Idaho is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise with hunting and angling at the heart of a vibrant outdoor scene. Historically, it’s been an intrinsic and generational part of the livelihood to many who live in the state. In fact, the Idaho Department of Labor has found fishing, hunting and trapping employment has been growing at an annual clip of 6.6% since 2012 [1].
Based on the department’s occupational projections for 2022 through 2032, employment for fishing, hunting and trapping is projected to expand by 22.1% as one of the fastest growing occupational categories, by percentage, in Idaho [1]. Outdoor enthusiasts and industry workers alike have a stake in the industry and are dependent on one another for its success.
Each region of Idaho lends a unique labor component to the state’s hunting, angling and wildlife recreation industry. In 2023, there were over 4,200 jobs throughout Idaho related to fish and game and supporting occupations — a 1.2% share of the state’s total jobs that year [1,6]. This included direct fishing and hunting workers, guides, scientists and technicians, with varying concentrations regionally, as shown in Figure 1.
The most populous region, southwestern, had one-third of all fish and game-supported jobs in the state. The eastern region had the second highest concentration with one-fifth of the jobs. This includes the wilderness areas bordering Wyoming and Montana. The northern and north central regions of the panhandle combine for nearly a quarter of these job types with thriving waterways and fishing industries, despite being a relatively sparsely populated area.
Sources: Idaho Department of Labor and Lightcast
Relative to how few workers are employed in these occupations, the industry’s economic impact is exponential. Idaho game hunting, angling and wildlife viewing generates over $2.1 billion annually in economic output [4]. In 2022, this impact translated into nearly $155 million in state and local tax revenue for Idaho [2]. Figure 2 charts gross hunting and fishing license revenue aggregated over time from both Idaho resident and non-resident paid licenses, tags, permits and stamps [4]. Post-pandemic hunting license revenue has skyrocketed, while fishing license revenue has not fully recovered to the revenue generator it once was in 2007.
Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service—Department of the Interior
The Idaho Department of Labor also tracks employment growth within industries and the factors that affect them, such as the hunting and trapping industry. Consisting of hunting guides and outfitters, this niche industry brings in over $50 million in annual tax revenue in Idaho. In 2022, the industry exclusively accounted for nearly $600 million into Idaho’s economy [3].
Figure 3 charts the relationship between two important data points—the employment of hunting guides and outfitters in the hunting and trapping industry and non-resident hunting licenses sold to out-of-state hunters, their primary customer base.
In 2016, there was a spike in demand for non-resident hunting licenses leading to an increase in employment for the industry in subsequent years. However, an overcorrection occurred in 2021, when there was an excess of hunting guides and outfitters but a decreased demand for licenses, which lasted until 2023. The labor market is yet to fully correct itself for this industry. Idaho’s hunting tourism is not only important for the jobs it creates, but also for keeping money within the state and stimulating local economies for residents and businesses.
Source: Idaho Dept of Labor and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service—Dept. of the Interior
While hunting was more popular than angling in Idaho from 2011 until 2020, angling has overtaken hunting in popularity ever since then. Figure 4 charts the volume of both anglers and game hunters in Idaho who were legally licensed each year from 2004 to 2024 [4]. Within this time frame, the height of popularity for both sports measured together was in 2019, just before the pandemic.
As of 2023, the share of the Idaho population that fished recreationally was 28.7%, the highest on record [4,5]. For hunting, this share was 25.7% of the state, among the top 10 highest on record [4,5]. This year, there are 486,674 paid hunting license holders in Idaho — fifth highest nationally. This demonstrates both hunting and angling in Idaho are as popular now as they’ve ever been.
Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service—Dept. of the Interior
Although limited labor force capacity to keep up with demand is a consideration for the industry’s sustainability, so are the natural resources such as fish and game animals and habitats themselves. Sustainability is mostly contingent on policymakers, landowners, consumers and financial investment. Key ongoing external factors that can also affect Idaho’s fish and game output are:
- Wildlife disease outbreaks.
- Increases in human population relating to outdoor recreation.
- Depredations on agricultural operations.
- Weather and climate.
- Wildlife habitat land development [2].
Because of hunting, angling and wildlife tourism, close oversight and particular value is placed on these state gems — the natural resources.
– Ryan.Whitesides@labor.idaho.gov, regional economist
Idaho Department of Labor
208-696-2347
Author’s note:
Angling specifically focuses on catching fish for recreational purposes only. Fishing denotes capturing fish using various techniques and methods for food consumption only. “Fishing licenses” in the context of this article refers to anglers only.
Sources:
1. Idaho Department of Labor
2. Idaho Division of Financial Management
3. University of Idaho; GuideTime
4. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
5. U.S. Census Bureau
6. Lightcast (formerly EMSI Burning Glass)
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY24 as part of a Workforce Information grant (48%) and state/nonfederal funds (52%) totaling $704,259.