Private and Public Land Use by Hunters Addendum to the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation Report 2001-8

              U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Private and Public
Land Use by Hunters
Addendum to the 2001 National
Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation
Report 2001-8
Private and Public
Land Use by Hunters
Addendum to the 2001 National
Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation
Report 2001-8
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
June 2005
Richard Aiken
Division of Federal Assistance
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Arlington, Virginia
This report complements the National and State Reports for the 2001 National
Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The conclusions
in this report are the author’s and do not represent official positions of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The author thanks Sylvia Cabrera and Jerry Leonard for valuable comments
on early drafts.
2 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Landownership Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Average Days by State from 1991 to 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Demographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Demographics in 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Expenditures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
1991–2001 Expenditures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Land Use by Type of Game Hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Owning and Leasing Hunting Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Willingness to Pay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Appendix I. The Most and Least Private Land Hunting, by State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Contents
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 3
The choice of hunting area is a vital
consideration for all hunters. Knowing
where the game are is only half the
decision; access to the area where the
game can be found is also important.
There are two possibilities of areas to
hunt: publicly owned land and privately
owned land. In this report, publicly
owned land refers to land owned by
federal, state, or local governments.
Publicly owned land usually is available
to all, but its extent varies by state.
Privately owned land refers to all other
land, with a focus on land available for
hunting. Privately owned land is available
to its owner and anyone else who has the
owner’s permission.
This analysis examines the participation
levels, socioeconomic characteristics,
and expenditure patterns of hunters
who use private land and those who use
public land. We will find a national trend
away from public land hunting over the
last twenty years of the 20th Century.
Private land hunters tended to specialize
in private land use, whereas the majority
of public land hunters hunted on private
land as well.
Demographically, the single
characteristic that most determined a
hunter’s use of private or public land
was the region of the country he or she
lived in; different parts of the country
vary widely in the availability of public
and private land. Private land hunters
also tended to be more rural. Other
demographic characteristics, such as age,
race and ethnicity, income, and education
levels, were similar for both private and
public land hunters, so they appeared
not to have much influence on what
type of land was chosen. The primary
characteristic that influenced the choice
of land was the proximate availability of
private and public land.
This report presents information in the
following order: U.S. landownership
overview, a summary of the trends of
hunting on public and private land,
average days of hunting by state,
socioeconomic characteristics of public
and private land hunters, expenditure
patterns, land use by type of hunting,
owning and leasing hunting land, and
the valuation of the hunting experiences
of public and private land hunters (i.e.,
willingness to pay more to hunt). The last
section is a summary of findings.
Introduction
4 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
The federal government owns three out
of every ten acres of land in the U.S.
There are 2.3 billion acres in the United
States of which 672 million acres are
owned by the federal government. State
recreational areas, such as state parks,
make up 13 million acres.1 The extent of
private land is more than twice that of
public land. Of course, much of private
land is not appropriate for hunting,
e.g., urban areas. Also, not all public
land is available for hunting, e.g., most
national parks.
The availability of public land varies
widely by region of the country. Most
public land is in the West and therefore
not easily accessible to the many large
population areas in the East. The
percentage extremes of federal land in
different areas of the country are 2% in
the Middle Atlantic region and 58% in
the Pacific region. The two regions of the
country that are dominated by federal
land are the Pacific and Mountain (51%)
regions. The rest of the country has
single-digit percentages: New England
(4%), West North Central (4%), West
South Central (4%), East North Central
(5%), East South Central (6%), and
South Atlantic (9%). The state with the
most federal land percentage-wise is
Nevada (92%) and acreage-wise is Alaska
(244 million acres).2
Landownership Overview
The National Survey of Fishing, Hunting,
and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
provides estimates of the number of
hunters who use public and private land
and their days of hunting. Private land
hunting is more prevalent than public
land hunting both nationally and for
most states. In 2001 82% of all hunters
used private land and 40% of hunters
used public land. (Some hunters used
both public and private land, which
explains why the sum of 82% and 40% is
greater than 100%.) Forty-two states in
2001 had a majority of hunters hunt on
private land. In fact, in thirteen states
90% or more of in-state hunters3 hunted
on private land. The eight states where
the majority of hunters hunted on public
land were in the Mountain and Pacific
regions. See Appendix I for more state
information.
In 2001 10.7 million hunters used private
land. Texas (1,080,000), Pennsylvania
(749,000), New York (636,000), and
Michigan (595,000) had the most in-state
hunters who used private land.
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Figure 1. Extent of Federally Owned Land by Region
1 Statistical Abstract of the United States:
2004-2005, tables 346, 347, and 1250.
Issued 2004.
2 Statistical Abstract of the United States:
2004-2005, table 347. Issued 2004.
3 In-state hunters are all hunters, both state
residents and nonresidents, hunting in a
state.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2004-2005, Table 347.
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 5
Trends
For technical reasons (primarily changes
in the respondent’s recall period) the 1980
and 1985 National Survey estimates are
not directly comparable to the 1991-2001
Survey estimates, but the proportions of
totals can be compared. 45% of hunters
hunted on public land in 1980 and 40%
did in 2001. 32% of hunting days were on
public land in 1980 and 26% were in 2001.
In 27 states the percent of state resident
hunters using public land declined from
1980 to 2001, and in 21 states it increased.
These statistics indicate a trend away
from public land hunting over the last
twenty years of the 20th century. Part
of the reason is that state fish and game
agencies have begun to promote private
land use. For example, Colorado, Kansas,
Nebraska, North Dakota, and South
Dakota have “Walk-in” hunting programs
that provide public access to private
land hunting.
PA Game Commission
6 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
From 1980 to 2001 small game, migratory
bird, and other animal (nongame such
as coyotes and groundhogs) hunters had
little change in either public or private
participation levels, while big game
hunters shifted away from public land
use. 47% of big game hunters hunted on
public land in 1980, which compares to
only 37% in 2001. Moreover, 41% of big
game hunting days in 1980 were on public
land, while 24% of big game hunting days
were on public land in 2001.
Table 1. Trend in Public and Private Land Hunting, by Percent of Total Hunters
1980 1985 1991 1996 2001
Public Land Hunter Percentage
Total hunting 45 47 44 47 40
Big game 47 47 43 44 37
Small game 33 34 34 38 36
Migratory bird 32 32 29 36 35
Other animals 21 20 21 26 27
Private Land Hunter Percentage
Total hunting N.A. 82 83 81 82
Big game N.A. 74 79 77 80
Small game N.A. 82 84 82 80
Migratory bird N.A. 76 82 77 76
Other animals N.A. 85 90 86 86
Table 2. Big Game Private and Public Land Hunting
(Numbers in thousands.)
1980 1985 1991 1996 2001
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Total hunters N.A. 100 N.A. 100 10,745 100 11,288 100 10,911 100
Total public land hunters N.A. 47 N.A. 47 4,626 43 4,937 44 3,998 37
Public land only hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 24 2,162 20 2,353 21 1,815 17
Public and private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 23 2,451 23 2,584 23 2,183 20
Total private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 74 8,464 79 8,746 77 8,748 80
Private land only hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 51 5,990 56 6,162 55 6,565 60
Public and private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 23 2,451 23 2,584 23 2,183 20
Total hunting days N.A. 100 N.A. 100 128,411 100 153,784 100 153,191 100
Public land days N.A. 41 N.A. 34 37,434 29 43,409 28 36,070 24
Private land days N.A. 59 N.A. 68 90,432 70 105,627 69 110,283 72
Table 3. Small Game Private and Public Land Hunting
(Numbers in thousands.)
1980 1985 1991 1996 2001
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Total hunters N.A. 100 N.A. 100 7,642 100 6,945 100 5,434 100
Total public land hunters N.A. 33 N.A. 34 2,634 34 2,655 38 1,972 36
Public land only hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 15 1,089 14 1,110 16 935 17
Public and private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 19 1,542 20 1,545 22 1,037 19
Total private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 82 6,424 84 5,713 82 4,345 80
Private land only hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 63 4,840 63 4,168 60 3,308 61
Public and private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 19 1,542 20 1,545 22 1,037 19
Total hunting days N.A. 100 N.A. 100 77,132 100 75,117 100 60,142 100
Public land days N.A. 26 N.A. 23 19,093 25 20,069 27 16,170 27
Private land days N.A. 74 N.A. 75 57,391 74 54,993 73 42,382 70
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 7
Table 4. Migratory Bird Private and Public Land Hunting
(Numbers in thousands.)
1980 1985 1991 1996 2001
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Total hunters N.A. 100 N.A. 100 3,009 100 3,073 100 2,956 100
Total public land hunters N.A. 32 N.A. 32 887 29 1,117 36 1,045 35
Public land only hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 18 487 16 641 21 576 19
Public and private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 14 400 13 476 15 469 16
Total private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 76 2,454 82 2,377 77 2,255 76
Private land only hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 62 2,046 68 1,901 62 1,787 60
Public and private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 14 400 13 476 15 469 16
Total hunting days N.A. 100 N.A. 100 22,235 100 26,501 100 29,310 100
Public land days N.A. 29 N.A. 28 5,538 25 7,809 29 9,126 31
Private land days N.A. 67 N.A. 68 15,512 70 17,674 67 19,707 67
Table 5. Other Animal Private and Public Land Hunting
(Numbers in thousands.)
1980 1985 1991 1996 2001
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Total hunters N.A. 100 N.A. 100 1,411 100 1,521 100 1,047 100
Total public land hunters N.A. 21 N.A. 20 293 21 394 26 287 27
Public land only hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 10 124 9 155 10 104 10
Public and private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 10 168 12 240 16 184 18
Total private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 85 1,273 90 1,307 86 904 86
Private land only hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 74 1,099 78 1,068 70 720 69
Public and private land hunters N.A. N.A. N.A. 10 168 12 240 16 184 18
Total hunting days N.A. 100 N.A. 100 19,340 100 24,522 100 19,207 100
Public land days N.A. 18 N.A. 16 2,642 14 5,731 23 3,227 17
Private land days N.A. 82 N.A. 83 15,655 81 19,871 81 16,076 84
USFWS/Mike Hemming
8 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
At the state level, the trend from 1991
to 2001 is one of reduced participation
extremes: in 1991 22 states had 90%
or more of in-state hunters hunting on
private land compared to 13 in 2001. The
principal source of the change was the
arc of states from Iowa to Ohio, where
the dominance of private land hunting
lessened.
Nationally there was a 9% decrease
in the number of private land hunters
from 1991 to 2001. This is similar to the
trend in overall hunting participation,
which decreased 7% over the same time
period. Nonetheless there were areas
with increases in hunters who used
private land. The states with the greatest
percentage increases in private land
hunters were Arkansas (57%), North
Dakota (38%), and South Dakota (36%).
