Wildlife watching or “nature study” exceeds hunting/fishing for participants

2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation: National Overview

https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/subpages/nationalsurvey/national_survey.htm

Download the USFWS survey on wildlife related recreation 2016.
Wildlife watching – page 7, fishing- page 5, hunting -page 6
Nationwide:
Total wildlife watching expenditures: $75.9 billion, Total fishing expenditures: $ 46.1 billion, Total hunting expenditures: $ 25.6 billion,
Total wildlife watching participants: 86.million, Total Anglers 35.8 million, Total hunters: 11.5 million
Of this Wildlife Watching subset
Wildlife watching away from home: 23.7 million participants or at watching home: 81.1 million;
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Observe Wildlife away from home:19.6 million, at home 43.8 million,
Photograph Wildlife away from home:13.7 million, at home 30.5 million
Feed wildlife away from home: 4.9 million, at home 59.1 million,
Visit public parks or areas 11.4 million; Maintain plantings or natural areas 11.0 million
Bird Observers: 2016
Away-from-Home Observers : 16.3 million
Around-the-Home Observers: 38.7 million

Total Bird Observers: 45.1 million
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We include link to another report, done just for SD by SD Game, Fish and Parks
“Economic Impact of Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, Boating, and Wildlife Viewing in South Dakota”
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https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/docs/FishWildlifeBoatingEconomics.pdf

“South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks commissioned this study to estimate the regional and statewide economic activity generated by the State’s fish, wildlife and boating-related resources. Drawing from license sales records and survey-based data sources, this report presents economic contributions based on retail spending in South Dakota attributable to recreational fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, boating and trapping. “
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Please note the SDGFP report does not include data  from “at home” wildlife watching – which is very significant  factor in the federal study..

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 2022 SCORP: Public Survey for Outdoor Recreation in South Dakota