I can tell you why you're seeing more mentions about trad gear and trad hunting.
It isn't because of the goodness in the hearts of magazine editors. It's about business.
I'd predicted noticeable future growth in traditional archery because more of the masses of compound hunters who've been shooting compounds for years are getting bored with it.
Two of my hunting buddies just switched, as did I a while back. And all for the same reason. The compound offered little challenge.
Over the next decade, expect more compound hunters to make the switch.
That's why I also predicted that the growth in traditional archery isn't going to come from "the kids of present traditional hunters". The big growth in traditional archery is going to come from adults who were lifelong compound hunters, and probably very successful compound hunters who then grew bored with all the gadgets and are looking for something else.
Compound shooters make up the vast majority of archery hunters. That's the pool where the growth in traditional archery is going to come from. They already hunt, they already bowhunt. Making the switch is quite easy for some, especially those who are most successful with a compound.
The reason the magazines are pounding the xbow drumbeat is somewhat the same, there's great interest in xbows. It's business and ad generated. Be it from older guys or firearms only guys or guys looking for wonder weapons.
Magazines are there for a profit, afterall.
Archery hunting is actually becoming more popular, in a time when most hunting trends show a decrease in participation.
This is also why I suggest bow hunters, all bow hunters, press DNR's for LONGER archery seasons. We don't necessarily need more tags, just more dates.
Check out this info. This is from Mark Duda, perhaps the most renowned researcher of "hunter attitudes".
http://www.responsivemanagement.com/download/reports/Bowhuntingpaper-uga.pdf While overall hunting participation in the United States has declined since the early 1980s, bowhunting has enjoyed a significant increase.
This affords industry, wildlife agencies, and organizations involved with bowhunting a unique opportunity. Social and demographic analysis of bowhunting can facilitate focused marketing plans and specific marketing strategies aimed toward this healthy niche.
The trends in hunting in the United States are part of a broad social and cultural picture. While hunting in general is declining, some areas-bowhunting in particular-are increasing.
Industry and agency planners must not adopt simplistic explanations for the decline in overall hunting, or for the increase in bowhunting. Both are part of a larger, and very complex, pattern of the changes in American society.
Because inactive bowhunters report that time constraints are the major factor in decreased activity, any effort to make bowhunting more accessible, more convenient, and easier will probably meet with some success.
For example, archery seasons typically occur at the same time across broad regions. There may be opportunity for more spring, late winter, or special archery seasons.
Other options, such as making areas that are closed to gun hunting for safety reasons open to archery, may be possible.
Marketing for bowhunting should concentrate on the individual hunter. Marketing should be directed at active and inactive bowhunters, as well as active and inactive gun hunters. There is little potential for non-hunters to become directly involved in archery hunting, although there may be some potential for non-hunting archery.
Topic: Bowhunter Magazine's Trad Section (Read 965 times)
