Locavores? Women in the field? Economic dislocation? Hunter numbers Rise.

Data compiled in 2011 indicated that the number of hunters in the U.S. continues to rise slowly, perhaps ending a 35-year-long decline. In an excellent piece, Patrick Durkin of the greenbaypressgazette.com speculates on whether this is a long-term trend, and on why this is happening now.

"If you’re hoping for simple answers, forget it. It’s likely a combination of several social and economic factors, such as more free time for some to hunt because of higher unemployment, and more opportunities to hunt for those with more expendable income. Perhaps the most interesting factor, however, is a noticeable increase in people who hunt “to obtain a natural or ‘green’ food, as well as to supplement food budgets.”

Silver linings can be thin, but Durkin references Michael Pollan’s 2006 book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” as a great molder of the "locavore" movement, then juxtaposes this with Stephen Kellert's Yale University study on the motivations of hunters, showing "meat" as the second biggest motivator of hunters, behind "sport and recreation." (Some years earlier, it ranked last in the Kellert's list of motivators.) And the profile of the hunter has changed. Other research indicated "today’s new hunters are slightly more often female, younger, suburban and in college or the military." (my emphasis)

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20130928/GPG0204/309280418/Patrick-Durkin-column-More-people-hunting-legitimate-way-obtain-meat
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This article confirms the changing face of hunters in the United States that has been going on for several years. Other studies and anecdotal evidence indicates that females come to the sport at older ages than males; the latter being inculcated at a very young age by (usually) the father; the former as a teen or young adult, through the tutelage of a male family member or SO. But to this has to be added the growing number of single head-of-households where the mother may be taking on the socialization duties.
The Hunger Games has a basis in reality after all.