The states with the greatest increase in
the number of hunters using private land
were Arkansas (+140,000), Minnesota
(105,000), and Texas (70,000).
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Figure 2. Private Land Use in 2001, by Proportion of Total Hunters
Figure 3. Private Land Use in 1996, by Proportion of Total Hunters
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50 percent or less
Between 50 and 90 percent
90 percent or more
50 percent or less
Between 50 and 90 percent
90 percent or more
Figure 4. Private Land Use in 1991, by Proportion of Total Hunters
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50 percent or less
Between 50 and 90 percent
90 percent or more
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 9
Table 6. 2001 Public and Private Land Hunters by State Where Hunting Took Place
(Numbers in thousands.)
Total
hunters
Public
land hunters
Percent of
total hunters
Private
land hunters
Percent of
total hunters
Public
land only
Private
land only
Public and
Private land
Aggregate 13,034 5,156 40 10,724 82 1,879 7,447 3,277
Alabama 423 55 13 395 93 … 350 45
Alaska 93 85 91 18 19 72 *5 *13
Arizona 148 121 82 *47 *32 99 … *23
Arkansas 431 156 36 386 90 *36 266 120
California 274 *122 *45 *178 *65 *69 *125 …
Colorado 281 194 69 160 57 120 87 73
Connecticut 45 *22 *49 *37 *82 … *23 ���
Delaware 16 *4 *25 14 88 … *12 …
Florida 226 *104 *46 *141 *62 *77 *114 …
Georgia 417 *85 *20 373 89 … 298 *76
Hawaii 17 *10 *59 *11 *65 … … *6
Idaho 197 173 88 78 40 108 … 65
Illinois 310 *63 *20 269 87 … 236 …
Indiana 290 *83 *29 259 89 … 187 *72
Iowa 243 92 38 207 85 *32 147 61
Kansas 291 97 33 264 91 *24 191 73
Kentucky 323 76 24 289 90 … 232 *57
Louisiana 333 99 30 271 81 *41 213 *58
Maine 164 31 19 148 90 *13 130 *17
Maryland 145 *53 *37 131 90 … 90 *40
Massachusetts 66 43 65 48 73 *15 *20 *28
Michigan 754 248 33 595 79 *124 471 *124
Minnesota 597 262 44 482 81 *97 317 165
Mississippi 357 89 25 328 92 *20 260 69
Missouri 489 97 20 446 91 … 372 *74
Montana 229 156 68 132 58 91 67 65
Nebraska 173 53 31 150 87 *15 112 39
Nevada 47 45 96 *13 *28 33 … *12
New Hampshire 78 33 42 65 83 *9 41 24
New Jersey 135 85 63 104 77 *20 *39 *65
New Mexico 130 122 94 *35 *27 95 … *27
New York 714 252 35 636 89 *60 444 192
North Carolina 295 *90 *31 252 85 *34 196 *56
North Dakota 139 49 35 126 91 *12 90 37
Ohio 490 157 32 422 86 *48 312 110
Oklahoma 261 *79 *30 245 94 … 180 *65
Oregon 248 195 79 95 38 140 *40 55
Pennsylvania 1,000 484 48 749 75 209 475 275
Rhode Island *9 *4 *44 *7 *78 … … …
South Carolina 265 53 20 243 92 *16 206 *37
South Dakota 209 79 38 182 87 *24 127 54
Tennessee 359 113 32 341 95 … 240 102
Texas 1,201 *189 *16 1,080 90 … 953 *127
Utah 198 170 86 86 43 110 *26 60
Vermont 100 47 47 81 81 *14 48 33
Virginia 355 115 32 309 87 *40 234 *75
Washington 227 160 71 128 56 93 60 68
West Virginia 284 70 25 262 92 *18 210 52
Wisconsin 660 240 36 577 87 *67 404 173
Wyoming 133 86 65 67 50 65 *46 21
Note: The Public land only, Private land only, and Public and Private land estimates may not add to Total hunters because some respondents did not answer the
pertinent survey question or answered “don’t know”.
*Sample size between 10 and 30.
… Sample size less than 10.
10 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
Table 7. 1996 Public and Private Land Hunters by State Where Hunting Took Place
(Numbers in thousands.)
Total
hunters
Public
land hunters
Percent of
total hunters
Private
land hunters
Percent of
total hunters
Public
land only
Private
land only
Public and
Private land
Aggregate 13,975 6,533 47 11,383 82 2,344 7,195 4,188
Alabama 347 100 29 329 95 … 247 83
Alaska 73 67 92 *18 *25 54 … *13
Arizona 167 149 89 *37 *22 124 … *26
Arkansas 379 150 40 335 88 *33 218 117
California 515 360 70 312 61 *198 *149 *162
Colorado 454 385 85 165 36 287 *68 97
Connecticut 62 33 53 43 69 *18 *28 *15
Delaware 40 12 30 36 90 *4 28 *8
Florida *184 *68 *37 *139 *76 … *109 …
Georgia 403 *111 *28 355 88 … 280 *75
Hawaii 23 *15 *65 *15 *65 *8 *8 *7
Idaho 248 210 85 113 46 133 *37 77
Illinois 432 *133 *31 379 88 *43 289 *90
Indiana 357 98 28 320 90 … 253 *66
Iowa 368 105 29 342 93 … 258 84
Kansas 275 *54 *20 262 95 … 217 *45
Kentucky 377 *61 *16 351 93 … 306 *46
Louisiana 352 142 40 269 76 *77 205 *64
Maine 195 51 26 168 86 *16 133 35
Maryland 160 71 44 118 74 *40 87 *31
Massachusetts 84 *43 *51 64 76 *20 *41 *23
Michigan 934 490 53 716 77 219 444 271
Minnesota 588 332 57 463 79 *120 252 211
Mississippi 433 116 27 397 92 *31 312 85
Missouri 552 192 35 510 92 *33 351 159
Montana 195 136 70 124 64 70 58 65
Nebraska 176 54 31 162 92 … 121 41
Nevada 52 46 89 *17 *33 35 … *11
New Hampshire 84 41 49 65 77 *15 39 26
New Jersey 95 *40 *42 *68 *72 *27 *55 …
New Mexico 97 67 69 35 36 52 *20 *15
New York 642 231 36 594 93 *42 405 189
North Carolina 370 *128 *35 320 87 … 223 *97
North Dakota 88 39 44 70 80 *11 42 27
Ohio 479 203 42 436 91 … 270 166
Oklahoma 297 134 45 267 90 … 155 *112
Oregon 293 238 81 152 52 138 *52 100
Pennsylvania 879 521 59 660 75 208 347 312
Rhode Island 26 18 69 16 62 *11 *8 *8
South Carolina 300 82 27 277 92 … 213 64
South Dakota 186 71 38 163 88 *22 114 49
Tennessee 408 180 44 347 85 *56 223 124
Texas 911 *139 *15 822 90 … 745 …
Utah 143 126 88 53 37 89 *16 *37
Vermont 106 41 39 89 84 *14 63 26
Virginia 392 152 39 339 87 *40 227 112
Washington 271 211 78 161 59 105 *55 *106
West Virginia 369 122 33 313 85 *51 242 71
Wisconsin 665 302 45 590 89 *64 353 238
Wyoming 136 88 65 85 63 48 45 39
Note: The Public land only, Private land only, and Public and Private land estimates may not add to Total hunters because some respondents did not answer the
pertinent survey question or answered ”don’t know”.
*Sample size between 10 and 30.
… Sample size less than 10.
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 11
Table 8. 1991 Public and Private Land Hunters by State Where Hunting Took Place
(Numbers in thousands.)
Total
hunters
Public
land hunters
Percent of
total hunters
Private
land hunters
Percent of
total hunters
Public
land only
Private
land only
Public and
Private land
Aggregate 14,063 6,204 44 11,725 83 2,115 7,587 4,073
Alabama 359 89 25 328 91 *30 269 59
Alaska 69 60 87 19 28 44 … 16
Arizona 182 144 79 54 30 104 *14 *40
Arkansas 314 148 47 246 78 61 159 87
California 446 234 53 286 64 135 187 99
Colorado 348 270 78 160 46 182 72 88
Connecticut 57 21 37 35 61 *8 22 *13
Delaware 26 9 35 24 92 … 17 7
Florida 253 106 42 189 75 *63 146 *43
Georgia 412 96 23 376 91 *34 314 62
Hawaii 18 11 61 13 72 *5 *7 *6
Idaho 193 168 87 79 41 107 *18 61
Illinois 449 139 31 407 91 *42 310 97
Indiana 331 99 30 303 92 *21 225 78
Iowa 328 82 25 312 95 *14 244 68
Kansas 241 56 23 224 93 *17 185 39
Kentucky 370 85 23 343 93 *22 280 63
Louisiana 332 121 36 293 88 *36 208 85
Maine 165 39 24 151 92 *11 123 28
Maryland 147 65 44 114 78 *25 74 40
Massachusetts 108 76 70 74 69 *31 29 45
Michigan 826 458 55 690 84 133 365 325
Minnesota 458 244 53 377 82 73 206 171
Mississippi 364 113 31 339 93 *19 245 94
Missouri 520 192 37 481 93 40 329 152
Montana 223 166 74 151 68 69 54 97
Nebraska 168 44 26 163 97 … 123 40
Nevada 57 51 90 24 42 33 … 18
New Hampshire 73 29 40 61 84 *10 42 19
New Jersey 135 73 54 85 63 *45 57 *28
New Mexico 109 92 84 35 32 73 *16 19
New York 742 294 40 670 90 *67 443 227
North Carolina 398 115 29 352 88 *33 270 82
North Dakota 98 47 48 91 93 *7 51 40
Ohio 615 173 28 570 93 *43 440 130
Oklahoma 244 76 31 220 90 *23 167 53
Oregon 253 197 78 114 45 132 49 65
Pennsylvania 1,027 604 59 811 79 208 415 396
Rhode Island 22 13 59 17 77 *5 *9 *8
South Carolina 235 54 23 215 92 *15 176 39
South Dakota 147 73 50 134 91 *13 74 60
Tennessee 361 115 32 328 91 *34 247 81
Texas 1,060 162 15 1,010 95 *50 898 112
Utah 177 149 84 75 42 99 *25 50
Vermont 101 43 43 92 91 *9 58 34
Virginia 402 142 35 358 89 *31 247 111
Washington 248 195 79 152 61 93 50 102
West Virginia 342 86 25 312 91 *27 253 59
Wisconsin 747 324 43 629 84 110 415 214
Wyoming 135 100 74 74 55 61 35 39
Note: The Public land only, Private land only, and Public and Private land estimates may not add to Total hunters because some respondents did not answer the
pertinent survey question or answered “don’t know”.
