November 14, 2025

It’s The Perfect Time to Celebrate Hunting – America’s Greatest Pastime

By Matt Manda

It’s that time again. With the fall months bringing cooler temperatures and crisp air, hunting seasons across the country have begun. Millions of Americans are heading out into the woods, fields and marshes to try their luck — and patience — in hopes of harvesting game to bring home to the freezer.

Whether you’re climbing up a deer stand in solitude, sitting quietly watching and waiting for Toms to come just a little closer or walking along corn fields, cattails and berms for pheasants with several friends or family and a trusted hunting dog; whether it’s a favored activity you’ve done since childhood or perhaps doing now for the first time — it’s always a great time when you’re hunting.

Keeping the multitude of America’s various hunting traditions alive isn’t just meaningful and special for personal and familial reasons. It’s also important for other simple reasons — dollars and cents. Hunting is big business and those dollars filter through the North American Model for Wildlife Conservation that benefits all Americans — yes, even non-hunters. And some recent data and industry trends suggest participation in hunting activities of all kinds is strong, resilient and impactful — a great sign for all.

Dollars and Scents

It’s a big business for hunters to hone their skills, buy appropriate supplies and accessories, get prepared and head out to the woods in hopes of evading the nose of an approaching trophy buck. Or to sit in a blind with close friends as attentive ducks scan for a nice landing spot. But the memories created each and every year are invaluable and worth every penny.

A recently released report by the Sportsmen’s Alliance put some tremendous figures behind the magnitude of hunting as an enterprise. Altogether, more than 14.3 million Americans aged 16 or older participated in some sort of hunting activity, according to the report released last year. But we also know that number itself is a conservative estimate based on the millions of young Americans under the age of 16 who also partake in America’s greatest pastime, as well as any number of Americans who choose not to participate in research studies. For instance, New York’s initial three-year youth hunting pilot program, which began in 2021 and allows 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt with a mentor, was so successful during the first two years that the program was extended by state officials to run through 2028.

“Youth hunters are the safest group, with no hunting-related shooting incidents reported during the pilot program for 12- and 13-year-old big game hunters,” the New York State Department of Environment and Conservation states. “This success is attributed to supervised hunting experiences and required hunter education courses.” That’s fantastic news for the next generations of Empire State hunters to follow.

The Sportsmen’s Alliance report even broke down the various types of hunting Americans’ enjoyed the most in recent years, demonstrating the diversity of activities in which hunters participated. More than 11.5 million hunters went out on big game hunts; 5.3 million participated in small game hunts; and more than 2.8 million tried their luck hunting migratory birds. Of course, many Americans overlap and try two or three different hunting activities in a year, so there is some crossover.

What do these numbers mean at the cash register? Big dollars. Like really big dollars. In total, all hunting activities accounted for more than $45.2 billion — with a B — in direct spending, buoying the economy by supporting more than 451,000 good-paying jobs. Additionally, when the amount of state and local taxes and federal taxes paid are accounted for, hunters contributed more than $56 billion to the U.S. GDP.

Keeping the Momentum Going

NSSF revealed hunting activities of all kinds surged in recent years far above normal participation as Americans from all backgrounds took up various hunting-related activities during the early 2020s as the coronavirus pandemic hit. People wanted to get fresh air and some natural “social distancing” after being cooped up and crammed with other community guidelines shutting down other recreational activities.

As those new hunters gave hunting a try, license sales boomed and record harvest numbers were seen in states across the country. There is no shortage of news reports telling of big numbers during those recent years. Now, while there has been an expected slight drop-off from those highs, participation numbers are still great. All told the population of U.S. hunters outnumber the populations of 46 entire states — an incredible stat.

And what’s even more exciting, the population of American hunters has never been more diverse and reflective of the overall population. The excitement and reward of hunting has reached new audiences and participants and seems to be taking hold.

A More Meaningful Reward

The benefits of fresh air, time alone or amongst companions, away from the hustle and bustle of “the grind” are known and undeniable. It’s even greater if you’re successful and are able to bring home fresh game for your freezer. But the amazing thing about the hunting community is its ceaseless ability to help others by generously donating to those less fortunate. It’s especially so during the holidays and this time of greater need approaches.

November is National Wild Game Meat Donation Month and it couldn’t come at a better time – especially so this year. In addition to colder weather, those experiencing difficult times are in a greater difficultly as the federal government shutdown has impacted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. But hunters have always been the generous type and this year is no different.

Outdoor Wire’s Paul Erhardt reports that during November, hunters have on average donated more than $84 million worth of fresh, healthy wild game meat. National Wild Game Meat Donation Month — originally an NSSF-supported effort to receive official recognition — is only in its third year of official recognition but the impact is outsized. In it’s first year, only a few governors signed official proclamations highlighting the month as special — a recognition that is known to then help hunters donate even more needed food once they realize there’s a greater need for harvested game. This year (so far), 15 governors from both political parties have signed official proclamations. The momentum continues to build as food banks continue to serve those in need.

Deer season alone can yield up to 400 million pounds of meat, good for an astounding 1.6 billion meals. That’s real impact and something all hunters can take immense pride in. The success hunters continue to have during hunting seasons means more meals for those in need, more dollars going back to conservation efforts, more traditions passed on and newer generations of hunters participating in America’s greatest pastime.

These are all worthy of celebration this holiday season.