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June 2025

Economic Effects of Hunter and Angler Activities on North Dakota Economy

Dr. Jerry Dogbey-Gakpetor is a Research Data Analyst at the Center for Social Research at North Dakota State University. Jerry has over 10 years of experience in data analytics and model building. In his current role, Jerry specializes in efficient and effective means to extracting data from the Center's data sources, cleaning datasets, and performing analyses for timely dashboard updates.

Introduction

Wildlife management in North Dakota requires balancing ecological sustainability with the economic and recreational interests of various stakeholders, including hunters, anglers, policymakers, and businesses. For many, these game and fish activities are more than just pastimes – they are a way of life, deeply connected to the land, local businesses, and the state’s economy.

Every year, hunting and fishing draw thousands of participants to North Dakota, generating revenue to many local businesses in the state through access fees, purchasing of gear and equipment and local services. Participation in these hunting and fishing activities is guided by state regulations. Hunting activities such as special big game, pronghorn, and turkey hunting are limited to residents of North Dakota, while other activities like deer, small game, and furbearer are opened to all. Angler activities – open water and ice water fishing – are open to both residents and nonresidents of North Dakota.

In North Dakota, the management of game, fish, and other wildlife resources is conducted by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s mission is to protect, conserve and enhance fish and wildlife population and their habitat for sustained public consumptive and non-consumptive use. Game and fish laws were established in the Dakota Territory as early as 1861. The state management of game, fish, and other wildlife resources in North Dakota formally began in 1893. However, in 1930 voters approved the creation of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and today the department continues fish and game species preservation efforts.

Although the core mandate of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department continues to protect, conserve and enhance the fish and wildlife population, since 1976 the department periodically contracts independent researchers to assess the economic contribution of the hunters and anglers to the North Dakota economy. Not only do theses researchers examine how much hunters and anglers spent on gear, lodging, travel, etc. in a given year, but also study the secondary effects (indirect or induced effects that are a result from the initial, direct impact) of the hunters’ and anglers’ spending - how every dollar spent supports jobs and businesses across North Dakota. By understanding these economic contributions, decisionmakers can ensure that both fish and wildlife, and hunting and fishing activities continue to thrive for generations to come. The most recent Game and Fish Department sponsored economic contribution assessment was conducted by Dr. Jerry Dogbey-Gakpetor and Dr. Nancy Hodur both of the Center for Social Research at North Dakota State University (NDSU), and Dean Bangsund, NDSU Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. This 2023-2024 season study assessed the economic impact of the hunting and fishing activities in the form of direct and secondary effects on the North Dakota economy.

Economic Contributions

Direct Effects: Direct effects are the immediate changes in economic output, employment, or income that results from an initial event, program, or activity.

In the 2023-2024 season, the combined activities of hunters and anglers generated an estimated $1.1 billion in direct spending. North Dakotans were themselves responsible for the largest share of the total direct spending - $921.4 million. Nonresident hunters and anglers also demonstrated their contribution to the North Dakota economy, accounting for a $222 million in direct spending.

Hunters alone generated $344.7 million in total direct spending. Of this, resident hunters contributed $230.2 million, while nonresident hunters generated $114.6 million. Anglers reeled in an even larger economic contribution - $798.7 million in direct spending, with $691.3 million emanating from residents and $107.5 million from nonresidents.

Hunting and fishing activities predominately takes place in the rural areas of the state. Hunters and anglers spending in the rural areas generate revenue to the North Dakota rural residents. In 2023-2024, $402.2 million was spent directly by hunters and anglers in rural communities of North Dakota. Hunters spent $127.7 million, and anglers accounted for $274.7 million helping support small businesses, family-owned lodges, and other local services in areas that often rely on seasonal surges to thrive.

Secondary Effects: Secondary effects are the subsequent rounds of spending and economic responses within the economy relating to a change in the demand for goods and services created as a result of the direct effects.

The 2023-2024 hunting and fishing season generated $328.1 million in secondary economic effects. Hunting activities added $125.5 million in secondary effects and fishing activities generated $202.5 million secondary economic effects.

Total Business Volume: Total business volume is direct effects and secondary effects combined.

The 2023-2024 hunting and fishing season generated total business volume of $1.5 billion in North Dakota. The 2023-2024 season also supported 6,959 jobs and brought in $62.7 million in state and local tax revenue. Hunting activities reached a total business volume of $470.3 million, supported 2,696 jobs, and generated $19.9 million in taxes. Fishing activities generated $1 billion in gross business volume, generating 4,262 jobs, and $42.8 million in tax revenue.

The contribution of nonresident hunters and anglers to the North Dakota state is worth noting. Nonresident hunters and anglers contributed 21 percent of total business volume ($309 million), 29 percent of jobs generated (2,010 jobs), and 22 percent of the tax revenue ($14 million).

Conclusion

Hunting and fishing activities continue to contribute to the North Dakota’s economy – providing jobs, generating tax revenues, and business growth. The 2023-2024 season generated a total business volume of $1.5 billion, including $1.1 billion in direct spending and $328.1 million in secondary effects. Hunting and fishing activities also supported 6,959 jobs and generated $62.7 million in state and local tax revenue. Both resident and nonresident hunters and anglers played important roles in contributing to the North Dakota’s economy.

The hunting and fishing activities also contributed to rural communities of the North Dakota state, generating $402.2 million in direct spending supporting small businesses, lodging, and local services. The study underscores the substantial value of hunting and fishing activities to the North Dakota’s economy, especially in rural areas, and highlights the importance of both resident and nonresident participation in sustaining this vital sector.

Read the full report:Resident and Nonresident Hunter and Angler Expenditures, Characteristics, and Economic Effects, North Dakota, 2023-2024

References
Dakota Legacy Initiative. (n.d.). North Dakota Game and Fish. Retrieved May 13, 2025, from www.dakotalegacyinitiative.com/partners/north-dakota-game-and-fish/

Ndembe, E., Bangsund, D. A., & Hodur, N. M. (2019). Resident and nonresident hunter and angler expenditures, characteristics, and economic effects, North Dakota, 2017-2018 (Agribusiness & Applied Economics Report No. 785). Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics, North Dakota State University.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department. (2014). Unpublished information on license sales. ND Game and Fish Department.

State Historical Society of North Dakota. (n.d.). North Dakota Game and Fish Department – State agency records. Retrieved May 13, 2025, from www.history.nd.gov/archives/stateagencies/gameandfish.html

U.S. Department of Labor. (2023). Consumer price indexes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.