Hunting and fishing in North Dakota contributed an estimated $2.1 billion in annual input to the state’s economy, according to a recent report by the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State University.
The report, commissioned by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, tracked hunter and angler expenditures for the 2017-18 hunting and fishing seasons.
Game and Fish Department Director Terry Steinwand said the last time the agency commissioned an economic impact study was about six years ago.
“These studies help alert us to any major shifts in hunter and angler activities or participation,” Steinwand said.
Overall, hunters and anglers in North Dakota spent $974.4 million dollars on equipment, vehicles, boats, travel, lodging, food and many other items. These expenditures generated $1.1 billion in secondary economic benefits resulting in gross business volume of $2.1 billion, according to the NDSU researchers.
According to the report, resident hunters and anglers accounted for $846.8 million of total expenditures, while nonresidents contributed $127.6 million. Anglers spent $787.8 million and hunters $186.6 million. Residents spent a total of $486.4 million in rural areas, while nonresidents spent $89.6 million, for a grand total of $576 million — or 59 percent of all spending — in rural areas.
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(Photo source: North Dakota Game and Fish Department)