Hunters in Vermont Spend More Than $189 Million Each Year
Northeast Hunting 12.19.11
The Fish and Wildlife Department in Vermont reported that hunters in the State of Vermont spend more than $189 million each year. This is according to a survey done by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Census Bureau.
More than $20 million of these charges are for the hunting trip. This includes lodging, transportation, food, and other related trip costs. Another $151 million of the money is spent on the equipment needed for the trip, and $17 million is spent on miscellaneous other items.
Hunting is important for the state economically, not because of the total economic impact, but because most if not all of the hunting expenditures occur after the foliage season, before skiing. Much of the money that the hunters spend is spent within the State of Vermont, including a lot of the rural areas.
This allows the state to prosper. In 2010 close to 80,000 people purchased Vermont hunting licenses. 68,700 of these people were residents, while the other 10,800 were nonresidents. Deer are the number one hunted animals sought by hunters in the State of Vermont, 92 percent of these license buyers go deer hunting.
The fees that come with the hunting licenses and the federal taxes on the hunting equipment provide the most funding for the Wildlife Management and Conservation Center in Vermont.
Vermont is third on the list in the entire nation that participates in wildlife related recreation such as hunting, wildlife watching, and fishing. 62 percent of the residents in Vermont enjoy these resources that are provided. Nonresidents and residents spend $376 million on average each year in Vermont in order to pursue these activities.