Nearly a Million Residents Hunt and Fish, According to a Recent National Report

Recent data on the impact of hunting and fishing show Tennessee sportsmen have a nearly $3 billion ripple effect annually on the state’s economy, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF). 

Approximately 375,000 hunters and 826,000 anglers spend more than $1.8 billion each year on their respective sports and associated equipment, based on numbers released in late February as part of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation study titled America’s Sporting Heritage: Fueling the American Economy. 

That spending supports 26,000 jobs across the state, $971 million in salaries and wages and $167 million in local and state tax revenue.

“One in seven Tennesseans enjoys hunting and fishing, usually with family and friends,” said Mike Butler, CEO of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation. “The sales and fuel taxes alone could fund 3,600 teachers’ salaries or cover the annual education expenses for more than 18,000 students. That’s an incredible impact, and it really underscores the value of our wildlife and natural resources."

As a point of comparison, that annual spending figure is larger than the total cash receipts from all of the state’s agricultural commodities ($1.8 billion vs. $1.03 billion), and sportsmen support more jobs in Tennessee than Nissan North America and the University of Tennessee combined (26,389 vs. 16,500).

Butler says the sound management and responsible use of Tennessee’s natural resources are what foster a thriving outdoor economy.

Since 1946, the non-profit Tennessee Wildlife Federation has served as champions for the state's great outdoors.

Tennessee Wildlife Federation Program Will Provide a Half a Million Meals in 2013

Food banks and soup kitchens across the state continue to cite increasing need and decreasing donations. The lean, healthy, safe protein provided by the state’s Hunters for the Hungry program is often the only meat available. Thankfully, officials from the Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) say that hunters continue to be willing to help address hunger, in spite of the recession.

“In the midst of the economic downturn, it’s incredibly rewarding to be able to say we’ve grown this program each of the last five years,” said Matt Simcox, TWF’s Hunters for the Hungry coordinator. “Programs in other states have not been as successful, and it goes back to that Volunteer spirit—Tennesseans are willing to help their neighbors.”

The program posted growth of 8.3 percent over the 2012 numbers, collecting a total of 136,162 pounds of donated venison. Over the life of the program, hunters have donated nearly a million pounds of lean, healthy meat—more than 3.7 million meals!

Volunteer State Wins Most Gold Medals Among 31 States Represented

SPARTA, Ill. – The best competitive scholastic shotgun shooters in America came together July 17-21 for the National Scholastic Clay Target Program Championships in Sparta, Ill. In the end, Tennessee teams and individual participants had earned 13 national titles in skeet, sporting clays and trap.

Among the 31 states participating, no other had more gold medals.

“Tennessee has earned a reputation for bringing top-flight shooters each year to compete against the best in the nation,” said Andrew Peercy, statewide manager for the Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program. “These kids, their coaches and parents have worked tirelessly to prepare for this event, sometimes years worth of preparation. On the world stage, USA shooters won Olympic gold medals this year, and the sky’s the limit for some of these kids.”

In the skeet competition, the Haywood County Young Guns team won the Intermediate Entry category, with Henry County winning gold in the Rookie division. Individually, Haywood County’s Haynes Kirby won the national Intermediate Entry title, and Carah-beth Maddux was named national champion in the Ladies Varsity Skeet division.

More than 75 Teams Participate; Winners Named in Skeet, Sporting Clays and Trap

More than 1,500 athletes from across Tennessee spent last week competing in skeet, sporting clays and trap shooting, as part of the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program’s (TNSCTP) state championship event in Nashville.

TNSCTP is a program of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, with key partner support from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Approximately 200 school-based teams—from elementary through high school—participate in local, regional and statewide competitions, and the program is considered to be among the best in the nation.

“This has been the biggest year yet for our program, with four Junior Olympians named and the competition getting stronger at every event,” said Andrew Peercy, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s statewide TNSCTP manager. “Several of these teams could be in the running for national championships.”