Hunting & Fishing Expenditures

Rival Biggest Companies

A coalition of hunting and fishing groups and the outdoor industry briefed members of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus recently on the rise in hunting and fishing participation in this country. The groups, led by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Cabela's, Safari Club International, American Sport fishing Association and National Marine Manufacturers Association, used recently released data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2011 National Survey on Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation to compare hunting and fishing participation and expenditures to mainstream industries.

"To put it in perspective, the 37 million sportsmen and women over the age of 16 in America is the same as the population of the state of California, and the $90 billion they spent in 2011 is the same as the global sales of Apple's iPad and iPhone in the same year," commented Jeff Crane, president of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. "Hunting and fishing have been, and clearly continue to be, important elements of our country's outdoor heritage and they are critically important to our nation's economy - particularly the small local economies that support quality hunting and fishing opportunities." Most notable is that hunters and anglers continued their strong spending habits. From equipment expenditures ($8.2 billion for hunters, $6.2 billion for anglers) to special equipment ($25 billion towards boats, RVs, ATVs and other such vehicles) to trip-related expenses totaling over $32 billion, sportsmen and women continue to direct their discretionary income toward their outdoor pursuits. [Source: National Shooting Sports Foundation]