Tag: whitetail hunting

Deer Hunting is Big Money in Texas

How big is the economic impact of whitetail deer hunting in Texas?

More than 1.1 million hunters take aim at Texas wild game species in each. Ninety percent  fo those hunters are state residents. So while hunting is more popular among rural Texans, more than 600,000 hunters trade urban sprawl for the great outdoors on an annual basis. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that hunting is worth $2.2 billion annually to the Texas economy, so it looks like hunting is big business.

On average, each hunter spends $1,984 to hunt over an average of 13 days each year. And white-tailed deer are the most popular target, and an increasing target for folks interested in wildlife management. From big spenders who pay thousands for a guided trophy buck hunt to weekend hunters looking for a fat whitetail doe for the freezer, two-thirds of hunters in Texas head out in search of white-tailed deer. Continue reading Deer Hunting is Big Money in Texas

Whitetail Hunting Economically Important

Whitetail deer hunting is not immune to tough economic times. Businesses that rely on hunting have to adapt, says taxidermist and animal processor Gary Broach, owner of Rhodes Brothers Taxidermy in Kerrville. “Guys like us in Kerrville are fortunate to have year-round hunting with the axis herds and sika and fallow deer,” Broach says. “A lot of small taxidermists out there, rural guys, are really hurting,” he says.

“I’ve talked to them about where they need to put advertising dollars and where to get in with whitetail hunting ranches. I like the fact they aren’t giving up. They just need to regroup.”

Continue reading Whitetail Hunting Economically Important