What is R3?

R3 is a national movement to Recruit, Retain, and Reactivate hunters, anglers, and shooting sports participants. MassWildlife—along with many state, regional, and national partners—are working to increase participation in outdoor activities in Massachusetts.

What is R3?

R3 is a coordinated, nationwide movement  to increase participation in hunting, fishing, trapping, boating, and the shooting sports (target shooting, archery, sporting clays, etc.) through Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3).

• Recruitment encourages new participants to try the activity.
• Retention engages current participants to continue the activity and participate more frequently.
• Reactivation motivates lapsed participants to return to these activities.

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Wildlife-related recreation in Massachusetts generates about $2 billion in retail sales annually and supports about 35,000 jobs. In addition, hunters, anglers, trappers, and shooting sports participants are essential to state fish and wildlife agencies for many reasons, including: 

• Funding for staff, equipment, and programs
• Fish and wildlife conservation and management 
• Engaging citizens and creating the next generation of conservationists

Following a peak in the 1980s, sales of Massachusetts fishing and hunting licenses declined for nearly two decades. Sales of both fishing and hunting licenses are now more stable, though far below their peak. Over this same time period, the Massachusetts population has steadily increased, meaning the overall percentage of anglers and hunters has declined significantly.

  Less than 1% of MA residents hunt

As of 2023, less than 3% of Massachusetts residents hold a freshwater fishing license, less than 1% hold a hunting license. Massachusetts is losing hunters and anglers primarily because many participants are getting older and new participants are not starting these activities at the same rate.

The video below illustrates license sales trends in more detail.

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Outdoor Recreation Adoption Model

The Outdoor Recreation Adoption Model (ORAM) is a tool used to visualize and describe the many steps a person takes on the journey to become a lifelong participant in outdoor activities. While each person’s path is different, it takes multiple steps for most people to feel confident enough to do one of these outdoor activities on their own.

^{Outdoor Recreation Adoption Model (ORAM), as proposed by Byrne and Dunfee, 2016.}

For R3 efforts to be most successful, they should be applied at all stages of the ORAM to support participants along the way. Examples of R3 outreach and programming could include generating awareness of fishing as a fun activity for families, providing hands-on opportunities for new anglers, or teaching experienced hunters how to pursue a new game species.

A variety of tools and programs are needed to support people who have different learning styles and preferences. In-person programs, virtual classes, online how-to tips and videos, and one-on-one mentoring can all be used to support people as they progress along the ORAM. Finally, ongoing social support from family, friends, and even other participants, is critical at all stages.

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Here is an example of what an angler's journey along the ORAM might look like:

Meet Kim. Kim is a young professional living outside Boston. As a millennial, Kim is always looking for new experiences. After seeing an ad on Facebook about fishing (awareness), Kim goes online to do some research (interest). She finds MassWildlife’s website and decides to attend an Angler Education class that teaches her skills and provides an opportunity to go fishing (trial). Kim has a lot of fun learning to fish, so she buys a license and fishes a couple of times with the help of her friend John (continuation with support). When John moves away the next year, Kim does not have anyone to go fishing with and does not renew her license (lapse). A few months later, Kim sees an ad in her town for a local women’s fishing club and joins (reactivation). After learning some skills from her new club friends, Kim now feels confident fishing alone (continuation without support).

For R3 to be most effective here in Massachusetts, a network of partners must work together to provide programming, resources, and other support for new, active, and returning participants. Some of these resources already exist, and some will need to be created.

Retention and Reactivation

  Programs designed to Retain and Reactivate require less effort.

Retention and Reactivation require less effort than trying to recruit brand new participants. Retention and Reactivation efforts are important because hunters and anglers do not purchase licenses consistently. For a variety of reasons, many hunters and anglers lapse from year to year. Generally, 20% of resident hunters and 40% of resident anglers who purchase a license in one year, do not purchase in the next. Those lapse rates are even higher for new hunters, new anglers, and for women.

Finding ways to retain or to reactivate lapsed participants is essential because these individuals have already moved through those critical early ORAM stages of awareness, interest, and trial. Offering “next-step” programs and resources is one way to encourage anglers and hunters to return or to remain active. Examples of this type of support could include online or in-person classes, video or written tutorials, or expanding opportunities for mentoring.
 

MassWildlife and R3

MassWildlife is responsible for the conservation and management of freshwater fish and wildlife in the Commonwealth for the benefit and enjoyment of the public. Hunting, freshwater fishing, and shooting sports are great ways to connect with nature, friends, and family. Outdoor experiences foster a strong conservation ethic and participants have a long track record of supporting conservation. 

MassWildlife is prioritizing R3 and has already made progress toward increasing participation in outdoor recreation through targeted marketing, improved website resources, and numerous hunting and fishing programs for both youth and adults. With the help of partners, MassWildlife has developed an R3 Plan to identify priority activities for R3 in Massachusetts and provide a framework to coordinate with partners and align resources.

Partnerships are fundamental to the success of R3 and one of the primary pillars of the R3 Plan.

Massachusetts R3 Plan 

Your organization’s role in R3

The Massachusetts sporting community already offers many great R3 programs and initiatives. There are opportunities to improve these offerings by increasing coordination between partner organizations and by promoting programs to a broader audience. By increasing R3 collaboration, we can provide programs and resources to support participants at all stages of the ORAM.

Examples of how you or your group can contribute:

• Host educational events
• Mentor someone new 
• Spread the word about R3 and R3 events
• Volunteer
• Lend facilities or equipment 

If you are already hosting R3 events—and before you plan a new R3 program—consider the following:

• Where does this program fit into the Outdoor Recreation Adoption Model?
  Think about the programs you already offer and consider where they fit into the ORAM. Are you primarily offering introductory classes that focus on recruitment, or have you developed some advanced, next-step classes for retention? Does your club or group have specialized skills you could share, to retain existing hunters or anglers looking to increase their confidence?
• Who is your intended audience?
  It’s important to develop programs based on the needs of your target audience. Research shows that it’s more beneficial to focus on families or adults rather than on only youth. While it’s important to provide youth with opportunities, it is difficult for them to continue after the event without support from their family. By including youth and families, you will not only be attracting more individuals, but their family will also provide the social support they need to continue.

• How does your program/event fit with other available offerings?
  MassWildlife’s 2022 survey of the sporting community revealed that the overwhelming majority of organizations are interested in working together to increase participation in fishing, hunting and shooting sports. Each organization is unique in terms of facilities they have access to, the size of their membership, and their organizational priorities. Leverage the strengths of your organization to offer unique opportunities in your region. Those activities should take into account current gaps and build upon what is already available.

  • What opportunities are being provided by the sporting community in your area?
  • What is missing?
  • What are the logical next steps for hunters, angles, shooters, and trappers?

This video will help your organization fine-tune and strengthen existing R3 programming. The best practices in the video can also help your organization develop new programs or events that complement other Massachusetts R3 efforts.

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Want help developing programs or evaluating your current R3 efforts? Contact MassWildlife’s R3 Coordinator, Astrid Huseby at [e-mail].

Resources

• Massachusetts R3 Plan
• Tips for hunting and fishing mentors