Editorial

The Directors Desk – David J. Wielicki, Executive Director
Hunters Once Again Foot the Bill for Wildlife Conservation

The National Shooting Sports Foundation recently published “A Profile of Today’s Hunter”. Once again the data shows how hunters are footing the bill for wildlife conservation with over $753 million generated from the sale of hunting licenses, permits, tags and stamps. In 2007, hunters paid over 295 million dollars in excise taxes through the purchase of guns and hunting equipment. License funds are used to support state and federal wildlife agencies and excise tax dollars (Pittman-Robertson Funds) are used to support habitat and education programs. In 2008 South Carolina received at total of $3,953,176 in excise tax dollars. Of this total $2,697,289 were earmarked for wildlife restoration projects and $1,255,887 were earmarked for hunter education programs.

Hunting is also big business with hunters spending 22.9 billion dollars in 2006. These expenditures generated over 9.1 billion in tax revenues and supported 592,944 jobs across the US. Average annual expenses per type of hunter totaled $1,579 for big game hunters, $821 for small game hunters and $1,159 dollars for the average migratory bird hunter. The total number of licensed hunters was 14,623,598. In South Carolina we had 199,540 licensed hunters who spent $7,517,908 on licenses, tags, permits and stamps to support our wildlife department. Since 2002 we have experienced a significant drop in the number of hunters in South Carolina, declining from a decade high of 279,203 in 2002.

The bottom line is this - hunters account for over 90 percent of all wildlife conservation dollars yet only 5 percent of the population hunts. We must work diligently to maintain and expand the base of hunters across North America. If we fail it will be devastating for wildlife populations. SCWA’s Camp Woodie program was founded on these facts and as a member you should be proud of the fact that your membership support has helped to recruit thousands of new hunters since 1994. Camp Woodie is the nations leading youth wildlife/waterfowl conservation camp program and has helped other organizations to replicate its programs across the country.

SCWA is working closely with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) through its hunter education program and the take one make one program. Reversing the trend of declining hunter numbers will require a multifaceted approach to attract lost adult hunters and to recruit new young hunters. Increased funding for public land acquisition and expanded public hunting opportunities are badly needed but will be difficult to accomplish under the current economic conditions.

One area that could result in immediate gains would be to require that the South Carolina public school system provide hunter safety certification courses as part of the physical education elective in middle and high schools. The hunter safety program has already been certified by the South Carolina Department of Education but is not required to be offered as part of an elective in middle or high schools. West Virginia recently passed legislation requiring that hunter safety courses must be offered as an elective in all public high schools.

In South Carolina, the hunter safety education course must be passed by all youth in order to purchase a hunting license. Hunting licenses are required for any person age 16 or older. The hunter safety education course is an excellent program and has helped to reduce accidental hunting related gun fatalities to an all time low across the US. However, the program does provide a stumbling block regarding hunter recruitment. Since the program is not in all public schools it is often times difficult for youth to attend a hunter safety course. Providing the course in all public schools would be a big boost to hunter recruitment. It would also help educate thousands of non hunters who might take the course, about the role that hunters play in wildlife conservation. SCWA looks forward to discussing this opportunity with the South Carolina Department of Education, SCDNR and our state legislators in the upcoming year. In the meantime, we will continue to provide this course to hundreds of youth each summer at Camp Woodie.