With Fears of Meat Shortages on the Rise During the COVID-19 Pandemic, More Americans Are Hunting

. . .Game and fish agencies across the nation have seen increased interest in hunting licenses. In Vermont, resident fishing license sales are up by more than 50% over this time last year, according to VTDigger.

The turkey hunting season starts this Friday, and turkey hunting licenses are already up 26%. Hunting and fishing license sales have increased by almost a quarter, which is a reversal of recent years that saw a decline in hunting licenses in every county in Vermont. The U.S. saw a 255,000 drop in the number of hunters between 2016 and 2020, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service license data.

As of April 20, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department sold around 17,000 fishing licenses for the year, compared to 11,700 the same time last year.

In the first week of its turkey hunting season, Indiana experienced a 28% jump in turkey license sales.

Georgia saw a 47% increase in turkey hunters in wildlife management areas this year compared to 2019. In the first 23 days of Georgia’s turkey hunting season, there was a 26% increase in turkeys killed despite no rise in the turkey population, according to Reuters. (Read more from “With Fears of Meat Shortages on the Rise During the COVID-19 Pandemic, More Americans Are Hunting” HERE)

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