Economic hardship boosts interest in hunting, fishing

Why do you hunt or fish? How about your friend — what’s her reason? Is it for the meat, the recreation, or maybe it’s a way to connect with family and friends?

Responsive Management, an outdoor recreation research and survey organization, recently published the results of its study analyzing why hunter numbers had climbed in recent years in the United States. The survey was based on the fact that between 2006 and 2011, hunting participation among Americans increased 9 percent and fishing participation increased 11 percent, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2011 survey.

Any guesses on what the No. 1 reason was for the climb in participation? Surprisingly, it was the recession.

In one respect, it’s understandable that more people might hunt or fish to acquire meat — a way to save money on the grocery bill if times were hard, and that’s partly what Responsive Management found. A hunter who was underemployed or unemployed may have had more time to hunt.

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Source: The Montana Standard