Reply #33: The NYT article.

[shockra]

Girls and Boys, Meet Nature. Bring Your Gun.

By PAM BELLUCK
Published: September 18, 2005

<snip>

The number of hunting licenses in the United States dropped to 14.7 million in 2003, from 16.4 million in 1983, according to the federal Fish and Wildlife Service. Hunting advocates cite many reasons for the decline.

"Some of it has to do with habitat loss, urban sprawl taking away places where people used to hunt," Mr. Wagner said. "And people just don't have time."

He said that getting children involved in hunting earlier would be one way to turn the trend around. More than 90 percent of hunters are 35 or older, and nearly 80 percent of current hunters started between ages 6 and 15, the shooting sports foundation says. Hunting advocates say children are much less likely to become adult hunters if they wait until they are 16.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/18/national/18hunting.html



Samantha Marley, 9, on a “dream hunt” for bear in Vermont this month, organized by Kevin Hoyt, left.