Big game season fuels economy and traditions

Oct. 25–Imagine that every week for five weeks the entire population of Bozeman left home and spread out across Montana’s mountains and prairies to go hunting.

That’s one way to look at the estimated 200,000 rifle hunters that will fan out across the state over the next five weeks of the general big-game season, which opened Saturday.

In small communities, the influx of out-of-town cash is a big boost to the economy. James Stevenson, manager of the Western 8 Motel in Ashland, said his establishment will be three-quarters full for much of the next five weeks.

“We do have a pretty good hunting season here in Ashland,” he said, drawing customers from as far away as Missoula and Wisconsin.

Public land hunters

Ashland sits on the edge of the largest block of public land in southeastern Montana, making it a magnet for many hunters. But similar-sized communities’ cafes, gas stations and grocery stores will also benefit from the estimated $204.5 million that deer and elk hunters will spend on everything from ammunition to candy bars. Add in other hunters — from archers to those pursuing antelope — and the figure rises to an estimated $288 million.

That seems like a drop in the bucket compared to the estimated $3.47 billion that nonresident visitors to Montana spent in 2013, according to an Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research study. But consider that a large portion of that ends up in Western Montana, especially the counties nearest to Glacier and Yellowstone national parks.

Hunting season, on the other hand, is sometimes the sole nonresident draw for Eastern Montana towns.

“We’re always looking forward to the hunting season,” said Annette Thomas, who manages the Hilltop Cafe in Jordan for her grandparents. “Opening weekend of the hunting season is pretty big.”

Jordan is located south of the rugged public lands that surround Fort Peck Reservoir. It’s the seat of Garfield County, which has only about 1,300 residents — one of the most sparsely populated regions in the lower 48 states. So any influx of visitors is welcomed by small businesses like Hilltop Cafe.

Bigger numbers

Nationally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated in 2011 that the sporting goods industry that focuses on hunting generated $38.3 billion in sales that fuels 680,000 jobs. The agency put the number of hunters 16 and older nationally at 13.7 million.

The Fish and Wildlife Service report also noted that hunting participation had grown 9 percent between 2006 and 2011, although that seems to have leveled off in recent years, according to new research. Montana has the highest per capita rate of resident hunters in the nation, about 19 percent of those 16 and older.

So far this season, Montana has sold more than 156,200 resident hunting licenses and 29,000 nonresident hunting licenses, a level comparable to previous years.

“We usually expect about half of the hunters to be out there on opening weekend,” or roughly 100,000, said Tom Palmer of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Successful hunters will generate business for meat processors and taxidermists. Before they go out, sporting goods stores draw their dollars.

“Living in Montana, hunting is such a big part of what so many people enjoy,” said Chuck McKenzie of Big Bear Sports Center in Great Falls.

McKenzie wouldn’t break out how much of the company’s sales — which include a store in Billings — are derived from hunting, but he did say it remains a stable part of the stores’ sales from year to year. Hunters’ needs also spill over into the camping side of Big Bear’s business, as well, he noted.

“Camping is a huge part of hunting in the fall,” he said, whether that means a new sleeping bag or a gas cooking stove.

More than monetary

Looking at hunting solely as an economic statistic overlooks the other benefits the activity provides.

Hunting is also proven as the best means to control wildlife populations to ensure they are kept within manageable numbers to avoid overpopulation, which can lead to disease and die-offs. Hunter harvest also thins the number of animals that raid ranchers’ and farmers’ crops.

Hunter license dollars make up the largest part of funding for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which manages the state’s hunted and unhunted wildlife.

Perhaps more importantly, family members and friends often gather together specifically to hunt, revisiting the same places for years. For some children, it may be the only activity where they have their father or mother entirely to themselves. People who grew up hunting in Montana and moved out of state also return specifically to hunt and participate in what has become a family tradition.

Thomas, of Jordan, said her family has already taken four elk during the archery season, donating some of the meat to family and friends.

“I just love being out there getting that close to them,” she said, noting that her son was by her side to range-find the distance of the spike bull she shot.

The hunting season also provides a time for urban hunters to reconnect and visit with rural ranchers and farmers who provide access to their lands — building a bridge between the cultures. Some of these hunters return to the same places year after year, creating a strong bond with the landowners.

“It’s Montana’s World Series, at a fraction of the cost,” said FWP’s Palmer. “It’s a celebration of our culture and our history — a gift that we enjoy every year.”