Who spends more money pursuing their hobby...

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

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Staff member
hunters, fisherman, or wildlife watchers?

The answer surprised me.

Are hunter numbers going up or down. Surprised to see that answer too.

Are the number of waterfowlers going up or down? Depends on how far you look back. Compared to 10 years ago our ranks are smaller. Compared to 5 years ago our ranks are climbing. Maybe those youth hunts are helping recruit new waterfowlers.

http://library.fws.gov/...-prelim-findings.pdf
 
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i am really surprised its not fisherman. I know of quite a few $5M yachts purchased this year that burn 10,000 gal a month and have 3 person full time crews. Seems like it would take a lot of bird watchers to catch up to just a couple marinas full of those. I guess they don't factor in how much TT and others spend maintaining places like vermejo? That must be considered a farming expense, since that is what he probably puts on his taxes.
 
Hunters spent $34.0 billion on trips, equipment, licenses, and other items to support their hunting activities in 2011. The average expenditure per hunter was $2,484.

I wish my hobby was that cheap.......

Neat link Eric. I enjoyed the read.

Best,
Steve
 
Kris brings up a good point. Do expenditures like growing crops for waterfowl get counted in the totals. Like Steve I know my annual expenses are higher than that unless I only include the essentials like licenses, stamps, guns, ammo, decoys, etc., etc. I have the receipts from putting in food plots this years but don't even want to tally them up. I can relate to farmers going broke :)
 
I think we may have a jaded view of what it costs to chase ducks. I know there are a TON of "waterfowlers" in Indiana that buy thier waders from Wal-Mart and have a dozen Hot Buy Mallards and are done with thier gear. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I just think we as a collective group represent the opposite end of the spectrum. My $.02 on the story... Thanks for posting it.
 
I know of quite a few $5M yachts purchased this year that burn 10,000 gal a month and have 3 person full time crews
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For every one like that there are thousands of fishermen sitting on the river bank with an old spinning reel and a Hills Brothers can full of worms...
 
Geez, I hunt and I fish - hard water and soft water. I'm really screwed. DO NOT send this link to the wifey.

Mark W
 
Geez, I hunt and I fish - hard water and soft water. I'm really screwed. DO NOT send this link to the wifey.

Mark W
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I personally think Eric is a fool for saving reciepts...burn those things before they get you get in trouble!
 
chuck i agree with you on that, or down here, a guy on a bucket tending crab lines baited with chicken necks and a scoop net (one of the last activities we are allowed to pursue without a fishing license). However, I started to think about it last night and further read into the specifics of the study. first they appear to exclude any purchases larger than $60K. Secondly, the guy who is capable of spending 6 figures on a boat, probably doesn't report it to the survey and my guess would be the majority of large yachts and land maintenance go through holding companies as an M&E or farming expense. Therefore, i feel like the actual impact of hunting/fishing expenses is greatly underestimated. there are plenty of oil and gas companies that have million dollar leases in texas, or do corporate timber hunts at places live five oaks in arkansas. I have a feeling those are probably not included in the survey. I received some texts from such a hunt just this morning. My assumption of what the taxidermy scene of the old and young lions fighting amongst a manmade cliff in the forier of the new lodge must cost, would ramp a couple extra zeros onto the hunting total. Heck a lot of the bird hunters still left in the US probably by an o/u or SxS each year in excess of the average hunter's total expense.
 
Hunters pay the excise taxes that support conservation efforts. Do the wildlife watchers contribute in-kind? The economic impact as a whole does contribute a lot from both, but who contributes the largest share? When the wildlife watcher showup at the wildlife areas along Lake Erie in the spring time, there is plenty on the local news about their economic impact on the area.

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Wildlife watchers included those who watch wildlife at home only...of 71.8 million wildlife watchers, only 22.5 million watched away from home.

Hitch
 
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Large corporations that spend mega bucks on leases and or huge tracts of land that they own have great tax benefits for that and take advantage of it.

As for wildlife observers like "photog birders" who would come to Bosque del Apache NWR,--- most of them spend dollars that would put the average duck hunter to shame. I'm referring to a $6,000.00 camera with a $12,000 lens attached to it sitting on a $2,000.00 tripod. This hobby is gathering momentum and the numbers here seem to support it.
Just like the guy who decides to hunt Dall sheep AK this year, then follows that with a hunt in Africa for a leopard and finally relaxing in New Zealand for a week long duck hunt next spring, these photographers do the same thing. They hire guides, spend the mega bucks on air fare, motels, restaurants, etc.

