The Modern Outdoorsman Doesn't Fit the Old Mold: 6 Industry Pros Weigh In

The modern outdoorsman, and the shooting and hunting industry at large, is changing. New voices are shaping the conversation. New audiences are entering the space. Brands are chasing lifestyle, culture and relevance while still trying to serve the blue-collar base that built the industry in the first place.

So we stripped the conversation down to the questions that matter. We surveyed our audience, brought those concerns to six leaders across the outdoor and firearms space, and asked them where this industry is headed next.

Their answers were blunt, divided and, at times, uncomfortable. That’s exactly why they’re worth reading.

Meet Some of the Leaders Defining the Modern Outdoorsman

Mike Aland is the Vice President of Marketing for Utah-based SilencerCo, the nation’s leading designer and manufacturer of firearm suppressors

Elliot Aquila is the Chief Marketing Officer of Silencer Shop, where he’s focused on making suppressor ownership less complicated

Tyler Jordan is the Vice President for Strategic Partnerships for Jordan Outdoor Enterprises LLC/Realtree Outdoors and the host of Realtree Road Trips.

Dianna Muller is a retired police officer, two-time national 3-gun champion and well-known Second Amendment advocate who has testified before Congress on many gun issues.

Colion Noir is a prominent Second Amendment activist, attorney and influential YouTuber best known for his advocacy of gun rights.

Jason Vanderbrink is Chairman and CEO of the world’s leading ammunition manufacturer, The Kinetic Group (Federal, Remington, CCI, HEVI-Shot, and others).

How Outdoor Industry Leaders Define the Modern Outdoorsman

Question: Who is the modern outdoorsman today?

Aquila:
For a long time, the outdoor industry imagined a very specific archetype: a guy in camo, a rifle in the truck and a weekend on the lease. The modern outdoors community includes men and women, families, working professionals and, increasingly, people who see the outdoors not just as recreation but as part of their identity and lifestyle.

Jordan:
The modern outdoorsman does not fit into one box anymore. It might be a dad taking his kids hunting before daylight, someone learning to duck hunt from friends or a new hunter who discovered the outdoors through social media. What connects everyone is respect for the land, respect for wildlife and the experiences shared with family and friends.

Muller:
As a professional shooter and 2A advocate, I pay close attention to how the modern outdoorsman is evolving. Today’s landscape presents an interesting dichotomy. On one hand, we are seeing a powerful rise of women entering the outdoor space. On the other hand, public support and understanding of these traditions appear to be declining among the broader population.

Vanderbrink:
The modern outdoorsman has a more diverse background than we’ve ever seen before. Many are in it more for hunting and the organic meat movement, which has certainly brought us a new customer. They certainly evolved over the years.

Are Outdoor Industry Leaders Expanding the Tent or Leaving People Behind?

Question: The outdoor industry has deep blue-collar roots, but it’s increasingly wrapped in luxury, lifestyle and aspirational branding. Is this evolution expanding the community or quietly alienating the people who built it?

Aland:
It’s absolutely expanding it. The beauty of capitalism is that the luxury brands innovating on the bleeding edge leave a ton of room at the bottom and middle of the market for clever companies to fill. For every two high-end brands, there are dozens filling the needs of more price-sensitive consumers.

The notion that these higher-end companies are alienating the base is, frankly, a bit silly. They’re actually helping round out the industry and creating opportunities for brands to do what Americans do best: hustle.

Aquila:
In my opinion, it can be both. But overall, it’s more expansion than alienation. If you look at the broader firearms market, growth has actually flattened in recent years. Compound Annual Growth Rate is -0.3% over the last 10 years, meaning background checks and overall distribution have dipped slightly or stayed level.

That tells me something important: The industry hasn’t been particularly successful at consistently attracting new communities.

For decades, the market largely served the same customer base in slightly different ways. When the market relies too heavily on the same audience buying small iterations of the same products over and over again, eventually that growth curve levels out.

What we’re seeing now is a shift. The brands creating real momentum are often the ones reaching new communities that historically weren’t part of the conversation.

