The top three are big states though. They support more people. I would think Alaska would be up there, but I guess that Alaska isn't too populated. The bigger states, the more sportsmen!

I am truly not surprised. I was raised in Texas and lived most of my life there. Hunting is revered as a pastime and a big tradition that is passed down through generations.
The state where I reside now is in the middle ten. Most of the local populace consider hunting a waste of time. Few parents take the time to teach their children any outdoor skills other than farming.

Bubba

AR ranked 12 in hunters. If it werent for duck hunting here many small towns wouldnt exist. Stuttgart, AR would definitely die. Im sure many of yall get Mack's Prairie wings catalog. The store is in Stuttgart. I am not allowed to go there alone. It is unbelievable. Everything duck and goose you could imagine and more!!

Wow, I am somewhat chagrinned to see how low New Hampshire is in the rankings. At least as shocking was where Maine falls. '
People, C'mon up and join us for a fishing trip or hunt!
SA

Twice!! Ha ha!!

Why surprised about New Hampshire? It's a little state with a relatively low population. It's numbers simply can't compete when they are counting straight heads and dollars.

This would be a more interesting survey (in my opinion) if it were based on per capita data. In other words, if the numbers provided were divided by the state's population. Although it wouldn't be entirely accurate due to out-of-state visitors, it would give us an inkling of how these activities rate in relation to the total state's population.

Then you might see New Hampshire rise in the polls a bit.

TN was about where I guessed it would be.

Texas is tops in big spenders but not in hunting or fishing. I can find better fishing in almost any place in Maine. Better hunting in Maine or Arizona.

Been away. Several weeks in the outdoors (not hunting though) at 6500 feet in snowstorms doing fieldwork. Then a nice vacay.

For me, "best" in fishing means fast action, multiple kinds of fish, and sometimes pretty darn big ones. It also means "reasonably inexpensive."

For my money, Grand Lake and Big Lake in Maine are sweeeeeeet.

For hunting it's a little more subtle. I've never lived in one of those states that is so overrun with deer that you just park your stand near a field, take a couple does, and then show their heads to Game n Fish so that you can get your antlered deer permit. So I look for a combination of cheap, not crowded, nice views, and deer of some kind (although where I live, you can only shoot the antlered ones, so I see lots more deer than I shoot). But quail, rabbit, & dove action make AZ pretty nice, while Maine has decent pheasant, partridge (well, it's really Ruffed Grouse) and snowshoe hare, and of course waterfowl (which I've never done).

There are some nice parts of Tx. I probably can't afford to hunt in those parts though.

ya wat op huntars

See north dakota at 43? That's misleading. That's one-fifth of our entire population!!! Can Texas say that???

Nate