By Todd Schaller, WWA Vice President & Education Committee Chair
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s July, 2023 Newsletter edition. Photo credit: Todd Schaller.
Continuing our article series on the stages of a hunter (missed last month? Read “What’s Your Story?” here), members of the WWA Education Committee talked to hunters within three of the identified stages and one hunter (Dr. Robert Jadin) who took a slightly different path.
Hopefully this provides a better understand of the categories, or allows you to reflect back on your hunting path.
Shooting Phase: Hunting attitudes in the early years will vary greatly by age or with experience. As a hunter is introduced to the sport, the greatest challenge is to develop shooting proficiency. The mentor has likely developed shooting efficiency, and the newly introduced person aspires to match the mentor. One of the easiest ways to be a “good” shooter is to shoot at the same time as the experienced shooters. Something will surely fall from the sky from the direction you are pointing, even if it is in the same direction an experienced shooter was shooting.
In talking with a 13-year-old male hunter who has been hunting for three years, his comments provide clarity on hunting being about activity and action. He says the best thing about duck hunting is “killing ducks and geese”, adding “when hunting we see many more ducks/geese than deer.” He is also lobbying for “two seasons” so he “doesn’t have to wait as long between seasons”. While not a fan of getting up early for the hunt, he enjoys shooting his 20 gauge semi-automatic, “get three quick shots without having to re-aim”; his hope is to move to a 12 gauge so he can be like the family members he hunts with. Since it only takes one pellet to kill a duck, he usually shoots three times, “since that is what his gun holds”. While in conversation, he indicated shooting is important to him and he also likes being around the other people hunting.
Limiting Out Phase: As shooting proficiency rises, the goals for the shooter also change. It is no longer about shooting and hoping, and shooting in a crowd becomes more organized. To get limits, multiple hunters learn to shoot lanes and more birds fall from the sky. While interviewing several hunters that identify themselves in various levels of the limiting out phase, we learned that camaraderie, i.e., being with friends and working as a team, becomes highly important. Of course, part of camaraderie is friendly competition to outperform your friends. In many cases, these groups may consist of five to ten buddies, all working to a common goal of piles for the pictures.
The ability to travel is an important piece of the limiting out phase. The largest group of hunters in this stage are defined by their ability to have a newly earned drivers license. This freedom of independence, combined with teamwork, can take many forms to achieve success.
Foremost is the ability to scout. When teams work together scouting, they can find the highest chance of large quantities of waterfowl for the ever-important Saturday and Sunday hunt. Three to five vehicles may scout across a 100 square mile range to find the perfect field to produce piles of birds on Saturday. During the week, the team may combine 12-15 hours of scouting. Not just any location will do. There must be masses of birds to shoot limits for eight or ten people. Not every scouting event finds success, and chances improve with more scouts, and more miles.
Another component of teamwork is sharing/combining equipment. There may be 100-200 decoys (or more) when combined to form a team decoy spread, plus trailers keep the gear organized for the season. Multiples of panel blinds, combined and highly dressed for concealment. Motion decoys of more sizes and shapes than the average hunter may realize are available. The investment can be large. There is prestige in being like the advertisements in the hunting publications. Often, we can see these groups by identifying the several trucks with trailers parked along a road near a freshly picked cornfield.
Sportsperson Phase: in talking to a 20-year veteran of waterfowl hunting, one can see how he has moved past the earlier hunting phases. Their best part of the hunt is “taking pride in all my conservation efforts on my property, ‘duck farming’ with food plots and controlling water level. Seeing what ducks want and improving habitat for them to breed and loaf. Also, in reading the ducks on Green Bay in the fall and setting up where I think they want to be and what they want to see.”
Opening day is about watching his kids hunt and handling his dog. If he couldn’t hunt, he’d miss the sunrises, “the most beautiful site in the morning, along with seeing a duck with feet down committing to the decoys.” While they have the resources for all the “gadgets” to improve the odds of fooling a duck, “there is nothing better than hunting over their own hand carved decoys.”
New hunter, Dr. Robert Jadin
As Dr. Robert Jadin experienced, new and non-traditional hunters may skip initial phases of a hunter: “As a new hunter, I should be square in the first ‘shooter’ phase of the five phases of a hunter, primarily focused on the thrill of the hunt, maximizing my interest in actively shooting guns, and harvesting animals. However, my personal journey has led me to find myself simultaneously embracing the ‘trophy’ and ‘sportsperson’ phases. I am genuinely excited about the prospect of hunting new animals and contributing to conservation efforts.
“Admittedly, my progression may appear unusual compared to the conventional path. Starting my hunting journey in my late thirties sets me apart as an older newcomer. It’s possible that the maturity gained from life experiences and responsibilities has influenced my inclination to bypass the initial phases of hunting. Additionally, my background as a biologist has likely played a significant role. Having spent extensive time studying and photographing wildlife in diverse ecosystems across the U.S. and other countries, I have already amassed numerous wildlife experiences akin to the first phase of being a hunter.
“But perhaps more important than age is the intent that some new hunters have for becoming a hunter. A portion of new hunters, myself included, are excited by the hunt but also see harvesting wild game as part of a commitment to eating more sustainably, for the free-range meat or keeping herbivores out of the garden. This mindset may attract hunters less interested in the initial phases of hunting.”
As we embark on the task of recruiting new hunters from older, non-traditional, and underrepresented demographics, it becomes crucial to recognize these individuals may commence and traverse the stages of being a hunter in unconventional ways. Embracing this diversity, and understanding their journey may unfold in non-typical directions, will be essential for effectively engaging and supporting these new hunters in their pursuit of the outdoors.