North Carolina Sportsmen Spend More than $1.7 Billion a Year

[NCangler]

RALEIGH, N.C. (Jan. 11) – Whether they’re hunting pintails at Lake Mattamuskeet, fishing for trout in a coldwater mountain stream, or tracking deer along a hardwood forest creek bottom, North Carolina sportsmen spend big bucks in pursuit of their favorite pastimes.

An avid outdoorsman since he reeled in his first fish at age 7, Lee Ratcliffe, now 33, estimates he spent close to $700 in 2007 on his hunting and fishing excursions — far less than what the Garner resident spent before he became the father of two — but still significant, particularly when you multiply his expenditures by 1 million other sportsmen.

One million is the number of hunters and anglers living in North Carolina as estimated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which recently released a report that highlights the tremendous impact hunters and anglers have on the state’s economy.

According to the report, “Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy – A Force as Big as All Outdoors,” North Carolina sportsmen spend $1.7 billion a year hunting and fishing, a financial figure that places them among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups.

“A few dollars at the bait and tackle store for a fishing lure, $50 to put gas in your boat, another $100 for hotel and food for an overnight fishing trip — it adds up quickly,” said Fred Harris, interim director of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the agency that manages the state’s wildlife resources. “When you multiply individual spending by 1 million sportsmen, you have a major force in our economy, with everyone benefiting — from the small mom-and-pop stores and larger chain stores to manufacturers of hunting and fishing products to wildlife conservation efforts.”

In North Carolina, spending by hunters and anglers directly supports 29,000 jobs, which puts $818 million worth of paychecks into pockets of working residents around the state. Likewise, sportsmen spending generates $170 million in state and local taxes.

For all their spending power, North Carolina sportsmen were outranked by 13 other states when total hunting and angling expenditures were tallied. Texas led the nation in total number of money spent ($6.6 billion), hunters and anglers (2.6 million), jobs supported (106,000) and tax revenue generated ($1.3 billion). Florida was second, with California, Pennsylvania and Minnesota rounding out the top five.

Nationally, 34 million sportsmen age 16 and older spent more than $76 billion in 2006, supporting 1.6 million jobs and generating $25 billion a year in federal, state and local taxes.

“The economic impact that sportsmen have on state economies should be a wake-up call to state governments to welcome and encourage hunting and fishing in their state," said Jeff Crane, president of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. “The evidence is clear: states that encourage hunting and fishing by providing access and maintaining healthy habitats and fisheries benefit many times over through jobs and taxes as well as enjoying a boost to travel and tourism.”