Tracking the impact of the hunting economy
Here in Michigan, it’ll be open season on Bambi in a few weeks.
And while blood sports aren’t my cup of tea, a glance at the calendar did get me to thinking about the many business angles of the hunting and fishing industries.
No matter where you’re located, someone doubtless makes a living purveying to those who stalk wild fish and game for food, for recreation or a little of both. From tiny bait-and-tackle shops to glossy magazines to makers of guns, bows, waders and lures, the reach of the sector is huge.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, a Washington, D.C. lobbying group, operates a very helpful Web site that includes national and state economic reports. They claim that the sportsmen they represent spend $76 billion a year nationwide and support 1.2 million jobs.
Use this handy tool which handily slices state data and shows you where your turf ranks among anglers, hunters, related jobs, spending and other stats. Check out their state-by-state press releases, too.
As to timing: Obviously these are seasonal stories you’ll want to be ahead of, so you need to understand the hunting and fishing cycles in your areas. After poking around the U.S. Department of Interior site – which does have some helpful info – I tapped former colleague Dave Spratt, now editor of the enthusiasts’ Web site GreatNorthernOutdoors.net.
Here’s his advice:
“Finding statistics about hunting can be somewhat frustrating because almost everything is overseen by individual states,” Spratt said. “I had to assemble by hand a list of open season dates for the states we cover. It’s very complicated. Some states divide themselves into zones with different habitats (and thus seasons), split seasons based on weapons, stagger for individual species, and so on.
“For instance, if you want to know when Michigan’s deer season is, it’s simple enough to find that it’s Nov. 15-30. Unless you mean archery, which is Oct. 1-Nov. 14 and Dec. 1-Jan. 1. Or muzzleloader, which is Dec. 4-20. Unless you mean in the U.P., when it’s Dec. 4-13, or the northern Lower Peninsula, when it’s Dec. 11-20. Or antlerless only, which is Sept. 17-21 or Dec. 21-Jan. 1, but only in certain counties – on private land.
“And that’s just for deer. Waterfowl rules are complicated!”
So, be persistent and make sure you understand the terminology. Check with your state’s department of natural resources, fish and wildlife agencies, etc. for annual reports.
Other resources:
National Shooting Sports Foundation
Quality Deer Management Association
Ducks Unlimited
Don’t forget the retail angles.
In Michigan, despite the vintage charm of Mackinac Island, thousands of inland lakes and river, Henry Ford’s landmark history museum in Dearborn and other attractions, the No. 1 tourist destination in the state reportedly is Cabela’s, an outdoor/ sporting goods superstore. How are they and rivals like Bass Pro Shops faring in this economy?
Gun sales (not necessarily all to hunters) are up, and this Wall Street Journal piece from Tuesday notes that private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management is contemplating an IPO for one manufacturer.
Get creative; check out camouflage sales at your local fabric shops, gun exchanges, hunting safety class operators, tourism, advertising, hunting and fishing related holiday gifts, advertising and more. And while it overlaps a bit with metro coverage, keep in mind that license fees are a big revenue source for many cash-strapped states.
