What more can be learned about hunting?

After all, humans have been students of their most primal instinct for thousands of years, so what possibly could be left to discover?

Plenty, as it turns out.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association now representing a record 3,200-plus member companies of the firearm industry, conducts and compiles research on new trends in hunting and shooting sports participation, sales, demographics, business environments and more.

Some of those findings reveal:

— During his or her lifetime, an average American hunter spends $17,726.59 on hunting equipment. When licenses and lodging, food and fuel, magazines and meat processing, plus other expenses are included, the average lifetime total spent on hunting jumps to $96,017.92.

The study looked at hunters' total expenditures from age 16 to 75. During that period, an average hunter in the United States annually spends: $70 on rifles, $53 on shotguns, $9 on muzzle loaders, $21 on handguns, $49 on ammunition, $12 on decoys and $49 on dogs and supplies.

— A majority of U.S. taxidermists report growing numbers of customers and increasing workloads. But quantity isn't the only thing on the rise. The average specimen of America's most popular trophy, the whitetail buck, is getting larger over time, most taxidermists say.

The survey researched taxidermy business trends, operations and challenges. More and better trophies spell good news for hunting today, but most taxidermists foresee trouble from the animal-rights movement, wildlife habitat loss and rising costs of business.

— A 2006 study suggests there are more hunters in the United States than previously thought. Nearly 12 percent of Americans 16 and older, or 26.4 million people, said they hunted with gun or bow last year. The study is by the Outdoor Industry Foundation, which usually focuses on contemporary pursuits such as paddle sports and rock climbing. It is the organization's first look at hunting. NSSF is optimistic, yet wary until further studies are completed, since veteran researchers maintain more conservative figures. NSSF-commissioned research shows 23 million Americans consider themselves hunters, even if latent or inactive. The National Sporting Goods Association reports 20.6 million active hunters. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service surveys show 14.7 million people, or about 5 percent of Americans, purchased a hunting license last year.

— Show Cornell University researchers a young hunter, and they'll show you a future environmentalist. A 2006 study shows that children who hunt, fish or play in the wild before age 11 are more likely to grow up with deeper understanding and respect for nature.

Domestic outdoor activities, like gardening, also positively influence adult environmental attitudes and behaviors, but their effects aren't as strong. When kids become truly engaged with the natural world at a young age, the experience is likely to stay with them in a powerful way, shaping their environmental path, Cornell researchers say. Interestingly, participating in Scouts and other formalized outdoor education programs has no effect on adult attitudes toward the environment.

For more information, see www.nssf.org or call 203-426-1320.