ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WATERFOWLERS

According to a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report, waterfowl hunters spent $900 million on food, transportation, guns, decoys, hunting dogs, clothing and other goods and services in 2006. These expenditures produced more than $2.3 billion in economic output for 2006, resulting in $157 million in federal and state tax revenues, supporting more than 27,000 jobs and generating more than $8.5 million in employment income.

The report notes that waterfowl hunters tend to be younger, have higher educational achievements and are more affluent compared to all hunters. The majority (74 percent) of waterfowl hunters live in the South and the Midwest. "The Economic Impact of Waterfowl Hunting in the United States" is an addendum to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, a survey conducted every five years.

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