National hunting license trend

[Irrelevant]

So I got tired of reading conflicting data on hunter numbers in the US a while back and decided to just pull the data from the USFWS (https://www.fws.gov/wsfrprograms/subpages/licenseinfo/hunting.htm)

You can draw your own conclusions.



My take is there are a lot of people in the industry stretching the truth to fit a financially driven narrative.

For comparison's sake, here are the WA deer tag sales vs total population. I only used the data they had online, which is only for a handful of years. I'm sure the 80's were the peak.

 

[Wild Bill]

Good info.
I wish there were a way (maybe there is) to show where those hunting licenses are broken down. I would assume that there are more licenses per individual now than there was in the past. Less hunters having more licenses. It is not uncommon now for an individual hunter to get say 3 elk tags, 2 deer tags, 1 antelope tag in one calendar year whereas in the past an individual hunter may only be getting 1 elk tag and 1 deer tag per year.
Also, I can't speak on how all this would break down as I'm sure it differs from state to state, but have licenses been more specialized and increased in general? I know in some states you would purchase a "Hunting License" and you would get a deer tag (some states multiple tags), a small game license, maybe a bear tag, maybe a bear tag. Now a lot of that has been broken up for management purposes etc. I wonder how those would manipulate the numbers over time?

 

[appaloosa]

As a proportion of the total population, hunters are declining. Even if they are stable or increasing in some areas, they are being outpaced by growth. This is unsettling for some people who fear a shift in the tide and becoming more and more outnumbered by nonhunters, or worse, anti-hunters.
I personally am less concerned, so long as we continue to promote our image positively and engage in meaningful conservation.... though some within our ranks are doing their best to spoil that.

 

[marksjeep]

The plots illustrate "Paid Hunting License Holders", which should address a lot (probably not all) of the multi-license issues. It's the first column in the source data (link in op).

I'd have expected a pandemic surge. Sure doesn't look like there was one.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Was ruminating on this subject at SCI with some Alaska guides. One of the younger guides said something to the effect of how crowded it was getting. I laughed because, well, he hadn’t been guiding since breakfast, so to speak. I pointed out the population of the United States has nearly doubled in the time I had been. Not great math, something line 290 million to 360million. That’s a whole lot of people looking for a little adventure. They’re going to go some place and they all want to build a house. I’m thinking things will just get more complicated. Given the decline in hunters we need to be showing a good image or we will keep loosing options.

 

[Irrelevant]

As a proportion of the total population, hunters are declining.

But this is entirely different than having fewer hunters, which is often the claim being made.

 

[Straight Arrow]

hey’re going to go some place and they all want to build a house ...

... in a subdivision with no zoning, but with a shopping mall ... smack in the middle of what used to be elk/deer/antelope winter range.

 

[Nameless Range]

But this is entirely different than having fewer hunters, which is often the claim being made.

Even further, it would be interesting to juxtapose the number of hunters against something like Acres Open To Public Hunting. We would see that number ever-decreasing, and I'd wager everywhere. Hunters per Acre Open to Hunting - ever increasing regardless of license sale fluctuations.

 

[MarvB]

^^^spot on and there lies the problem for most of us! Plus to control game populations, assuming all else holds the same, more tags shift to private as animals are pressured off of public.

 

[QuazyQuinton]

Am I correct to read this as total licenses sold, and not total licensed hunters? I expect my family of 5 to hold at least 14 licenses in 2022, so there's a significant difference.

QQ

 

[cedahm]

Am I correct to read this as total licenses sold, and not total licensed hunters? I expect my family of 5 to hold at least 14 licenses in 2022, so there's a significant difference.

QQ

No -

The plots illustrate "Paid Hunting License Holders", which should address a lot (probably not all) of the multi-license issues. It's the first column in the source data (link in op).

Column 4 in the link shared in the OP is total licenses/tags/permits/stamps

 

[QuazyQuinton]

No -



Column 4 in the link shared in the OP is total licenses/tags/permits/stamps

View attachment 210988

Not sure I understand what you're saying. The first column shows the number of licenses sold per state. At the bottom of the column is a simple sum, right? So if I hold licenses in 4 states, I'm counted four times in the final total?

QQ

 

[Irrelevant]

Not sure I understand what you're saying. The first column shows the number of licenses sold per state. At the bottom of the column is a simple sum, right? So if I hold licenses in 4 states, I'm counted four times in the final total?

QQ

Yes, that is true.

But the total is 15 million. Does your 4x really matter? Does it really matter if 100k people buy licenses in 4 states?

 

[seeth07]

Yes, that is true.

But the total is 15 million. Does your 4x really matter? Does it really matter if 100k people buy licenses in 4 states?

Well actually it might. In CO alone there were over 100k non-resident applications in just the elk drawing. That's 100k hunting licenses sold just for that group and I'm guessing a vast majority of those also bought one in their home state.

 

[cedahm]

Not sure I understand what you're saying. The first column shows the number of licenses sold per state. At the bottom of the column is a simple sum, right? So if I hold licenses in 4 states, I'm counted four times in the final total?

QQ

That’s a good point and not how I interpreted your question. Apologies.

I don’t know of a data source that captures multi-state license holders. although the demographics of this here forum probably has a LOT of people in that scenario, I would venture to guess that the vast majority of licensed hunters in the US only hold any kind of license in 1 state.

 

[Irrelevant]

Well actually it might. In CO alone there were over 100k non-resident applications in just the elk drawing. That's 100k hunting licenses sold just for that group and I'm guessing a vast majority of those also bought one in their home state.

Applications or licenses?

 

[seeth07]

Applications or licenses?

It was the total in the elk draw for CO but since you have to buy a hunting license in order to participate in the draw, I'm guessing you are counted in that tally above.

 

[seeth07]

There are probably quite a few people on here and in the hunting market in general that buy a hunting license in AZ, CO, ID, NM and UT.

 

[Irrelevant]

There are probably quite a few people on here and in the hunting market in general that buy a hunting license in AZ, CO, ID, NM and UT.

You are suggesting that people buy licenses and don't hunt. ID is OTC so if your tag isn't available why are you buying a license?

 

[seeth07]

You are suggesting that people buy licenses and don't hunt. ID is OTC so if your tag isn't available why are you buying a license?

Yes, exactly what I'm suggesting because I do it. I buy a total of 8 hunting hunting licenses every year yet I usually only hunt in 2 to 4 states. I have to buy the hunting license in order to be able to submit a draw application. ID is not otc for non residents.