I don’t see this moment as the industry abandoning the people who built it. I see it as the industry finally realizing how much opportunity has always existed outside its traditional boundaries.

Noir:
I’ve always been aspirational. I’ve never really hid from my “bougie” desires, so to speak, and there are some people who don’t feel like they fit in with that idea, and that’s fine. But I do think it’s an expansion of the tent, if anything.

Before, the gun industry and the 2A were in the kind of cellar of the commercial world, so to speak. Now, it’s a little more front and center. I’ve always said that the importance of that is that if you don’t have culture, this thing will die. And you need to be able to captivate mainstream culture.

So, I think there has been an attempt by many companies to appeal to a broader audience.

Vanderbrink:
You certainly have more luxury hunting lodges today, which is ideal for more of the high-end. But then you also have part of the industry that’s really behind protecting public hunting, protecting public grounds access for more people. Lots of states are working to get more access, so I actually think it’s both. I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all answer.

READ MORE: 75 Rules for the Modern Outdoorsman Part 1: Hunting, Fishing & Camp Etiquette

Who Do Outdoor Industry Leaders Think People Trust Now?

Question: In the outdoor and shooting space, who do people believe now, and why?

Muller:
Relatability also plays a major role. Personalities who invite audiences into their lives can build deeper trust over time. Families and figures like Jim Shockey and Eva Shockey, or the Robertson family from Duck Dynasty, resonate with audiences because they represent a lifestyle as much as an activity. Their credibility comes not just from expertise, but from consistency, transparency and a genuine connection with their audience.

Aquila:
Trust in the outdoor and shooting world has shifted dramatically over the past decade. Today, people tend to believe individuals more than institutions. That doesn’t necessarily mean traditional media is gone, but the center of gravity has moved toward content creators, instructors and personalities who show their work and share their experiences directly with their audience.

The reason is simple: authenticity. People want to see someone actually using the gear, testing it and living the lifestyle rather than just talking about it. But there’s an important nuance here that many brands still miss: Influence and endorsement are not the same thing.

The outdoor and firearms spaces are particularly sensitive to this. These communities are deeply experienced and highly skeptical of marketing that feels heavy-handed.

Noir:
It’s an interesting dynamic right now. I think social media influencers are still kind of the go-to as of now because that’s how many people consume media. But I’ve always said that’s just a gateway and as an influencer, I am a gateway drug.

You may come across me because I have a big social media following, but as you get into this space, you’re going to come across the OGs, you’re going to come across the trainers, you’re going to come across the guys who’ve been downrange, then those who will further supplant the influences that you start to develop, or take heed from, the further you go down this rabbit hole that I call the 2A space.

I’m just the tip of the spear, not because I’m the best. I’m just one of the most visible.

What Leadership Looks Like in the Modern Outdoor Industry

Question: We recognize most learning now happens peer-to-peer and creator-to-creator, not top-down. What does leadership look like in an industry where authority is no longer centralized?

Jordan:
Instead of one voice leading the conversation, you have people across the outdoor community sharing knowledge and encouraging others. There are a lot of great content creators for people to choose from for tips and advice now.

Sometimes that’s overwhelming to me as a consumer as well, but I like that people have the ability to choose what they like or don’t like these days. If you are helping someone learn the outdoors or introducing them to hunting and fishing, that is leadership.

Aland:
I’d actually argue that leadership is still centralized—just not in the way it used to be. It’s no longer a handful of thought leaders broadcasting to the masses. Instead, it’s centralized within specific spheres of influence. And honestly, that’s exciting.

Rather than one group holding a monopoly on information, social media has empowered people to find leaders and communities in very specific niches. The hierarchy within those spheres functions much like centralized leadership.

The key difference is the power of choice. Consumers can now access high-quality information that fits their style—no longer forced to subscribe to the Fudd generation and their outdated playbook.

