many big-game species. However, the 
need for shortened and limited-entry 
hunting seasons has affected the quality 
of hunting opportunities and increased 
wildlife management costs. 
Deer and wild turkey are the two most 
common big-game species hunted. 
Over 95 percent of all big-game 
hunters pursued deer, and over 12 
percent hunted turkey in recent years. 
Nationwide, the population of these 
two species has more than doubled 
from 1965 to 1985. 
Regional trends in big-game 
populations have also been upward. In 
the North, this includes white-tailed 
deer, black bear, and wild turkey. The 
two most important big-game species 
in the South are white-tailed deer and 
wild turkey. Over the past 20 years, 
populations of both species have 
increased across the South. The West 
has a greater diversity of big-game 
animals than the East. Species include 
deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, 
and moose. Harvest regulations, habitat 
management, and transplanting 
programs have all contributed to 
increased populations during the past 
decade or so. An exception is a decline 
in mule deer populations on the Pacific 
coast from 1965 through 1980, which 
is attributed to a decline in habitat 
quality. 
Big-Game Hunters and Harvests— 
Trends in the number of big-game 
hunters are influenced by harvest 
regulations, the cost of hunting, and 
changes in people’s preferences over 
time. Although the actual number of 
big-game hunters has increased over 
time, there has been a declining 
national rate of participation in this 
sport. The decline has been attributed 
in part to decreasing land accessibility, 
a declining rural population, and 
crowded hunting areas. The actual 
number of big-game hunters has 
increased in all regions of the country 
except the Pacific coast, where it has 
declined. 
Deer and turkey harvests have been 
rising in the North and South. Although 
there are exceptions, such as deer on 
the Pacific coast, harvest numbers have 
been increasing for big-game species in 
the West. 
Small Game—Grouse, squirrels, 
rabbits, quail, and pheasant are 
generally considered to be small game. 
Small-game numbers are strongly 
influenced by habitat. Animals such as 
pheasants, quail, and rabbits, which are 
dependent on agriculture-related 
habitat, have shown a decline in 
numbers. Populations of animals such 
as grouse and squirrels are associated 
with forest cover and have remained 
stable or increased slightly. 
Small-Game Hunters and 
Harvests—Until recently, the number 
of small-game hunters has represented 
a large percentage of the U.S. 
population. Since 1975, the number of 
small-game hunters relative to the U.S. 
population has declined slightly. The 
number of small-game hunters has 
been declining in all regions since 
1980, with the greatest declines 
occurring in the North and South. 
Reasons for the decline include lack of 
access to land, crowded hunting areas, 
and lack of game. 
For small game, there is generally a 
high degree of correlation between 
population size and number of small 
game harvested. Thus, the harvest has 
declined for animals dependent on 
agriculture-related habitat. Pheasant 
and quail harvests have declined by 
about 50 percent since 1965. The 
harvest of species associated with 
forested habitats has increased or 
shown mixed trends. 
Fish—Although fish are found in all 
types of water around the country, few 
data are available on their distribution 
and populations. The best available 
estimates are that 79 percent of the 
Nation’s streams contain fish. The 
diversity and abundance of fish species 
depend on the quality of habitat. The 
remaining 21 percent support no fish 
largely due to lack of water in 
intermittent streams. 
A portion of this decreased streamflow 
is due to water diversions and 
watershed conditions resulting from 
historic land management practices. 
This has resulted in the enactment of 
protective State legislation and the 
development of cooperative projects 
among resource management agencies, 
landowners, and water users to restore 
and enhance watersheds and stream 
habitats in many locations. 
Number of People Who Fish and 
Fish Harvests—Fishing is one of the 
most popular outdoor recreation 
activities, exceeded only by walking 
and swimming. The number of people 
who fish for fun has been increasing 
over the last 20 years, although the 
trend varies by type of fishing (fig. 33). 
Freshwater fishing accounts for 86 
percent of the total number of people 
fishing, and this percentage has been 
increasing over time. There has been a 
steady increase in the number of people 
who fish commercially for all species 
during the past 20 years. In part, this 
has been due to increased demands for 
fish as food. 
There are few data available on 
recreational fish harvests. Of the fish 
harvested commercially, salmon is by 
far the most important. After dropping 
to about 200 million Ib in the early 
1970’s, the annual catch of salmon 
increased to a high of around 730 
million Ib in 1985. 
