Outdoor Recreation - Wildlife As Recreation

America is a huge country with many millions of square miles of natural wilderness and a rich tradition of enjoying nature. Many Americans find wildlife-associated recreation a source of immense pleasure, and some of the most popular recreational activities involve wildlife and wild terrain.

According to data gathered by the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Commerce in a survey conducted in 2001, more than 30% of Americans were involved in wildlife-related recreation activities and participation had increased by 5% since 1996. (See Table 3.6 and Table 3.7.) Participation varied by state, with Alaska reporting the highest proportion of participants (70%). Other states with high levels of participants included Vermont (67%), Minnesota (65%), Montana (63%), Oregon (59%), Wyoming (59%), South Dakota (58%), Washington (56%), Iowa (55%), New Hampshire (53%), Arkansas (52%), Idaho (52%), and Oklahoma (51%). (See Table 3.6.)

TABLE 3.6

Participants in wildlife-related recreation by participant's state of residence, 2001
(Population 16 years old and older. Numbers in thousands)
		Total participants		Sportspersons		Wildlife-watching participants
Participant's state of residence	Population	Number	Percent of population	Number	Percent of population	Number	Percent of population
Note: Detail does not add to total because of multiple responses. U.S. totals include responses from participants residing in the District of Columbia.
SOURCE: "Table 50. Participants in Wildlife-Related Recreation by Participant's State of Residence: 2001," in 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002, http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/FHW01.pdf (accessed September 10, 2004)
United States, total	212,298	82,302	39	37,805	18	66,105	31
Alabama	3,427	1,323	39	726	21	965	28
Alaska	454	320	70	205	45	241	53
Arizona	3,700	1,296	35	437	12	1,107	30
Arkansas	1,999	1,038	52	621	31	778	39
California	25,982	6,873	26	2,486	10	5,491	21
Colorado	3,215	1,518	47	679	21	1,213	38
Connecticut	2,536	996	39	331	13	883	35
Delaware	599	220	37	94	16	170	28
Florida	12,171	3,857	32	2,158	18	2,856	23
Georgia	6,096	1,932	32	1,136	19	1,326	22
Hawaii	916	195	21	114	12	126	14
Idaho	972	507	52	306	31	388	40
Illinois	9,244	3,148	34	1,507	16	2,492	27
Indiana	4,558	2,179	48	914	20	1,786	39
Iowa	2,201	1,212	55	580	26	983	45
Kansas	2,017	942	47	491	24	735	36
Kentucky	3,121	1,547	50	703	23	1,264	40
Louisiana	3,306	1,326	40	829	25	840	25
Maine	1,005	607	60	256	26	520	52
Maryland	4,078	1,546	38	571	14	1,311	32
Massachusetts	4,837	1,726	36	521	11	1,493	31
Michigan	7,587	2,950	39	1,325	17	2,424	32
Minnesota	3,688	2,388	65	1,437	39	1,993	54
Mississippi	2,111	851	40	533	25	579	27
Missouri	4,206	2,010	48	1,076	26	1,612	38
Montana	699	438	63	279	40	362	52
Nebraska	1,266	623	49	308	24	498	39
Nevada	1,454	439	30	194	13	334	23
New Hampshire	954	506	53	175	18	450	47
New Jersey	6,300	1,993	32	669	11	1,694	27
New Mexico	1,337	595	45	256	19	471	35
New York	14,201	3,990	28	1,493	11	3,524	25
North Carolina	5,918	2,330	39	982	17	1,884	32
North Dakota	483	228	47	170	35	135	28
Ohio	8,645	3,407	39	1,513	17	2,768	32
Oklahoma	2,587	1,308	51	730	28	1,042	40
Oregon	2,630	1,545	59	611	23	1,286	49
Pennsylvania	9,303	4,169	45	1,648	18	3,522	38
Rhode Island	765	280	37	96	13	242	32
South Carolina	3,080	1,375	45	674	22	1,079	35
South Dakota	559	326	58	176	31	251	45
Tennessee	4,317	2,109	49	903	21	1,706	40
Texas	15,445	4,515	29	2,745	18	3,088	20
Utah	1,554	736	47	468	30	572	37
Vermont	479	319	67	125	26	287	60
Virginia	5,471	2,535	46	970	18	2,168	40
Washington	4,516	2,537	56	932	21	2,234	49
West Virginia	1,447	694	48	353	24	517	36
Wisconsin	4,059	2,489	61	1,141	28	2,159	53
Wyoming	377	223	59	138	37	172	46

Not surprisingly, states with ample opportunities for wildlife recreation—observing wildlife, photographing, and feeding birds or other wildlife—reported higher levels of participation than states better known for other environmental attractions. For example, Hawaii, which is better known for its beaches, hotels, and resorts, reported that just 21% of its population engaged in wildlife recreation. Similarly, Nevada, with its urban tourism attracting employees and visitors to the cities of Las Vegas and Reno, reported that just 30% of its residents participated in wildlife recreation. (See Table 3.6.)

