How Archery Shops Can Help Public-Land Bowhunters

How many of your customers bowhunt public lands? If it’s less than half, you might not be doing enough to attract public-land hunters.

Private-land hunters typically bowhunt differently than public-land hunters. Those hunting private lands spend summer preparing the property for fall. They plant food plots, monitor trail cameras, and hang or maintain treestands.

Those bowhunting public lands spend summer studying and scouting different lands, and learning area-specific regulations. When the season starts, they often walk miles to hotspots, and continually adapt their strategies to avoid other hunters and find unpressured deer. That mobility often requires different gear, equipment and knowledge than what’s needed on private lands, where hunters often have drive-in access.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, 7.3 million (64%) of the nation’s 11.5 million hunters hunt private lands exclusively, 1.5 million (13%) stick to public lands, and 2.4 million (21%) hunt both. That means 3.9 million (34%) of Americans 16 or older hunt public lands.

Meanwhile, the locavore movement encourages people to obtain food locally, including venison from white-tailed deer. That’s why many new or food-conscious bowhunters focus on public lands, which offer free, easy access.

Aaron Warbritton, cofounder of The Hunting Public, hunts public lands up to 95% of the time. He said he struggles to find mobile-friendly gear at retail stores. Many THP followers voice similar concerns.

“That’s not to say they don’t have anything, but most public-land hunters end up buying gear online because the supplies they need often aren’t available [in stores].”

Warbritton cites two reasons for that problem:

1) Mobile-friendly gear is hard for retailers to find and stock.

2) Many retailers think private landowners have more spending money, so they stock and promote items used in permanent setups.

Those points are valid, but becoming obsolete. Manufacturers are making more mobile-friendly gear, and more bowhunters are hunting public lands.

“The next generation of hunters will be forced to hunt more public lands,” Warbritton said. “A lot of new, young hunters are hunting public lands (because) access has been an issue for some time, and now it’s a major issue. Getting permission to hunt (private land) is extremely difficult.”

To compete with online retailers and attract public-land hunters, bowhunting pro shops must diversify their inventory and offer hands-on help and insights.