We're speaking of two different things here, Jerry has touched on it.
One is the future of hunting and shooting. We can certainly do something about that by introducing the young to those sports. They may or may not take up the mantle but we can help the process along by exposing them to the different types of shooting sports and the equipment used for them.
On the other hand collecting is usually an older man's passion simply because of the financial outlay involved. When I started I certainly didn't have the extra cash floating around to start acquiring good guns, I bought a Browning BPS and a couple of extra barrels and did all my shooting with that for many years.
This board is more about collecting than shooting so I would not put more emphasis than is warranted on the lack of youngsters here. I'm 55 and yet to find my first quality Springfield sporter...
One other thing that we should not overlook is spouses and significant others. We always speak of the need to encourage the young, and rightly so but if each of could interest our wife or girlfriend that would immediately double our numbers. When I met my sweetheart 9 years ago she was a veteran of the Million Mom March. Two years running I took her to the Vintagers here in NY, she became interested (the clothes especially helped). She then took a course offered here in NY and around the country, "Becoming an Outdoors Woman" where she learned to shoot both rifle and shotgun. Her outlook has changed.
Of course you would need to be as charming as I to influence a woman such as this....