National Survey

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is to conserve and enhance the nation's fish, wildlife, and habitat. For conservation efforts to be effective,

TABLE 3.7

Wildlife watching participants by days and expenditures, 1996–2001
(Population 16 years old and older. Numbers in thousands)
	1996		20011		1996–2001 Percent change
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
1All 2001 expenditures are adjusted to make them comparable to 1991 estimates
*Not different from zero at the 5 percent level
SOURCE: "1996–2001 Wildlife Watching Participants, Days, and Expenditures," in 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002, http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/FHW01.pdf (accessed September 10, 2004)
Wildlife watching, total	62,868	100	66,105	100	5
Residential	60,751	97	62,928	95	4*
Observe wildlife	44,063	70	42,111	64	24*
Photograph wildlife	16,021	25	13,937	21	213*
Feed wild birds or other wildlife	54,122	86	53,988	82	0
Visit public parks or areas	11,011	18	10,981	17	0
Maintain plantings or natural areas	13,401	21	13,072	20	2*
Nonresidential	23,652	38	21,823	33	28*
Observe wildlife	22,878	36	20,080	30	212
Photograph wildlife	12,038	19	9,427	14	222
Feed wildlife	9,976	16	7,077	11	229
Days, nonresidential	313,790	100	372,006	100	19*
Observing wildlife	278,683	89	295,345	79	6*
Photographing wildlife	79,342	25	76,324	21	24*
Feeding wildlife	89,606	29	103,307	28	15*
Wildlife-watching expenditures, total (2001 dollars)	$29,062,524	100	$33,730,868	100	16*
Trips	10,250,604	35	8,162,439	24	220*
Equipment	16,785,440	58	23,616,982	70	41
Wildlife-watching equipment	8,783,405	30	6,850,971	20	222*
Auxiliary equipment	853,374	3	716,900	2	216*
Special equipment	7,148,661	25	16,049,111	48	125
Other	2,026,480	7	1,951,447	6	24*

the FWS needs to know how people use fish and wildlife resources. Since 1955 the FWS has conducted a periodic survey of fishing, hunting, and wildlife-related recreation. The 2001 FWS survey and report was the tenth such study conducted to determine how often recreationists participated and how much they spent on their activities.

The 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002), found that more than eighty-two million Americans participated in some form of wildlife-related activity in 2001.

During 2001, according to the survey, 34.1 million people in the United States fished, 13 million hunted, and 66.1 million enjoyed other forms of wildlife-watching recreation, including photographing or feeding animals. Among anglers, hunters, and nonconsuming participants (those who did not capture or kill the animals or fish), many of those who participated in one activity often engaged in the other activities as well. For example, in 2001 more than two-thirds (71%) of hunters also fished, and more than one-quarter (27%) of anglers hunted.

Trends

According to the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, the number of Americans fishing in 2001, 34.1 million, decreased only slightly from 1996, when there were 35.2 million anglers. The number of hunters, thirteen million, also dropped from fourteen million in 1996. Despite these declines, an examination of trends revealed that the number of anglers outpaced U.S. population growth at a rate of two to one from 1955 to 2001. Although the number of hunters increased by 31% during the same period, this rate of growth did not keep pace with U.S. population growth. (See Figure 3.2.)

Participation in wildlife watching grew to 66.1 million in 2001, from 62.9 million in 1996. The percentage of people who took trips away from their homes to observe, feed, or photograph wildlife fell by 19% from 1980 (the first year it was measured) to 2001. The number of people who enjoyed these activities within one mile of their homes (62.9 million) increased by 4% from 1996. (See Table 3.7 and Figure 3.3.)

Expenditures

In 2001 Americans spent about $108 billion, representing about 1% of the gross domestic product, on wildlife-related recreation. Fishing accounted for approximately 32% of that expenditure, wildlife-watching activities, 36%, and hunting, 19%. (Another 13% was unspecified.) (See Figure 2.4 in Chapter 2.) Of the money spent, 59% was for equipment, 28% was trip-related, and 13% fell into the "other" category.

Who Participates in Wildlife Sports?