Noir:
I don’t think that’s unique to the gun industry, or to the 2A space. I think that’s the case with every medium of exchange or information or any type of interest across the board, because that’s what social media has done. Everybody’s drinking from a fire hose at this point. And then you throw in the AI component, and it turns into almost a schizophrenic, psychopathic water hose.

Is Social Media Helping the Modern Outdoorsman Learn?

Question: Has the rise of short-form and creator-driven content improved outdoor education, or are we sacrificing depth and skill mastery for speed and entertainment?

Noir:
I don’t think we have a choice because, at the end of the day, this is the medium of exchange through which people are consuming information. I would like to slow things down.

In a perfect world, I’d slow things down so that you can marinate on topics and subjects. You can’t because you’ll just get buried. So, you almost kind of have to create content on very finite, minute things quickly, without being able to kind of get the whole meal because people’s attention spans just won’t last that long.

I hate the fast-paced stuff. I would prefer to be able to deep dive into the shit and then put something together that’s completely baked out, but by the time you do that, it’s completely irrelevant.

Aland:
I don’t see it as black-and-white. If you’re not attracting new people to the industry, the industry will eventually fail. We have plenty of examples in the shooting world—without naming names—of large organizations that couldn’t change with the times or reach younger demographics. They’re on a path to irrelevance because their core audience will age out or simply stop caring.

Muller:
The speed at which information comes and goes is definitely a challenge for the consumer as much as the creator, but I don’t believe there has been a decline of skill or depth from the actual experts in their field. The struggle is sifting through the vast amount of creators and content to determine what is quality instruction or information.

How Should the Outdoor Industry Respond to Media Misrepresentation?

Question: When mainstream media misrepresents hunting and firearms, does the outdoor industry need to respond louder, smarter or not at all?

Vanderbrink:
It depends on the subject. We’re handicapped, you know. For a lot of our information, we’re limited to what platforms we can get on. I’ve always thought the best way to get your message out is to be non-confrontational, be very factual and understand that there are both sides of the debate. I’d much rather catch a bee with honey than vinegar. If you aren’t going to get someone who’s anti-gun to be pro-gun, at least get them to be where they’re neutral.

Aland:
Misrepresentations should absolutely be corrected. The harder question is: Can we defend effectively? Right now, the industry is too disjointed to do so. You could poll the top 10 industry groups on a single misrepresentation, and you’d likely get 10 different answers.

Think about it: the shooting industry can’t even agree on what to call an AR-15. There are still people out there calling them “modern sporting rifles” in a lame attempt to soften the image. That’s like calling a Porsche 911 a “modern driving coupe.”

So therein lies the challenge. If we can’t agree on the remedy, how do we mount a coherent defense? I’m not saying we should do nothing—but until the Fudds are long gone, we should focus on keeping our own house tidy.

Muller: Our industry absolutely has room to improve how we respond. For a long time, we’ve relied almost exclusively on facts, statistics and constitutional arguments. Those are important and necessary, but they don’t always compete effectively against messaging that is driven by emotion, imagery and narrative.

Our opponents often use compelling stories and emotionally resonant messaging—even when it includes misinformation—while we tend to respond with data alone…or not at all.

If we want to be effective, we need to respond smarter. That means communicating through voices that people already trust and relate to, and framing responsible gun ownership, hunting and shooting sports in ways that connect with everyday life.

Noir:
I think there needs to be a response, but it needs to be a smart response. What you don’t want to do is come across as the annoying teacher in the room that’s always correcting everybody and doesn’t want everybody to have a little fun.

There’s a way to do it that lets you suspend disbelief while still educating. It’s a fine dance, but I think it is doable, and, in order to maintain relevance in the commercial space, we have no choice but to make our voices heard in some fashion. It’s got to be strategic, because otherwise you just come off as the annoying, pedantic asshole that eventually everybody just ends up ignoring.

When Outdoor Advocacy Helps and When It Hurts

Question: When does advocacy help and when does it hurt? Are we alienating newcomers before they ever pick up a rod or rifle?

