Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation
Participation rates in many outdoor activities are declining, with further and more serious declines anticipated in the future. Leaders of the outdoor recreation community are focusing their efforts on attracting new—and retaining existing—participants while at the same time making sure our children continue to hunt and fish.
Through Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt and other programs, NWTF staff and volunteers are at the forefront of these efforts. This field is known as R3—Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation—and is briefly explained below.
Recruitment refers to the stage in outdoor participants’ lives when they become aware of an activity and decide to try it—for instance, when a novice hears about a Learn to Hunt program and participates in that program.
Retention efforts focus on individuals already in the recruitment pool, whether they have taken part in many or just one event. Retention is about keeping these individuals engaged. This happens, for instance, when they take an additional Learn to Hunt (a deer class after taking a turkey class) or an advanced class (wingshooting or muzzleloading).
Reactivation refers to individuals whose participation in outdoor activities has lapsed because of some other activity or factor. The goal of reactivation is to provide appropriate resources and support so these individuals can resume hunting and fishing.
Contact John Motoviloff, Wisconsin R3 Specialist for the National Wild Turkey Federation, for assistance in R3 programming or for additional information.
Through Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt and other programs, NWTF staff and volunteers are at the forefront of these efforts. This field is known as R3—Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation—and is briefly explained below.
Recruitment refers to the stage in outdoor participants’ lives when they become aware of an activity and decide to try it—for instance, when a novice hears about a Learn to Hunt program and participates in that program.
Retention efforts focus on individuals already in the recruitment pool, whether they have taken part in many or just one event. Retention is about keeping these individuals engaged. This happens, for instance, when they take an additional Learn to Hunt (a deer class after taking a turkey class) or an advanced class (wingshooting or muzzleloading).
Reactivation refers to individuals whose participation in outdoor activities has lapsed because of some other activity or factor. The goal of reactivation is to provide appropriate resources and support so these individuals can resume hunting and fishing.
Contact John Motoviloff, Wisconsin R3 Specialist for the National Wild Turkey Federation, for assistance in R3 programming or for additional information.

nwtf_and_r3_factsheet.pdf |