WHAT THE SURVEY MEASURED 



The amount of money spent by fisliermen and hunters is an 

 indication of the value they place on their sports. Since it 

 represents revenue to a variety of businesses serving the sports- 

 men, this expenditure is an indication of the business value of 

 fishing and hunting. It falls far short, however, of showing all 

 the values of these sports. There are intangibles beyond the 

 grasp of statistics. The enjoyment, the satisfaction, the recrea- 

 tion of a fishing or hunting trip cannot be expressed in dollars. 

 Onl,\' to the extent that the money a person spends for a particular 

 form of recreation can suggest the value he places on that recrea- 

 tion, tliis survey has measured the value of fishing and hunting 

 to the sportsman. And in showing the amount and nature of 

 his expenditures, the survey indicates some of the value of these 

 sports in the general economy. 



The survey recorded specific items concerning fishing and 

 hunting activities. It did not inquire into attitudes or other 

 intangibles. Popularity of fishing and hunting was measured 

 only as shown by actual participation. If someone would have 

 liked to go fishing in 1955, but did not, he was not included in 

 this survey. 



Since continuation of fishing and hunting depends upon the 

 conservation of the resources on which these recreations depend, 

 the economic benefits from fishing and hunting activities are a 

 partial indication of the value of fish and wildlife conservation. 

 Many others besides these sportsmen also enjoy the country's 

 fish and wildlife resources. They, like the sportsmen, spend time 

 and money in connection with their recreation. But unless they 

 fished or hunted in 1955, they were not included in this survey. 



Thus, the survey was limited strictly to measuring the extent 

 of sport-fishing and hunting activities in 1955 and the effect of 

 those activities on the general economy. 



HOW THE SURVEY WAS MADE 



A personal-interview survey was selected as the best method 

 for obtaining the detailed information desired. It consisted of 

 interviews with hunters and fishermen in a cross section of house- 

 holds throughout the United States. Houses, rather than indi- 

 viduals, were chosen for the initial contact since answers were 

 desired from persons not requiring hunting and fishing licenses 

 as well as from license holders, who might have been contacted 

 directly. The sample of households was selected by scientific 

 sampling methods so as to be representative of the United States 

 as a whole. 



Selection of samples of iiouseholds began with the 1950 census 

 of population. On the basis of that census, a large number of 

 sample areas were selected. Interviewers personally surveyed 

 each area and determined the increase in the number of house- 

 holds from 1950 to 1955. Thus, the survey was self-adjusting 

 for increases in households and population since 1950. By this 

 self-adjusting feature the survey showed a total of 48,389,000 

 households in 1955, containing 118,366,000 persons 12 years old 

 and older. 



Calls on a specified proportion of the households in each sample 

 area established the presence of eligible hunters or fishermen. 

 To be eligible for interview a person had to be 12 years of age or 

 older and to have hunted or fished at least once during the calendar 

 year 1955. 



Each of the 48 .States was included in the sample. Interviews 

 were conducted by some 300 ititerviewers in more than 250 places 

 including more than a thousand cluster groupings. Calls on 

 approximately 20,000 homes yielded 6,220 interviews with fisher- 

 men and 3,108 interviews with hunters. The findings of these 

 interviews were then projected, by standard statistical procedures, 

 to the whole population. 



