Hunting Economic Impact

Hunting is a significant contributor to local, state, and national economies through direct expenditures, job creation, and tax generation. This document outlines the various facets of hunting's economic influence.

The primary economic driver from hunting is the direct spending by hunters. This includes purchases made for licenses, equipment, travel, and lodging.

These expenditures circulate through various sectors, supporting local businesses from sporting goods stores to small-town diners near hunting grounds.

Hunting-related spending directly and indirectly supports a substantial number of jobs across the country. These jobs range from manufacturing hunting gear to managing wildlife resources.

Tax Generation and Conservation Funding

Revenue generated from hunting is crucial for funding conservation efforts, which, in turn, sustain the wildlife resources that support the hunting economy.

Hunters contribute to the economy through sales taxes on purchases, income taxes on related labor, and specific excise taxes:

• Pittman-Robertson Act: An 11% excise tax on sporting arms, ammunition, and archery equipment is collected by the federal government and allocated to state wildlife agencies for conservation projects.
• Sales Tax: General sales taxes on goods and services related to hunting.

Hunting license sales and fees are a primary source of funding for state wildlife agencies. These funds support:

• Wildlife research and population surveys.
• Habitat acquisition, restoration, and management.
• Law enforcement and hunter education programs.

The following table summarizes the key financial inputs from hunting that fuel conservation: