How does Hunting affect the Economy

Tyler Hintz
Econ Blog Post
Reuter

How Does Hunting Affect the Economy?

For millions of people around America and all around the world, hunting has become an addiction that flows through hunters veins and keeps them coming back to do the same thing with the same intensity and eagerness as the year before. Hunting is a lifestyle for many, but even for those that choose not to let an arrow fly or pull the trigger in the fall, hunting many still benefit them without them even knowing it. Hunting has a profound effect on the economy as it provides jobs at different outfitter stores around the nation, as well as a bunch of revenue that goes towards different purposes.

Even though it may not seem like a big business, hunting supports more than sixty-eight thousand jobs and has annual impact of some thirty-eight billion dollars on the economy. Hunting revenue primarily comes from the sale of licenses but it also is made from all of the people that buy the gear they need. Because there are so many different seasons of hunting, the sales of products and licenses can create profit throughout the whole year. Not just during the fall when most of the hunting seasons take place. Hunting also supports motels and tent companies stay in business when they take trips to different states for bigger hunts. Hunting itself has created its own line of outdoor stores like Cabelas and Gander Outdoors which is a big money maker.

No matter what the age, one thing is for sure. Hunting is hot and getting hotter. Did you know that some sixteen million Americans will hunt this year? The combined revenue alone from this will be a giant spike in the government's revenue over the next few months once hunting starts to heat up. Hunters spend an average of twenty-two billion dollars each season. All of this money spent on all of the gear means that hunting is good for all of those companies.

Below is a chart showing all of the sales in 1996 done by hunters as well as jobs that were created. Imagine the growth of the amount of hunters over the last twenty years and the amount this number has grown by.

US 1996 Hunting Economic Impacts

	Deer	Migratory Birds	Upland Game Bird (Quail, Pheasant, Grouse only)	All Hunting
Retail Sales	$10,324,904,373	$2,996,257,139	$1,895,704,348	$22,104,313,660
Multiplier Effect	$27,858,958,706	$8,154,525,482	$4,903,780,081	$60,998,344,806
Salaries and Wages	$7,200,082,463	$2,116,177,982	$1,201,073,493	$16,120,559,638
Jobs	331,904	95,748	55,546	704,601
State Sales Tax Revenues	$581,054,859	$178,480,197	$128,803,838	$1,068,110,791
State Income Tax Revenues	$148,594,333	$37,995,873	$22,524,049	$322,236,505
Fed. Income Tax Revenues	$763,392,226	$216,155,138	$125,587,037	$1,725,812,994

Retail Sales	Multiplier Effect	Earnings	Jobs	Sales Tax	State Income Tax	Fed. Income Tax
$982,097,906	$2,100,374,184	$618,208,449	26,802	$59,844,553	$6,688,258	$66,398,026

Source: “The Economic Importance of Hunting.” The Economic Importance of Hunting - California Department of Fish and Wildlife,
www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/econ-hunting.html.

As you can see hunting truly creates jobs and alot of revenue. As people around the world continue to find hunting as an interest, these numbers will simply continue to climb and big outfitters like Cabelas will continue to grow in sales, as well as the companies they endorse. So as we hunters continue to gear up and purchase annual licenses, the government will continue to receive revenue. And that is good for our economy.




“The Economic Importance of Hunting.” The Economic Importance of Hunting - California Department of Fish and Wildlife, www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/econ-hunting.html.

“Hunting in America - The Economy.” Protect The Harvest, 19 Nov. 2015, protecttheharvest.com/2014/11/14/hunting-america-economy/.