Some day I wished they (feds) would tell us what the percentage of money spent on duck stamps were purchased by hunters verses non-hunters. By having a duck stamp in your possession, you and your family can enter any NWR in the United States all year long. That is a pretty good deal considering and a lot of people take advantage of it.
Al
 
Wildlife watchers included those who watch wildlife at home only...of 71.8 million wildlife watchers, only 22.5 million watched away from home.

Hitch
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So what's your point? People who don't travel to watch wildlife buy bird books, binoculars, feeders and bird/squirrel feed....do you know how much a bag of good bird seed costs these days? It's very easy to spend $2000 in bird feed a year. That's more than a lot of duckhunters spend in a year of duck hunting. Lots of folk don't hunt more than a few miles from home, just like a lot of bird watchers only watch birds within a closee radius of home. Regardless of where they watch birds, they out number us and out spend us.

Dani
 
Hunters pay the excise taxes that support conservation efforts. Do the wildlife watchers contribute in-kind? The economic impact as a whole does contribute a lot from both, but who contributes the largest share? When the wildlife watcher showup at the wildlife areas along Lake Erie in the spring time, there is plenty on the local news about their economic impact on the area.

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Dennis, with the exception of guns and ammo, nature watchers pay the same excise taxes that you and I do when they buy something when that tax applies. So, if there are a lot more nature watchers then it stands to reason that they'd contribute more.

Dani
 
Dani
I was referring to the Pittman-Robertson Act that collects taxes at the manufacture level.
11% Tax on Sporting Arms & Ammo
10% Tax on Pistols & Revolvers
11% Tax on Bows & Arrows
This is the pool of funds that is returned to states for conservation.
What kind of taxes do wildlife watcher pay on the equipment they purchase that has as great of an impact?
I buy bird seed and Eric invests in food plots and equipment along with gas for boats and motors and other things associated with acquiring and maintaining equipment. When wildlife watcher go to an area at a certain time of the year, the economic impact is more noticeable as is the case when hunters go to areas at certain time of the year. How many of the wildlife areas wildlife watcher go to were purchased by money from hunting and duck stamp money. Ammunition needs to be replenished where as binoculars and spotting scopes last a very long time. So it seams to boil down to how and what economic impact data is collected.
Also, we hate to admit it but old hunters can turn into just wildlife watchers.
Dani, from your picture you are good looking young woman.
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Dennis-

Thanks , but what does that mean? That since I'm a good looking woman my point couldn't possibly be valid?

Yes, the rare and very occassional hunter, like Eric, plants a food plot. The vast majority do not. Conversely the vast majority of nature watchers do buy food. To the extent that their purchases combined exceeds the amount of money spent by that rare duck hunter who wants his own private duck hole.

And while I won't argue that we do pay some taxes through the Pittman-Robertson Act, that Act applies to ALL buyers of guns and ammunition. Not just hunters. The company where I work spends more in a year to buy ammunition than I make in a year. There are people I work with that are big into shooting, but do not hunt.

I can tell you from my experience, what I spend on Ammo every year (average), I spend the same amount on bird feed in three months and I consider myself a casual nature watcher.

Dani
 
Dani
I was not trying to deride you in any way by the comment. Yes, I have to agree that there are a lot of backyard bird feeders in the country. What I am trying to say is that a lot of other things are purchased to support what we do and what wildlife watchers do. How far does the trickle down economic contribution go to be included in contributions to the economy, as something realistic, that would not happen if hunters or wildlife watchers would no long make purchases related for what they want to do.
Dennis
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Al,

You are so right and since I'm not a photograher I couldn't justify it. In my 40 some years of hunting I'd be pretty close if I said I've spent between $30,000 and $40,000 on hunting, figuring boats, decoys, guns, clothes a couple of trips. Now my brother and his wife went on one of the photographic African safaris in 2007. You are so right about expensive. They are into photography and have several high end cameras with all the accessories. I didn't know you could spend as much in a flash ($700 to $1200) as you do in a camera body. I don't remember all the break down but they spent 8 days in Tanzania and the bill was something over $50 grand. Now that said this isn't your average backyard birder but a picture taker that is as serious about his hobby will spend a bunch of money. Think about what you have invested in you equipment.

In my state I just wish they'd use the money spent on hunting and fishing for those sports such as in restoration or adding some public lands to hunt or produce a few trout streams. This money goes to the general fund here and is used for everything. I'm fortunate in the fact I live on the Mississippi River and can pursue my interests without a lot of expense. One of the things in Illlinois the tax money from hunting and fishing went to is a great system of bicyle paths. Now don't get me wrong I use the bike path too but I also buy a state duck stamp to be able to duck hunt. I wouldn't have a problem with paying a few bucks for a bike stamp to use the bike path so everyone shares in the cost. Better yet don't have a bike stamp and drop the duck stamp requirement. We're taxed enough as it is...;-)
 
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