In a fall 2010 Pines Review article, "Is the Number of Women Hunters Really Increasing?" Tammy Sapp, reported the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is one of the most important sources of data on fish and wildlife recreation in the United States. The survey is conducted approximately every five years.
Sapp, communications manager for the Remington Outdoor Foundation, attributed the opinion to Mark Duda, executive director of Responsive Management, a public-opinion-and-attitude survey research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues.
Duda further stated, "The survey is conducted with such a high degree of scientific rigor. And, the methodology and sample size are unmatched in the outdoor industry.”
Truth in Numbers
So, if you read the number of women hunters in the U.S. is growing at a record pace, or hear the number of anglers is steeply declining, believe it if the statistics come from the National Survey.
For instance, the claim that more women are hunting each year, is grossly misreported. According to the 1996, 2001 and 2006 National Surveys, the number of female hunters 16-years-old and older remained at 1.2 million or 9 percent of the entire population of hunters. The next survey, which should be take place in 2011, might tell a different story.
What is Wildlife-Associated Recreation?
The 2006 survey defines wildlife-associated recreation as fishing, hunting, and wildlife-watching activities. These categories are not mutually exclusive because many individuals participated in more than one activity. Wildlife-associated recreation is reported in two major categories: (1) fishing and hunting and (2) wildlife watching, which includes observing, photographing, and feeding fish or wildlife.
Overlap in Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife Watching Participation
A wide range of overlap between types of wildlife-associated activity occurred in 2006:
- 68 percent of all hunters also fished
- 29 percent of all anglers also hunted
- 52 percent of anglers and 57 percent of hunters wildlife watched
- 25 percent of all wildlife watchers hunted and/or fished during the year.
Anglers Outnumber Hunters in the U.S.
In 2006, 33.9 million U.S. residents 16 years old and older went fishing and/or hunting. This includes 30.0 million who fished and 12.5 million who hunted — 8.5 million both fished and hunted.
Number of U.S. Anglers and Hunters by Sex
Although more men than women fished in 2006, a substantial number of women fished as well. Twenty percent of all males 16 years and older went fishing, while 6 percent of females fished. Of the 30.0 million anglers who fished in the United States, 75 percent, 22.3 million, were male and 25 percent, 7.6 million, were female. Of the age categories, 7.5 million anglers, 25 percent of all anglers, were 35 to 44 years old. Their participation rate was also the highest at 17 percent.
Of the U.S. population 16 years old and older, 10 percent of males and 1 percent of females enjoyed hunting in 2006. Of the 12.5 million participants who hunted, 91 percent (11.4 million) were male and 9 percent (1.2 million) were female. The participation rate in hunting tended to increase with age until individuals reached 35 to 44 years of age, and thereafter it declined.
The full text of the 2006 National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreation is available for review. In addition to offering data on the numbers of sportsmen, the survey also reports on dollars spent on the activities, days and trips, activity by region and more.
Laurie Lee Dovey - By Laurie Lee Dovey
