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Lincoln -- Regardless of what anti-hunting, anti-gun and animal rights groups want Americans to believe, the popularity of big game hunting in America is at an all-time high.
Information compiled by Responsive Management for a study funded by the Dallas Safari Club and Conservation Force, said there are more big game hunters in the United States now than at any other time in history and the number is steadily growing.
The report, released in June, 2000, said that in 1955 there were 1,579,704 big game hunters in the U.S. and by 1985 that figure had grown to 6,494,911. Those figures included hunters 12-years-old and older. In 1991 there were 10,745,000 big game hunters in the country and in 1996 that figure had increased to 11,288,000. The 1991-1996 figures included only hunters 16-years-old and older. The numbers of both male and female hunters increased during that period.
For the purposes of the report, big game was identified as being species like deer, turkey, moose, bear, caribou, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, elk and mountain goats.
"No doubt some misinformed individuals have led people to believe hunting is an activity that is not supported by the American public and have misled others to assume big game hunting is a sport in decline. But in truth much of the "controversy" is based on fiction," the report said.
According to the report, 81 percent - more than eight of ten Americans - believe that people should have the freedom to choose to hunt. The figures showed that 53 percent strongly agreed, 28 percent moderately agreed, 6 percent moderately disagreed, 3 percent were neutral or didn^t know, and only 10 percent strongly disagreed.
In Nebraska the total number of big game permits sold has steadily increased during the past 19 years. The numbers sold were: 1980 -- 45,148;1985 -- 76,432; 1990 – 89,743; 1995 – 102,921; and 1999 – 132,782.
The Dallas Safari Club and Conservation Force report said that nationally, big game hunters spent a total of 154 million days afield, they took a 114 million hunting trips in 1996; and spent $9.7 billion on big game hunting trips and equipment in 1996.
The number of bowhunters has grown by 50 percent in the last 10 years to its current number of 3.2 million archers and the interest in muzzleloading is also growing and contributing to the increased popularity of big game hunting, according to Research Management.
The report credited an increase in opportunity to hunt big game as being the biggest factor in its continuing growth. The increased opportunity is thanks to the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program, the largest and most successful wildlife conservation program in the world. Through the program sportsmen and women who hunt and participate in recreational shooting help to restore and protect fish and wildlife by paying excise taxes placed on hunting and related outdoor sporting equipment. Sportsman^s contributions and those made by conservation groups combined with the wildlife management skills of state fish and wildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, resulted in wild turkey numbers increasing from 1.3 million in 1973 to 5.2 million in 1999; white-tailed deer numbers increasing to more than 33 million; elk being more numerous today than at any other time since 1900 and occupying more suitable habitat than ever before.
"Hunting is an American tradition, backed with the commitment of millions of individuals and hundreds of conservation organizations. There is no doubt big game hunting is helping to shape the bright future of the American conservation movement and will continue to do so for generations to come," the report said.
Uploaded: 8/16/2000
Uploaded: 8/16/2000