As the holidays grow near and the prospects of larger family gatherings increase, you can bet that a discussion about hunting will emerge. There are usually a few nay-sayers among the crowd. (Hopefully, you won’t have to discuss the merits of pardoning the holiday turkey.) Still, you’ll need to keep you facts in order, so check this out: This new survey emphasizes the importance that hunters place on the byproduct of the outdoor experience. We love the outdoors and the thrill of matching our senses against wily animals, but in the end, it’s the table that counts… and what goes on it. Daniex Xu summarizes a national survey for the OutdoorHub.

Howard Photos 2 094A recent nationwide telephone survey revealed that hunters are increasingly motivated to hunt for the purpose of harvesting meat. While this may not be news to the many hunters who are familiar with the benefits—and taste—of wild game dishes, public opinion research firm Responsive Management said that the number of sportsmen that hunt for meat is rising.

The firm reported their findings in a news release distributed via email, concluding that the increase may be due to a number of factors such as financial pressure, desire for healthy local meat, and the rising number of female hunters…