Aquila:
Advocacy matters because rights matter. The Second Amendment is not a trend, and it is not something this community should ever be shy about defending. But the strongest defense of a right is not constant outrage. It is a growing community of responsible people who understand it, value it and are willing to carry it forward

If advocacy becomes the primary identity of a brand, it can unintentionally shrink the tent before newcomers ever step inside. So the balance is this: Stand for something meaningful, support the communities that advocate for it, but spend most of your energy expanding the tent rather than fighting at the edges of it.

Jordan:
Advocacy matters when it comes to protecting conservation and access to the outdoors.

At the same time, the outdoors has always brought people together. If the conversation becomes only political, it can push away people who might otherwise discover a love for hunting or fishing.

I’ve unfortunately seen that social media has torn down parts of our community, and it has intimidated people who might have had an interest in it and now no longer want to try it. That’s when it hurts us as a whole.

Muller:
Over the past 20 years, I’ve watched the political landscape around the Second Amendment change dramatically. There was a time when support for the Second Amendment crossed party lines and served as common ground for many Americans. It wasn’t unusual to see Democrats and Republicans alike supporting the right to keep and bear arms, and the issue itself often acted as a unifying thread within the outdoor and firearms communities.

That dynamic began to shift in the early 2010s. When Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America launched in 2012, there were still Democratic lawmakers with “A” ratings from the National Rifle Association, and essentially no Republicans with failing grades. About a decade later, that landscape had changed significantly.

Advocacy within the firearms and outdoor community often becomes unavoidable. While some worry that speaking about policy or politics could alienate potential customers, the truth is that one side of the political spectrum has increasingly made opposition to the Second Amendment part of its platform. For many in the outdoor and firearms community, staying silent would mean allowing that narrative to go unchallenged.

Noir:
That’s one of the hardest balancing acts, and even I have to deal with it. A lot of people come into the space for fun. And then they get busted over the head with politics all of a sudden. It’s hard to escape it when you’re in a space that’s so politically attacked. You kind of have to let people come in through the door of fun, and then hope they find the advocacy component.

That’s why many of my peers on social media create similar content to mine, but focus more on fun and entertainment. They get a lot of shit sometimes because they won’t speak on certain political issues. I get it. They’ve crafted an audience that expects fun and entertainment.

What we don’t want to do is to have them start deep-sea diving into politics and then alienating that audience and pushing them away because they’re forcing it down their throats.

Vanderbrink:
I think it’s the strategy of the particular company. If it wants to be political, it can take stances. Personally, I think it’s best not to be political. We want everyone’s participation,  so we just state the facts.

We’re very proud of the industry we’re in, and we’re very, very 2A focused. We put our money where our mouth is with the organizations we feel get the message out. But I don’t want to segregate half of the population. I want everyone to hunt and shoot.

Are Hunting and Shooting Becoming More Culturally Neutral?

Question: Do you believe the cultural pendulum is swinging back toward neutrality around hunting and shooting, or is that optimism premature?

Aquila:
I am not sure it ever swung as far away as people sometimes think. Hunting and shooting never disappeared. The seasons kept coming. Families kept hunting. Shooters kept showing up. What changed was the volume around the conversation, especially during political flashpoints. Noise can make a culture feel smaller than it really is.

The headlines may swing. The lifestyle usually does not. What we may be seeing now is not so much a dramatic reversal as a return to everyday reality. When the issue cools off in the national spotlight, what remains is what has always been there: Americans spending time outdoors, protecting traditions and exercising a right that has been part of this country from the beginning.

Jordan:
I think we are seeing more curiosity than we have in a long time. A lot of that changed significantly after COVID. People want to know where their food comes from and how wildlife management works. When people learn more about hunting and conservation, their perspective usually shifts.

Muller:
I’m concerned about the future of our country. It seems like politically sanctioned violence is flowing from one direction. We may be winning some political and court battles, but it seems like the cultural lines have been drawn, and the chasm only gets wider and deeper.

