Hunting has been an important human activity for thousands of years. Historically, it has been essential to survival, and it continues to be in remote areas of the U.S. and other countries. Additionally, millions of people enjoy its many social, economic, and ecological benefits.

Along with approximately 17 million American hunters and many national conservation organizations, are working to preserve the American hunting tradition for future generations.

Managed hunting is a beneficial use of renewable wildlife resources and in fact a necessary management practice to maintain a proper balance among many species and their habitat. Hunting is essential to the success of wildlife management.

In the early 1900's it was the hunter who realized the destructive nature of unmanaged market hunting and the hunter was the first to do something about it by providing the public with and the funds necessary for developing North America's successful system of wildlife management and conservation.

Today, hunters contribute millions of dollars each year toward wildlife management and conservation projects. As a lawful and responsible hunter you have much to be proud of.

U.S. HUNTER'S FACT CARD
DOLLARS: FROM HUNTERS, FOR WILDLIFE
WHAT HUNTERS' DOLLARS BUY
THE HUNTER'S IMAGE

Information provided by the NRA

Dollars From Hunters For Wildlife

State Licenses, Tags, Stamps and Permits
New York was the first state to require a hunting license in 1908. By 1928 every state was benefitting from such dedicated funding for the new science of wildlife management, totally supported by hunting licenses. In 1996, 15.2 million licensed hunters*(Note: Figure does not include hunters under the age of 16, subsistence hunters, or those legally exempt from license requirements.) contributed over $542 million to state fish and wildlife agencies. Combined with fishing license sales, that total exceeded $989 million. Since 1923, sales of state hunting licenses, tags, and permits have provided more than $8 billion toward wildlife management, habitat acquisition and enhancement, conservation law enforcement, shooting range construction and hunter education.

Federal Duck Stamps
Legislation authorizing the Federal Duck Stamp Program was passed in 1934. Since then hunters have provided well over $500 million for wetland purchase and protection through the program, and by 1996 duck stamp revenue reached $22.9 million per year. The preliminary report for 1997 lists the revenue at $23.7 million.

Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937
Better known today as the Pittman-Robertson (P-R) Act, this law imposes an 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition, an 11% excise tax on certain archery equipment, and a 10% tax on pistols and revolvers. The P-R Act was adopted with the strong backing of sportsmen in response to wildlife population declines caused in large part by land use effects on wildlife habitat. P-R funds support wildlife management, hunter education programs and shooting range development. In 1997 P-R funds totaled $165.8 million. Since its enactment sixty years ago, the P-R Act has distributed over $3.2 billion to state fish and wildlife agencies.

Voluntary Contributions
Millions of American hunters donate money, time and hard work toward the conservation of wildlife and other renewable resources. This takes place through local club projects, state conservation and hunting organizations, and many national associations. Conservative estimates of monetary and in-kind donations exceed tens of millions annually.

Our Nation's Economy
The 1996 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation reports that in 1996 hunting expenditures alone totaled $20.6 billion. Hunting equipment expenditures were $11.3 billion, trip-related expenses totaled $5.2 billion, and other expenses such as land leases, membership dues and licenses, totaled $4.1 billion. Hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout many industries in the U.S. depend on these hunting-related expenditures every year.

The Final Tally
Through all these various revenue sources, hunters now provide over $730.7 million annually for wildlife conservation and hunter education. Combined with fishing and trapping licenses, permit fees and taxes, the total sportsmen's contribution for 1996 was over $1.3 billion.

What Hunters Dollars Buy

Wildlife Management
Hunters were the first conservationists. They were the first to recognize the need for scientific wildlife management, for hunting regulations, for law enforcement and they were the first to fund these efforts. Hunting and fishing license fees and excise taxes fund more than 75% of all state fish and wildlife management programs, including those for non-game species. In fact, less than 10% of state fish and wildlife budgets come from general taxpayer funds.

Fish and wildlife agencies use hunters' money for species management, biological surveys, wildlife research and habitat improvement, access sites, shooting and field trial facilities, law enforcement, education safety programs and land acquisition. P-R funds have funded the acquisition of approximately five million acres of state-owned wildlife habitat, more than 1.6 million acres of waterfowl habitat, and the establishment of over 4,000 state wildlife management areas containing 45 million acres. In 1997, P-R federal assistance provided the states over $136 million for wildlife restoration that includes species management, habitat improvement, and wildlife research.

Even though the lands purchased with P-R money are financed completely by firearm users and archery enthusiasts, the benefits for non-hunters and non-game wildlife are tremendous. Nearly all the lands purchased with P-R funds are managed for wildlife and other public uses. It is estimated that between 70 and 90 percent of the people using these areas are not hunting.

Hunters' Successes
Since the 1920's when certain wildlife populations were at historic lows, the dollars and efforts of sportsmen, wildlife agencies and conservation groups have achieved many notable successes throughout North America. Some examples are listed below.

The Hunter's Image

Concern About Anti-Hunting Activists

Our hunting heritage is under attack by uninformed, misguided people who wish to impose their values on society by any means possible. Anti-hunting activists attack hunting through deceptive publicity campaigns, disguised educational programs in schools, physical harassment of law-abiding sportsmen and women, and vandalism of personal property. The NRA's efforts to protect hunting and prevent hunter harassment have led to passage of hunter protection laws in all fifty states, as well as legislation protecting hunters on federal lands.

Why Hunt?

The reasons people hunt are just as varied as the millions of people who participate. Whether for companionship or solitude, to commune or participate with nature, the challenge or tradition, or perhaps just a fondness for wild meat, hunting remains, as it always should, a personal choice.

"In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist when preserved by sportsmen." - President Theodore Roosevelt

"The point is that...Americans like to hunt and fish, that hunting fever is endemic in the race, and that the race is benefitted by any incentive to get out into the open, and is being injured by the destruction of the incentive in this case. To combat this destruction is therefore a social issue." - Aldo Leopold, premier conservationist and father of wildlife management.

Hunting on Private Property

Each year thousands of acres of private land are closed to hunting. Unfortunately, it's often because someone treated the land or its owners with disrespect.

You can improve hunter/landowner relations by getting permission before hunting on any property. Approach the landowner with courtesy; you'll have a better chance of getting permission and you can promote the image of the responsible hunter. Use a written permission form when seeking access to hunt. For information on obtaining the NRA Hunter/Landowner's Permission Booklet contact the Hunter Services Dept. at (800) 492-HUNT.

Why Turn In Poachers?

It's simple: They are not hunters, they are criminals. Poachers are unlawful and portray a bad image of hunting to the public. They must always be reported to law enforcement officials. Always take precautions and follow these steps:

• Observe from a distance.
• Do not try to confront or apprehend suspects.
• Record a detailed description of people, vehicles and activities.
• Report the incident to your wildlife agency, local or state police

Every state now has an anti-poaching program. For information on the program in your state contact the NRA Hunter Services Department at (800) 492-HUNT.

The Importance of Hunter Ethics

All sportsmen and women have a responsibility to other hunters and landowners, the public, wildlife, and above all, to themselves. It is essential that all hunters abide by a code of ethics.