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According to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife-Associated Recreation in 2016, the total spend in the United States on hunting was $26.2 billion.
The survey – the largest of its kind – is done every five years to collect information on anglers, hunters and wildlife watchers across the United States.
The latest survey shows a decline in spending on hunting, having come down from $33.7 billion in 2011. However, it does remain higher than the findings of the previous 2006 edition, noting expenditure of $22.9 billion.
To collect the data, they interview U.S. Residents to get an idea of the changing landscape of outdoor recreation, and its future economic impact.
The statistics include hunters – with or without a licence – who hunted big game, small game, migratory birds, or other animals.
Hunting weapons include rifles, shotguns, pistols, handguns, archery equipment, crossbows and muzzleloaders.
$26.2 billion was spent on hunting in 2016.
$26.2 billion was spent on hunting in 2016.
In 2016
0
Hunters
0
Days Hunting
0
Hunting Trips
$
0
Billion
Expenditures
On What type of hunting do we spend our money?
- Big Game
- Small Game
- Migratory Birds
- Others
Chart by Visualizer
Big-Game Hunting
Big-game hunting appears to be by far the most popular type, with 9.2 million hunters chasing deer, moose, bear, elk and wild turkey over a massive 133 million days.
Spending on big-game related hunting trips and equipment reached $14.9 billion in 2016.
Small-Game Hunting
Small-game hunting – such as rabbits, pheasants, quail and grouse – cowers in comparison, with overall related spending of $1.7 billion in 2016.
Around 3.5 million hunters went small-game hunting in 2016, for a combined 38 million days.
Migratory-Bird Hunting
There were fewer hunters again when it came to migratory-bird hunting at 2.4 million. These hunters racked up a combined 16 million days of hunting in 2016.
Impressively though, they managed to spend more than small-game hunters, investing some $2.3 billion on their hobby in 2016.
Migratory birds include waterfowl, doves, ducks and geese amongst others.
Other animals
Other animals included racoons, feral pigs and other uncategorised animals. About 1.3 million hunters hunted for 13 million days and spent some $755 million in 2016.
9.2 million hunters spent $14.9 billion hunting big game in 2016.
9.2 million hunters spent $14.9 billion hunting big game in 2016.
# of Hunters in 2016
0
Million
Big Game
0
Million
Small Game
0
Million
Migratory Birds
0
Million
Other Animals
What do we buy to go hunting?
- Trips
- Equipment
- Other Fees
Going hunting can get quite expensive due to all of the additional costs related to a hunting trip.
Speaking broadly, we spend our money on three categories.
Hunting Cost Categories
Chart by Visualizer
Trip-Related Spending
In 2016 we spent a total of $9.2 billion on trips and their related costs.
-
Food & Lodgings $3.1 billionLodgings rental, food, drink.
- Transportation $3.2 billion
Vehicles, gas, tickets, etc.
- Other Trip Costs $2.9 billion
Guide fees, land use fees, equipment rental, etc.
Equipment-Related Spending
In 2016 we spent a total of $12.8 billion on hunting equipment.
- Hunting Equipment $7.4 billion
Guns, rifles, bows, arrows, crossbows, broadheads muzzleloaders, telescopic sights, ammunition, etc.
- Auxiliary Equipment $2 billion
Camping equipment, binoculars, hunting attire, best climber stands, best lock-on stands, light hang ons or light climbing tree stands, safety harnesses, etc.
- Special Equipment $3.4 billion
Campers, all-terrain vehicles, etc.
Other Costs
In 2016 we spent a total of $2.9 billion on additional costs, such as memberships, subscriptions, land leasing, permits and plantings.
Although they don’t seem like much, these additional costs start to add up significantly.
Importantly, many of these costs go towards the conservation of land and hunted species, bolstering their numbers and protecting them for the future.
- Magazines, Books & DVDs $0.2 billion
- Membership Dues & Contributions $0.2 billion
- Land Leasing & Ownership $2.9 billion
- Licenses, Stamps, Tags & Permits $0.8 billion
- Plantings $0.2 billion
To entice game.
Who spends money on hunting?
- Gender
- Age
- Household Income
What percentage of the U.S. hunts?
The US population in 2016 consisted of 323.4 million people. There are 11.5 million hunters, which is roughly 3.5% of the total population.
3.5%
What percentage of men and women in the U.S. have hunted?
Males
8%
Females
1%
Gender
Hunting is undoubtedly a male-dominated pastime. Of nearly 12 million hunters, men make up almost 90%.
10.3 million men
89.5%
1.1 million women
10.5%
- Read more: Best Women's Crossbows
Age
Hunting is predominated by an ageing population.
When compared against surveys from 2011 and 2006, hunting not only has slightly fewer followers than 5 or 10 years earlier but is also losing interest in younger generations.
Chart by Visualizer
Household Income
The participation rate in hunting increases as household income increases.
When compared to previous surveys, it seems that either inflation is taking its toll on lower-income hunters.
Chart by Visualizer
Citable Facts
- Number of Paid Hunting Licence Holders in the US - 15.49 million
- Share of Americans who bought fishing or hunting gear in 2018 - 21.22%
Summary
Hunting contributes significantly to the U.S. economy, contributing $26.2 billion in 2016.
The majority of this was spent on hunting trips and equipment purchase for hunting big game.
Total expenditure has dropped significantly by 22% from 2011, which seems to be from a declining interest from younger generations in hunting.
Jack Kelly
Hi there, my name’s Jack, and I’ve been doing archery and hunting with crossbows for just over five years. I also love both technology and the outdoors, and am always looking for new ways to combine my passions.
Jack Kelly
Hi there, my name’s Jack, and I’ve been doing archery and hunting with crossbows for just over five years. I also love both technology and the outdoors, and am always looking for new ways to combine my passions.
