How Turkey Hunters Help the Economy

You know it and I know it. Hunters, including those addicted to chasing wild turkeys, are the true wildlife conservationists. Not everyone is aware of this, however. Hunters also stimulate the U.S. economy in a big way. It's time we spread the word with some facts.

Realtree has pulled together source information to better the cause, and armed all of us with peer-reviewed data to share. For instance, annual turkey hunter expenditure totals for the U.S. include the following:

And that's not all. Dues, contributions, licenses, tags, permits, transportation, guide fees, trip expenses and so forth factor in.

What's the average amount of money spent by turkey hunters each month? Try $222.95.

And there's more. According to Southwick Associates, specific leased land totals used primarily for hunting - both expenses and payments - along with other access fees to private land make huge financial contributions to the U.S. economy.

Questions remain. Why don't we hear more about hunter expenditures in mainstream media? Maybe it's time to spread the word. How? Share this post on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. It's easy. Just use the tabs at the bottom of this blog post.

Yep, you're doing your part and people should know about, especially anti-hunters and those challenging our tradition and way of life.

Are you surprised by the expenditure statistics? How much do you annually contribute to the economy based on your love of hunting turkeys and other wild game? Comment below.

Steve Hickoff is Realtree's turkey hunting editor and blogger.