Let’s keep up the good work and continue to maintain an overall positive public perception of hunting, fishing, and trapping.

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