Changing the Face of Hunting

Torey Vayer, a second-year master’s student studying under Dr. Lincoln Larson, helped organize a nationwide survey of college students to understand their thoughts about hunting. This work led to a Getting Started Outdoors event on deer hunting for people curious about hunting but lacking social support to pursue these interests. The “students” were in a clubhouse, not a classroom and the “professor” was an N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission biologist. The workshop is one of many new programs designed to engage with nontraditional hunting populations.

“I went into the workshop with a predisposed image of what a hunter looks like and acts like and I was proven so wrong,” said Vayer. “I learned that most hunters truly care about the environment, conservation, and the ecosystems where they hunt. Not only that, but they have such rich knowledge of the natural world. They know plants, animals, seasons, weather patterns and so much more than us non-hunters give them credit for.”

The GSO workshop is featured in Wildlife in North Carolina’s 2020 Fall Outdoor Guide. Vayer was able to help organize the GSO through Larson’s joint grant between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) that allows universities across the country to put on hunting workshops for first-time students.

Vayer also produced a compelling video, Why America Needs Hunting NOW!, to promote the benefits of hunting. “Hunters and non-hunters have way more in common than one would originally think. At the end of the day, we’re all on team ‘Planet Earth’ and these workshops help bridge gaps between non-hunters and hunters,” said Vayer.