Hunting Statistics and Economics

The US Fish and Wildlife Service sponsors a National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation every five years. The questions are developed in concert with technical committee members from every state and with representatives of nongovernmental organizations. The last survey was conducted in 2006. The final report for 2006 will be issued in late 2007.

The most recent survey report (2006) indicated in that year:

• 12.5 million people 16 years old and older enjoyed hunting a variety of animals within the United States. They hunted 220 million days and took 185 million trips. Hunting expenditures totaled $22.9 billion.
• An estimated 10.7 million hunters pursued big game, such as deer and elk, on 164 million days.
• There were 4.8 million hunters of small game including squirrels and rabbits.
• They hunted small game on 52 million days and spent $2.4 billion on small game hunting trips and equipment.
• 2.3 million hunted migratory birds such as doves or waterfowl
• 1.1 million hunted other animals such as woodchucks and raccoons

In additional to the national report, 50 separate state-specific reports are available as PDF files. The new survey will be conducted in 2007.

(New) Adaptive Harvest Management, 2008 Hunting Season

(News Releases About Hunting and Fishing Licenses Statistics Since 1975-2000)