Report highlights hunting, shooting impact on Pennsylvania

By Victor Skinner | The Center Square contributor

HARRISBURG, PA – A new report illustrates the $1.8 billion impact of hunting, trapping and sport shooting in Pennsylvania, which ranked third among states for participation and 10th for economic contributions in 2020.

The Economic Impacts of Hunting and Target Shooting report was produced by Southwick Associates, an outdoor recreation focused market research firm, for the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, which advocates for hunting and fishing rights. The report was funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The 67-page report, which was released Friday, was based on 2020 data broken down by state and each of the country’s 435 U.S. congressional districts, as well as different types of hunting or target shooting.

Overall, hunting and target shooting generated $65 billion in combined retail sales and contributed $149 billion to the national economy. The spending supported nearly 970,000 jobs that paid out $45 billion in wages and income, according to the report.

In Pennsylvania, the data showed the commonwealth’s 780,000 hunters spent a total of 18.375 million days afield, behind only New York at more than 19 million days and Texas at 22.5 million days.

The hunting activity generated more than $1.1 billion in retail sales in Pennsylvania, with a total economic impact of more than $1.8 billion. The spending supported about 13,600 jobs and $584 million in salary and wages, contributed more than $1 billion in GDP, and $99 million in state and local taxes.

Pennsylvania hunters also contributed about $145 million in federal taxes used to help fund wildlife work, according to the report.

Evan Heusinkveld, CEO of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, said the intent of the research was to guide the organization’s advocacy and support its education efforts.

“This economic impact study makes it easy for sportsmen to educate friends, family and legislators on the importance of hunters and sport shootings to our national, state and local economies, as well as conservation funding at the state and federal level,” he said.

The report showed Pennsylvania’s 861,400 target shooters was the fourth-highest among states in 2020, behind Texas (1.8 million), California (1.9 million) and Florida (1.1 million). Pennsylvania shooters spent more than 17 million days at the range, according to the data.

The economic impact of sport shooting in Pennsylvania totaled $676 million in retail sales, with a total impact of about $1.2 billion. The shooting sports industry supported 10,600 jobs in the Keystone State, producing $424 million in salaries and wages in 2020. The industry contributed $655 million in GDP, $70 million in state and local taxes, and $98 million in federal taxes, the report showed.

When examined by congressional district, the 12th Congressional District held by Rep. Fred Keller boasted the highest number of hunters at more than 64,000, followed by the 15th Congressional District occupied by Rep. Glenn Thompson at just under 64,000. It was a similar situation with shooting sports, with 57,520 shooters in Keller’s district and 56,340 in Thompson’s.

Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, put the overall spending by hunters and shooters in the U.S. in perspective.

“The economic impact of hunting and sport shooting to local, state and the federal economy cannot be overstated,” he said. “If hunting and shooting were a company, the jobs it supports would place it as the third largest private-sector employer, and $65 billion, the retail sales it generates, would place it at fifty-second on the Fortune 500 list.”