Bait
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
U.S. Department of Commerce
Economics and Statistics Administration
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
acting as collecting agent for the
U.S. Department of the Interior
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Issued December 2012
Percent of U.S. Population Who Wildlife
Watched by Household Income
Bird Watchers
Percent of Around-the-Home Observers
by Type of Wildlife Observed
100%
92%
80%
37%
31%
19%
Total, all wildlife
Birds
Mammals
Insects, spiders
Reptiles, amphibians
Fish and other wildlife
Wildlife Watchers
(Numbers in millions)
Number Percent
Total participants . . . . . . . . . . 71.8 100
Away from home . . . . . . . . . . 22.5 31
Observe wildlife . . . . . . . . . . 19.8 28
Photograph wildlife . . . . . . . . . 12.4 17
Feed wildlife . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4 8
Around the home . . . . . . . . . . 68.6 96
Feed wildlife . . . . . . . . . . . . 52.8 74
Observe wildlife . . . . . . . . . . 45.0 63
Photograph wildlife . . . . . . . . . 25.4 35
Maintain plantings/natural areas . . . 13.4 19
Visit parks/natural areas . . . . . . . 12.3 17
Number Percent
Total, all wildlife . . . . . . . . . . 22.5 100
Birds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.9 84
Waterfowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.3 59
Birds of prey . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.9 57
Songbirds . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.1 54
Other water birds . . . . . . . . . 10.6 47
Other birds . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.9 30
Land mammals . . . . . . . . . . . 13.7 61
Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.4 28
Marine mammals . . . . . . . . . . 4.0 18
Other (turtles, butterflies, etc.) . . . . 10.1 45
46.7 million
Total Around the
home
Away from
home
41.3 million
17.8 million
Wildlife-Watching Expenditures
Total: $54.9 billion
22%
29%
30%
37%
35%
37%
Less than $20,000
$20,000 to $34,999
$35,000 to $49,999
$50,000 to $74,999
$75,000 to $99,999
$100,000 or more
Percent of Wildlife Watchers by Age
16 and 17
1%
18 to 24
4%
25 to 34
11%
35 to 44
14%
45 to 54
22%
55 to 64
23%
65 and older
26%
Percent of U.S. Population Who Hunted
by Household Income
3%
5%
6%
8%
9%
7%
Less than $20,000
$20,000 to $34,999
$35,000 to $49,999
$50,000 to $74,999
$75,000 to $99,999
$100,000 or more
Wildlife
Watching
Percent of Hunters Who Prepared
by Target Shooting
Total hunters
regardless of
preparation
Target shooting
in preparation
for hunting
Used
shooting
ranges
22%
100%
52%
Q F
From the 2011 National Survey
of Fishing, Hunting, and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation
Trip-related
31%
$17.3 billion
Other
19%
$10.5 billion
Equipment
49%
$27.2 billion
Away-From-Home Wildlife Watchers
by Type of Wildlife Observed,
Photographed, or Fed
(Numbers in millions)
Comparative Fishing by Type of Fishing
Percent of U.S. Population Who Fished
by Household Income
11%
13%
15%
17%
19%
17%
Less than $20,000
$20,000 to $34,999
$35,000 to $49,999
$50,000 to $74,999
$75,000 to $99,999
$100,000 or more
Hunters Pursuing Selected Game
by Type of Hunting
(Numbers in millions)
Game sought Number of hunters Percent
Hunters, total . 13.7 100
Big game . .11.6 85
Deer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.9 79
Wild turkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 23
Elk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.9 6
Bear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.5 4
Small game . 4.5 33
Squirrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7 12
Rabbit, hare . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 11
Pheasant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 11
Quail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.8 6
Migratory birds . . . . . . . . . 2.6 19
Ducks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4 10
Doves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 9
Geese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.8 6
Fishing Expenditures
Total: $41.8 billion
Percent of Anglers by Age Group
16 and 17
3%
18 to 24
8%
25 to 34
19%
35 to 44
18%
45 to 54
22%
55 to 64
18%
65 and older
12%
Hunting Expenditures
Total: $33.7 billion
Trip-related
31%
$10.4 billion
Other
28%
$9.3 billion
Equipment
41%
$14.0 billion
Comparative Hunting
by Type of Hunting
21
18
11
9
16
$762
$627
$350
$365
$301
Days per hunter
All hunting
Big game
Small game
Migratory bird
Other animal
Trip-related expenditures
per hunter
Anglers and Days of Fishing
(Numbers in millions)
Anglers Days
Number Percent Number Percent
Total fishing . . . . . 33.1 100 554 100
Freshwater, total . . . 27.6 83 456 82
Freshwater, except
Great Lakes . . . . 27.1 82 443 80
Great Lakes . . . . . 1.7 5 20 4
Saltwater . . . . . . . 8.9 27 99 18
Fishing
Percent of Hunters by Age Group
16 and 17
3%
18 to 24
9%
25 to 34
15%
35 to 44
18%
45 to 54
23%
55 to 64
21%
65 and older
11%
Trip-related
52%
$21.8 billion
Other
11%
$4.5 billion
Equipment
37%
$15.5 billion
Hunting
$658
$494
$655
$824
Trip-related expenditures
per angler
54%
51%
69%
65%
Percent who fished from boat
All fishing
Freshwater except
Great Lakes
Great Lakes
Saltwater
17
16
12
11
Days per angler
In 2011, 90.1 million U.S. residents 16 years
old and older, 38 percent of the population,
participated in wildlife-related recreational
activities.
Wildlife-Related Recreationists: 2011
33.1 million anglers
13.7 million hunters
71.8 million wildlife watchers
These recreationists spent $145 billion
on their fishing, hunting, and wildlife
watching (closely observing, feeding, and
photographing wildlife).
The 2011 National Survey of Fishing,
Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
is a comprehensive source of wildlife-related
recreation information. Information is provided
in national and state reports available at
.
Q F
Hunters and Days of Hunting
(Numbers in millions)
Hunters Days
Number Percent Number Percent
Total hunting . .13.7 100 282 100
Big game . . . 11.6 85 212 75
Small game . . . 4.5 33 51 18
Migratory bird . . 2.6 19 23 8
Other animal . . 2.2 16 34 12
Anglers Pursuing Selected Fish
by Type of Fishing
(Numbers in millions)
Fish sought Number of anglers Percent
Anglers, total . .33.1 100
Freshwater except Great Lakes . 27.1 82
Black bass . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.6 32
Panfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.3 22
Trout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.2 22
Catfish/bullhead . . . . . . . . . 7.0 21
Great Lakes . . . . . . . . . 1.7 5
Walleye, sauger . . . . . . . . . 0.6 2
Black bass (largemouth) . . . . . 0.6 2
Perch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.5 2
Salmon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.4 1
Saltwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.9 27
Striped bass . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 6
Flatfish (flounder, halibut) . . . . 2.0 6
Red drum (redfish) . . . . . . . . 1.5 5
Sea trout (weakfish) . . . . . . . 1.1 3
