The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it an unforeseen increase in hunting license sales in 2020 and while slightly lower in 2021, sales were still higher than pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council) conducted a survey of state wildlife agencies in early 2021 and found that, of the 40 reported states, there was an overall increase in hunting license sales of 4.9% from 2019 to 2020. As the pandemic stretched into a second year, 2021 saw an easing of “lockdowns” in most states. But as hunting season began across the U.S., a more contagious strain of the virus struck in the form of the Delta variant. Despite this, Americans’ demands for outdoor recreation and escape remained high, especially among nonresident hunting license buyers. To continue monitoring the pandemic’s impact, the Council revisited this study in early 2022 to identify ongoing changes and emerging trends in hunters’ rates of license purchases. Find results in the report linked below!