In 1982, nearly 17 million hunters purchased 28.3 million licenses. Unfortunately, hunting had peaked. In 2016, only 11.5 million people hunted – a loss of 5.5 million hunters. Projections show that our ranks could dwindle by another 30% in coming years.

Luckily, surveys also show that people of all ages are interested in hunting – they just need some help getting started. If just 30% of the 11.5 million people who hunted in 2016 helped initiate one new hunter, we could solve the problem in one year. And that’s where you come in.

Save the Lifestyle

ALPS OutdoorZ is committed to reversing the alarming decline of hunting participation and expanding new hunter recruitment throughout the country. We’ve been taking small steps with our team of employees and through our partnership with our Conservation Partners for many years – but now we’re ready to do more.

“Conservation is very important to our company, but we see the need to play a more active role in connecting people with the outdoors,” says ALPS OutdoorZ founder Dennis Brune. “This is a complex problem with no “silver bullet” solution, but if we all work together to do something positive; we will see results.”

We officially launched our Save The Lifestyle initiative in 2018, designed to educate the next generation of hunters and connect more people to the outdoors. We feel that it’s our responsibility to teach others how to responsibly enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle. While that certainly includes hunting, we also strive to teach other activities as well, from checking trail cameras to food plot preparation or recreational shooting. We’ve added multiple campaigns to our 2019 schedule to continue to cherish this lifestyle we love. The Save the Lifestyle motto says it all: Share. Sustain. Support. Save.

Take the Mentor Pledge

In March of 2019 we launched our spring campaign, the Save the Lifestyle Mentor Pledge. This program is intended to encourage veteran outdoorsmen and women to take a less experienced or new hunter into the field to teach them about the values of our lifestyle: how to hunt ethically and successfully, why game and habitat conservation is so important, and to illustrate the value of our hunting culture and heritage through one-on-one mentorship.

“Hunting is an important part of our lifestyle and heritage, and we have a responsibility to future generations to keep it growing and strong,” explains Marketing Director Sarah Heidmann Brune. “I didn’t grow up hunting, so to be taken under the wing of a veteran hunter has made me into the respectful and passionate outdoorsman I am today. Now it’s my turn to pay it forward.”

How it Works

Not only does participation in the Mentor Pledge contribute to the preservation of our hunting lifestyle – it also gives back to our customers. Here’s how it works:

• After signing up to take the pledge, participants receive a promotional code for a 30% discount on ALPS OutdoorZ gear for themselves and their mentees.
• Mentors are then encouraged to take their mentee on a hunt, capturing plenty of photo and video content while in the field. Mentors will then submit one photo or video to our team at alpsoutdoorz.com.
• Once the photo submission is complete, mentors are entered to win one of several prize packages.

Prize Packages

We partnered with LaCrosse Footwear and Weatherby, Inc. to bring you our prize packages – check them out below:

GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE

• Two Weatherby Element Synthetic Shotguns (12 or 20 gauge)
• Two pairs of LaCrosse boots
• $2000 ALPS cash ($1k for each participant to spend on ALPS sites)

• One pair of LaCrosse boots
• $750 ALPS Cash

• $250 ALPS Cash

How to Enter

The Mentor Pledge contest is now closed. Thank you to all mentors and mentees who participated. On behalf of the entire ALPS OutdoorZ team, thank you for helping us save the lifestyle. 

For more information about the Save the Lifestyle initiative, go here.