Contact: Robert Bernstein
Public Information Office
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More than 90 million U.S. residents age 16 and older participated in some form of wildlife-related recreation in 2011, up 3 percent from five years earlier, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released today. In total, wildlife recreationists spent $144.7 billion in 2011 on their activities — accounting for about 1 percent of the nation's gross domestic product.
These findings come from the final national report with results from the 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation released today by the Census Bureau on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Conducted since 1955, the survey is one of the oldest continuing and most comprehensive recreation surveys in the U.S., collecting information on the number of anglers, hunters and wildlife watchers, as well as how often they participate in wildlife-related recreation and how much they spend on these activities.
According to the survey, wildlife recreationists spent $70.4 billion on equipment, $49.5 billion on travel and $24.8 billion on other items, such as licenses and land leasing and ownership.
The number of people who hunted, fished or both rose from 33.9 million in 2006 to 37.4 million in 2011, with 33.1 million people fishing and 13.7 million hunting. The survey showed that 71.8 million people participated in at least one type of wildlife-watching activity, such as observing, feeding and photographing wildlife.
State reports with detailed information on participation and expenditures will be released on a flow basis beginning in January 2013.
During the initial data collection phase, the Census Bureau interviewed approximately 50,000 households nationwide to determine who in the household had fished, hunted or watched wildlife in 2010 or 2011, and planned to do so again. In most cases, one adult household member provided information for all members.
In the second phase, a sample of individuals identified as likely anglers, hunters and wildlife watchers were interviewed; each individual had to be at least 16 years old and provided information pertaining only to his or her activities and expenditures.
All comparisons made in this news release are tested at the 0.10 significance level.