*Sample size between 10 and 30.
… Sample size less than 10.
12 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
In terms of hunting days, there was no Figure 5. Private Land Use in 2001, by Proportion of Total Hunting Days
statistically significant change in hunting
days nationally on private land in 2001
compared to 1991.3 This is similar to the
trend in overall hunting days, where
the 3% decrease over the same time
period is not statistically significant.
Nonetheless there were states with
increases in private land use. The states
with the greatest percentage increase
in private land hunting days were
New Mexico (158%), Utah (123%), and
Oklahoma (115%). The states with the
greatest increase in the number of days
were Oklahoma (+3.3 million), Arkansas
(2.9 million), Alabama (2.6 million), and
Georgia (2.5 million).
From 1991 to 2001 the number of public
land hunters fell faster than the number
of private land hunters. 17% fewer public
land hunters hunted in 2001 compared to
1991, nearly twice the rate of decrease of
the private land hunters. The only states
with significant increases in the number
of public land hunters were Kansas with a
73% increase (41,000), Alaska with a 42%
increase (25,000), and New Mexico with a
33% increase (30,000).
Nationwide, the number of public land
hunting days did not change from 1991
to 2001. In only one state was there a
significant increase: Kansas, with a 199%
increase (+0.6 million).
3 The significance test was at the 95% level.
This means that for 95% of all possible
samples the estimate for 2001 cannot be
shown to be different from the estimate
for 1991.
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Figure 6. Private Land Use in 1996, by Proportion of Total Hunting Days
Figure 7. Private Land Use in 1991, by Proportion of Total Hunting Days
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50 percent or less
Between 50 and 80 percent
80 percent or more
50 percent or less
Between 50 and 80 percent
80 percent or more
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 13
Table 9. 2001 Public and Private Land Hunting Days by State Where Hunting Took Place
(Numbers in thousands.)
Total
days
Public
land days
Percent of
total days
Private
land days
Percent of
total days
Average
hunting
days
Average
public
land days
Average
private
land days
Aggregate 228,368 64,592 28 188,448 83 18 13 18
Alabama 7,616 426 6 7,416 97 18 8 19
Alaska 1,146 996 87 190 17 12 12 11
Arizona 1,694 1,414 84 *411 24 11 12 9
Arkansas 8,411 2,002 24 6,654 79 20 13 17
California 3,426 *1,697 50 *1,920 56 13 14 11
Colorado 2,610 1,650 63 1,259 48 9 9 8
Connecticut 766 *196 26 *647 84 17 9 17
Delaware 226 *60 27 186 82 14 15 13
Florida 4,693 *2,350 50 *2,732 58 21 23 19
Georgia 7,973 *927 12 7,446 93 19 11 20
Hawaii 316 *234 74 *181 57 19 23 16
Idaho 2,100 1,763 84 720 34 11 10 9
Illinois 4,522 *1,049 23 4,143 92 15 17 15
Indiana 5,000 *608 12 4,920 98 17 7 19
Iowa 3,989 1,232 31 3,055 77 16 13 15
Kansas 3,647 967 27 3,505 96 13 10 13
Kentucky 4,664 587 13 4,550 98 14 8 16
Louisiana 6,442 1,239 19 5,077 79 19 13 19
Maine 2,469 367 15 2,416 98 15 12 16
Maryland 1,799 *235 13 1,688 94 12 4 13
Massachusetts 1,158 *440 38 943 81 18 10 20
Michigan 8,994 3,352 37 6,513 72 12 14 11
Minnesota 8,437 2,813 33 5,381 64 14 11 11
Mississippi 8,481 1,590 19 7,859 93 24 18 24
Missouri 6,606 806 12 6,464 98 14 8 15
Montana 2,442 1,595 65 1,260 52 11 10 10
Nebraska 2,204 341 16 2,057 93 13 6 14
Nevada 490 446 91 *136 28 10 10 10
New Hampshire 1,459 315 22 1,111 76 19 10 17
New Jersey 3,120 1,190 38 1,884 60 23 14 18
New Mexico 1,667 1,589 95 *644 39 13 13 18
New York 13,187 4,423 34 12,407 94 19 18 20
North Carolina 7,526 *1,393 19 6,662 89 26 15 26
North Dakota 1,635 424 26 1,470 90 12 9 12
Ohio 10,233 1,306 13 8,966 88 21 8 21
Oklahoma 5,642 *1,155 20 5,642 100 22 15 23
Oregon 2,947 2,402 82 859 29 12 12 9
Pennsylvania 13,955 5,193 37 9,519 68 14 11 13
Rhode Island 104 *40 38 *91 88 12 10 13
South Carolina 4,744 650 14 4,402 93 18 12 18
South Dakota 2,425 698 29 1,700 70 12 7 8
Tennessee 6,651 1,537 23 6,475 97 19 14 19
Texas 14,081 *1,403 10 14,081 100 12 7 13
Utah 2,455 1,986 81 731 30 12 12 9
Vermont 1,510 399 26 1,223 81 15 9 15
Virginia 5,818 1,016 18 5,118 88 16 9 17
Washington 2,951 1,816 62 1,326 45 13 11 10
West Virginia 5,166 761 15 5,029 97 18 11 19
Wisconsin 9,653 2,493 26 7,214 75 15 10 13
Wyoming 1,304 960 74 580 45 10 11 9
Note: Total days is less than the sum of Public land days and Private land days because some days were spent on both public and private land.
*Sample size between 10 and 30.
14 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
Table 10. 1996 Public and Private Land Hunting Days by State Where Hunting Took Place
(Numbers in thousands.)
Total
days
Public
land days
Percent of
total days
Private
land days
Percent of
total days
Average
hunting
days
Average
public
land days
Average
private
land days
Aggregate 256,676 77,018 30 198,165 77 18 12 17
Alabama 7,181 1,226 17 5,619 78 21 12 17
Alaska 1,067 976 92 *245 23 15 15 14
Arizona 1,630 1,568 96 *248 15 10 11 7
Arkansas 8,381 2,692 32 5,969 71 22 18 18
California 7,452 3,512 47 4,307 58 15 10 14
Colorado 4,287 3,404 79 1,297 30 9 9 8
Connecticut 854 393 46 561 66 14 12 13
Delaware 716 271 38 533 74 18 23 15
Florida *4,446 *673 15 *4,438 100 24 10 32
Georgia 6,993 *1,169 17 5,716 82 17 11 16
Hawaii 258 *176 68 *140 54 11 12 9
Idaho 3,301 2,839 86 1,233 37 13 14 11
Illinois 6,488 *892 14 5,936 92 15 7 16
Indiana 6,204 955 15 5,277 85 17 10 17
Iowa 5,182 819 16 4,878 94 14 8 14
Kansas 3,954 *362 9 3,954 100 14 7 15
Kentucky 5,454 *610 11 4,928 90 15 10 14
Louisiana 6,756 1,659 25 5,725 85 19 12 21
Maine 3,144 1,034 33 2,586 82 16 20 15
Maryland 1,741 649 37 1,274 73 11 9 11
Massachusetts 1,261 *625 50 841 67 15 15 13
Michigan 18,408 6,483 35 11,831 64 20 13 17
Minnesota 6,984 3,216 46 4,671 67 12 10 10
Mississippi 8,327 1,167 14 7,845 94 19 10 20
Missouri 8,508 2,189 26 6,966 82 15 11 14
Montana 1,807 1,162 64 1,131 63 9 9 9
Nebraska 2,264 358 16 2,103 93 13 7 13
Nevada 649 536 83 *123 19 13 12 7
New Hampshire 1,204 507 42 947 79 14 12 15
New Jersey 2,242 *501 22 *1,188 53 24 13 17
New Mexico 632 463 73 197 31 7 7 6
New York 11,552 2,067 18 10,043 87 18 9 17
North Carolina 7,834 *2,297 29 7,485 96 21 18 23
North Dakota 1,033 314 30 769 74 12 8 11
Ohio 7,933 2,178 28 7,841 99 17 11 18
Oklahoma 5,605 1,283 23 3,885 69 19 10 15
Oregon 4,281 2,707 63 1,575 37 15 11 10
Pennsylvania 13,173 5,025 38 9,257 70 15 10 14
Rhode Island 502 249 50 295 59 19 14 18
South Carolina 6,921 1,328 19 5,374 78 23 16 19
South Dakota 2,280 670 29 1,785 78 12 9 11
Tennessee 9,057 2,367 26 6,248 69 22 13 18
Texas 17,050 *1,229 7 17,050 100 19 9 21
Utah 1,660 1,321 80 279 17 12 11 5
Vermont 1,642 412 25 1,387 85 16 10 16
Virginia 7,470 1,904 26 4,840 65 19 13 14
Washington 4,732 2,718 57 2,934 62 18 13 18
West Virginia 6,262 1,216 19 5,466 87 17 10 18
Wisconsin 10,042 3,522 35 7,715 77 15 12 13
Wyoming 1,442 1,123 78 839 58 11 13 10
Note: Total days is less than the sum of Public land days and Private land days because some days were spent on both public and private land.
*Sample size between 10 and 30.
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 15
Table 11. 1991 Public and Private Land Hunting Days by State Where Hunting Took Place
(Numbers in thousands.)
