Hunting Remains Strong in Bad Economy

[Black Blade]

Have gun, will travel: economy only grazes hunting

The bears rule Wall Street, but hunters go after pheasant, turkey even if the economy is shot

Snip

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Have gun, will travel -- even if the economy's shot. In the heart of South Dakota's pheasant-hunting country, license sales have been strong this fall despite gasoline prices near $3 a gallon and a looming recession. Ditto for hunting license sales in New York, Utah and Colorado. The leading retailers of outdoor gear, meanwhile, say sales of shotguns, ammunition and warm camouflage clothes aren't too bad considering the economy's headwinds.

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Black Blade: The economy may be in recession but people will still spend a lot of cash for hunting. I suspect that the traditional local hunting families will probably hunt more in their backyards for cheap protein as the economy gets worse, but the "canned hunt" business may be down as executives and other businessmen find it more difficult to justify the cost of flying into a remote location for a few days at some private preserve. I would hope that hunters keep things in perspective concerning their rights as they head to the polls on Tuesday.

BTW, Pheasant season opened here yesterday.