Sometimes more is less. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service records, hunting licenses sold nationally have increased in recent years to approximately 16 million. However, the percentage of hunters compared to the population has steadily decreased. Since 1960, hunting license sales increased until they peaked in 1982 (7.2% of population), then fell steadily for many years. In 2010, they started to edge back up but remain below the high of 1982, even though the population has boomed since then. The current numbers show that less than 5% of the U.S. population hunts.
Deer hunting
Hunting whitetail deer is by far the most popular type of hunting. This form of hunting is chosen by 57% of all hunters. Sixty-three percent of deer hunters use a firearm. Archery hunting is second. Crossbows are rapidly gaining in popularity across the nation.
Hunter motivation
A survey done by Responsive Management and The National Shooting Sports Foundation revealed that 95% of hunters (or their families) eat what they harvest. Another online survey of U.S. residents found that 87% of respondents agreed that it was acceptable to hunt for food. However, only 37% agreed that it was acceptable to hunt for a trophy.
Injuries
Hunting injuries are very low on a per capita basis. Fatalities are very rare. An interesting note was that 70% of deer hunting injuries occurred due to hunters not wearing hunter orange. These are easily preventable accidents if more hunters would just follow the rules.
Conclusion
After reviewing the recent data, it appears that deer hunting is doing fairly well. Hunting participation has risen modestly compared to 10 years ago. Deer harvest numbers have risen at a higher rate. If you want to help increase the numbers, find a youngster and invest yourself in guiding them. Please teach them to hunt ethically and with integrity. We are all in this together!
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