A new report from the US Fish and Wildlife Service says that the number of hunters nationwide has increased nine percent 2006 to 2011 and the number of anglers increased by 11 percent. More than 71 million people watched wildlife in those five years.

Wildlife-related recreation makes up one percent of the nation’s gross domestic product, the report says. (Now you can say that you are part of the one percent.)

While the news on hunting represents the halt in a decades’ long decline, the report is not all good news for wildlife managers. Not only did the number of people who watched wildlife not increase from 2006 to 2011, but most wildlife watchers never leave home to do so. While “wildlife watching” includes photographing and observing, for 74% of all wildlife watchers, the wildlife activity enjoyed is feeding wildlife.

The 24-page preliminary report is available now. (Here.) A more detailed report will be available in November, and reports on each state will be released starting in December.
Get the highlights in the press release, found here.

Photo courtesy US Fish and Wildlife Service