In 2001 the greatest number of wildlife enthusiasts lived in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois. (See Table 3.6.) According to 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, the greatest percentage and the largest number of anglers and hunters were between the ages of thirty-five and fifty-four. (See Table 3.8.) The majority were male: 74% of the anglers and 91% of the hunters. Of those who watched wildlife, 54% were female, while 34% of all women watched wildlife at their residences. Most hunters were white (96%), while 2% were black and 2% were members of other races. Among anglers, 93% were white, 5% were black, 1% were Asian, and 1% were other races. Among those who participated in nonresidential wildlife-watching activities, 95% were white, 3% were black, 1% were Asian, and 1% were other races.

Among anglers, 35% had a high school education, 27% had one to three years of college, and 26% had four

FIGURE 3.2

FIGURE 3.3

years of college or more. Only 12% had fewer than twelve years of school. Among hunters, 38% had a high school diploma, 26% had one to three years of college, 22% had four years of college or more, and only 14% had fewer than twelve years of school. For those who enjoyed wildlife-watching activities, 27% had a high school diploma, 27% had one to three years of college, and 37% had four or more years of college. Only 8% had less than a high school education.

Hunting

In 2001, thirteen million Americans sixteen years and older enjoyed hunting a variety of game animals within the United States. In order of preference, hunters sought big game (deer, elk, bear, and wild turkey), small game (squirrels, rabbits, pheasants, quail, and grouse), migratory birds (doves, ducks, and geese), and other animals (groundhogs, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes). Hunters spent $20.6 billion on trips and equipment during 2001. (See Table 3.9.) Collectively, they hunted 228 million days and took two hundred million trips.

People living in the west north-central states were most likely to hunt (12%), while residents of the Pacific states (2%) and the New England (4%) and middle and south Atlantic states (5% each) were least likely. (See Figure 3.4.) Nearly all (95%) hunted within their resident state; only 2.1 million hunted out of state.

TABLE 3.8

Anglers, by gender and age, 2001
SOURCE: "Anglers–by Gender and Age," in 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002, http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/FHW01.pdf (accessed September 10, 2004)
Total, both sexes	34.1million
Male	25.2 million
Female	8.9 million
Total, all ages	34.1million
16 and 17	1.3 million
18 to 24	2.9 million
25 to 34	6.6 million
35 to 44	9.0 million
45 to 54	6.9 million
55 to 64	4.2 million
65 and older	3.1 million

Animal rights advocates have sometimes tried to characterize hunters as wanton, unfeeling killers. Hunters and hunters' organizations have worked to counter this negative image by teaching ethics to hunters, actively promoting the contributions that hunters make to conservation, and defending hunting as a time-honored American tradition. The campaign to improve hunting's reputation coincided with state initiatives to restrict specific types of hunting, such as the baiting of bears in Michigan and Washington and airborne hunting of wolves in Alaska.

Fishing

In 2001 more than thirty-four million U.S. residents enjoyed a variety of fishing activities throughout the United States. Collectively, anglers fished 557 million days and took 437 million fishing trips. Freshwater species were fished for by 84% of anglers, while saltwater fish were fished for by 26%. (There was some overlap because of those who fished for both.) Anglers spent $35.6 billion on fishing-related expenses during the year. Of that amount, 41% was trip-related, 48% went for equipment, and 11% was for other expenses.

Wildlife-Watching Activities

Wildlife-watching activities, including observing, feeding, and photographing wildlife, are popular in the United States. These activities were termed either "residential" (within a mile of one's home) or "nonresidential" (at least one mile from home) in the FWS survey. In 2001, 31% (66.1 million) of the American population sixteen years and older enjoyed watching wildlife. Each participant spent an average of $738 for a total of $38.4 billion. Of the total spent, 61% was for equipment, 21% was triprelated, and 17% went for other expenses.

Among the nearly sixty-three million people who enjoyed wildlife-watching activities in their own communities (residential), 82% fed birds, 64% observed wildlife,

TABLE 3.9

Total hunters and hunting days, trips, and expenditures, 2001
Note: Detail does not add to total because of multiple responses and nonresponse
SOURCE: "Total Hunting," in 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002, http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/FHW01.pdf (accessed September 10, 2004)
Hunters	13.0 million
Big game	10.9 million
Small game	5.4 million
Migratory bird	3.0 million
Other animals	1.0 million
Days	228 million
Big game	153 million
Small game	60 million
Migratory bird	29 million
Other animals	19 million
Trips	200 million
Big game	114 million
Small game	46 million
Migratory bird	24 million
Other animals	15 million
Expenditures	$20.6 billion
Big game	10.1 billion
Small game	1.8 billion
Migratory game	1.4 billion
Other animals	0.2 billion
Unspecified	7.1 billion

21% photographed wildlife, and 17% visited public areas, such as parks, within one mile of their homes. Another 20% maintained plantings for wildlife or natural areas for the primary purpose of benefiting wildlife. Among those who took trips away from home for the primary purpose of observing, feeding, or photographing wildlife, 30% observed, 14% photographed, and 11% fed the animals. (See Table 3.7.)

