Economic Woes Means More Hunters

Seems tough times in the economy sends people out into the woods to put some food on the table. From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

“There’s a very important statistical relationship between housing starts and license sales in states that saw an increase,” Duda said. “There’s something going on there.”
It could be that a slow housing market simply gives would-be hunters time to get into the woods.

Duda’s survey found that 22 percent of active hunters nationally work in the construction, carpentry, plumbing, electrical and craftsman trades. No other profession or group of professions produces as many hunters.
Those fields account for most of the 575,000 jobs lost in the housing market since February of 2006, said Bernard Markstein, senior economist and staff vice president for the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C., so it might be that any additional people hunting are out of work.

Hikers need to be cautious during hunting season. Outside of hunting season I think you should wear subdued colors that fit in with natural surrounding – green and tan and gray and black. However, during hunting season, where bright colors – red and orange and yellow. And stay on the trail as much as possible, especially in heavily wooded and brushed areas.

If you are a hunter, have you been hunting more lately? If so, why?

Have you hikers seen more hunters out there?