Federal survey shows over 100 million adults engaged in wildlife activities

By Chris Eger

The survey’s preliminary data shows a 10-year decline in the numbers of hunters in the field, a shortfall that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke would like to help address by increasing youth participation and mentored hunting programs. (Photo: USFWS)
A report compiled twice per decade by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows increases nationally in wildlife watching and fishing, but declines in the number of hunters.
The preliminary report of the latest National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, compiled every five years since 1955, was released Thursday by the Department of Interior. The data suggest more than 100 million Americans—40 percent of the population over 16 years old– participated in outdoor activities in 2016, pumping $156 billion into the economy in the process.
“This report absolutely underscores the need to increase public access to public lands across the United States,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke in a statement. “Hunting and fishing are a part of the American heritage.”
The survey, the 13th conducted by the USFWS, showed marked increases in the numbers of Americans engaged in observing and photographing wildlife and in fishing when compared to the 2011 data.
When it comes to shooting sports, a new metric for the

Source: Guns.com