Public approval for hunting and recreational shooting continues to decline in the US

A new survey of national attitudes towards hunting and recreational shooting released today shows a decline in public support for both activities, continuing a downward trend first recorded in 2022.

The reportcarried out in collaboration with the Council for the promotion of hunting and shooting sports and the Natural Resources Research Bureau Responsive managementindicates that the derailment of public support for hunting and shooting has been recorded in the 2023 survey continues, although there are some important deviations from the previous survey.

“Public support is not the lowest it has ever been, but it is significantly below the 81 percent approval we saw in 2021 and appears to be on a downward trend,” said Swanny Evans, director of research and partnerships for CAHSS. “This report highlights the importance of understanding the nuances of public opinion to improve communication and engagement strategies within the outdoor industry.”

The survey found that public support for both legal hunting and shooting is at 76 percent, down five percentage points from 2021 and one percent from last year. Support for legal recreational shooting also fell by one point from last year; this year, 76 percent of Americans said they strongly or moderately approve of shooting sports.

While the one-year decline is concerning to hunting and recreational shooting advocates, the decline between 2023 and 2024 is not statistically significant. However, the five percent decline from the 2021 peak is significant and represents the loss of support from approximately 12.5 million Americans. This year’s results indicate the lowest public support for hunting since 2011.

The public opinion survey is normally conducted and published every three to five years, but last year’s results, which showed a surprising decline in support for hunting and shooting sports after years of steady increases, prompted sponsors to conduct the 2024 survey to determine if the 2023 survey results were accurate.

That appears to be the case, Evans says, and the findings are so important for planning public engagement strategies that CAHSS and Responsive Management are expected to conduct the survey annually for at least the next five years to better understand where and why support for traditional activities can be soothing. The 2024 study is funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

The report, titled “Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting and Sport Shooting 2024,” available on the CAHHS website, reveals some surprising nuances in public support for the activities. Importantly, an overwhelming majority of Americans say they approve of legal hunting and shooting. The survey found that 76 percent of respondents approve of both activities. Furthermore, a large majority of Americans agree that it is okay for other people to hunt and shoot firearms recreationally, in accordance with laws and regulations. The survey found that 87 percent of Americans agree that it is okay for others to hunt, and 85 percent of Americans agree that it is okay for others to shoot recreationally.

But the survey found that support for recreational shooting is declining. A third of respondents have reservations about shooting sports, saying the activity is “inappropriate now” or “somewhat inappropriate now.”

The sample size of the survey varies, but each percentage point represents approximately 2.5 million Americans age 18 and older. The study is designed to receive statistically valid input from all regions of the country and all demographic variations of Americans to ensure a representative sample of the population. Unlike previous versions of the survey, the 2024 edition did not ask questions about support for recreational fishing or catch.

Key findings from the 2024 survey include:

• The percentages of public approval of legal hunting and legal recreational shooting are similar: 76 percent of Americans approve of both, while 12 percent of Americans disapprove of hunting and 13 percent disapprove of recreational shooting.
• Approval of legal hunting is significantly higher among rural, male, and Midwestern residents than among U.S. residents in general. Approval of shooting recreational firearms is highest among rural residents, men and residents of small towns and villages, and residents of the Mountain West region.
• Although the 2023 survey found support for hunting for food is declining, support for that specific motivation is strong. About 84 percent of respondents this year approve of hunting for meat and 83 percent support hunting to obtain locally produced food. Motives related to conservation also receive strong support, while trophy hunting is the motivation with the least support, with only 29 percent support.
• On the recreational shooting side, shooting to learn self-defense skills received the highest approval at 77 percent, while approval for shooting to compete received 74 percent. Shooting for the challenge received 64 percent approval, one of the least supported motivations.

Evans says the survey results are not alarming, but they do confirm what appears to be a statistically measurable downward trend in support for hunting and shooting. But Evans says the survey shows some bright spots, including robust and growing support for hunting for food.

“That particular motivation remains strong, despite the hiccup last year when it went down,” says Evans, suggesting that rising food insecurity and food price concerns in the US may be contributing to their support for hunting for food. He adds that discussing food-related motivations for hunting can be a winning strategy for building public support for the activity.

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The study authors note that public perception of guns and shooting can influence support for hunting.

“Recently, comments from respondents in data collection on these topics have suggested that some Americans with negative views of shooting do not see a clear distinction between shooting and hunting in general,” the authors write. “Although a majority of Americans have indicated that they support both activities, with approval of hunting often exceeding that of shooting sports, trends in opinion data indicate that in response to events involving firearms, there is a reluctance among some There is a growing tendency for Americans to confuse hunting with shooting and shooting guns, and their negative attitude toward guns with a negative attitude toward hunting. It’s not a large segment, but enough to explain an overall decline in support for hunting.”