One of the League’s strategic goals is to connect more people with hunting, fishing, shooting sports, and other outdoor recreation. The League surveyed chapter leaders late last year to determine chapter interests, needs, and goals around outdoor recreation. Based on responses from 103 of our 245 chapters, 87 percent of these chapters support some type of outdoor recreation on chapter grounds or in the community, and several common themes emerged:
Top Outdoor Recreation Activities at Chapters
- Fishing on lakes, ponds, and nearby waterways
- Recreational shooting sports (firearms and/or archery)
- Wildlife and bird watching, hiking, and camping
Activities Chapters Want To Expand or Offer for the First Time
- Recreational shooting sports w/ firearms
- Archery
- Interpretive nature tours and wildlife and bird watching
Resources Needed from the National Organization To Support Outdoor Recreation
- Information about funding sources that can support development of outdoor recreation facilities
- Help developing partnerships with outdoor recreation interest groups
- Online access to resources about outdoor recreation activities and facility development; training on community outreach, communications, and marketing
Resources Needed from the National Organization to Reach New Participants Interested in Hunting, Angling, or Shooting Sports
- Marketing materials geared toward new participants
- Information about successful approaches to mentoring new participants
- Help developing partnerships with groups representing potential new participants
These results and other information learned during our 2014 chapter visits are being used to develop new tools and resources to help chapters engage more people in sustainable outdoor recreation. New resources will be available to chapters in 2015 and beyond.