Some Aspects of the Anatomy of Alberta's Hunting Decline: 1990-1997

There is concern in Alberta about the decline in the numbers of recreational hunters. In this article information from the agency's computerized licensing system is examined to shed some light on this decline. This information is useful because from 1990 to the present the agency required hunters to purchase a lifetime identity number. Tracking the activity of every licensed individual provides useful information about participation. Although the set of individual specific characteristics in the database is limited (address, gender, and age), a number of interesting patterns emerged. This approach provides direction for primary data collection efforts directed at further understanding the decline. This study highlights the utility of the Alberta licensing approach.