Noir:
It’s premature, and it’s short-lived. So, the answer is yes, it is swinging, but it’s premature to stand on it. I say that because, once the midterms hit and you get a shift in who controls the House, who controls the Senate, you can find yourself in a very different culture.

Right now, we’re living in a period where the pendulum is definitely shifting. The type of censorship that we were dealing with previously isn’t as heavy-handed as it once was. But once that political shift happens, and it will, we’ll find ourselves back in that same situation. You’re going to see a very, very valiant effort to get things back to where they were in terms of how the culture perceives firearms.

Vanderbrink:
No, I think it’s more pro-hunting now strictly due to our food system. I think hunting is viewed much more favorably than it was 10 years ago because of the organic meat craze. I see that favorability continuing to grow, for sure.

What Comes Next for the Modern Outdoorsman?

Question: Based on what this generation is telling us, what must change in the next five years for the outdoor industry to remain relevant and grow?

Aland:
The Fudds need to get out of our way. They’re old. Their ideas and sensibilities no longer reflect the current groundswell. They want to make everything the way it was. In some ways, I wish we could go back to simpler times—but that ship has sailed. Not more than 10 years ago, I was at the NRA Annual Meeting for SilencerCo and had multiple people walk by trying to explain to me that what we were showing was illegal. These types need to hand over the reins.

Aquila:
People entering this space today are making decisions in real time based on information flying out of their phones. They discover, learn, buy, share and form opinions faster than any generation before them. The brands that stay relevant are the ones that can align with those signals in real time, without losing sight of what they stand for.

So the path forward is about building a brand that can adapt quickly, stay culturally aware and create products and experiences people can make their own.

Jordan:
We need to make it easier for new people to get started. Mentorship and education are important, but access to land is just as critical. It’s probably the main issue, in my opinion, with land loss happening all over the country. It’s hard to hunt and fish if there is nowhere to go.

If we focus on opening doors and creating opportunities for people to experience the outdoors, the next generation will follow.

Noir:
In many ways, the industry has done it. I think there has been enough of a change and a shift in approach in terms of the way companies market, the way manufacturers and companies embrace social media, that we’re no longer the analog weirdo kid in the corner anymore. We’ve learned to embrace technology. We’ve learned to embrace social media. We’ve learned to embrace the lifestyle component of firearms outside the traditionally understood aspects.

Vanderbrink:
We need to embrace new, more diverse demographics and talk to consumers differently. I think the companies that do will win.

Editor’s Note: This article was published in the April/May issue of Hook & Barrel Magazine. In addition to these industry leaders, we asked for your opinions, too. What follows are the highlights from the Audience Survey (ages 25 to 46)

How big a role does the outdoors play in your life?

• 75% say the outdoors plays a major role.
• 25% say they use the outdoors as an occasional escape at best.
• 67% Think they are better off than they were 10 years ago

Does your phone enhance or distract from your outdoors experiences?

• 45% say distract
• 24% say they help

Where do you go for information about outdoors activities?

• 55% say friends and print magazines
• 45% go the digital route

Hunting and shooting becoming more accepted and won't get you canceled these days. Agree?

• 65% say yes
• 35% say no

What is your outdoors gear buying philosophy?

• 40% say they shop bargains
• 28% say they favor the cry once, buy once code

What makes you trust a gear brand?

• 60% say hands-on and expert reviews

What is the biggest gear turnoff?

• 50% say Influencer hype
• 50% say overpricing

How often do you watch outdoor programming?

• 46% say sometimes
• 30% say regularly
• 20% say rarely
• 4% ask if that's still a thing?

Is outdoors going mainstream?

• 42% say the outdoor lifestyle is a niche and misunderstood
• 30% say hunting is going mainstream

Outdoor trends one-liners:

• 80% prefer that their partner is outdoors-centric
• 95% wouldn’t mind being outshot by their partner
• 90% say the outdoors and shooting sports welcome all demographics
• 86% say women are playing a bigger role in outdoor culture today and 70% want to see them take even bigger roles
• 80% say Hollywood and TV producers ain’t doing hunters any favors