Total
days
Public
land days
Percent of
total days
Private
land days
Percent of
total days
Average
hunting
days
Average
public
land days
Average
private
land days
Aggregate 235,806 64,707 27 178,990 76 17 10 15
Alabama 5,823 1,036 18 4,825 83 16 12 15
Alaska 847 697 82 159 19 12 12 8
Arizona 1,555 1,292 83 239 15 9 9 4
Arkansas 5,513 1,684 31 3,771 68 18 11 15
California 5,211 2,328 45 3,346 64 12 10 12
Colorado 2,644 1,814 69 1,061 40 8 7 7
Connecticut 840 242 29 615 73 15 12 18
Delaware 410 73 18 312 76 16 8 13
Florida 4,545 1,493 33 3,264 72 18 14 17
Georgia 5,905 1,024 17 4,917 83 14 11 13
Hawaii 245 119 49 130 53 14 11 10
Idaho 2,168 1,604 74 688 32 11 10 9
Illinois 6,863 1,032 15 5,993 87 15 7 15
Indiana 7,155 1,163 16 6,003 84 22 12 20
Iowa 4,005 693 17 3,567 89 12 9 11
Kansas 2,821 323 11 2,548 90 12 6 11
Kentucky 6,042 668 11 5,477 91 16 8 16
Louisiana 6,676 1,754 26 4,933 74 20 15 17
Maine 2,347 529 23 1,943 83 14 14 13
Maryland 2,276 607 27 1,672 74 16 9 15
Massachusetts 1,426 800 56 862 60 13 11 12
Michigan 15,088 5,508 37 10,584 70 18 12 15
Minnesota 5,235 2,357 45 3,808 73 11 10 10
Mississippi 8,607 1,575 18 7,295 85 24 14 22
Missouri 7,196 1,569 22 5,709 79 14 8 12
Montana 2,591 1,787 69 1,137 44 12 11 8
Nebraska 2,251 272 12 2,058 91 13 6 13
Nevada 565 440 78 164 29 10 9 7
New Hampshire 1,118 261 23 900 81 15 9 15
New Jersey 2,363 1,117 47 1,264 54 18 15 15
New Mexico 1,088 853 78 250 23 10 9 7
New York 13,110 3,240 25 10,851 83 18 11 16
North Carolina 6,849 975 14 5,581 82 17 9 16
North Dakota 1,297 391 30 1,020 79 13 8 11
Ohio 9,013 1,134 13 7,886 88 15 7 14
Oklahoma 3,676 662 18 2,910 79 15 9 13
Oregon 2,554 1,667 65 992 39 10 9 9
Pennsylvania 15,639 5,829 37 10,589 68 15 10 13
Rhode Island 350 166 47 210 60 16 13 12
South Carolina 3,945 700 18 3,086 78 17 13 14
South Dakota 1,878 578 31 1,504 80 13 8 11
Tennessee 7,315 1,024 14 6,059 83 20 9 19
Texas 15,028 1,340 9 14,077 94 14 8 14
Utah 1,354 1,117 83 328 24 8 8 4
Vermont 1,777 527 30 1,511 85 18 12 16
Virginia 8,728 1,591 18 7,193 82 22 11 20
Washington 3,386 2,220 66 1,459 43 14 11 10
West Virginia 6,104 616 10 5,311 87 18 7 17
Wisconsin 11,324 3,421 30 8,544 76 15 11 14
Wyoming 1,054 796 76 389 37 8 8 5
Note: Total days is usually less than the sum of Public land days and Private land days because some days were spent on both public and private land.
16 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
Average Days by State from 1991 to 2001
There are not only more private land
hunters than public land hunters
nationally, but on average private land
hunters hunt more. In 2001 the average
days for public land hunting was 13, and
the average days for private land hunting
was 18. There was an upward trend in
average days for both public and private
land hunting from 1991 to 2001. In 2001
the average days of public land hunting
by state ranged from 4 (Maryland)
to 23 (Florida and Hawaii). Average
private land hunting days ranged from
8 (Colorado and South Dakota) to 26
(North Carolina). The mode (i.e., the
single estimate that occurred most often)
for average public land days was 10
(Idaho, Kansas, Massachusetts, Montana,
Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
and Wisconsin). The mode for average
private land days was 13 (Delaware,
Kansas, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, Texas, and Wisconsin).
In 1996 the average days for public land
hunting was 12, and the average days
for private land hunting was 17. Both
averages were less than those for 2001.
Average days of public land hunting by
state ranged from 7 (Illinois, Kansas,
Nebraska, and New Mexico) to 23
(Delaware). The range of average days
for private land hunting was 5 (Utah)
to 32 (Florida). The mode for average
public land days was 10 (California,
Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,
Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia). The
mode for average private land days was
14 (Alaska, California, Iowa, Kentucky,
Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Virginia).
In 1991 the average days for public land
hunting was 10, and the average days for
private land hunting was 15. Again, these
averages are less than those for the next
Survey (1996). The range of average days
for public land hunting was 6 (Kansas and
Nebraska) to 15 (New Jersey). The range
of average days by state for private land
hunting in 1991 was 4 (Arizona and Utah)
to 22 (Mississippi). The mode for average
public land days was 8 (Delaware, Iowa,
Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina,
North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota,
Texas, Wyoming), and the mode for
average private land days was 15
(Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland,
Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey).
PA Game Commission
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 17
Demographics in 2001
The single characteristic that most
determines a hunter’s use of private or
public land is the region of the country
he or she lives in. The region with
the highest public land usage was the
Mountain region (85% of total hunters in
the Mountain region used public land);
the lowest was the West South Central
(25%). 74% of Mountain hunting days
were on public land, and 16% of hunting
days in the South Central (both East and
West) were. The region with the highest
private land usage was the East South
Central (95% of hunters in this region
used private land!), and the lowest was
the Mountain (43%). The East South
Central region had the highest percent
of hunting days on private land (85%);
the Mountain region had the lowest
percent (35%).
In 2001 40% of all hunters hunted on
public land. Of all public land hunters,
50% lived in urban areas and 50% in rural
areas. The age group with the highest
public land hunting participation rate
(43%) was the 55 to 64 year olds. The
group with the lowest participation rate
(32%) was the 65 and older participants.
The income group with the highest
participation rate was the $30,000 to
$34,999 group (48%); the lowest was the
less than $10,000 group (20%).
26% of all hunting days were on public
land. 35% of urbanite hunter days were
on public land, while 22% of ruralite
hunter days were. Ruralite hunters rely
on public land less than urbanite hunters.
82% of all hunters hunted on private land.
Of all private land hunters, 42% came
from urban areas and 58% from rural
areas. The age group with the highest
rate of private land hunting was the 25 to
34 year olds (85%) and the cohorts with
the lowest rate were the 16 to 17 year
olds and the 55 to 64 year olds, both at
80% (there was not much variation by age
in private land use). The income group
with the highest participation rate was
$100,000 or more (87%), the lowest were
the $10,000 to $19,999 and the $30,000 to
$34,999 cohorts (75%).
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Figure 9. Percent of Hunting Population that Hunts on Private Land by Region
Demographics
18 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
continues
Table 12. Hunters and Days of Hunting on Public Land by Selected Characteristic: 2001
(Numbers in thousands.)
Hunters Days of hunting
Hunters on public land1 Days on public land2
Characteristic
Total
hunters,
public and
private land Number
Percent
of total
hunters
Percent of
hunters
using
public land
Total days,
public and
private land Number
Percent of
total days
Percent of
days on
public land
Total persons 13,034 5,156 40 100 228,368 60,454 26 100
Population Density of Residence
Urban 5,873 2,592 44 50 84,455 29,225 35 48
Rural 7,161 2,564 36 50 143,913 31,229 22 52
Population Size of Residence
Metropolitan statistical area (MSA) 7,749 3,177 41 62 121,857 34,888 29 58
1,000,000 or more 3,690 1,565 42 30 55,646 16,096 29 27
250,000 to 999,999 2,409 1,027 43 20 40,180 11,373 28 19
50,000 to 249,999 1,650 585 35 11 26,031 7,420 29 12
Outside MSA 5,285 1,978 37 38 106,511 25,566 24 42
Census Geographic Division
New England 386 169 44 3 7,488 1,758 23 3
Middle Atlantic 1,633 761 47 15 30,060 9,538 32 16
East North Central 2,421 771 32 15 39,820 8,690 22 14
West North Central 1,710 655 38 13 27,186 7,109 26 12
South Atlantic 1,875 529 28 10 39,043 7,077 18 12
East South Central 1,164 349 30 7 25,482 4,156 16 7
West South Central 1,988 493 25 10 35,116 5,745 16 10
Mountain 1,020 871 85 17 12,995 9,641 74 16
Pacific 837 559 67 11 11,179 6,739 60 11
Age
16 to 17 years 584 241 41 5 11,420 2,469 22 4
18 to 24 years 1,251 445 36 9 23,862 6,341 27 10
25 to 34 years 2,413 971 40 19 44,765 11,835 26 20
35 to 44 years 3,551 1,460 41 28 62,185 17,488 28 29
45 to 54 years 2,821 1,098 39 21 47,579 11,846 25 20
55 to 64 years 1,450 630 43 12 25,236 7,549 30 12
65 years and older 965 310 32 6 13,321 2,926 22 5
Sex
Male 11,845 4,826 41 94 214,300 57,647 27 95
Female 1,190 329 28 6 14,068 2,808 20 5
Ethnicity
Hispanic 428 205 48 4 5,139 2,027 39 3
Non-Hispanic 12,606 4,950 39 96 223,228 58,427 26 97
Race
White 12,568 4,974 40 96 221,019 58,946 27 98
Black 297 95 32 2 5,383 706 13 1
Asian *32 … … … *332 … … …
All others 138 75 55 1 1,634 698 43 1
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 19
Table 12. Hunters and Days of Hunting on Public Land by Selected Characteristic: 2001 – continued
(Numbers in thousands.)
Hunters Days of hunting
Hunters on public land1 Days on public land2
Characteristic
Total
hunters,
public and
private land Number
Percent
of total
hunters
Percent of
hunters
using
public land
Total days,
public and
private land Number
Percent of
total days
Percent of
days on
public land
Annual Household Income
Less than $10,000 247 50 20 1 4,525 553 12 1
$10,000 to $19,999 525 209 40 4 8,889 2,609 29 4
$20,000 to $24,999 565 194 34 4 10,747 2,820 26 5
$25,000 to $29,999 763 267 35 5 15,600 2,733 18 5
$30,000 to $34,999 830 398 48 8 14,532 5,222 36 9
$35,000 to $39,999 773 337 44 7 15,387 3,421 22 6
$40,000 to $49,999 1,569 632 40 12 26,000 7,185 28 12
$50,000 to $74,999 2,915 1,132 39 22 52,593 14,380 27 24
$75,000 to $99,999 1,525 689 45 13 25,935 8,088 31 13
$100,000 or more 1,267 522 41 10 17,879 4,644 26 8
Not reported 2,057 726 35 14 36,283 8,798 24 15
Education
11 years or less 1,771 676 38 13 36,091 7,768 22 13
12 years 4,973 1,911 38 37 97,298 25,983 27 43
1 to 3 years college 3,412 1,379 40 27 53,206 15,434 29 26
4 years college 1,814 759 42 15 27,554 7,548 27 12
5 or more years college 1,065 430 40 8 14,219 3,721 26 6
* Estimate based on a small sample size.
… Sample size too small to report data reliably.
1 Hunters on public land include those who hunted on both public and private land.
2 Days of hunting on public land includes both days spent solely on public land and those spent on public and private land.
