Hunters, Anglers Encouraged to Participate in Surveys

Last year nearly 23 percent of hunters lost access to land they had previously hunted, while just over 20 percent of anglers had to change or cancel plans to fish because certain waters or access points were no longer open to them. One reason for this lost access is due to development. Between 1982 and 1997, 41.3 million acres of rural land were turned into subdivisions, malls, office parks and the like. That's roughly the size of Illinois and New Jersey combined, according to America's Farmland Trust. Could where you hunt or fish be next?

It's more important than ever for today's hunters and anglers to band together and be heard by the people and agencies that make decisions about our natural resources. Fortunately, the surveys available atHunterSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com provide the easiest and fastest way for sportsmen to provide feedback to make sure leaders have the information they need to support wise policies and programs.

Shrinking budgets, reduced services and more competition for available outdoor space from other recreational enthusiasts have all conspired to decrease the areas available for hunting and fishing. On the private side, high leases costs and changing land ownership are also taking their toll, making it harder for hunters and anglers to find suitable places to enjoy their activities. Strategic public solutions are more critical than ever if hunting and fishing are to survive, and every sportsman out there can make a big difference without spending a dime or much of their time.

How? Just participate in the online bi-monthly surveys at HunterSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.comand AnglerSurvey.com. The surveys are simple, fun and often take less than five minutes to complete. However, the results and data they yield are invaluable in helping fish and wildlife agencies, political leaders, conservation groups and even businesses in the outdoor industry understand what issues, concerns, services and products are important to hunters and anglers.

"We run the bi-monthly surveys to obtain sportsmen's feedback on a wide range of issues and trends that affect them," says Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, which designs and conducts the surveys. "The online surveys are designed to yield not only highly accurate results, but to make it easy for hunters, shooters and anglers to participate when their schedule allows. Their privacy is always maintained, and they never have to deal with annoying phone calls right at dinnertime." Every participant who completes a survey is entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of their choice. Five winners are randomly selected from the pool of Hunter/Shooter Survey participants and five are chosen from Angler Survey participants. Other exciting prize incentives will be added this fall.

Simply visit HunterSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and/or AnglerSurvey.com and click on the easy-to-find "Take the Survey" button. Then just follow the prompts. Participants do not provide their full names, just emails. After completing their first survey, sportsmen will receive a friendly notice in their email when a new survey is ready for their participation. Taking the surveys are the easiest, quickest and cheapest way American sportsmen can be sure their opinions will count on the issues that matter most-it could also prove to be the most effective way they can ultimately save hunting, shooting and fishing, too.

About AnglerSurvey.com, HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com: Launched in 2006,AnglerSurvey.com, HunterSurvey.com andShooterSurvey.com and help the outdoor equipment industry, government fisheries and wildlife officials and conservation organizations track consumer activities and expenditure trends. Survey results are scientifically analyzed to reflect the attitudes and habits of anglers and hunters across the United States. Follow them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/huntersurvey andhttp://facebook.com/anglersurvey or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/AnglerSurvey andhttps://twitter.com/#!/HunterSurvey.