WV DNR Survey reveals bowhunting trends
07-31-2005, 06:59 PM
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WV DNR Survey reveals bowhunting trends
July 31, 2005
Survey reveals bowhunting trends
By John McCoy
Staff writer
West Virginia wildlife officials have found an easy and efficient way to find out what makes bowhunters tick.
They ask them.
Since 1995, an average of 500 bowhunters a year have taken the time to log their time afield, their hunting preferences, their expenditures and their thoughts in the Division of Natural Resources’ Bowhunting Cooperators Survey. “The information has been invaluable,” said Scott Warner, the DNR biologist in charge of the annual questionnaire. “It’s given us a ton of information about our deer populations, and it’s helped us decide how to manage those deer.”
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But Warner, an avid bowhunter in his own right, believes the survey is more important for what it reveals about hunters and their pastime.
“By comparing the results from year to year, we can see when trends start to develop,” he said.
For example, last year’s survey showed that bowhunters are spending more money than ever.
“The average cooperator in our survey spent $509 on bowhunting last season,” Warner said. “That includes equipment, vehicle fuel, lodging, food and licenses. One guy said he spent $5,000 for a hunting trip out west. On the other end of the spectrum, another guy said he spent just $5 on a pair of gloves.
“The overall trend is up, though. When I started bowhunting 25 years ago, I spent $100 for a bow and I thought I’d drained the bank. Nowadays a good bow with accessories will cost $1,000 or more. Bowhunters routinely spend $100 on just a dozen arrows, and they don’t bat an eye when they write out the checks.”
Warner said a pair of high-tech trends has helped to fuel the rising expenditures — bowhunters’ gradual switch from aluminum to carbon-fiber arrows, and their acceptance of scent-suppressing clothing.
“A few years ago, only 10 percent of hunters used carbon arrows. Now the average is up to 50 percent,” he said. “A few years ago, you couldn’t give scent-suppressing clothing away. Now 70 percent of all bowhunters use it — at $200 an outfit.”
The reward for those expenditures has come in the form of venison. The average survey cooperator’s family ate 2.5 deer last year.
“Eighty-six percent of our cooperators kill three deer or more each season,” Warner said. “Those who take more than they eat say that they donate the deer to needy families or to programs like Hunters Helping the Hungry.”
To attain that kind of efficiency, bowhunters practice their skills diligently. Seventy-five percent of all the surveyed bowhunters reported that they practice using three-dimensional foam targets shaped like deer. Seventy-one percent go to the trouble of practicing shots from elevated tree stands.
- advertisement -
Even with all that practice, bowhunters tend not to take long or risky shots.
“The average distance at which our cooperators take their deer is 17.9 yards,” Warner said. “You’d think, with all the technology available to hunters nowadays, they’d be taking more 30- to 40-yard shots. But they aren’t, and I think that’s because hunters tend to position their stands close to deer trails and likely feeding spots. They don’t shoot far because they don’t have to.”
Recent surveys have also shown a strong move toward bowhunting for bears.
“When we started the survey in 1995, fewer than one-third of all bowhunters purchased bear-hunting licenses. Now, with a growing bear population and a statewide archery season, the number of bear-hunting bowhunters has risen to 47 percent,” Warner said.
Though they’re happy with the information they’ve received from survey participants so far, DNR officials would like to recruit some new cooperators.
“Hunters who volunteer to serve as cooperators are required to fill out a log sheet for every day they spend in the field,” Warner said. “We send the hunters the sheets, and they send them back to us after the season is over. Once a year, we send them a booklet that tells them what we found out.
“Anyone interested in participating can contact Patty Fordyce at 637-0245, or they can get more information by visiting our Web site, www.wvdnr.gov.”
Survey reveals bowhunting trends
By John McCoy
Staff writer
West Virginia wildlife officials have found an easy and efficient way to find out what makes bowhunters tick.
They ask them.
Since 1995, an average of 500 bowhunters a year have taken the time to log their time afield, their hunting preferences, their expenditures and their thoughts in the Division of Natural Resources’ Bowhunting Cooperators Survey. “The information has been invaluable,” said Scott Warner, the DNR biologist in charge of the annual questionnaire. “It’s given us a ton of information about our deer populations, and it’s helped us decide how to manage those deer.”
- advertisement -
But Warner, an avid bowhunter in his own right, believes the survey is more important for what it reveals about hunters and their pastime.
“By comparing the results from year to year, we can see when trends start to develop,” he said.
For example, last year’s survey showed that bowhunters are spending more money than ever.
“The average cooperator in our survey spent $509 on bowhunting last season,” Warner said. “That includes equipment, vehicle fuel, lodging, food and licenses. One guy said he spent $5,000 for a hunting trip out west. On the other end of the spectrum, another guy said he spent just $5 on a pair of gloves.
“The overall trend is up, though. When I started bowhunting 25 years ago, I spent $100 for a bow and I thought I’d drained the bank. Nowadays a good bow with accessories will cost $1,000 or more. Bowhunters routinely spend $100 on just a dozen arrows, and they don’t bat an eye when they write out the checks.”
Warner said a pair of high-tech trends has helped to fuel the rising expenditures — bowhunters’ gradual switch from aluminum to carbon-fiber arrows, and their acceptance of scent-suppressing clothing.
“A few years ago, only 10 percent of hunters used carbon arrows. Now the average is up to 50 percent,” he said. “A few years ago, you couldn’t give scent-suppressing clothing away. Now 70 percent of all bowhunters use it — at $200 an outfit.”
The reward for those expenditures has come in the form of venison. The average survey cooperator’s family ate 2.5 deer last year.
“Eighty-six percent of our cooperators kill three deer or more each season,” Warner said. “Those who take more than they eat say that they donate the deer to needy families or to programs like Hunters Helping the Hungry.”
To attain that kind of efficiency, bowhunters practice their skills diligently. Seventy-five percent of all the surveyed bowhunters reported that they practice using three-dimensional foam targets shaped like deer. Seventy-one percent go to the trouble of practicing shots from elevated tree stands.
- advertisement -
Even with all that practice, bowhunters tend not to take long or risky shots.
“The average distance at which our cooperators take their deer is 17.9 yards,” Warner said. “You’d think, with all the technology available to hunters nowadays, they’d be taking more 30- to 40-yard shots. But they aren’t, and I think that’s because hunters tend to position their stands close to deer trails and likely feeding spots. They don’t shoot far because they don’t have to.”
Recent surveys have also shown a strong move toward bowhunting for bears.
“When we started the survey in 1995, fewer than one-third of all bowhunters purchased bear-hunting licenses. Now, with a growing bear population and a statewide archery season, the number of bear-hunting bowhunters has risen to 47 percent,” Warner said.
Though they’re happy with the information they’ve received from survey participants so far, DNR officials would like to recruit some new cooperators.
“Hunters who volunteer to serve as cooperators are required to fill out a log sheet for every day they spend in the field,” Warner said. “We send the hunters the sheets, and they send them back to us after the season is over. Once a year, we send them a booklet that tells them what we found out.
“Anyone interested in participating can contact Patty Fordyce at 637-0245, or they can get more information by visiting our Web site, www.wvdnr.gov.”
