CU07-34

Survey Says: Midwesterners Value Their Outdoor Recreation – Congressional Notification

Midwestern outdoors enthusiasts led the nation in pursuing their favorite activities in 2006, according to the most important surveys of outdoor recreation in the United States.

According to preliminary state data from the new 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, a nation-leading 25 percent of residents 16 years of age or older in western North Central states--a section of the country that includes Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri--went fishing or hunting or watched wildlife in 2006.

In the eastern North Central United States--which includes Great Lakes states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin--17 percent of residents 16 or older hunted, fished or watched wildlife last year.

Sportsmen and women and wildlife watchers in these two areas of the country spent more than $25 billion on these pursuits.

“The National Survey is an important tool that measures in economic and participatory terms the value that wildlife has in Americans’ hearts and to the nation’s economy," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall.  "Wildlife related recreation rejuvenates our spirit, connects us with nature and gets us outside pursuing healthy activities."

Individual state highlights from the preliminary data:

Most Participants In-State (age 16 or older):

Hunters:

  Texas -- 1,115,000

  Pennsylvania -- 1,027,000

  Michigan -- 756,000

  Wisconsin -- 698,000

  Missouri -- 613,000

Anglers:

  Florida -- 2,755,000

  Texas -- 2,500,000

  California -- 1,740,000

  Minnesota -- 1,435,000

  Michigan -- 1,408,000

Wildlife Watchers:

  California -- 6,233,000

  Florida -- 4,177,000

  Texas -- 4,174,000

  Pennsylvania -- 3,965,000

  New York -- 3,762,000

Highest Participation Rates (age 16 or older):

Hunting:

  Montana -- 19%

  North Dakota -- 17%

  South Dakota, Wisconsin -- 15%

  Arkansas, Maine, West Virginia -- 14%

  Minnesota, Missouri, Wyoming -- 13%

Fishing:

  Alaska, Minnesota -- 28%

  Montana, Wyoming -- 24%

  Wisconsin -- 23%

  Arkansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, West Virginia -- 21%

  Idaho -- 20%

Widlife Watching:

  Maine -- 57%

  Montana, Vermont -- 55%

  Iowa, Minnesota, Wyoming -- 48%

  New Hampshire -- 46%

  Missouri -- 45%

In 2006, more than 87 million Americans, or 38 percent of the U.S. population age 16 and older, hunted, fished or watched wildlife. They spent $120 billion that year pursuing those activities. 

Further broken down by category, 30 million people (13 percent) fished and spent a total of $41 billion on their activities; 12.5 million people (5 percent) hunted and spent a total of $23 billion; and 71 million people (31 percent) observed wildlife, spending a total of $45 billion.

The National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation has been conducted every five years since 1955 and is one of the nation’s most important wildlife recreation databases.  It is considered to be the definitive source of information concerning participation and expenditures associated with hunting, fishing and other forms of wildlife-related recreation nationwide.

The survey is conducted at the request of state fish and wildlife agencies and is funded by grants from the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Acts’ Multistate Conservation Grant Program.  A wide range of individuals and groups depend on the survey to analyze participation rates, economic impacts of expenditures, demographic characteristics, and trends in participation and activities.

It is important to note that the National Survey counts only participants who actually went hunting, fishing or observed wildlife in 2006 and does not represent the total number of anglers, hunters, and wildlife watchers in the United States. Many people who consider themselves hunters, anglers or wildlife watchers do not participate every year.  For example, examination of survey data shows that over the five-year period from 2002 to 2006, a cumulative total of 44.4 million people fished and 18.6 million hunted.