Amount of Hunting Land per License, by States
David Mason
At the suggestion of our newsgroup moderator Chris Barnes, I'm
posting updated versions of worksheets that look at the amount of
hunting land available in each of the 50 states in relation to
the number of hunters. There are two tables, one including all
land that might be huntable, the second including only public
land. I developed these tables in the context of a discussion on
the pros and cons of leasing -- I wanted to estimate the amount
of huntable public land per hunter, in order to estimate demand
for hunting leases. However Chris suggested that the tables may
have wider interest and application, so here they are.
Please note that these tables are only for discussion inside this
newsgroup. The tables use data that have not been substantiated
to the point of readiness for general release. If these numbers
leak out before their time, I will have to openly acknowledge
their weaknesses.
Changes in the underlying data have caused differences from
results I mentioned earlier. I began with the assumption that 10%
of each state's population hunts. I later found and used actual
counts of license sales by state. These indicate a national
ratio of licenses over population of 7%. The ratio is very
uneven across states, ranging from 1.3% in Rhode Island to 32.4%
in Montana. The license data for total sales and are not broken
down into resident and non-resident. Finally let the buyer beware:
I found these license counts on the WWW. They were essentially
undocumented as to the year, how they were compiled, etc. They
LOOK reasonable, but I haven't authenticated them yet!
I also began with an assumption that half of all land in every
state is potentially huntable in my first run, but later found
statistics on land ownership and use classes by states, and
have incorporated these. My estimate of gross huntable land
includes several kinds of federal land (National Forest, BLM,
Fish and Wildlife, TVA and Corps of Engineers) but excludes
other types such as military reservations. From this list I have
learned that some military land is indeed open to hunting, but
I'm still assuming most isn't. I'm also including all rural land
in my gross land figures, except land devoted to roadways and
other transportation.
In this second run I am not trying to "guesstimate" a proportion
of this gross area that is off-limits to hunters for various
reasons, but it is clearly a non-trivial amouont. For the
inventory of possibly huntable PUBLIC land I dropped non-federal
rural land and added land in state parks and forests.
The most comprehensive data I was able to find on federal lands
was on CD-ROM, the "Microsoft Small Business Consultant &
Microsoft Stat Pack". Another CD program "U.S. Atlas", which
often comes bundled with computer multiMedia kits, had some very
summary statistics on public land, but much less detail than the
Microsoft CD.
The land ownership data have several weaknesses. In several
states the amounts of federal lands under various agency
jurisdictions added up to more than the total amount of federal
land. Those turf wars! Good statistics on state lands were hard
to come by. The ones I found came with the caveat that state
hunting preserves are included in some states' tallies of state
parkland, but excluded in the tallies of other states. Thanks
for telling me! The figures for New York state obviously
excluded the huge state forest preserves in the Catskills and
Adirondacks. I assumed these preserves are open to public
hunting and added them in. I was not able to find any statistics
on the amount of land owned by municipalities and counties.
Deficiencies and uncertainties in statistics on state, county,
and municipal land are most important for eastern states with
small amounts of federal land. In western states, federal land
holdings are so huge in relation to state and municipal holdings
that these uncertainties are very probably insignificant.
The gross acres per license table suggests a lower practical
limit for hunting of about 20-30 gross acres per license.
Perhaps as this figure is approached, hunters switch to hunting
out-of-state or give up the sport completely. Interestingly, my
initial assumption of a 10% hunters-to-population ratio gave an
estimate of 3 acres per license in New Jersey, when the "true"
ratio is below 2%, which pushes gross acres per license up above
20. Pennsylvania actually has the least land per license because
it has a much higher ratio of licenses to population; in fact
Pennsylvania sells more licenses than any other state.
If we use 20 acres/license as a lower limit, only western states
(including the Dakotas, but NOT Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and
Texas) have at least 20 acres of public land per license. East-
west differences are amazingly sharp and consistent in these
data. Note the sharp break in the data between Arkansas with
9.28 public acres/license, and South Dakota with 20.69. Even
Hawaii fits the western pattern with over 20 public
acres/license, primarily because the licenses/population ratio is
only 1.4%.
According to these data, eastern states with less than 20 public
acres/license sell 81.6% of all licenses in the U.S. and have
only 6.9% of the huntable public land. It is very interesting
that Texas, despite strong hunting traditions and western outlook,
has only 1.79 public acres per license. This may explain why
hunting leases and commercialized hunting are so well-developed
in that great state.
