Higher gas prices didn’t curb enthusiasm for hunters or anglers traveling to Michigan this year — nor are they expected to as opening day for firearm deer season nears — and that’s a welcome sign for conservationists.
Just hours before the opening of firearm deer season, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources released data showing an upsurge in the number of hunting licenses purchased by out-of-state visitors through October 31. Out-of-state visitors also purchased 201,835 (est.) fishing licenses over the same period. Nonresident hunting license purchases jumped to 21,723, an increase of nearly 4%, from the 20,895 nonresident hunting licenses bought through October 31, 2021.
That’s important because Michigan’s management of the state’s wildlife and other natural resources depends on it. A silver lining is that nonresident hunters pay significantly more for licenses — more than 10 times as much depending upon the license — as residents.
“Whether they come from the cities, towns or villages of Michigan or from other states, we are grateful for all the benefits we gain when hunters and anglers continue to support conservation by taking to the woods and waterways of the Great Lakes State,” said Nick Buggia, chair of the Michigan Wildlife Council, noting that license sales are the main funder of conservation efforts in Michigan.
Buggia added, “We want to thank any and all individuals who contribute to the protection and enhancement of our natural resources. We know they appreciate that hunting and fishing in one of the most beautiful outdoor recreational destinations in the country and we appreciate their impact in keeping it that way.”
In 2021, licenses purchased by anglers and hunters generated more than $65.5 million for the Michigan Game and Fish Protection Fund. The fund is the DNR’s largest revenue source — not state taxes — and is critical to its conservation work. Hunting and fishing equipment sales raised an additional $32 million to support wildlife and natural resource management.
Overall, the 2022 data reflects some decades-long concerns in both hunting and fishing license sales. There are some good signs but also some challenges as sales numbers have continued to gradually decline by about 1% to 3% a year since 1996 — with some exceptions such as 2020, when there was an upsurge generally attributable to extra time people had on their hands during the pandemic, said Dustin Isenhoff, acting manager of the DNR’s Public Outreach and Engagement Unit.
“We’re holding the line with the overall trend being a slight decline or flat across the board in both hunting and fishing licenses,” Isenhoff said. “We are continuing to study the trends to find opportunities for growth.”
When the 2020 numbers reversed years of decline, Isenhoff said, there was some optimism that the downward trend was changing. This year, it appears that 2020 was more of an outlier than a predictor of better numbers on the near horizon, he said.
The most consistent exception to the overall decline has been nonresident hunting sales, which have increased steadily over the last five years.
Since DNR conservation funding relies primarily on license fees, fewer licenses sold results in less funding for conservation and wildlife management.
“We are excited to see any growth in license sales and continue to encourage hunters and anglers — whether here in Michigan or living elsewhere — to continue to enjoy all that we have to offer,” he said. “When that happens, the true winners are our ecosystem and the future generations who will continue to reap the benefits of our wildlife management and habitat protection work.”
According to the Michigan DNR, a total of 460,437 people purchased hunting licenses and 1.08 million purchased fishing licenses through October 31, 2022:
• Hunting license purchases were down 0.66% from 463,490 bought in 2021.
• Fishing license purchases were down 3.4% from 1.31 million bought in 2021.
Hunters and anglers aged 65 and older purchased 83,353 hunting licenses and 204,085 fishing licenses in 2022:
• In that demographic, hunting license purchases were up by 3.49% from 2021.
• Fishing license purchases were up 0.4% from 2021.
First-time hunting and fishing license purchases were down from last year:
• 40,198 first-time hunting license purchases were down 2.13%.
• 239,804 first-time fishing license purchases were down 11%.
The number of women purchasing hunting and fishing licenses also dipped in 2022:
• 44,426 women purchased hunting licenses through October 31, 2022, down 1.8% from the same period in 2021.
• Fishing licenses purchased by women fell 5.84% to 228,883.
Hunting numbers in Michigan have been declining overall for decades as hunters have gotten older and younger generations have been slower to fill the void. In the last 25 years, the number of Michigan hunters has decreased by 250,000.
That means less money for conservation, habitat restoration and protection from invasive species. Those are among the conservation activities that keep animal populations in balance and protect Michigan waters, as well as safeguard the state’s forests to provide habitats for thousands of wildlife species and reduce the risk of wildfires and flooding.
Additionally, hunting and fishing have a combined $11.2 billion economic impact on Michigan and provide an estimated 171,000 jobs annually, according to a 2019 study released by the Michigan United Conservation Clubs in partnership with Michigan State University.
