According to the report, “48.8 percent of the U.S. population participated in outdoor recreation at least once in 2016.
“That equates to a total of 144.4 million people – two million more than participated in 2015.”
Broken down, here were the top five outdoor activities in 2016: “1. Running, jogging and trail running 18 percent of Americans, 52.3 million participants. 2. Freshwater, saltwater and fly fishing 16 percent of Americans, 47.2 million participants. 3. Road biking, mountain kiking and BMX 15 percent of Americans, 45.8 million participants. 4. Hiking 14 percent of Americans, 42.1 million participants. 5. Car, backyard, backpacking and RV camping 14 percent of Americans, 40.5 million participants.
“While 10.6 million Americans returned to or started participating in one or more of the outdoor activities measured, 8.6 million stopped. That’s a net gain of 2 million total participants,” according to the report.
I was interested in seeing the stats on fishing and was happy to see my favorite pastime is doing well. The report said: “Fishing participation was on the rise in 2016, increasing by 1.8 percent, or by 1.5 million participants, since the year before and reaching the highest participation rate since 2012. Indeed, in 2016, 47.2 million Americans, or 15.9 percent of the population ages 6 and up, participated in fishing at least once during the calendar year.
“There were more new/returning participants (6.1 million) than were lost (4.6 million), contributing to a 1.5 million person increase in fishing participation from 2015 to 2016.”
The only other breakdown in the report was for camping. According to the Coleman company and Outdoor Foundation, “Camping is one of America’s favorite outdoor activities, attracting 40.5 million participants in 2016. Americans participated in the activity in various ways, camping in a conventional tent, enjoying the comforts of an RV, relaxing in a cabin or roughing it.”
I looked around for some national statistics on hunting and with some difficulty came up with a 2013 report from the Wonders of Wildlife Museum: “More than 38 million Americans hunt and fish. Sportsmen and women contribute nearly $8 million a day to support wildlife and wildlife agencies. An average hunter spends $2,484 every year on the sport.”
And, interestingly, “Teenage girls are the fastest growing market in sport shooting. According to research, 72 percent more women are hunting with firearms today than just five years ago. And 50 percent more women are now target shooting.
“Americans hunt a combined 282 million days per year. That’s an average of 21 days per hunter.”
Attracting wildlife: Are you interested in attracting more wildlife to your property? You might have several acres or just a backyard. If you would like some tips on how to get started, a private lands biologist can help.
A Division of Wildlife private lands biologist can be contacted by calling 937-372-8261. He or she can also help you find programs that offer cost-share assistance to minimize out-of-pocket costs. Partners on projects include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners Program, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and the National Wild Turkey Federation.
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