bserpan
New UKC Forum Member
Registered: Aug 2018
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 3 |
R3
Well, I'm not an expert at building up clubs or organizations, but before my wife and I moved, I was on a statewide committee in Kansas dedicated to identifying obstacles to outdoorspeople (namely hunters and anglers) and figuring out the best way to implement changes that would increase dedicated participants. This was called the R3 committee (recruitment, retention, and reactivation). I won't get into major details unless you want me to, but you should look it up (the R3 movement is nationwide). It's not just coonhunting that is suffering. There are fewer and fewer hunters, trappers, and anglers. There are several causes of this: competing interests, lack of accessible land, perceived startup costs, fewer people in rural areas, lack of mentors, and so on. We can apply the same general principles and obstacles to specific areas like raccoon hunting.
If we just look at competing interests, one activity that has grown is competitive sports (baseball, basketball, soccer, etc.). Those folks know how to bring people in. They make the event a rite of passage, they make it a family event, they advertise like crazy, provide food and beverages, etc. On top of all that, they play to people's pride by providing awards and recognition.
I think that's where competition raccoon hunting has a unique advantage compared to some other types of hunting. It is by definition competitive. I agree with what a lot of people have said. The people have to be honest. There's no question about that at all. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen everywhere. We also need to get excited about the events. If everyone is dreading the hunt because it will be the same six old guys, anyone that is invited will pick up on that and immediately not want to attend. Be happy, have great food, make sure the facilities are clean, have special events that aren't just hunts; basically, be a part of the community. And then, start taking folks out. We always seem to target youth, and that's great. But what are the chances a 12-16 year old will get started if his or her parents aren't interested? Don't just mentor a kid; mentor a family, or a parent/child. Invite people out; even people you think might not want to stay out the whole night or maybe they just want to spectate for a couple hours. That's fine. You have to start somewhere. And don't be afraid to take people to some of your spots. There's already a limited amount of access. Hunt with people by golly.
There are more things that can be done, but I'll end by saying you have to also make it about the dogs. That's why most of us do this: tradition and dogs. Hype them up. Talk about what they're doing and how they're doing it. Show them off. If they're obedience trained (don't laugh, mine is...), take them out walking around town. See if a local fourth or fifth grade class is reading "Where the Red Fern Grows" and if they would like to actually see a coondog. When I worked for KDWPT, I did a presentation with one of my dogs and word spread and other schools started requesting that I come in. That might make some folks uncomfortable, but as a raccoon hunting community, that's what we need.
Sorry for the long post. I get passionate about some of these things. Hopefully that helped... Let me know if you have any specific questions.
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12-02-2018 01:24 AM
