Related Resources
- Board Members & Contact Information
- Board's Hunter Recruitment & Retention Resolution (PDF)
- Presentation by Chairman Reed (PDF)
- State Overview: 2011 USFWS National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (September 2012)
- National Overview: 2011 USFWS National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (December 2012)
Hunter Recruitment & Retention
Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries Committed to Increasing Virginia Hunter Numbers
Posted January 24, 2013
At their October 18, 2012 meeting, the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries passed a resolution supporting efforts to recruit and retain greater numbers of hunters in Virginia. For years the Board has watched the worrisome slow decline in hunter numbers. Agency efforts to increase opportunities and improve the experience across the state by successfully managing game animals has not resulted in a change in the overall trend of a slow decline in hunter numbers. While recognizing that Virginia is not alone in seeing a decline in participation based on the latest 5-year national survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Board wants to ensure that the Agency is doing all it can to preserve a Virginia tradition, expose new hunters to the wonders of the outdoors, retain existing hunters, and stabilize an important financial base for the Agency, the Board is redoubling its effort to understand the factors affecting the numbers and doing all it can to reverse that trend.