Residents from the west north-central (41%), east south-central (34%), and New England (36%) states were most likely to enjoy local wildlife activities. Residents of the mountain (15%) and west north-central states (14%) were most likely to travel to participate in wildlife activities. Almost equal proportions of males and females enjoyed wildlife-watching activities.

Whale Watching

Whale watching grew dramatically as a form of wildlife watching recreation during the 1990s. The whales supported an industry pouring millions of dollars into many coastal economies, particularly those of New England, California, and Hawaii.

According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare study Whale Watching 2001, by Eric Hoyt, whale watching in the United States generated an estimated $158 million in direct spending and $357 million in total related expenditures in 1998, and there were more than 4.3 million U.S. whale watchers. In New England alone,

FIGURE 3.4

tourists spent more than $30 million in direct expenditures to visit whales in their natural environment. Humpback, fin, and minke whales could be seen there, along with the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale.

In California the gray whale, now removed from the endangered species list, was the star of the West Coast's whale-watching industry, and blue and humpback whales could be seen as well. Hawaii offered humpback, shortfinned pilot, and sperm whales. In addition to transporting ecotourists, commercial whale-watching vessels also served as forums for educational outreach and scientific research.

"Canned Hunting"

During the 1990s a controversial form of commercial exploitation of wildlife, known as "canned hunting," swept across the country. Beginning in Texas, by 2004 canned hunting occurred in most states in the United States. In a canned hunt, the "hunter" pays a set fee and steps into an enclosure where an animal—boar, ram, bear, lion, tiger, zebra, buffalo, rhinoceros, or antelope—is confined. The hunter then kills the animal with the weapon of his or her choice. The animals are easily cornered. Some have been domesticated or raised in facilities where they have become friendly to humans, even walking up to them.

In 2003 the Fund for Animals listed a total of 298 canned hunt operations around the United States that it had identified through advertising brochures, magazine ads, or Web sites, and estimated that there were many more it had not been able to discover. The states it found to have the most canned hunts were Texas, with sixty-two;

TABLE 3.10

Recreational boats in use, by boat type, 1997–2003
Year	Outboard boats (millions)	Inboard boats (millions)	Sterndrive boats (millions)	Personal watercraft (millions)	Sailboats (millions)	Other (millions)	Total (millions)
SOURCE: "Table 1.3. Recreational Boats in Use by Boat Type 1997 to 2003," in 2003 Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract, National Marine Manufacturers Association, 2004, http://www.nmma.org/facts/boatingstats/2003/files/Abstract.pdf (accessed September 10, 2004)
1997	8.13	1.59	1.58	1.00	1.65	2.29	16.23
1998	8.19	1.61	1.62	1.10	1.67	2.45	16.65
1999	8.21	1.63	1.67	1.18	1.65	2.49	16.82
2000	8.29	1.66	1.71	1.24	1.64	2.50	17.03
2001	8.34	1.69	1.74	1.29	1.63	2.51	17.20
2002	8.38	1.71	1.77	1.35	1.61	2.53	17.36
2003	8.42	1.74	1.79	1.42	1.60	2.53	17.49

Michigan, with twenty-four; Pennsylvania, with twenty-one; and Florida, with seventeen.

No federal laws restrict canned hunts, although in late 2001 Senator Joseph Biden, a Democrat from Delaware, introduced legislation that would make it illegal to "knowingly transfer, transport, or possess in interstate or foreign commerce a confined exotic mammal for the purposes of allowing the killing or injuring of that animal for entertainment" or for the collection of a "trophy," but it did not reach the Senate floor for a vote.

By 2004 Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming had banned canned hunts for all mammals, while Delaware, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin had banned canned hunts for many or most mammals, with certain exceptions permitted in each state.

Investigations have revealed that zoos across the nation have sold animals they consider surplus either directly to canned-hunt facilities or to dealers who sell animals to auctions patronized by canned-hunt organizers. Some pressure has been exerted on zoos to acknowledge their responsibility for the animals they discard.