Note: Percent of total hunters and percent of total days are based on the total hunters and total days columns for each row. Percent of hunters using public land
and percent of days on public land are based on the total number of hunters on public land and total number of days on public land, respectively.
74% of all hunting days were on private
land. 65% of all urbanite hunting days
were on private land, while 80% of all
ruralite hunting days were. Interestingly,
the age cohort with the lowest private
land participation rate (16 to 17 years
old’s 80%) had the highest private land
days participation rate (80%). Young
people may not choose to hunt as much
as older people, but when they do
participate, they do it more than older
people.
Differences in socioeconomic
characteristics between public and
private land hunters included a tendency
of private land hunters to be more rural
(58% of private land hunters lived in
rural areas versus 50% of public land
hunters). Also, private land hunters had
slightly more activity by women (9%
of private land hunters were women
compared to 6% of public land hunters).
Overall, the age, race and ethnicity,
income, and education profiles were
remarkably similar for the private and
public land hunters. The qualities that
attracted hunters to public and private
lands apparently had little to do with
most demographic characteristics. The
primary characteristic that influenced
the choice of land was the proximate
availability of private and public land.
It is interesting that in the three states
that have roughly equal proportions
of federal and nonfederal (i.e., private
and state) land, Arizona, Oregon, and
Wyoming, public land hunting is more
prevalent than private land hunting.
In 2001 in Arizona 82% of the hunters
hunted on public land and 32% hunted
on private land. Similarly, in Oregon
79% hunted on public land and 38%
hunted on private land. For Wyoming
the percentages were 65% and 50%,
respectively. Thus, there was not a
preference for private land hunting when
roughly equal amounts of public and
private land were available.
20 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
continues
Table 13. Hunters and Days of Hunting on Private Land by Selected Characteristic: 2001
(Numbers in thousands.)
Hunters Days of hunting
Hunters on private land1 Days on private land2
Characteristic
Total
hunters,
public and
private land Number
Percent
of total
hunters
Percent of
hunters
using
private land
Total days,
public and
private land Number
Percent of
total days
Percent of
days on
private land
Total persons 13,034 10,724 82 100 228,368 169,795 74 100
Population Density of Residence
Urban 5,873 4,510 77 42 84,455 55,262 65 33
Rural 7,161 6,213 87 58 143,913 114,533 80 67
Population Size of Residence
Metropolitan statistical area (MSA) 7,749 6,201 80 58 121,857 86,632 71 51
1,000,000 or more 3,690 2,835 77 26 55,646 38,278 69 23
250,000 to 999,999 2,409 1,964 82 18 40,180 29,310 73 17
50,000 to 249,999 1,650 1,401 85 13 26,031 19,043 73 11
Outside MSA 5,285 4,523 86 42 106,511 83,163 78 49
Census Geographic Division
New England 386 326 85 3 7,488 5,871 78 3
Middle Atlantic 1,633 1,334 82 12 30,060 21,599 72 13
East North Central 2,421 2,111 87 20 39,820 30,142 76 18
West North Central 1,710 1,507 88 14 27,186 20,551 76 12
South Atlantic 1,875 1,669 89 16 39,043 32,012 82 19
East South Central 1,164 1,101 95 10 25,482 21,731 85 13
West South Central 1,988 1,790 90 17 35,116 28,702 82 17
Mountain 1,020 443 43 4 12,995 4,579 35 3
Pacific 837 444 53 4 11,179 4,608 41 3
Age
16 to 17 years 584 468 80 4 11,420 9,145 80 5
18 to 24 years 1,251 1,041 83 10 23,862 18,323 77 11
25 to 34 years 2,413 2,047 85 19 44,765 33,186 74 20
35 to 44 years 3,551 2,890 81 27 62,185 45,072 72 27
45 to 54 years 2,821 2,311 82 22 47,579 35,631 75 21
55 to 64 years 1,450 1,166 80 11 25,236 18,170 72 11
65 years and older 965 801 83 7 13,321 10,267 77 6
Sex
Male 11,845 9,766 82 91 214,300 158,552 74 93
Female 1,190 957 80 9 14,068 11,243 80 7
Ethnicity
Hispanic 428 293 68 3 5,139 2,581 50 2
Non-Hispanic 12,606 10,431 83 97 223,228 167,213 75 98
Race
White 12,568 10,377 83 97 221,019 164,095 74 97
Black 297 248 84 2 5,383 4,641 86 3
Asian *32 … … … *332 … … …
All others 138 80 58 1 1,634 924 57 1
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 21
Table 13. Hunters and Days of Hunting on Private Land by Selected Characteristic: 2001 – continued
(Numbers in thousands.)
Hunters Days of hunting
Hunters on private land1 Days on private land2
Characteristic
Total
hunters,
public and
private land Number
Percent
of total
hunters
Percent of
hunters
using
private land
Total days,
public and
private land Number
Percent of
total days
Percent of
days on
private land
Annual Household Income
Less than $10,000 247 203 82 2 4,525 3,806 84 2
$10,000 to $19,999 525 395 75 4 8,889 6,591 74 4
$20,000 to $24,999 565 471 83 4 10,747 7,963 74 5
$25,000 to $29,999 763 659 86 6 15,600 11,962 77 7
$30,000 to $34,999 830 624 75 6 14,532 9,427 65 6
$35,000 to $39,999 773 655 85 6 15,387 11,985 78 7
$40,000 to $49,999 1,569 1,252 80 12 26,000 18,762 72 11
$50,000 to $74,999 2,915 2,409 83 22 52,593 38,304 73 23
$75,000 to $99,999 1,525 1,221 80 11 25,935 18,776 72 11
$100,000 or more 1,267 1,103 87 10 17,879 13,215 74 8
Not reported 2,057 1,733 84 16 36,283 29,005 80 17
Education
11 years or less 1,771 1,453 82 14 36,091 28,140 78 17
12 years 4,973 4,055 82 38 97,298 71,278 73 42
1 to 3 years college 3,412 2,752 81 26 53,206 38,875 73 23
4 years college 1,814 1,546 85 14 27,554 21,035 76 12
5 or more years college 1,065 917 86 9 14,219 10,467 74 6
* Estimate based on a small sample size.
… Sample size too small to report data reliably.
1 Hunters on private land include those who hunted on both public and private land.
2 Days of hunting on private land includes both days spent solely on private land and those spent on private and public land.
Note: Percent of total hunters and percent of total days are based on the total hunters and total days columns for each row. Percent of hunters using private land
and percent of days on private land are based on the total number of hunters on private land and total number of days on private land, respectively.
22 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
1991–2001 Expenditures4
In 2001 private land hunters spent an
average of $1,682 per spender (See Table
17). Spenders who hunted on both private
and public land (31% of all private land
spenders) were the biggest spenders,
with an average of $2,452; they spent
more for total trip-related, equipment,
and other categories.
Table 14. 2001 Expenditures for Hunting
All hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Average
per
hunter
(dollars)
Private
land only
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Percent
of total
Average
per private
land only
hunter
(dollars)
Private
and public
land hunter
(thousands
of dollars)
Percent
of total
Average
per private
and public
land hunter
(dollars)
Public
land only
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Percent
of total
Average
per public
land only
hunter
(dollars)
Total Expenditures 20,611,025 1,581 9,971,288 48 1,339 8,031,509 39 2,451 2,438,194 12 1,298
Total trip-related 5,252,391 403 2,120,315 40 285 2,463,074 47 752 592,002 11 315
Total equipment 10,361,496 795 5,514,889 53 741 3,546,192 34 1,082 1,237,729 12 659
Total hunting equipment1 4,561,709 350 2,127,887 47 286 1,858,014 41 567 534,503 12 285
Total auxiliary equipment2 1,202,845 92 500,303 42 67 491,153 41 150 193,958 16 103
Total special equipment3 4,596,942 353 2,886,699 63 388 1,197,025 26 365 509,269 11 271
Total other 4,997,138 383 2,336,084 47 314 2,022,243 41 617 608,463 12 324
Magazines, books 84,530 6 34,698 41 5 35,595 42 11 13,901 16 7
Membership dues and
contributions
243,678 19 103,933 43 14 112,083 46 34 24,907 10 13
Land leasing and
ownership
3,975,892 305 1,898,239 48 255 1,575,901 40 481 473,175 12 252
Ownership 3,351,389 257 1,449,961 43 195 1,431,366 43 437 459,155 14 244
Leasing 624,503 48 448,278 72 60 144,535 23 44 *14,020 *2 *7
Total licenses, stamps,
tags, and permits
693,038 53 299,214 43 40 298,664 43 91 96,480 14 51
Licenses 572,242 44 257,449 45 35 242,373 42 74 74,718 13 40
Federal duck stamps 29,524 2 13,037 44 2 12,868 44 4 3,249 11 2
Other stamps, tags,
and permits
91,273 7 28,728 32 4 43,423 48 13 18,513 20 10
1 Includes rifles, shotguns, ammunition, archery equipment, hunting dogs, etc.
2 Includes camping equipment, binoculars, special clothing, taxidermy costs, etc.
3 Includes boats, boat accessories, pickups, campers, cabins, 4-wheelers, etc.
* Based on a sample size of 10.
4 All expenditure estimates in this report are
in 2001 dollars.
Expenditures
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 23
Table 15. 1996 Expenditures for Hunting
(In 2001 dollars.)
All hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Average
per
hunter
(dollars)
Private
land only
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Percent
of total
Average
per private
land only
hunter
(dollars)
Private
and public
land hunter
(thousands
of dollars)
Percent
of total
Average
per private
and public
land hunter
(dollars)
Public
land only
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Percent
of total
Average
per public
land only
hunter
(dollars)
Total Expenditures 23,293,156 1,667 9,383,727 40 1,304 10,755,338 46 2,568 3,039,176 13 1,297
Total trip-related 5,825,511 417 2,113,601 36 294 2,920,999 50 698 759,805 13 324
Total equipment 12,738,229 912 4,555,536 36 633 6,166,463 48 1,472 1,930,848 15 824
Total hunting equipment 6,236,625 446 2,504,470 40 348 3,000,306 48 716 694,097 11 296
Total auxiliary equipment 1,393,423 99 518,659 37 72 677,556 49 162 184,728 13 79
Total special equipment 5,108,181 365 1,532,409 30 213 2,488,601 49 594 1,052,024 21 449
Total other 4,729,416 338 2,714,589 57 377 1,667,876 35 398 348,525 7 149
Magazines, books 123,923 9 48,306 39 7 62,344 50 15 12,906 10 6
Membership dues and
contributions
276,743 20 97,858 35 14 155,519 56 37 22,922 8 10
Land leasing and
ownership
3,592,197 257 2,285,364 64 318 1,114,731 31 266 *186,648 *5 *80
Ownership N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
Leasing N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
Total licenses, stamps,
tags, and permits
736,554 53 283,061 38 39 335,281 46 80 126,049 17 54
Licenses 540,077 38 220,727 41 31 242,932 45 58 86,790 16 37
Federal duck stamps 34,903 2 13,532 39 2 16,356 47 4 4,664 13 2
Other stamps, tags,
and permits
161,574 11 48,802 30 7 75,994 47 18 34,597 21 15
* Based on a sample size of 26.
