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A recent survey by the National Shooting Sports Foundation found that 24% of hunters got out and hunted more in 1999, as compared with 16% in a 1995 survey. Add to that information that 77% of hunters said they participated in target shooting activities in 1999, as compared to 55% in 1995. On the buying end, 72% and 75% of respondents said they purchased a rifle or shotgun, respectively, within the past five years, as compared to 44% and 41% in 1995.

Looks like we’re getting more involved in our sport. Hopefully, we’re taking the time to recruit new hunters and shooters. Borrowing from the NSSF’s Recruitment and Retention News, a simple three-minute exercise may help you convince a non-shooter to take up the sport, or at least make them more accepting of guns and hunting.

This method has been successfully used with more than 25,000 people in the past two years. Instructors find it hard to believe how effective it is at changing attitudes.

Provide first-time shooters with a no-fail shooting experience, and give them a take-home target "trophy." First shooting experiences need to be kept uncomplicated, so the fun and sense of accomplishment become the memorable part of the experience. Try it at family reunions, organization meetings or use your imagination to incorporate it into local events.

Here’s how this change-of-attitude method works:

1. Determine eye dominance using the thumb method. With both eyes open sight along your outstretched arm and use your upturned thumb to cover a distant object. Close your right eye. If the object remains covered you are right-eye dominant.

2. Have the shooter sitting and provide a forearm rest to allow a beginner to easily hold the firearm safely.

3. Use a red dot sight so they don’t have to learn about iron sights.

4. Use an airgun so there is minimum noise and recoil. The airgun must shoot three or four pellets without being removed from the shoulder, so once the shooter has it in position he or she tends to hit the same spot. You benefit by being able to have more people shoot in a shorter period of time.

5. Shoot pellets rather than BBs so accuracy is better and safety increased.

6. Shoot at 16 to 20 feet so shooters easily hit the target.

7. Shoot a "reactive" target so shooters see where they are hitting. The target is then given to the shooter as a memento of their success.

Skipping or substituting any one item greatly reduces the positive results, the report said. A Crosman 1077 airgun, which has a 12-shot cylinder, and adhesive Shoot-N-C targets attached to a preprinted 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper are all the tools needed. If you want more information check out The Introduction To Guns and Gun Safety in the Home clinic instructor’s manual at www.dnr.state.mn.us. Look on the Safety Education page and then to the instructor’s page from there.

A wonderful way to help introduce young people is through a membership in the NWTF’s youth organization, JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowldege, Ethics and Sportsmanship). Call 1-800-THE-NWTF for details on joining.—Jay Langston