Hunting's Future - By the numbers

[Multidigits]

Here's some excerpts from an article in the NRA mag by Frank Miniter titled
"Forecasting the Future of Hunting". Basicly, at least the way I read it, it dispells amny of the things we've heard recently about the end of hunting being near.


The author attempts to show how the U.S, Fish & Wildlife Sevice's(USWFS) 2006 survey is flawed based on the true facts.


According to USWFS survey......

Estimated number of hunters over the age of 16.
A firm called Responsive Management reported in a comprehensive survey 17.8 million gun hunted in 2006 down from 19.2 million in 2001.

Bowhunters went up from 4.7 million in the same time frame to 5.9 million

Muzzleloaders went from 3 million to 3.7 million.

Some people might be leaving but most are still hunting and switching weapon choice.

The article also says license sales IS NOT an indicator of hunter numbers, as lifetime, landowner and military are not always included!

The 4% drop in the USWFS survey is within the 5% margin of error in the survey.

Of the types of hunting , big game has remained stable since 1991 and dropped just 2% during 2001-2006(well within the margin of error).

Small game hunters have declined 12%

Waterfowl hunters are down 22% over the same period. \

According to the USWFS the big game hunter spends more than twice that of small game or waterfowl hunter, $1100 vs $493 and $598 for waterfowlers annually.

In 2006 hunters spent 4.4 billion dollars on leases or land ownership related to hunting or 19% of total hunting expinditures. In 1991 the figure was 3 billion dollars or 24% of total expinditures. (being priced out of hunting appears to be a myth)

According tio the USWFS survey number of hunters between the ages 6 and 15 has grown 4% since 2001.

Participation in hunting INCREASES as household income increases.

Participation is highest in the income from $50,000 to $99,000 at 8% and slightly decreases to 7% for those over $100,000. Those under $30,000 are less than 5% of the hunting population.

Although 91% of hunters are male, from 1991 to 2006 the female hunter population has increased from 8% to 9%. This rise was 72% of the total from 2000-2005!

Women make up 12% of all bowhunters and have an average age of 34.3 years old.

Read the article, it's a good one.

[odis7326]

multi thanks for the info, glad we have you looking out, for us hunters, and outdoorsman, you know sometimes it hard to figure out if someones research ,is really good and correct info, our if the numbers have been tweeked just alittle, to make hunters here what they hope to here. i appericate your in put to help us be aware, of current events .thanks:)

[thunderchicken09]

I think the decline is due to the rise in hunting lisences and tags price every year. Just about all of my friends hunt everynow and then but few are diehard at it like me haha. I dont think hunting will stop completely tho.

[odis7326]

i dont thinks so ether, but its seems as tho its getting to were only the people that have more cash then most , are going to be the ones that are going to allways have a place to hunt and be able to aford the leases and hunt clubs. i figure ive only got ten more years then its probly it for me, but have had a really good years of rememberal experiances tho.:)

[uplandchessies]

I think that KY is over-priced on resident license fees (small game) when compared to the non-res fees I pay in all the states I hunt , but even at that it's a "cheap date." I spend over $60 and that gives me spring turkey season and Sept. 1st to the end of Feb. I work with people whom spend that a week on beer or at the gambling boats.

[Hoosier5]

I think that KY is over-priced on resident license fees (small game) when compared to the non-res fees I pay in all the states I hunt , but even at that it's a "cheap date." I spend over $60 and that gives me spring turkey season and Sept. 1st to the end of Feb. I work with people whom spend that a week on beer or at the gambling boats.

I was thinking the same thing concerning the prices of Resident Hunting Licenses & Permits for Ky Residents. However you should see what we pay in Indiana! We can buy a Archery License for $24, the we must shell out another $24 for a Firearm , and still another $24 for a Muzzle Loader License. All total up to $72 per season. This does not include the $24 for the first bonus tag or the $15 second bonus tag. So you can add another $39 if you want Bonus Deer (Anterless) Licenses.