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A Silver Lining for Sportsmen During Economic Turmoil?

With the economy facing one of the largest downturns in recent history, it is surprising that participation in hunting and fishing is increasing.  According to several recent leading outdoor research firms, these increases may actually be the result of the economic downturn.

A new quarterly report issued by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), and Southwick Associates found a 7.7 percent increase in the number of fishing licenses sold between January 1 and September 1, 2009 versus the same time last year. 

According to Responsive Management, another leading research firm, hunting numbers also appear to be increasing.  

“We won’t know for a few months exactly where we’re at as hunting license sales finish,” said Mark Damian Duda, Responsive Management executive director. “However, it looks as if we’re getting greater hunter participation over the last year too”  

This raises the question as to why hunting and fishing numbers are increasing in a time when sportsmen’s resources are stretched thin due to national economic challenges. 

The answer may be found in the results of a study conducted in 2008 by Responsive Management for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.  The study, funded by a Hunting Heritage Partnership grant from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), looked at increases in hunting license sales in 1992, 1999 and 2004.  These license sale increases occurred despite hunting license sales trending down since 1982.

 In an effort to understand why the downward trend was lessened in those years, Responsive Management looked at multiple variables such as average monthly temperature, consumer prices, median income, new housing starts, housing, population densities and population by age groups. 

Of those variables reviewed, two were considered to be statistically relevant at the national level.  Both of these variables negatively impacted hunting numbers.  The first was the percentage of the population between the ages of 65 and 69.  As sportsmen age, they are less likely to get out into the field.  The second is the increase of new housing starts.  The reason for this correlation is unclear.  However, the results of a 2007 national survey by Responsive Management and the NSSF indicated that a majority of hunters tend to be employed in construction type jobs. 

Additionally, two other surveys in 1995 and 2008 indicated that “work obligations” was a leading factor in hunters being unable to enter the field.  Combined, these results support the idea that during times when new construction takes off, sportsmen that are most likely to go into the field simply do not have enough time to do so.

Though there is a need for more study to accurately determine the impact of so many different factors, these survey results paint an interesting picture.  It appears possible that the time available to sportsmen to engage in the outdoors may increase during economic downturns.

“Certainly, we all want the economy to getting moving again,” said Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance president and CEO.  “However, if there was ever a silver lining in these otherwise tough times, it might be that we are having the chance to get back in the field.”