Economic Impact of Commercial Hunting Outfitters and Clientele in Mississippi 1

Hunting activities provide an economic enhancement to rural economies. Traditional economic impact analyses enumerate hunter expenditures and derive their economic impacts. However, hunting outfitters, an integral component of the hunting industry, have largely been ignored in these studies. In addition to their own expenditures, outfitters impact local economies by drawing large numbers of out-of-region hunters. These out-of-region hunters have a much greater impact on local economies than do local hunters. Their expenditures represent an import of dollars to a region and they generally spend more than locals. This study incorporates the economic contributions of both outfitters and their clientele. A survey of Mississippi outfitters and their clientele was conducted during the 1999-2000 hunting season to determine their expenditures in pursuit of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), waterfowl (Anas spp.), quail (Colinus virginianus), and dove (Zenaida macroura). Results indicated that Mississippi outfitters generated $13.8 million in total output, $7.5 million in value-added, and 186 fullor part-time jobs. Clientele impacts include $16.9 million in total output, $10.2 million in valueadded, and 247 fullor part-time jobs.