Table 16. 1991 Expenditures for Hunting
(In 2001 dollars.)
All hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Average
per
hunter
(dollars)
Private
land only
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Percent
of total
Average
per private
land only
hunter
(dollars)
Private
and public
land hunter
(thousands
of dollars)
Percent
of total
Average
per private
and public
land hunter
(dollars)
Public
land only
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Percent
of total
Average
per public
land only
hunter
(dollars)
Total Expenditures 16,037,366 1,140 8,052,234 50 1,061 6,619,557 41 1,625 1,348,318 8 638
Total trip-related 4,472,785 319 1,662,140 37 219 2,291,402 51 563 507,330 11 240
Total equipment 6,719,081 478 3,077,125 46 406 2,924,086 44 718 684,523 10 324
Total hunting equipment1 4,268,437 303 1,825,846 43 241 2,034,026 48 499 397,188 9 188
Total auxiliary equipment2 825,934 59 312,248 38 41 413,629 50 102 98,605 12 47
Total special equipment3 1,624,710 116 939,032 58 124 476,432 29 117 188,730 12 89
Total other 4,845,499 345 3,312,969 68 437 1,404,069 29 345 156,465 3 74
Magazines, books 54,460 4 23,102 42 3 25,887 48 6 5,426 10 3
Membership dues and
contributions
180,513 13 90,659 50 12 74,200 41 18 15,374 9 7
Land leasing and
ownership
3,917,956 278 2,905,218 74 383 975,538 25 240 35,252 1 17
Ownership 3,508,055 250 2,620,172 75 345 866,609 25 213 **21,269 **1 10
Leasing 409,902 29 285,046 70 38 108,930 27 27 *13,983 *3 7
Total licenses, stamps,
tags, and permits
692,571 49 293,989 42 39 328,444 47 81 100,413 15 48
Licenses 526,856 38 228,014 43 30 249,880 47 61 79,719 15 38
Federal duck stamps 28,428 3 11,757 41 2 13,902 49 3 2,675 9 1
Other stamps, tags,
and permits
137,287 10 54,218 40 7 64,661 47 16 18,019 13 9
1 Includes rifles, shotguns, ammunition, archery equipment, hunting dogs, etc.
2 Includes camping equipment, binoculars, special clothing, taxidermy costs, etc.
3 Includes boats, boat accessories, pickups, campers, cabins, 4-wheelers, etc.
* Based on a sample size of 21.
** Based on a sample size of 24.
24 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
Table 17. 2001 Expenditures by Private Land Use Hunters
Private land
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Private land
only hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Private
and public
land hunter
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Total Expenditures 18,002,797 10,703 1,682 9,971,288 7,430 1,342 8,031,509 3,276 2,452
Total trip-related 4,583,390 10,709 428 2,120,315 7,440 285 2,463,074 3,271 753
Total equipment 9,061,081 8,406 1,078 5,514,889 5,532 997 3,546,192 2,876 1,233
Total hunting equipment1 3,985,901 8,052 495 2,127,887 5,241 406 1,858,014 2,811 661
Total auxiliary equipment2 991,456 3,843 258 500,303 2,349 213 491,153 1,497 328
Total special equipment3 4,083,724 497 8,222 2,886,699 314 9,205 1,197,025 183 6,538
Total other 4,358,326 9,099 479 2,336,084 6,068 385 2,022,243 3,023 669
Magazines, books 70,293 1,562 45 34,698 913 38 35,595 672 53
Membership dues and
contributions
216,016 1,756 123 103,933 912 114 112,083 849 132
Land leasing and
ownership
3,474,140 1,645 2,112 1,898,239 1,121 1,693 1,575,901 524 3,008
Ownership 2,881,327 869 3,317 1,449,961 571 2,538 1,431,366 297 4,815
Leasing 592,813 885 670 448,278 611 734 144,535 273 529
Total licenses, stamps,
tags, and permits
597,877 8,665 69 299,214 5,754 52 298,664 2,928 102
Licenses 499,821 8,330 60 257,449 5,597 46 242,373 2,786 87
Federal duck stamps 25,905 1,727 15 13,037 869 15 12,868 858 15
Other stamps, tags,
and permits
72,151 2,328 31 28,728 1,149 25 43,423 1,174 37
1 Includes rifles, shotguns, ammunition, archery equipment, hunting dogs, etc.
2 Includes camping equipment, binoculars, special clothing, taxidermy costs, etc.
3 Includes boats, boat accessories, pickups, campers, cabins, 4-wheelers, etc.
Table 18. 1996 Expenditures by Private Land Use Hunters
(In 2001 dollars.)
Private land
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Private land
only hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Private
and public
land hunter
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Total Expenditures 20,139,063 11,381 1,770 9,383,727 7,190 1,305 10,755,338 4,186 2,570
Total trip-related 5,034,600 11,366 443 2,113,601 7,166 295 2,920,999 4,176 700
Total equipment 10,721,999 9,682 1,107 4,555,536 5,868 776 6,166,463 3,814 1,617
Total hunting equipment1 5,504,776 9,386 587 2,504,470 5,654 443 3,000,306 3,724 806
Total auxiliary equipment2 1,196,215 4,878 245 518,659 2,608 199 677,556 2,263 299
Total special equipment3 4,021,009 644 6,240 1,532,409 332 4,616 2,488,601 313 7,964
Total other 4,382,464 9,919 442 2,714,589 5,946 457 1,667,876 3,978 419
Magazines, books 110,651 2,226 50 48,306 1,069 45 62,344 1,149 54
Membership dues and
contributions
253,375 2,115 120 97,858 995 98 155,519 1,128 138
Land leasing and
ownership
3,400,095 1,334 2,549 2,285,364 809 2,825 1,114,731 525 2,124
Ownership N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
Leasing N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
Total licenses, stamps,
tags, and permits
618,343 9,435 66 283,061 5,693 50 335,281 3,804 88
Licenses 463,659 9,118 51 220,727 5,426 41 242,932 3,707 66
Federal duck stamps 29,887 1,763 17 13,532 798 17 16,356 965 17
Other stamps, tags,
and permits
124,796 3,808 33 48,802 1,878 26 75,994 1,922 40
1 Includes rifles, shotguns, ammunition, archery equipment, hunting dogs, etc.
2 Includes camping equipment, binoculars, special clothing, taxidermy costs, etc.
3 Includes boats, boat accessories, pickups, campers, cabins, 4-wheelers, etc.
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 25
Table 19. 1991 Expenditures by Private Land Use Hunters
(In 2001 dollars.)
Private land
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Private land
only hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Private
and public
land hunter
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Total Expenditures 14,671,791 11,720 1,252 8,052,234 7,647 1,053 6,619,557 4,074 1,625
Total trip-related 3,953,542 11,697 338 1,662,140 7,611 218 2,291,402 4,071 563
Total equipment 6,001,212 9,499 632 3,077,125 5,830 528 2,924,086 3,669 797
Total hunting equipment1 3,859,872 9,192 420 1,825,846 5,618 325 2,034,026 3,572 569
Total auxiliary equipment2 725,877 3,650 199 312,248 1,937 161 413,629 1,711 242
Total special equipment3 1,415,463 405 3,497 939,032 214 4,399 476,432 191 2,490
Total other 4,717,038 10,279 459 3,312,969 6,387 519 1,404,069 3,899 360
Magazines, books 48,989 1,396 35 23,102 711 33 25,887 664 39
Membership dues and
contributions
164,860 1,364 121 90,659 646 140 74,200 714 104
Land leasing and
ownership
3,880,756 1,557 2,492 2,905,218 967 3,004 975,538 590 1,652
Ownership 3,486,781 726 4,802 2,620,172 392 6,683 866,609 334 2,595
Leasing 393,975 897 439 285,046 607 469 108,930 290 376
Total licenses, stamps,
tags, and permits
622,432 9,975 62 293,989 6,282 47 328,444 3,887 85
Licenses 477,893 9,935 48 228,014 6,048 38 249,880 3,844 65
Federal duck stamps 25,659 1,316 20 11,757 603 20 13,902 713 20
Other stamps, tags, and
permits
118,880 3,976 30 54,218 2,085 26 64,661 1,913 34
1 Includes rifles, shotguns, ammunition, archery equipment, hunting dogs, etc.
2 Includes camping equipment, binoculars, special clothing, taxidermy costs, etc.
3 Includes boats, boat accessories, pickups, campers, cabins, 4-wheelers, etc.
USFWS/Kent Olson
26 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
Public land hunters spent an average
of $2,032 per spender,4 more than the
average private land spender. However,
the public-land-only5 spender spent the
lowest of any group, $1,298. It was the
public and private land spender, 64%
of all public land spenders, who was
responsible for the high public land
spender’s average.
Private-land-only hunters and public-land-
only hunters are similar in their
spending patterns in all categories except
land leasing costs. Public-land-only
hunters spend much less on land leasing
than private-land-only hunters. People
who hunt on both public and private land
spend on average nearly twice as much
across all categories than do private-land-only
and public-land-only hunters. People
who hunt on both private and public land
are perhaps more avid on average than
hunters who hunt on public land only and
private land only.
In 2001 1,645,000 private land hunters
spent money on their owned or leased
hunting land (869,000 owned land,
885,000 leased land), while 630,000 public
land hunters spent money on their owned
or leased land (366,000 owned land,
314,000 leased land). The great majority
(83%) of the public land hunters that
owned or leased land hunted on private
land, as one would expect. Looking at the
trend of leasing and owning over time, in
1991 owning and leasing costs by hunters
totaled $3.9 billion by 1,659,000 spenders,
averaging $2,362. In 1996 it totaled $3.6
billion by 1,443,000 spenders, averaging
$2,489. Lastly, in 2001 it totaled $4.0
billion by 1,680,000 spenders, averaging
$2,367. In short, a similar amount was
spent in 1991 and 2001, with a drop in the
expenditure total and spenders in 1996.
