Idaho sees bump in hunting, fishing license sales thanks to pandemic’s mass outdoors exodus

They hiked and biked, camped and kayaked. They watched birds and viewed wildflowers. They ran rapids and scrambled up peaks.

2020 was the year many people discovered or rediscovered the great outdoors and flocked to mountains, lakes, deserts and rivers to escape COVID-19 cabin fever.

They also indulged in traditional hook and bullet pastimes. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife both saw booming sales of licenses and tags, especially to anglers.

“People had more time on their hands. They needed to be doing things that were socially distant and were safe, and the outdoors provided great opportunities for them to reduce cabin fever, get outside and get fresh air,” said Ian Malepeai, marketing director for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

In Idaho, the sale of resident fishing licenses jumped by 24,751 or 20 percent. The sale of resident combination hunting and fishing licenses, those that allow holders to both hunt and fish, jumped from 80,660 in 2019 to 87,125 in 2019. That is an 8 percent bump.

The state sold 352 more resident hunting licenses in 2020, an increase of just 1 percent compared to a year earlier. But the number of people taking hunter education doubled, from about 10,000 to 20,000 in 2020. That follows nearly a decadelong 10 percent decline in hunter education enrollment.

Out-of-staters flocked to Idaho to hunt and fish. Nonresident, full-season hunting license sales increased 6 percent, and nonresident full-season fishing licenses jumped by 28 percent. One-day nonresident fishing license sales were up 8 percent.

In Washington, total fishing license sales were up by 5.3 percent, and hunting license sales increased by 6.5 percent. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recorded a 16 percent jump in fishing license sales to individuals who had not purchased one in the previous five years and a 39 percent bump in new hunting licenses – again those who had not purchased one in the previous five years.

“I know there was one day in particular where we did over $1 million in sales in licenses,” said Staci Lahmen, a spokeswoman for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s eastern region.

Both agencies depend on such sales for a significant part of their budgets and are working to retain the new hunters and anglers and to keep those who returned after long absences. Lahmen said officials in Washington are in deep discussions over how best to do it.

Idaho is further along in the effort. Malepeai said the agency has been working for the past few years on strategies to recruit new hunters and anglers, retain those already active and reactivate those who used to hunt or fish but have given it up.

Most people learn to hunt and fish from family or friends. But for those who don’t, the agency wants to make entry into the pastimes easier. It created microsites, basically offshoots of its main website, that are geared to novice hunters and anglers and designed to give them basic information, like “how to” and “where to” tips.

At gofishidaho.org and gohuntidaho.org, visitors can learn which licenses and tags are required for different activities and which options best fit their level of interest. The hunting page includes inspiring videos that track the experience of first-timers, accessible information about the habitats of different game animals, how they stack up as table fare and their relative abundance.

The fishing page includes the latest information on where hatchery fish have been or are scheduled to be planted and how to identify different species.

“It’s more where to go hunting and fishing, where stocking is happening and how to be successful in both of those activities,” Malepeai said.

Roger Phillips, a spokesman for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said the idea is not only to arm people with information that will help them be successful but also to educate them on a wide range of topics to increase the quality of their outings. For example, Phillips said the angling site includes links to basic how-to fishing videos but also things like boat ramp and fishing etiquette.

But those with experience can help as well. The agency is encouraging longtime participants to be teachers or mentors to newcomers.

“It’s not just learning how to, but a lot of unspoken and ethical stuff people need to think about,” Phillips said. “It’s as simple as how to launch a boat, picking up after yourself, the basic things we kind of forget when people are new to the sport. That mentorship really helps from a social standpoint as well as just how to catch a fish.”

Lahmen said in Washington the outdoor-loving crowds last year taxed the agency to keep up. Access managers who oversee everything from maintaining signage, cleaning facilities and performing upkeep struggled to meet the demand. Too often, people left trash behind. But Lahmen said many hunting and fishing groups are helping the agency by voluntarily organizing cleanups.

“We really appreciate any help we can get,” she said.

This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 6:00 AM.