National R3 Symposium

Save the Date!

May 19 – 22, 2025 – Portland, Maine

The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council) is pleased to announce the 2025 National R3 Symposium will be held May 19 – 22, 2025 in Portland Maine.

Mark your calendars and plan on attending the foremost gathering of R3 professionals.

Several hundred representatives from agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and hunting, shooting sports, fishing and outdoor industries across the country will be in attendance.

The History

The National R3 Symposium debuted in May 2018 in Lincoln, NE, sparking a national focus on increasing the recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of participants in hunting and shooting sports. As the Council prepared for the sequel, the pandemic struck, leading to two Virtual R3 Forums in its place.

By 2022, the Council was ready to reconvene in person, hosting the foremost R3 event from May 2-5 in Broken Arrow, OK.

In Broken Arrow, 220 professionals, from practitioners to CEOs, representing over 100 organizations across agencies, NGOs, and the industry, attended. Sessions covered hunting participation and land access, shooting participation and range access, policy and regulations, technological solutions, social media and marketing, storytelling and mentorship, and diversifying hunting and shooting sports. In partnership with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), the Council also hosted a half-day R3 training session, laying a solid foundation of R3 principles and strategies for success.

The momentum continued in 2023 with 249 R3 professionals and 107 organizations from agencies, nonprofits, industry, and academia participating. Sessions addressed hunting and shooting sports participation, tribal R3 engagement, avidity, What Women Want research findings, industry engagement, hunting regulation complexity, virtual resources for hunters and shooters, and more. The Council and RBFF continued R3 foundational training and expanded advanced training opportunities.

In 2024, held in Mobile, AL, the Council marked a new milestone with the release of the National Hunting and Shooting Sports R3 Practitioner’s Guide. This updated national strategy is a comprehensive, living virtual resource, serving as a cornerstone for R3 practitioners, offering invaluable insights and strategies to enhance R3 initiatives nationwide. Over 220 R3 professionals engaged in discussions and sessions on Hunting and Shooting Sports Participation, Pathways to Participation, The Middle “R” – A Female Perspective, shooting range access, Partnership Pioneers Panel, breakout sessions, and more.

Join us in 2025 as we continue to shape the future of the R3 movement, ensuring the continuity of hunting, shooting sports, and angling for generations to come.