Interestingly, 83% of public land
spenders spent money on hunting
licenses, while slightly less, 78%, of
private land spenders did (79% of all
spenders purchased licenses). Given the
landowner exemption (in some states
landowners are exempt from being
required to purchase a hunting license
when they hunt on their own land), one
would expect the lowest percentage of
license purchasers would be private-land-only
spenders. Their percentage was
75%. Similarly, the highest percentage
would be expected to be public-land-only
spenders. Theirs was 80%. The highest
percentage was actually the public and
private land spenders, 85%. Apparently
their motivation to purchase a license
was stronger because they engage in
relatively more hunting.
Total land access fees by private land
hunters totalled $411 million (74% of that
total was for big game hunting), and by
public land hunters $163 million (69% for
big game hunting).
4 Spenders are hunters who made hunting-related
expenditures. Hunters who did not
purchase anything are not included in the
spender group.
5 Public land hunters are every hunter who
hunted on public land at least one day, and
public-land-only hunters are people who did
all their hunting on public land. A similar
distinction is made for private land and
private-land-only hunters. Public-land-only
hunters are examined separately from public
land hunters due to their strong reliance on
public land.
Table 20. 2001 Expenditures by Public Land Use Hunters
Public land
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Public land
only hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Private
and public
land hunter
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Total Expenditures 10,469,703 5,152 2,032 2,438,194 1,878 1,298 8,031,509 3,276 2,452
Total trip-related 3,055,077 5,143 594 592,002 1,879 315 2,463,074 3,271 753
Total equipment 4,783,921 4,294 1,114 1,237,729 1,416 874 3,546,192 2,876 1,233
Total hunting equipment1 2,392,517 4,118 581 534,503 1,310 408 1,858,014 2,811 661
Total auxiliary equipment2 685,111 2,168 316 193,958 671 289 491,153 1,497 328
Total special equipment3 1,706,294 252 6,769 509,269 69 7,382 1,197,025 183 6,538
Total other 2,630,707 4,632 568 608,463 1,614 377 2,022,243 3,023 669
Magazines, books 49,496 952 52 13,901 284 49 35,595 672 53
Membership dues and
contributions
136,990 1,132 121 24,907 280 89 112,083 849 132
Land leasing and
ownership
2,049,077 630 3,255 473,175 106 4,479 1,575,901 524 3,008
Ownership 1,890,522 366 5,167 459,155 69 6,693 1,431,366 297 4,815
Leasing 158,555 314 505 *14,020 *41 *346 144,535 273 529
Total licenses, stamps,
tags, and permits
395,144 4,490 88 96,480 1,556 62 298,664 2,928 102
Licenses 317,091 4,285 74 74,718 1,494 50 242,373 2,786 87
Federal duck stamps 16,117 1,075 15 3,249 217 15 12,868 858 15
Other stamps, tags,
and permits
61,936 1,770 35 18,513 561 33 43,423 1,174 37
1 Includes rifles, shotguns, ammunition, archery equipment, hunting dogs, etc.
2 Includes camping equipment, binoculars, special clothing, taxidermy costs, etc.
3 Includes boats, boat accessories, pickups, campers, cabins, 4-wheelers, etc.
* Based on a sample size of 10.
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 27
Table 21. 1996 Expenditures by Public Land Use Hunters
(In 2001 dollars.)
Public land
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Public land
only hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Private
and public
land hunter
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Total Expenditures 13,794,512 6,525 2,114 3,039,176 2,339 1,300 10,755,338 4,186 2,570
Total trip-related 3,680,801 6,515 565 759,805 2,335 325 2,920,999 4,176 700
Total equipment 8,097,311 5,701 1,420 1,930,848 1,886 1,024 6,166,463 3,814 1,617
Total hunting equipment1 3,694,403 5,504 671 694,097 1,780 390 3,000,306 3,724 806
Total auxiliary equipment2 862,284 3,077 280 184,728 813 227 677,556 2,263 299
Total special equipment3 3,540,625 463 7,656 1,052,024 150 7,013 2,488,601 313 7,964
Total other 2,016,400 6,070 332 348,525 2,084 167 1,667,876 3,978 419
Magazines, books 75,250 1,480 51 12,906 336 38 62,344 1,149 54
Membership dues and
contributions
178,441 1,423 125 22,922 298 77 155,519 1,128 138
Land leasing and
ownership
1,301,379 621 2,095 *186,648 *96 *1,939 1,114,731 525 2,124
Ownership N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
Leasing N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
Total licenses, stamps,
tags, and permits
461,330 5,917 78 126,049 2,066 61 335,281 3,804 88
Licenses 329,722 5,721 58 86,790 1,969 44 242,932 3,707 66
Federal duck stamps 21,019 1,240 17 4,664 275 17 16,356 965 17
Other stamps, tags,
and permits
110,590 2,796 40 34,597 851 41 75,994 1,922 40
1 Includes rifles, shotguns, ammunition, archery equipment, hunting dogs, etc.
2 Includes camping equipment, binoculars, special clothing, taxidermy costs, etc.
3 Includes boats, boat accessories, pickups, campers, cabins, 4-wheelers, etc.
* Based on a sample size of 26.
Table 22. 1991 Expenditures by Public Land Use Hunters
(In 2001 dollars.)
Public land
hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Public land
only hunters
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Private
and public
land hunter
(thousands
of dollars)
Number
of spenders
(thousands)
Average
per spender
(dollars)
Total Expenditures 7,967,876 6,204 1,284 1,348,318 2,130 633 6,619,557 4,074 1,625
Total trip-related 2,798,732 6,186 452 507,330 2,121 239 2,291,402 4,071 563
Total equipment 3,608,609 5,228 690 684,523 1,553 441 2,924,086 3,669 797
Total hunting equipment1 2,431,213 5,041 482 397,188 1,469 270 2,034,026 3,572 569
Total auxiliary equipment2 512,233 2,332 220 98,605 627 157 413,629 1,711 242
Total special equipment3 665,163 263 2,534 188,730 71 2,653 476,432 191 2,490
Total other 1,560,534 5,827 268 156,465 1,910 82 1,404,069 3,899 360
Magazines, books 31,313 860 36 5,426 199 27 25,887 664 39
Membership dues and
contributions
89,574 931 96 15,374 223 69 74,200 714 104
Land leasing and
ownership
1,010,790 676 1,496 35,252 85 413 975,538 590 1,652
Ownership 887,878 374 2,373 **21,269 **40 **529 866,609 334 2,595
Leasing 122,914 340 361 *13,983 *50 *280 108,930 290 376
Total licenses, stamps,
tags, and permits
428,857 5,788 74 100,413 1,884 53 328,444 3,887 85
Licenses 329,598 5,634 59 79,719 1,858 43 249,880 3,844 65
Federal duck stamps 16,578 850 20 2,675 137 20 13,902 713 20
Other stamps, tags,
and permits
82,681 2,650 31 18,019 770 23 64,661 1,913 34
1 Includes rifles, shotguns, ammunition, archery equipment, hunting dogs, etc.
2 Includes camping equipment, binoculars, special clothing, taxidermy costs, etc.
3 Includes boats, boat accessories, pickups, campers, cabins, 4-wheelers, etc.
* Based on a sample size of 21.
** Based on a sample size of 24.
28 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
Land Use by Type of Game Hunters
In 2001 37% of all big game hunters used
public land; 80% used private land. Small
game hunters were similar, with 36%
using public land and 80% using private
land. Other animal (i.e., nongame such
as coyotes, raccoons, and groundhogs)
hunters had a lower percentage of
public land use and a higher percentage
of private land use, 27% and 86%
respectively. Migratory bird hunters
were the hunters who used private land
the least with a 76% participation rate
(although that is still over 3/4ths of all
migratory bird hunters).
24% of big game hunting days were on
public land; 72% were on private land
(the remaining 4% were not reported
by the Survey’s respondents). Again,
small game hunters mirrored big game
hunters, with 27% of their days on public
land and 70% on private land. 31% of
migratory bird days were on public land
and 67% on private land. Other animal
hunters had a strong focus on private
land hunting. 17% of their days were on
public land and 84% on private land.
Owning and Leasing Hunting Land
In 2001 9%, or 981,000, of private land
hunters owned hunting land, and 8%, or
904,000, leased hunting land. Private land
hunters spent 86% of the total hunting
landownership costs and 95% of the total
hunting land leasing costs. On the other
hand, 8%, or 403,000, of total public land
hunters owned hunting land and 6%, or
317,000, of them leased hunting land.
Public land hunters spent 56% of the total
hunting landownership costs and 25% of
the total hunting land leasing costs.
There was an obvious overlap between
the public and private land hunting
groups owning and leasing land. A total of
1,061,000 hunters owned land and 982,000
hunters leased land. 10%, or 328,000, of
hunters who hunted on both public and
private land owned hunting land and
8%, or 277,000, leased hunting land. 43%
of land owning and 23% of land leasing
costs were paid by hunters who used
both private and public land. A significant
proportion of people who leased and
owned land for the primary purpose of
hunting still hunted on public land.
As for people who hunted on private
land only and others who hunted on
public land only, the expectation is that
private-land-only hunters would pay a
large proportion of the total land leasing
and owning costs and public-land-only
hunters would pay a small proportion.
Indeed, private-land-only hunters paid
43% of total hunting landownership
costs and 72% of leasing land costs,
while public-land-only hunters paid just
14% of landownership costs and 2% of
leasing costs.
Regarding the trend in owning and
leasing hunting land, in 1991 1.7 million
hunters, 12% of all hunters, owned or
leased hunting land. 853,000 owned
hunting land (6% of all hunters) and
962,000 leased hunting land (7%). In 1996
1.6 million hunters, 12% of all hunters,
owned or leased land, similar to 1991.
And in 2001 1.7 million hunters, 13% of all
hunters, owned or leased hunting land.
1.1 million hunters, 8% of all hunters,
owned land and 982,000 hunters, 8% of all
hunters, leased hunting land. Comparing
1991 to 2001, total expenditures and
the total number of owning and leasing
hunters have not changed despite the
decline in hunting participation. Leasing
expenditures are slightly higher in 2001
compared to 1991. Owning totals are
slightly down.
In 1991 74% of land leasing and owning
costs were paid by private-land-only
hunters and 25% of costs were paid by
hunters who used both public and private
land. In 1996 64% were paid by private-land-
only hunters and 31% were by public
and private land hunters. In 2001 48%
were paid by private-land-only hunters
and 40% were paid by public and private
land hunters. The trend in leasing and
owning hunting land is more spending by
those who hunt on both public and private
land and less spending by private-land-only
hunters.
