Paul A. Smith
2020, a year defined by COVID-19, will also be known for moving the needle on outdoor recreation.
Getting outdoors has always been natural for me.
Raised during an era when it seemed like everybody played outside, I learned early that messing about in creeks, ponds and fields was more rewarding than any indoors game.
Each day brought something new to see or experience.
It's a habit that formed as soon as I could waddle and has lasted a lifetime.
I know I'm not alone. Outdoor recreation is a way of life for many in Wisconsin. But as technology has evolved to make our lives ever easier and more sedentary, there has been a trend in recent decades toward less outdoors time and more screen time.
In his seminal 2005 book “Last Child in the Woods,” Richard Louv quoted a fourth-grader as saying “I like to play inside better ‘cause that's where all the electrical outlets are.”
Louv coined the term “nature deficit disorder” to describe the trend in our culture.
Could anything turn the tide? The issue is the topic of graduatelevel studies at universities and programs at local, state and federal agencies.
Until this year, no one I know suggested a health crisis could help get more Americans outdoors.
But it's now clear: 2020, a year defined by the coronavirus pandemic, will also be known for moving the needle on outdoor recreation.
It's one of the few good news stories in a year of loss and disruption.
Whether evidenced by increased participation or improved sales, the pandemic spurred positive changes in our culture and economy.
As of early December, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reported sales of 1.27 million fishing licenses, an 11% increase in year-over-year data.
The agency also sold 820,299 deer hunting licenses (all types), a 3% increase over 2019.
The biggest rise was seen in the sale of 117,469 crossbow licenses, up 17%, while vertical bow sales of 134,579 were up 5%,
Even sales of small game hunting licenses, which have been in a decadeslong decline, went up 9% (to 114,224) in 2020.
The trend had a positive effect on charitable giving, too.
The Cherish Wisconsin Outdoors Fund, an endowment to care for Wisconsin’s public lands for generations to come, received 46% more contributions in 2020, pushing it over the $1 million mark. Many donations are made when people purchase a DNR license on its Go Wild online system.
Beyond that, from March through October, 6.5% more visitors came to Wisconsin’s state parks than in 2019 with more than 470,000 camping nights at the properties, according to Sarah Hoye, DNR communications director.
Meanwhile, boat registrations increased 2% to 621,114 boats.
And 8% more people went turkey hunting.
The list goes on and on.
Many businesses in the outdoor recreation economy also had a banner year. Johnson Outdoors, based in Racine, had nearly 60% revenue growth in the third quarter and for the full year saw a 6% increase to $594.2 million. Net income improved 7%.
“Overall, this year’s performance was fueled by demand created through people’s eagerness to get outdoors,” said Helen Johnson-Leipold, Johnson Outdoors chairman and CEO.
Sales of the company’s fishing products, which include Minn Kota motors, Cannon downriggers and Humminbird marine electronics and charts, were up 70% in the third quarter and 9% for the year.
“Participation in fishing has always been high, but it has been even higher this year as it has been an activity that is accessible and lends itself to social distancing,” said Johnson-Leipold.
Watercraft sales for Johnson Outdoors were up 25% to $41.9 million. The segment includes Old Town canoes and kayaks, Ocean Kayak and Carlisle paddles.
The positive results for 2020 were driven both by current and new customers, said Johnson-Leipold. The momentum should carry into next year, she said.
“I think there will be increased participation because of COVID,” JohnsonLeipold said. “But what level that is or when the world gets back to kind of normal and normal activities become available, that’s the big question.”
Johnson Outdoors is but one example of a company that was buoyed this year by changes in consumer behavior related to the pandemic. If you’ve tried to buy a kayak or pair of snowshoes or box of ammunition lately, you know demand has outstripped supply.
Another aspect of the good-news story is the outdoors was a safe place to be in 2020.
I received dozens of emails, texts and phone calls with examples of hunters who made smart decisions during the gun deer season.
Deer hunting traditions that typically involved large gatherings in cabins or homes were instead altered or canceled altogether. Some hunters even alternated their use of a property to avoid mixing.
According to the December data, which are showing decreases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Wisconsin, the 560,000-member blaze orange army exercised good coronavirus prevention measures during the late November season.
Of course, I hope the traditions resume in 2021, or whenever deemed safe.
That is the big question at this juncture. Will the “roaring, post-pandemic
’20s” include a larger dose of outdoor recreation? Or will people return to their old ways, making 2020 just a temporary uptick?
“We feel like this is not a trend, this is a connection back to nature,” Stephen Smith, CEO of outdoor retailer L.L.Bean, said in a November interview with CNBC. “It’s an understanding of, you know, the physical and mental benefits of being outside, and we think that that will continue into 2021.”
As we turn the page on 2020, I’d like to thank you for your readership over the last year.
There’s no telling what the New Year will hold, but as we learned during the pandemic, we can count on the outdoors to be there for us.
See you down the trail. Happy New Year.