Outdoor sports impact economy in a big way

In the battle for dollars, which draws more — golf or hunting/shooting?

Having looked at the price of new drivers and irons last fall, I would have guessed golf. And, I would have been wrong.

According to a recent survey on spending, people spend the most on exercise equipment — $5.22 billion in 2006, which is the most recent figures.

But then, in second place is hunting/shooting at $3.7 billion and third is golf at $3.6 billion.

Anyway you punch keys on the calculator, that's a lot of money spent on recreating.

According to numbers released by the National Sporting Goods Association, the money spent on hunting/shooting is up 4.1 percent over 2005 figures.

Golf was No. 2 in 2005, but dropped to No. 3 in 2006.

According to the report, it shows sportsmen are willing to spend to enjoy their sport. I think anyone who has visited Cabela's recently can attest to that. The store is constantly busy.

Broken down in the report by categories, firearms accounted for $2.18 billion in 2006 sales, airguns $224.1 million, ammunition $977.1 million, knives $51.8 million, paintball guns/packages $220.9 million and reloading equipment $52.0 million.

Finishing off the top 10 in spending were: 4. athletic goods team sales at $2.62 billion; 5. fishing tackle at $2.22 billion; 6. camping at $1.53 billion; 7. optics at $1.01 billion; 8. snow skiing at $615.0 million; 9. billiards/indoor games at $570.9 million; and 10. tennis at $419.8 million.

According to another report, this one from the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, "Utah's 351,000 hunters and anglers are among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups, spending more than $696 million a year on hunting and fishing."

The report goes on to say that "spending by hunters and anglers directly supports 13,000 jobs, which puts $350 million worth of paychecks into pockets of working residents around the state ... and generates $70 million in state and local taxes."

It then went on to offer comparisons:

• Sportsmen support more jobs in Utah than the combined employment of Brigham Young University and Utah State University — 13,000 jobs vs. 11,000.

• Utah sportsmen annually spend more than the combined cash receipts from cattle and dairy — the state's top two agricultural commodities — $696 million versus $631 million.

• Utah sportsmen outnumber the populations of Salt Lake City and Provo — 351,000 versus 292,000.

• The economic stimulus of hunting and fishing equates to an astounding $1.9 million a day being pumped into the state's economy.