I don't want to be an alarmist, but....

[J.B. Books]

I think it would be interesting to know the statistics of membership in the PGCA, median age of members and average number of years as a member. I think the data will show we as a group are growing older with fewer new younger members joining to replace us. There is no larger double gun collectors association than the PGCA, our statistics would be and are telling of the double gun market.

Young people are growing up in an amazing age of technology, they have grown accustomed to the latest and greatest gadgets. Their taste in firearms, antiques and motorcycles reflects this.

I saw a decline in hunting coming first hand when I worked for NH Fish & Game. I looked at the statistics for the number of 16 year old youth completing Hunter Education class for 2003. Age 16 was the first year they need the class to get a hunting license. I compared that number to the number of cities and towns in NH. At that time we had less than two 16 year old youth completing Hunter Education when divided by the number of cities and towns in the state. We are now 14 years later, the youth are not large enough in number to replace the generation that is leaving the sport due to health and or death.