January 31, 2007

For more information contact:

Steve Wagner
(203) 426-1320

Hunting License Sales Generate
Record Conservation Funding

NEWTOWN, Conn.—A new report shows 25 states performed better than the national rate in sales of hunting licenses, tags and stamps in 2005. Nationally, license sales -- the main funding mechanism for state conservation agencies -- set a new record, topping $723 million.

The 2005 figures, just released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, show total sales rose 2.8 percent from the previous year, while the number of customers slipped 1.4 percent, from 14.7 million to 14.5 million.

The total number of U.S. hunters, including both licensed and non-licensed, is estimated much higher than the 14.5 million acknowledged in the federal report. The National Sporting Goods Association calculates 20.6 million active hunters. The Outdoor Industry Association's latest estimate surpasses 26 million. And in a new survey commissioned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and conducted by independent firm Responsive Management, 19 percent of Americans—more than 50 million people—said they've hunted in the past two years.

Depending on local laws, non-licensed hunters may include:

1. Young hunters who aren't yet required to buy a license.
2. Hunters at wingshooting and other game preserves.
3. Landowners hunting on their own property.
4. Lessees hunting on land where they reside.
5. Active duty military on leave.
6. Citizens who hunt only on free hunting days.
7. Senior citizens no longer required to buy a license.

"Every hunter is an important asset to the firearm and hunting industry, but the number of license buyers is also significant because that's who contributes the most to habitat restoration, wildlife management and other conservation programs. Special excise taxes on guns and ammunition rose to more than $224 million for conservation in 2005, but license sales more than tripled that amount," said Doug Painter, president of NSSF.

In 2005, 14,575,484 hunters purchased 35,609,605 different licenses, tags and stamps at an average cost of $20.32 each. Total sales reached $723,712,681.

Sales totals have risen steadily in recent years, while licensed hunter numbers have risen in just two of the past seven years.

Painter said fluctuations are tied to fee increases, game populations, weather and many other factors. However, since peaking in the mid-1980s, hunting participation has been trending downward, challenged mostly by loss of land access and recreational time.

NSSF administers or supports a variety of programs to help offset these challenges. For example, its Hunting Heritage Partnership has allocated $1.7 million in grants to 33 states for projects such as signage and maps of public hunting lands, hunter recruitment campaigns and more. Families Afield works to safely reduce legal barriers into hunting such as age restrictions and coursework mandates. The portal Web site HuntandShoot.org is designed to connect hunters nationwide with critical where-to and how-to information.

The new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data on hunting license buyers are comparatively good news for 25 states that performed better than the national rate.

Highlights include Tennessee, which added over 45,000 new hunters for a gain of 6.2 percent. Arizona, South Dakota and South Carolina also enjoyed large increases in numbers of licensed hunters.

At the other end of the spectrum are New York, Michigan, Texas, Indiana and West Virginia. Together these five states documented 168,331 fewer license buyers, a number representing 83 percent of the total decline nationally.