*****************************************************************
Gross Acres, ALL possibly-huntable Land
---Hunting Licenses--- --Gross Huntable Land(1)-- Acres per
Count %ofUS Cum% Acres %ofUS Cum% License
Pennsylvania 1,168,137 7.4 7.4 25,767,615 1.24 1.24 22.1
Connecticut 90,709 0.6 8.0 2,408,045 0.12 1.36 26.5
New Jersey 125,715 0.8 8.8 3,384,983 0.16 1.52 26.9
Michigan 1,148,163 7.3 16.0 33,169,257 1.60 3.12 28.9
Massachusetts 116,300 0.7 16.8 3,870,384 0.19 3.30 33.3
Maryland 151,491 1.0 17.7 5,206,913 0.25 3.55 34.4
New York 737,112 4.7 22.4 27,435,651 1.32 4.87 37.2
Rhode Island 12,782 0.1 22.5 509,241 0.03 4.90 39.8
Tennessee 600,413 3.8 26.3 24,633,587 1.19 6.08 41.0
Delaware 25,005 0.2 26.4 1,076,042 0.05 6.13 43.0
Wisconsin 741,188 4.7 31.1 32,613,418 1.57 7.70 44.0
Ohio 491,494 3.1 34.2 23,159,567 1.11 8.82 47.1
Vermont 109,938 0.7 34.9 5,682,421 0.27 9.09 51.7
Virginia 439,738 2.8 37.7 23,130,701 1.11 10.20 52.6
West Virginia 272,985 1.7 39.4 14,829,241 0.71 10.92 54.3
New Hampshire 90,078 0.6 40.0 5,354,996 0.26 11.18 59.4
Indiana 317,486 2.0 42.0 20,911,100 1.01 12.18 65.9
Kentucky 327,083 2.1 44.1 24,057,457 1.16 13.34 73.6
Missouri 557,855 3.5 47.6 41,593,986 2.00 15.34 74.6
North Carolina 331,083 2.1 49.7 27,963,953 1.35 16.69 84.5
Maine 214,518 1.4 51.1 19,147,913 0.92 17.61 89.3
Minnesota 540,277 3.4 54.5 48,316,482 2.33 19.93 89.4
Arkansas 349,166 2.2 56.7 31,965,771 1.54 21.47 91.5
South Carolina 190,621 1.2 57.9 17,565,031 0.85 22.32 92.1
Georgia 361,984 2.3 60.2 34,247,703 1.65 23.96 94.6
Louisiana 272,202 1.7 61.9 26,265,664 1.26 25.23 96.5
Mississipi 292,027 1.8 63.8 28,679,418 1.38 26.61 98.2
Illinois 329,734 2.1 65.9 32,636,162 1.57 28.18 99.0
Alabama 255,106 1.6 67.5 30,659,786 1.48 29.65 120.2
Iowa 271,663 1.7 69.2 33,914,536 1.63 31.28 124.8
Florida 221,638 1.4 70.6 29,039,645 1.40 32.68 131.0
Texas 1,138,011 7.2 77.8 159,261,191 7.66 40.34 139.9
Washington 268,653 1.7 79.5 37,920,463 1.83 42.17 141.2
Oklahoma 247,019 1.6 81.1 42,094,340 2.03 44.19 170.4
Oregon 347,819 2.2 83.3 60,215,134 2.90 47.09 173.1
Colorado 327,979 2.1 85.4 64,129,970 3.09 50.18 195.5
Utah 230,268 1.5 86.8 46,583,130 2.24 52.42 202.3
Idaho 241,476 1.5 88.3 52,204,489 2.51 54.93 216.2
California 390,655 2.5 90.8 87,656,612 4.22 59.15 224.4
Kansas 188,314 1.2 92.0 50,129,485 2.41 61.56 266.2
Nebraska 169,888 1.1 93.1 47,561,783 2.29 63.85 280.0
Hawaii 13,226 0.1 93.2 3,865,643 0.19 64.04 292.3
South Dakota 145,823 0.9 94.1 47,431,311 2.28 66.32 325.3
Montana 255,333 1.6 95.7 90,679,725 4.36 70.68 355.1
Arizona 165,179 1.0 96.7 65,317,179 3.14 73.82 395.4
Wyoming 146,456 0.9 97.7 59,960,913 2.89 76.71 409.4
North Dakota 91,102 0.6 98.3 43,170,958 2.08 78.79 473.9
New Mexico 138,761 0.9 99.1 72,941,644 3.51 82.30 525.7
Nevada 53,706 0.3 99.5 65,205,769 3.14 85.43 1214.1
Alaska 83,505 0.5 100.0 302,707,550 14.57 100.00 3625.0
U.S. Total 15,796,864 2,078,233,958 131.6
(1) ALL Land administered by US Forest Svc, BLM, US Fish and Wildlife Svc, TVA,
Corps of Engineers, plus ALL non-federal rural land except transportation
*****************************************************************
Gross Acres, possibly-huntable PUBLIC Land
---Hunting Licenses--- --Huntable Public Land(1)- Acres per
Count %ofUS Cum% Acres %ofUS Cum% License
Pennsylvania 1,168,137 7.4 7.4 905,615 0.141 0.1 0.78
Rhode Island 12,782 0.1 7.5 10,241 0.002 0.1 0.80
Ohio 491,494 3.1 10.6 412,567 0.064 0.2 0.84
Iowa 271,663 1.7 12.3 288,536 0.045 0.3 1.06
