Texas is on the brink of White-tailed deer season, and a recent study conducted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service says that hunting is big business to counties in the Lone Star State. The recent survey tracked the economic impact of hunters in Coleman, Concho, Edwards, Gillespie, McCulloch, Runnels, Sterling, Sutton and Uvalde counties. The average visiting hunter spent $1069.15 annually in the host county and an additional $322.10 in other parts of the state. Resident hunters spent an average of $776.98 in their home county and $158.97 in the remainder of the state.
A hunters direct expenditure at a local store, cafe, or hotel is multiplied as firms purchase inputs and pay employees who also make regional purchases. The total effect on employment, labor income, value added (contribution to gross domestic product) and gross sales in the county are greater than the initial dollar spent. The study found that polled Texas Hunters made $6.2 million in direct purchases, supporting 49.1 direct jobs, $2.2 million in value added and $1.3 million in labor income. These expenditures contributed a total of 97.6 jobs and $12.6 million in gross sales across the entire Texas economy, including a $46 million contribution to gross domestic product and $3.4 million in labor income.
