Socialization and motivational pathways among different groups of non-traditional hunters in Alabama reveal unique recruitment and retention opportunities

Participation in hunting has been declining and organizations have increased efforts to recruit non-traditional path hunters (NTPHs) such as adults who did not hunt as children, urban residents, and women. Anecdotal evidence suggests that NTPHs could be interested in hunting if recruiters emphasized certain aspects of the hunting experience such as connecting to nature or harvesting sustainable meat. To explore effects of non-traditional backgrounds on recruitment and retention, we measured the importance of socialization pathways, recruitment motives, and retention motives of a group of current hunters in Alabama Wildlife Management Areas (n = 700). A generalized ordinal logit regression model determined effects of different non-traditional backgrounds (e.g., non-hunting family, adult-onset hunters, urban resident, female, millennial) on recruitment and retention. We found that each non-traditional background has a unique influence on recruitment and retention, indicating a need for investigating specific NTPH backgrounds rather than a single homogenous NTPH group.