After many years of declining, hunting has steadily increased in B.C. and other parts of North America. In 2013, British Columbia alone recruited 9,132 new hunters who successfully completed the mandatory hunter education course. This is close to 1,000 hunters more than the year before.

Since 2005, the trend is on an impressive climb upwards with even higher numbers forecast for the future. The overall hunting licence sale has rebounded in the last seven years from 85,000 in 1981 to 98,000 last year.

Hunting is not the only measure of changing times. Similar upward trends exist in fishing, hiking, canoeing and other outdoor sports. Even planting vegetable gardens and keeping small livestock destined for the dinner table have experienced a resurgence in popularity. It is noteworthy that especially people from the big city centres are drawn to these various outdoor activities.

A social study done in America shows clearly that food contamination scares and the possibility of seeing more and more genetically manipulated food on our store shelves has caused a rethinking for many people toward a more natural, healthier lifestyle which also involves recreational activities directly related to nature. Being outdoors is “in” again.

Companies, governments and various organizations are not blind to this “back to nature” trend. The B.C. government aggressively promotes hunting and other outdoor sports as a healthy alternative to urban life. To boost hunter numbers, the B.C. government has introduced a program that lets new hunters and children aged 10 to 17 “try out” hunting for one year without the requirement of completing the mandatory hunter education course, as long they hunt with an experienced hunter.

In addition, there are many provincial and federal government programs on how to get youth involved in a variety of outdoor recreation activities. As well as government programs, there are various organizations that offer all kinds of outdoor activities for young and old people alike.

Another indicator of changing times can be seen on the television. Shows such as Duck Commander, Yukon Men, Ultimate Survival Alaska, Meat Eater and Survival Man are just a few from a long list of outdoor sport-related shows that have the highest viewer ratings.

An article I recently read stated the re-discovery of nature is much more than just a trend. It is the awakening of the human spirit that has been trapped in modern technology and urban life for so long that most have forgotten that we are part of nature and not just some kind of weird alien inhabiting earth.

People want to be in control again – particularly with what they eat and with that, they want to spend time in nature to discover their mental, physical and spiritual limits again.

This is all good news. A natural lifestyle is not only good for our physical health but also for our mental well-being and stability.

In addition, people who know and appreciate nature from personal experience are more likely to protect it for future generations.