Thread: Is shooting / hunting less popular in NZ these days?

I was back in NZ in Dec/Jan this year and went to my old 22 indoor club and air rifle field target club for a shoot (in Auckland.)

In both cases, the senior club members said numbers were down. In the 22 club, we used to run 3 details per evening... now they typically run 1 and maybe 2 if there's demand! Field Target similarly small turnouts whereas 10 years ago, match days would be full with at least 3 shooters per squad per lane.

Is this just an Auckland thing, and people becoming more urban? Teenagers preferring xbox over getting in the outdoors?
I took my teenage son and daughter for a possum shoot.... both show absolutely zero interest in guns or hunting.

In my circle of friends, I only know 1 other shooter and he's purely competition. Doesn't hunt. I don't know any reloaders. Maybe my crowd is too urban gentry lol