Hunting And Fishing Decline In Michigan Is Detrimental To Conservation
No matter what you think about hunting and fishing, it brings in a lot of money to Michigan's economy and conservation efforts. Hunting contributes $2.4 billion to the Michigan economy and is responsible for 34,000 jobs around the state. Much of that money is also used to protect the environment in Michigan.
So what's causing the decline? It's simple really, people are just less interested in hunting and fishing. The main demographic for hunters are the Baby Boomer generation and as they get older, fewer people are taking up hunting.
The Detroit Free Press reports that in 1998, there were 785,000 licenses sold for Michigan's firearm deer-hunting season. Less than 20 years later in 2017, that number was down to 621,000.
Now, groups across the state are encouraging women and children to take up hunting in order to reverse the declining trend. You can read more about the decline, how it affects us, and how the DNR is trying to combat it on the Detroit Free Press website.