Survey takes pulse of great outdoors
There is no doubt traditional outdoor activities are as natural to humans as sleeping and eating.
But in recent decades, U.S. residents have been spending more time in front of digital screens and less in nature.
To help bolster participation in fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing, a robust effort has been mounted by gear manufacturers, conservation organizations and state and federal agencies to attract Americans – particularly youth – to the time-honored activities. So, how are we doing? Wildlife viewing is doing well, fishing is hanging in there and hunting is declining.
The results are contained in the recently-released 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.
The report, released every five years since
1955 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is one of the nation's best checkups on the health of key outdoor sectors.
The 2016 survey showed a 20% increase in wildlife watching, an 8% rise in fishing and a 14% decline in hunting.
The estimates are derived from interviews with Americans age 16 and older.
The 2016 report is based on data collected from 22,416 households selected by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The bureau conducted the interviews from April 2016 through February 2017.
The most substantial increase in participation was seen in wildlife watching, defined as observing and photographing wildlife.
Since it can be done without leaving home, and even at a place of work, it's not surprising more Americans watch wildlife than fish or hunt.
But the large increase over the last five years was notable.
According to the report, wildlife watching increased to 86 million participants, a 20% rise from 2011.
Expenditures by wildlife watchers also rose sharply (28%) to $75.9 billion.
Wildlife watching around the home climbed 18% to 81.1 million participants.
About 23 million engaged in the activity away from home, a 5% increase from 2011.
Fishing also showed a solid increase of 8% to 35.8 million participants.
The Great Lakes region showed the largest increase (10%).
Total expenditures by anglers was $46.1 billion, a 2% increase.
The survey results will come as a major disappointment to many in the hunting industry. Participation in hunting dropped by about 14% to 11.5 million, according to the report.
And total expenditures by hunters declined 29% to $25.6 billion.
Officials aren't going to give up on efforts to attract hunters and anglers, however.
“Hunters and anglers form the foundation of wildlife conservation in the United States, consistently generating more funding for habitat and wildlife management than any other source,” said Greg Sheehan, principal deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"Industry, federal, and state fish and wildlife agency initiatives that focus on hunter and angler recruitment, retention and reactivation are crucial to sustaining these conservation dollars and ensuring the next generation of wildlife enthusiasts have the opportunity, access, and awareness to pursue these time-honored American traditions.”
This year’s survey also gathered two new categories of data: archery and target shooting. The report noted the U.S. has more than 32 million target shooters using firearms and 12.4 million people engaged in archery, not including hunting.
Cumulatively, the outdoor activities continue to be a national economic force.
Participants in wildlife viewing, fishing and hunting spent $156 billion in 2016, according to the report. Adjusted for inflation, the sum is the highest in the last 25 years.
State-specific estimates were not included in the report but are expected to be available in 2018.
For a full copy of the survey, visit fws.gov.
CWD found at Shawano County shooting preserve: A white-tailed deer killed this fall at Comet Creek Whitetails in Tigerton tested positive for chronic wasting disease, according to information released Tuesday by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
The CWD-positive animal, a 3-year-old buck, was one of about 245 deer reported to be on the 481-acre shooting preserve in Shawano County.
The herd at the Shawano County facility and its breeding farm in Waupaca County were placed under quarantine.
The order allows movement of deer from the breeding farm to the ranch and to slaughter, but prohibits movement of live deer to other locations.
The business will be allowed to continue to charge customers to shoot deer on the quarantined ranch.
According to DATCP officials, the agency will initiate an investigation into the CWD-positive animal’s history and trace movements of deer onto and off the property.
Shawano and Waupaca counties were previously under deer baiting and feeding bans so the new finding won't change regulations in the counties.