Dave Beck

Two weeks ago, the Wisconsin DNR announced a new program called R3. That stands for Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation of hunters, anglers, trappers and shooting sports participants. Included in that program is a total of $75,000 in grants to fund Learn-to-Hunt programs, private land access, high school clay target teams and archery range upgrades, among other things. If you would like more information on this program, I encourage you to visit the Wisconsin DNR website.

The reason for this program is simple. Hunters and anglers are aging out of outdoor sports at a record pace. That issue is compounded by the fact that fewer newbies are taking up these activities. Here’s another way to say it: every year the hunting camouflage section takes up less space at Cabela’s/Bass Pro Shops while the hiking clothes section grows larger and larger. The shift is on and it’s been happening for a while. 

Outdoor recreation sports in Wisconsin pump $6 billion annually into the state’s economy. That is a lot money and it spreads out to support our state in many ways including but not limited to conservation efforts. As the number of outdoor participants drops, obviously so does that dollar amount.

I like the fact that we are trying something, but I guess it feels more like a reaction as opposed to being proactive. I am skeptical of the potential results. I think the issue here is bigger than throwing $75K at it. It’s a problem that is growing bigger every year. Maybe we should be thinking more outside of the box?

Every Spring the governor of Wisconsin hosts the traditional fishing opener. It’s a great weekend to showcase different lakes and areas of our great state. The short-term benefit is obvious. The governor and his entourage along with the media converge on the Ladysmith’s of our state and for two or three days the lakes, hotels, bars and gas stations thrive. Now I know this event is not designed as a recruitment tool but more so to promote the area but maybe this is an opportunity as well. I’ll get back to that in a minute.

Now Gov. Evers is a nice enough fellow, but do you think that a young person who sees the news report of him catching a 30-inch northern pike stirs them to the point of wanting to try and catch their own? I don’t think so either, but what if it could? I mean, what if we had someone of notoriety, who everyone seems to like and respect, host this event? What if we had Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce host this event? Do you think there would be an uptick in participation?

Okay, I know how far-fetched that sounds, but that’s the point. Let’s throw everything against the wall and see what sticks. Maybe we should use that 75K for the best R3 idea?

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