Council Report Highlights Hunting License Sales Increases in 2020
(Washington, D.C.) – “License sales were up in 2020 and we’re ready to focus on Retention in 2021,” commented Dr. Steven Leath in response to the recent insights garnered from the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council) research into hunting license sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leath, who serves as the Executive Director of the Council, shared the highlights of the study during the 2021 North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference earlier this month.
The Council initiated the study in early 2021 to document the changes in hunting license sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hunting, along with other outdoor activities, became a way throughout 2020 for Americans to get outdoors, connect with nature, and escape daily stresses. Now we have a better understanding of how hunters reacted during the pandemic as well. Study results indicate that license sales increased by approximately 5% nationwide, with growth rates varying by region. A full report is available on the Council’s website.
Working with Southwick Associates, the Council collected monthly resident and nonresident hunting license data from more than 40 state wildlife agencies to quantify and compare 2020 sales trends to 2019. Through this research, the Council and Southwick Associates documented:
• Overall, hunting license sales in 2020 increased by approximately 5% over 2019.
• Resident license sales were up 5.4%.
• Nonresident license sales increased by 1.6%. Read more