The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council) in collaboration with Southwick Associates, has released its annual report on hunting license sales, revealing a relatively steady trend for the 2022-2023 license year. According to the report, over 80% of participating states experienced a change of 5% or less in hunting license sales from the previous year.
In early 2021, the Council conducted a comprehensive survey of state wildlife agencies, which showed an overall increase in hunting license sales by 4.9% from 2019 to 2020. This rise was attributed to the surge in outdoor recreation during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as the pandemic extended into its second year, 2021 saw a dip of 1.9% in overall sales, despite the continued high demand for outdoor activities, particularly among nonresident hunters.
The Council revisited the study in early 2023 to track trends in hunting license sales for the 2022-2023 license year. The findings indicated a 3.1% decline in sales compared to 2020-2021 license year. However, the latest report for 2022-2023 showed a much smaller decrease of just 0.3% across the 47 states that participated in the Council’s study, suggesting a stabilization in participation rates.
“The 2022-2023 hunting license sales indicate that participation is likely relatively stable at the national level,” said Swanny Evans, Director of Research and Partnerships for the Council. “This is a positive sign for the hunting and conservation community.”
Key findings from the 2022-2023 report include:
A 0.3% overall decrease in hunting license sales compared to 2021-2022, with resident sales down by 0.2% and nonresident sales by 0.6%.
51% of the 47 reporting states saw an increase in license sales.
The Midwest region experienced a slight increase in sales by 1.0%, while the Northeast, Southeast, and Western regions saw decreases ranging from 0.6% to 2.1%.
Monthly sales varied throughout the year, with notable increases in March, May, August, October, November, and December.
The Council’s report underscores the need for continued R3 initiatives to maintain and grow the hunting community. By analyzing trends and responding to changes, the Council aims to support the hunting community and ensure a sustainable future for the activity.
The full report, “Hunting License Sales 2022-2023,” is available for download on the Council website at www.cahss.org.
The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports mission is to facilitate the promotion and growth of hunting and the shooting sports and the education of the public on the contributions that hunters and shooters make towards wildlife conservation. For more information visit us online at www.cahss.org.
Southwick Associates is a leading market research and economics firm specializing in the hunting, shooting, sportfishing, and outdoor recreation markets. Since 1990, Southwick Associates has provided comprehensive data and insights to state fish and wildlife agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry partners.
The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports is supported by the Multistate Conservation Grant Program as awarded by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (F22AP00350)
