Outdoors Are In

Hunting license sales are up by more than 12% year-over-year, likely another result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That could mean an increase of one million hunters in 2020 over 2019 if the trend continues through the end of December, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The National Rifle Association also says it’s seen an increase in membership due to a renewed interest in hunting.

Three million more fishing licenses have been sold in 2020 than in 2019 — a 14% increase — according to the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation.

In California, annual resident hunting licenses have risen to more than 242,000 statewide, a 10% jump year-over-year. 

Just before Wisconsin’s rifle deer season opened, the state was selling 41 permits per minute on its website. 

• The state’s archery hunting licenses are up 10% and gun licenses are up 1% 
• For much of the past decade, license purchases declined roughly 1% annually

Eco Impact: California made $26.5 million from the sale of hunting licenses and other required validations in 2019. That money supports efforts like wildlife-habitat improvement. 

The Pittman-Robertson Act, an 83-year-old federal law, implements an 11% tax on hunting gear and donates the proceeds to states for similar outdoor projects.