For years, marketers and R3 practitioners referred to the five “stages” or “phases” that hunters evolve through in their lifetimes in the activity. However, these phases are based on a study published 38 years ago (Jackson et al, 1984). Considering the significant cultural, participatory, and communications shifts since 1984, and that women and other demographics are critical components of the hunting community, there was a strong need to update research on this important topic. This report examines the motivations of today’s hunters and target shooters and how these might change throughout their lifetimes using quantitative research methods.

Four personas describing hunters and six describing target shooters were identified based on data collected during 2023-24. Details are presented in the technical report and summary brochure.