ReviewJournal.com – Sports – IN THE OUTDOORS: Access, availability of public lands key to hunting’s future

C. DOUGLAS NIELSEN

For the past two decades, participation in hunting has steadily declined. For most of us, this is no secret. The subject has been discussed in a variety of outdoor publications, and I have touched upon it in a past column or two. The question is: Why are we losing hunters?

Answers to that question vary, but the top two answers from a recent study are centered on public access and crowding issues. The study was conducted by Responsive Management, a public opinion and attitude survey research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues. According to that study, 46 percent of hunters believe there is not enough public access to places where they can hunt, and 44 percent said there are not enough places to hunt. Where there is a place for hunters to pursue their quarry, 35 percent of survey respondents thought overcrowding was an issue.

As a general rule, these issues aren’t as much of a problem in Nevada as they are in other states, although there are some exceptions. In the Ruby Mountains of Elko County, for example, there is plenty of public land, but gaining access to most of it is difficult at best, because the range is nearly surrounded with private land at its base, and public access points are few. As the state continues to grow, however, this situation undoubtedly will be replicated in other areas.

In August 2007, President Bush signed an executive order that many hoped would help to alleviate access and overcrowding issues for America’s hunters, especially on public lands. Executive Order No. 13443: Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation directs federal agencies and departments “to facilitate the expansion and enhancement of hunting opportunities and the management of game species and their habitat.  Full Story

ReviewJournal.com – Sports – IN THE OUTDOORS: Access, availability of public lands key to hunting’s future.