Indiana 317,486 2.0 14.3 368,100 0.057 0.3 1.16
Maine 214,518 1.4 15.7 348,557 0.054 0.4 1.62
Maryland 151,491 1.0 16.6 250,913 0.039 0.4 1.66
Texas 1,138,011 7.2 23.8 2,032,191 0.316 0.7 1.79
Connecticut 90,709 0.6 24.4 174,045 0.027 0.7 1.92
Delaware 25,005 0.2 24.6 48,042 0.007 0.8 1.92
Illinois 329,734 2.1 26.7 787,162 0.122 0.9 2.39
Wisconsin 741,188 4.7 31.3 1,840,418 0.286 1.2 2.48
Massachusetts 116,300 0.7 32.1 295,384 0.046 1.2 2.54
Tennessee 600,413 3.8 35.9 1,611,587 0.251 1.5 2.68
New Jersey 125,715 0.8 36.7 338,983 0.053 1.5 2.70
Kansas 188,314 1.2 37.9 511,485 0.080 1.6 2.72
Michigan 1,148,163 7.3 45.1 3,157,257 0.491 2.1 2.75
Kentucky 327,083 2.1 47.2 1,234,457 0.192 2.3 3.77
Louisiana 272,202 1.7 48.9 1,044,664 0.162 2.4 3.84
Missouri 557,855 3.5 52.5 2,153,986 0.335 2.8 3.86
Alabama 255,106 1.6 54.1 1,010,786 0.157 2.9 3.96
Nebraska 169,888 1.1 55.2 711,783 0.111 3.0 4.19
Virginia 439,738 2.8 57.9 1,894,701 0.295 3.3 4.31
Vermont 109,938 0.7 58.6 476,421 0.074 3.4 4.33
West Virginia 272,985 1.7 60.4 1,313,241 0.204 3.6 4.81
North Carolina 331,083 2.1 62.5 1,601,953 0.249 3.9 4.84
Georgia 361,984 2.3 64.8 1,771,703 0.275 4.1 4.89
South Carolina 190,621 1.2 66.0 963,031 0.150 4.3 5.05
Mississipi 292,027 1.8 67.8 1,637,418 0.255 4.5 5.61
Oklahoma 247,019 1.6 69.4 1,394,340 0.217 4.8 5.64
New York 737,112 4.7 74.0 4,705,376 0.732 5.5 6.38
Minnesota 540,277 3.4 77.5 3,462,482 0.538 6.0 6.41
Florida 221,638 1.4 78.9 1,569,645 0.244 6.3 7.08
New Hampshire 90,078 0.6 79.4 754,996 0.117 6.4 8.38
Arkansas 349,166 2.2 81.6 3,239,771 0.504 6.9 9.28
South Dakota 145,823 0.9 82.6 3,017,311 0.469 7.4 20.69
Hawaii 13,226 0.1 82.6 280,643 0.044 7.4 21.22
North Dakota 91,102 0.6 83.2 2,164,958 0.337 7.7 23.76
Washington 268,653 1.7 84.9 9,707,463 1.509 9.3 36.13
Colorado 327,979 2.1 87.0 23,020,970 3.580 12.8 70.19
Oregon 347,819 2.2 89.2 32,013,134 4.978 17.8 92.04
California 390,655 2.5 91.7 39,044,612 6.071 23.9 99.95
Montana 255,333 1.6 93.3 26,061,725 4.052 27.9 102.07
Utah 230,268 1.5 94.8 30,433,130 4.732 32.7 132.16
Idaho 241,476 1.5 96.3 33,315,489 5.180 37.8 137.97
Arizona 165,179 1.0 97.3 25,773,179 4.008 41.9 156.03
New Mexico 138,761 0.9 98.2 22,525,644 3.503 45.4 162.33
Wyoming 146,456 0.9 99.1 27,840,913 4.329 49.7 190.10
Nevada 53,706 0.3 99.5 55,562,769 8.640 58.3 1,034.57
Alaska 83,505 0.5 100.0 268,028,294 41.677 100.0 3,209.73
U.S. Totals 15,796,864 643,112,071 40.71
(1) ALL land administered by US Forest Svc, BLM, US Fish and Wildlife, TVA,
Corps of Engineers, plus state parks and some state forests
*****************************************************************
Enjoy!
Dave Mason -- dma...@cstairs.ccmail.compuserve.com
Matt Rein
> Gross Acres, ALL possibly-huntable Land
> ---Hunting Licenses--- --Gross Huntable Land(1)-- Acres per
> Count %ofUS Cum% Acres %ofUS Cum% License
>
>
From the 1994 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations:
p. 49
"Minnesota is loaded with public hunting land - more than 13 million acres or
24% of all the land in the state."
--
- Matt Rein
- mre...@CFSMO.Honeywell.COM
DAffl60749
Dave,
Whew! Promise us that your going to get out and do some hunting
now! Seriously, this is interesting stuff and obviously represents a
considerable amount of work. As you have implied, much of the data
is subject to considerable interpretation but it at least provides a
starting point for apples to apples arguments in the future on this
group. Thanks!
- David Affleck