Hunting Slugs Starbucks and McDonald's as a Major Economic Powerhouse

Hunting might seem like an inexpensive hobby, but it adds up quickly once you factor in costs like guns, ammo, clothing, gear, gas, and vehicle maintenance. A new report from the Sportsmen’s Alliance highlights just how much hunters spend—$45.2 billion in 2022 on equipment, licenses, travel, and other expenses related to the sport.

Evan Heusinkveld, President and CEO of the Sportsmen’s Alliance, emphasized the importance of recognizing hunters' contribution to local and national economies, as well as their role in funding conservation efforts. He noted that this economic impact is significant and should be understood by the public, as well as lawmakers at the state and federal levels.

The report used data from the 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, a survey conducted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) every five years. Despite challenges with declining response rates and rising costs, the survey provides valuable insights into hunting-related spending. To give a clearer picture of economic impact, the Sportsmen's Alliance worked with an economic modeling company to track how spending flows through local economies.

Using data from IMPLAN, an industry-standard tool for economic impact studies, the report found that hunters and sport shooters contributed a total of $107.9 billion to the U.S. economy in 2022. This includes $56.3 billion in GDP contributions. For conservation, hunters spent $1 billion on licenses and an additional $283 million on conservation groups, with nearly $1 billion going toward private land conservation and habitat improvement.

The largest chunk of hunters' spending went toward equipment: $1.5 billion on guns, $1.2 billion on ammo, and $2.5 billion on off-road vehicles. Together, all this spending supported about 540,000 jobs.

The report also shares some striking statistics: more people went target shooting in 2020 than played golf, tennis, basketball, or soccer, and revenue from migratory bird hunting ($5.9 billion) exceeded the combined revenue of the top 10 NFL teams ($4.5 billion). Hunting-related retail sales are nearly on par with the combined sales of Starbucks and McDonald’s.

In addition to the national report, the Sportsmen’s Alliance has also released state-by-state reports on the economic impact of hunting and shooting. These can be used by hunters to educate others about the financial importance of the sport.Heusinkveld concluded by stating that, while not everyone may care about hunting or conservation, the economic impact of the sport benefits everyone. By sharing these numbers, hunters can help ensure the continued success of the sport for years to come.