Looking at leasing alone, in 1991 340,000
public land hunters spent money on
leasing, averaging $361. In 2001 314,000
public land hunters spent money on
leasing, averaging $505. As for private
land hunters, in 1991 897,000 of them
averaged $439 on leasing, and in 2001
885,000 averaged $670. Leasing prices
were going up, but not the number of
leasers. Leasing was becoming more
important for the landowner who could
charge the higher prices, but not more
prevalent among hunters utilizing the
leased land.
Regarding owning, in 1991 726,000
private land hunters averaged $4,802 and
in 2001 869,000 averaged $3,317. So the
reverse was true here: more hunters paid
less per person for landownership for
hunting. To complete the picture, 374,000
public land hunters averaged $2,373 for
owning land in 1991, and 366,000 public
land hunters averaged $5,167 in 2001.
This was more like leasing, where the
same number of participants was paying
more over time.
Land Use
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 29
Table 23. 2001 Land Owning/Leasing by Private Land Hunters
(Numbers in thousands.)
Number Percent
Total private land hunters 10,724 100
Who own hunting land 981 9
Who lease hunting land 904 8
Total hunting land ownership costs $3,351,389 100
Amount spent for owning by private land hunters $2,881,327 86
Total hunting land leasing costs $624,503 100
Amount spent for leasing by private land hunters $592,813 95
Table 24. 2001 Land Owning/Leasing by Public Land Hunters
(Numbers in thousands.)
Number Percent
Total public land hunters 5,156 100
Who own hunting land 403 8
Who lease hunting land 317 6
Total hunting land ownership costs $3,351,389 100
Amount spent for owning by public land hunters $1,890,522 56
Total hunting land leasing costs $624,503 100
Amount spent for leasing by public land hunters $158,555 25
Table 25. 2001 Land Owning/leasing by Hunters on Both Public and Private Land
(Numbers in thousands.)
Number Percent
Total public and private land hunters 3,277 100
Who own hunting land 328 10
Who lease hunting land 277 9
Total hunting land ownership costs $3,351,389 100
Amount spent for owning by hunters
using both public and private land
$1,431,366 43
Total hunting land leasing costs $624,503 100
Amount spent for leasing by hunters
using both public and private land
$144,535 23
Table 26. 2001 Land Owning/Leasing Expenditures by Private-Land-Only and
Public-Land-Only Hunters
(Numbers in thousands.)
Number Percent
Owning expenditures
Total hunting land ownership costs $3,351,389 100
Public-land only hunters $459,156 14
Private-land only hunters $1,449,961 43
Leasing expenditures
Total hunting land leasing costs $624,503 100
Public-land only hunters $14,020 2
Private-land only hunters $448,278 72
30 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
Deer, elk, and moose hunters were asked
to estimate the most they would have
been willing to pay for their hunting
activity above that which they actually
had to pay. This “consumer surplus” is
the correct measure of the economic
value of an activity. Looking at the
willingness-to-pay estimates by public
and private land hunters gives a good
measure of the satisfaction people had
with their various hunting experiences.
See Figure 10 for a graphical depiction
of the willingness-to-pay concept. “Net
economic value” is another term for
consumer surplus.
The highest gross willingness to pay
(i.e., the actual expenditures plus the
consumer surplus) average per big game
hunting trip ($792) was by hunters who
hunted on both public and private land.
Interestingly, the next highest ($574)
was public land hunters. Private land
hunters would pay $457 per trip. Private-land-
only hunters would pay $307, and
public-land-only hunters would pay the
lowest ($207).
The highest net economic value average
for a big game hunting trip was by
hunters who hunted on private land only,
$274. Private land hunters were next, at
$260. Hunters who hunted on both public
and private land would pay $229 more
than their actual expenditures. Public
land hunters, $193, and public-land-only
hunters, $132, brought up the rear.
The highest net willingness to pay per big
game season (or per year) was $3,157, by
hunters who hunted on both public and
private land. The next highest ($2,839)
was private land hunters. Private-land-only
hunters had a consumer surplus of
$2,696. Public land hunters would pay
$2,135 per season more. Astoundingly,
public-land-only hunters would pay only
$428, by far the lowest. People who for
whatever reason hunted only on public
land did not value their hunting nearly
as high as private land hunters. Another
interpretation is those who value hunting
the least didn’t bother to obtain the
privilege of hunting on private land.
Table 27. Consumer Surplus Estimates for Big Game Hunting in 2001
(Participant averages. In 2001 dollars.)
Gross Willingness
to Pay per Trip
Net Willingness to
Pay per Trip
Net Willingness to
Pay Per Season
Private land hunters $457 $260 $2,839
Private-land-only hunters $307 $274 $2,696
Public and Private hunters $792 $229 $3,157
Public land hunters $574 $193 $2,135
Public-land-only hunters $207 $132 $428
Public and Private hunters $792 $229 $3,157
Figure 10. Individual Hunter’s Demand Curve for Hunting Trips
Cost per Trip ($)
Trips per Year
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
5 10 15 20
Expenditures
Net Economic Value
Willingness to Pay
Private and Public Land Use by Hunters 31
There is twice as much privately owned
land as publicly owned land in the United
States, and similarly there are twice as
many hunters who use private land as
hunters who use public land. A majority
of hunters hunt on private land in all but
a handful of states.
In 2001 private land hunters tended
to specialize in private land use (69%
of private land hunters hunted only on
private land), whereas the majority of
public land hunters hunted on private
land as well (64% of public land hunters
hunted on private land too). The trend
over the years 1980 to 2001 was toward
more private land hunting, particularly
for big game hunters. Furthermore, on
average private land hunters hunt more
days than public land hunters.
From 1991 to 2001 the number of private
land hunters declined along with overall
hunter numbers, while public land
hunters dropped at a rate twice as fast.
Summary
The hunting days trend tells a different
story. The number of overall hunting
days and its components public land days
and private land days stayed relatively
the same, with no statistically significant
changes. There were fewer hunters, but
those that remained took up the slack in
effort afield.
The region of the country in which one
lives is the most important determinant
of whether public or private land
are used for hunting. The only other
significant socioeconomic characteristic
differences between public and private
land hunters were the rural/urban and
female/male splits. Private land hunters
tended to be more rural and included
slightly more females.
Public land hunters spent more on
average than private land hunters, but
the participant who spent the most on
average was the hunter who hunted on
both private and public land, probably
due to the relatively greater level
of activity.
Big game hunters who used only private
land valued their hunting higher than
hunters who used only public land. This
could be because the quality of hunting
on private land was better, or because
people who intrinsically value hunting
more generally chose to hunt on private
land, or both.
The trend of hunting in the U.S. is
toward more private land use. Private
landholders recognize that selling
hunting rights on their land is a source
of income, and some state fish and game
agencies are pushing private land use
for hunting. However, in 2001 about a
third of all private land hunters used
public land, in addition to the public-land-only
hunters (14% of all hunters), so,
particularly in the West, public land still
plays an important role in hunting.
Table 28. Summary of Public and Private Land Use by Hunters in 2001
(Numbers in thousands.)
All hunters Percent
Private
land only Percent
Public
land only Percent
Private and
public land Percent
Hunters 13,034 100 7,447 57 1,879 14 3,277 25
Days hunted 228,368 100 115,841 51 21,899 10 86,978* 38
Expenditures $20,611,025 100 $9,971,288 48 $2,438,194 12 $8,031,509 39
* This is the number of days spent hunting by people who hunted on private and public land, not the number of days spent hunting on
both private and public land.
Table 29. Average Expenditures by Public and Private Land Hunters in 2001
(Numbers in thousands, except averages.)
Public land hunting Private land hunting
Hunters 5,156 10,724
Expenditures $10,469,703 $18,002,797
Average per hunter $2,031 $1,679
32 Private and Public Land Use by Hunters
States where private land hunters were
90% or more of all in-state hunters:
1991—AL, DE, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY,
ME, MS, MO, NE, NY, ND, OH, OK, SC,
SD, TN, TX, VT, WV.
TOP NINE—NE 97%, IA 95%, TX 95%,
KS 93%, KY 93%, MS 93%, MO 93%, ND
93%, OH 93%
1996—AL, DE, IN, IA, KS, KY, MS, MO,
NE, NY, OH, OK, SC, TX.
TOP NINE—AL 95%, KS 95%, IA 93%,
KY 93%, NY 93%, MS 92%, MO 92%, NE
92%, SC 92%
2001—AL, AR, KS, ME, MD, MS, MO,
ND, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, WV
TOP TEN—SD 108%, TN 95%, OK 94%,
AL 93%, MS 92%, SC 92%, WV 92%, KS
91%, MO 91%, ND 91%
States where private land hunters were
50% or less of all in-state hunters:
1991—AK, AZ, CO, ID, NV, NM, OR, UT
BOTTOM THREE—AK 28%, AZ 30%,
NM 32%
1996—AK, AZ, CO, ID, NV, NM, UT
BOTTOM THREE—AZ 22%, AK 25%,
NV 33%
2001—AK, AZ, ID, NV, NM, OR, UT, WY
BOTTOM THREE—AK 19%, NM 27%,
NV 28%
Appendix I. The Most and Least
Private Land Hunting, by State
States where private land hunting
days were 80% or more of all in-state
hunting days:
1991—AL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME,
MS, NE, NH, NY, NC, OH, SD, TN, TX,
VT, VA, WV.
TOP NINE—TX 94%, KY 91%, NE 91%,
KS 90%, IA 89%, IL 87%, OH 87%, WV
87%, MS 85%
1996—FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA,
ME, MS, MO, NE, NY, NC, OH, TX, VT,
WV
TOP NINE—KS 108%, FL 100%, TX
100%, OH 99%, NC 96%, IA 94%, MS
94%, NE 93%, IL 91%
2001—AL, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY,
ME, MD, MA, MS, MO, NE, NY, NC,
ND, OH, OK, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA,
WV
TOP NINE—OK 111%, TX 106%, IN
98%, KY 98%, ME 98%, MO 98%, AL
97%, TN 97%, WV 97%
States where private land hunting
days were 50% or less of all in-state
hunting days:
1991—AK, AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR,
UT, WA, WY
BOTTOM THREE—AZ 15%, AK 19%,
NM 23%
1996—AK, AZ, CO, ID, NV, NM, OR, UT
BOTTOM THREE—AZ 15%, UT 17%,
NV 19%
2001—AK, AZ, CO, ID, NV, NM, OR, UT,
WA, WY
BOTTOM THREE—AK 17%, AZ 24%,
NV 28%
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Division of Federal Aid
Washington, DC 20240
http://federalaid.fws.gov
June 2005
Cover: Photodisc