Today’s economic jungle could prove to be fertile habitat for America’s hunters.
Several trends suggest the hunting industry — with its $66 billion in economic impacts — appears relatively resilient to recent downturns, but the upcoming Dallas Safari Club (DSC) convention and expo offers the nation’s first real peek at the economic health of hunting in 2012.
Always the first major hunting show of the year in the U.S., the event is set for Jan. 5-8 at the Dallas Convention Center.
The reliability of the event as an economic indicator may be strengthened by its location. Texas leads the nation in number of hunters (1.1 million), annual retail sales from hunting ($2.3 billion) overall economic impact from hunting ($4.1 billion), and jobs supported by hunting (47,000).
DSC’s annual convention and expo is open to the public. A record 32,000 attended in 2011 and officials expect another strong showing in 2012.
“Our event — and the funds it generates for conservation — have both enjoyed significant growth in recent years, and our upcoming show looks to be the biggest yet,” said Ben Carter, DSC executive director. “In a time when many organizations, businesses and even entire industries are doing their best to just ride out the bad economy, we’re actually trying to limit our growth to a manageable pace.”
In the final weeks of event preparation, DSC had confirmed a record 800 exhibitors with a record 400 more relegated to a waiting list.
“We’re emphasizing quality, variety and hospitality rather than the size of our event. These days, that’s a luxury. A very good problem to have,” added Carter.
While some might contend that such growth is occurring in spite of the economy, studies show participation in hunting — and related consumer spending on hunting licenses, gear and trips — may actually be increasing because of the downturn.
