Fish, wildlife and Washington’s economy (Links to report added)

[Wenatcheejay]

Did you answer 'yes' to the "while afield hunting this year, did you enjoy seeing any non target species?" question?

If so, you and your hunting expenditures were counted on the "wildlife watcher" side of the ledger. 

Of course here in WA we have to be used to watching animals we used to be able to pull triggers on....spring bears, non-'true spikes', branch antlered bulls, spike and fork mule deer, sub 4 pt whitetails, etc etc.

I learned a long time ago that in this State any and all surveys can and will be used against YOU your SPORT, your BUSINESS, and your FREEDOM. They exist for Pencil Pushing agenda driven Anti's to use statistics to explain why you do not really matter. (Unless you are in favor of the desired outcome.)

[Kain]

National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR)
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/fishing.html

Washington Report
http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/fhw06-wa.pdf

Errata
http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/fhw06-errata.pdf

Thread with a related survey..
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,77071.0.html

[Dave Workman]

Hunting $313 million 5,595 jobs
Sport Fishing $1.1 billion 14,655 jobs
Wildlife Watching $1.5 billion 26,000 jobs

Gee...watching wildlife brings in more revenue and creates more jobs than hunting and fishing combined.  If that's the case how come we are yet to see...Wholesale Watchers, Cabelas Light, or any form of Tweety Bird Retail stores.

They must really think we fell off the hay wagon.  Total B.S.

Once again, very insightful.
I just sent an e-mail to Phil Anderson, calling B.S. on the data.

USFWS comes up with this data from where?

There are no federal or state wildlife watching licenses or permits, so how the (pick your favorite expletive) do they know? I asked if all the revenues from the sale of binoculars are counted. I asked if "wildlife watching" encompasses all the poor schmucks who are forced to watch big bull elk and spike and 2-point muley bucks trot away because they are not legal to shoot.

I'm with you. I think this is B.S. and the data is simply incredulous.

[bearpaw]

There is a designated wildlife watching area that I frequented several times this May to glass for bear. I was there a half dozen times while hunting bear, I saw a border patrol vehicle there 3 or 4 times, I saw no one else there. I guess I count as a wildlife watcher....

[bearpaw]

Sorry I need to add something else.

Several times a year you will see "Welcome Hunters" posted on signs of businesses throughout Stevens County. I can not remember in my lifetime here, of ever seeing a sign that says "Welcome Wildlife Watchers.... LMAO 

[washelkhntr]

 

[bearpaw]

Our local Chamber of Commerce has figured out that hunting is good business for this county. You will see signs up fall or spring in Colville and other area communities welcoming hunters. Our Chamber even buys ads in the hunting regs and goes to sport shows to attract hunters.

[Dave Workman]

I put this in the Wolf thread, too, but it applies here also.
Bearpaw...you're quoted in it.



Alarmed WA hunters doing the math on wolf program

 The Washington Fish & Wildlife Commission meets tomorrow at the Natural Resources building in Olympia to unveil and review the current version of a proposed wolf recovery program, an effort this state’s big game hunters see as a plan that will ultimately doom their hunting tradition.

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/alarmed-wa-hunters-doing-the-math-on-wolf-program

[BIGINNER]

I WONDER HOW MUCH MORE THE NUMBERS WILL BE SCREWED UP WITH THE DISCOVER PASS..
THE PASS IS GOING TO GENERATE LOTS OF MONEY.  AND I'M ALMOST POSITIVE THAT ALL THAT MONEY WILL BE TAGGED TO WILDIFE VIEWING. 

[Wenatcheejay]

I put this in the Wolf thread, too, but it applies here also.
Bearpaw...you're quoted in it.



Alarmed WA hunters doing the math on wolf program

 The Washington Fish & Wildlife Commission meets tomorrow at the Natural Resources building in Olympia to unveil and review the current version of a proposed wolf recovery program, an effort this state’s big game hunters see as a plan that will ultimately doom their hunting tradition.

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/alarmed-wa-hunters-doing-the-math-on-wolf-program

Excellent,

Thank You!

It states my opinion exactly.

[Dave Workman]

 

Excellent,

Thank You!

It states my opinion exactly.

Feel free to forward the links to anyone and everyone in the hunting community.

Thank you for your kind comment.

[Malottguy]

Very well worded and you hit it on the head how we are all feeling. Thank you for the writeup.

[Kain]

Participation in Washington
The 2006 Survey found that 2.7 million
Washington residents and nonresidents
16 years old and older fi shed, hunted,
or wildlife watched in Washington. Of
the total number of participants, 736
thousand fi shed, 182 thousand hunted,
and 2.3 million participated in wildlife -
watching activities, which include
observing, feeding, and photographing
wildlife. The sum of anglers, hunters,
and wildlife watchers exceeds the total
number of participants in wildlife -
related recreation because many
 individuals engaged in more than
one wildlife-related activity.

Wildlife Watchers
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2.3 million
 Away from home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   959 thousand
 Around the home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   1.9 million

They are counting 2 million people that "watch" wildlife around their homes.  How does that add to the economy other than some bird seed and feeders? 

[Sumpnneedskillin]

If you went to Oak Creek to check out the bulls guess what you just got counted as a "wildlife watcher".

[Sumpnneedskillin]

So I did some reading of the reports. 

If you feed the birds in your yard you're a wildlife watcher.  According to the numbers "at home" wildlife watchers are defined as:
This group includes those who participated within 1 mile of home and involves one or more of the following:
(1) closely observing or trying to identify birds or other wildlife; (2) photographing wildlife; (3) feeding birds or
other wildlife; (4) maintaining natural areas of at least 1/4 acre where benefit to wildlife is the primary concern; (5) maintaining plantings (shrubs, agricultural crops, etc.) where benefi t to wildlife is the primary concern; or (6)
visiting public parks within 1 mile of home for the primary purpose of observing, feeding, or photographing
wildlife.

These people account for 1.9 million of the wildlife watchers.

Fishermen spend an average of $1210
Hunters spend an average of $1688
Watchers spend an average of $563

So if you remove the 1.9 million the total spent by watchers is $540 million instead of $1.5 billion.