Syracuse.com - After years of decline, hunting and fishing participation on the rise nationwide

[HuntingNY-News]

The figures are contained in a recently released survey done by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services of fishing, hunting and wildlife recreation-associated recreation.

After years of decline, the numbers of individuals participating in hunting and fishing nationwide is rising, according to a recent report.

"There's a variety of reasons why. It's kind of like the perfect storm, said Mark Duda, executive director of Progressive Management, a private, Virginia-based consulting firm that specializes in crunching numbers and at looking trends associated with nature resource use and outdoor recreational issues for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and state fish and game agencies.

Thomas Plochocki, 3, of Geddes, waits for a bite during the Fall Sportsmen's Days at Carpenter's Brook Fish HatcheryLauren Long l [email protected] 

Participation in hunting-related activities has risen 9 percent nation-wide from 2006 to 2011, and 11 percent for fishing, Duda said, citing figures recently released in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services survey of fishing, hunting and wildlife recreation-associated recreation. The survey is done every five years.

Read the full report by Progressive Management.

Duda emphasized the reasons behind the increases are "multi-facted.

"For example, there's at least 10 major reasons for the increase in hunting and all them are inter-related or play off each other," he said. "There's things like the economy tanking and people getting laid off and having more time on their hands, the increase in folks hunting for food, the rise in females hunting, new youth hunters, recreational shooters turning to hunting, returning military personnel taking it up -- and the success of state fish and wildlife agencies taking positive steps to increase access to hunting lands."

He said the same goes for fishing.

"There's the economy, the increase in folks fishing for food, uncreases in access, changing of the licensing structure and opening up new fishing opportunities, etc..."

New York State, particularly Gov. Andrew Cuomo with his "New York's Open for Hunting and Fishing" campaign, has been touting the importance of hunting and fishing this past year and its impact on the state's economy.

"New York State remains near the top in hunter and angler licenses, an estimated 1.88 million anglers and 823,000 hunters, indicating a mostly stable group of participants. The same study found in 2011," according to press release earlier this year from the governor's office..

"New York was second in the nation in total angler spending on fishing-related items and sixth in non-resident angler spending. This spending generated an estimated $108 million in state and local taxes.

"In 2011, New York was fourth in the nation in spending by hunters and generated an estimated $290 million in state and local taxes. New York ranks third in the nation in total number of resident hunters," the press release said.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog