Survey says outdoor spending is on the rise

Hunting and fishing generated $2.6 billion for Mississippi, U.S. Fish & Wildlife survey says.

The cost of hunting and fishing, and wildlife viewing, has gone up in Mississippi, according to an every-five-year survey conducted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

But news that wildlife- and fishing-related expenditures had produced over $2.6 billion in revenue in Mississippi in 2011 — nearly a 300-percent increase over the 2006 figures — apparently wasn’t that surprising to state wildlife officials.

“That’s pretty darned close to what we had estimated,” was the reaction of Larry Castle, the chief of wildlife and fisheries for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, who heard the news with his assistant chief Chad Dacus. “What had we figured, $2.5 billion?”

Dacus, who is also the deer program coordinator, laughed.

“I didn’t know we were that smart,” he joked. “But that’s about what we guess-timated. We knew the numbers were going to be impressive.”

MDWFP executive director Sam Polles had the more expected reaction.

“That’s amazing, and really good news,” Polles said Wednesday near the conclusion of the monthly MDWFP Commission meeting. “Wow, over $2.5 billion. I think it shows how important what we do is in Mississippi.”

While the agency receives no direct cash benefit from the survey, Polles knows the impact is there.

“It correlates to our license sales, which as you know increased (one percent) last year,” he said. “It’s all relative. That is such good news. I think it’s a credit to our marketing program. We are putting our resources out there, getting the word out, and people are responding.”

The preliminary results of the survey were released last week and showed that consumptive sports, hunting and fishing, still far exceed non-consumptive activities. Sportsmen spent $2.29 billion while wildlife watchers spent $342 million.

Hunting and fishing each produced about $1.1 billion in 2011, a number that exceeds the total for both plus wildlife viewing in 2006 — about $985 million.

In the 2011 survey, it shows that sportsmen spent an overwhelming majority of their money on equipment — about $1.5 billion — while spending $570 million on trip-related costs.

Which of course brings us back to the rising cost of hunting and fishing. With only a slight increase in the number of participants, it becomes obvious that each individual is spending more money.

A lot more money.

“I can’t speak for everybody, but, me… yeah, I bet I spent at least three times more last year than I did five years ago,” said Keith Quayle of Terry. “On ammunition alone, I bet I spent 10 times more. You priced a case of 12- gauge dove loads lately? Rifle cartridges? They’ve doubled in price the last couple of years, at least doubled.

“And last year I bought new equipment, too, like I finally bought one of those not-so-primitive single-shot rifles that they are letting us use during the not-so-primitive deer season. Bang, there went another $1,000 on that gun and scope and bullets. And I got two boys, too, and they’re growing like weeds. They had to be upgraded in their guns, and one of them is now into archery. Bought a new bow lately?”

Quayle, who slowed his rant for a second, finally smiled.

“No, I am not surprised one bit about that kind of revenue being spent in Mississippi, not at all,” he said. “And I certainly enjoyed every bit of pleasure it gave me and the family. It’s who we are and what we do for fun.

“Take it away from us, and yeah, we’d have more money but we’d be far less happy, far less content with our lives. I’m sure we’d have found something far less productive to do with the money and spent it anyway.”

Van Allen, who owns Van’s Deer Processing and Sporting Goods in Brandon and another store in Alabama, was stunned at the news at first, but then realized the numbers did add up.

“I wonder how they came up with that,” was Allen’s first reponse.

“But, you know what, makes sense when I think about it,” he quickly retorted. “My sales are up 30 percent just over the last year. The cost of everything is up and you know hunters and fishermen, they’ve got to have the latest and the best.

“I guess they still have enough discretionary spending money to keep up with it all. Thank goodness.”