Use indexed to 1980 
300 
250 
200 
150 
100 =—— 
50 
1990 
2000 
==<=<= Cold-water Fishing 
=== Migratory-bird Hunting 
=== = Nonconsumptive Use 
2010 2020 
== == Big-game Hunting 
=== Warm-water Fishing 
== — Small-game Hunting 
Figure 35—Projected participation in major wildlife- and fish-associated recreational activities. 
We estimate that some 68 percent of all 
hunting is done on private land. Thus, 
access to private lands will continue to 
be a critical factor in evaluating future 
demands and supplies of wildlife, 
especially in the East, where much of 
the privately owned land is located. 
Wildlife and Fish 
Demand-Supply Comparisons 
The number of people who hunt and 
fish is determined in part by the 
availability of wildlife and fish habitats 
and populations. There are no reliable 
estimates of supply variables for use in 
comparing fish and wildlife supplies 
with demands. Demand and supply 
together determine consumption, which 
is measured by numbers of hunting 
trips, animals harvested, or other 
means. Because it is so difficult to 
separate demand and supply in 
analysis, it is difficult to interpret 
demand-supply projections. For 
38 
example, the demand for hunting might 
decrease because there are fewer 
animals to hunt. 
To test these demand and supply 
interrelationships, we examined future 
consumption under conditions of 
increased supply. This examination 
indicated that the biggest potential gap 
between demand and supply is for 
cold-water fishing, followed by 
migratory-bird hunting, big-game 
hunting, and small-game hunting. For 
these activities, increases in supply 
would lead to increases in 
consumption. 
The big increases in demands for 
nonconsumptive uses and all forms of 
fishing imply that constraints on the 
use of the public lands and increased 
access fees may be necessary to match 
the capabilities of the resource with the 
desires of the Nation’s people. This 
may create some investment 
opportunities on private land (fig. 36). 
2030 2040 
Although demands for most forms of 
hunting are not expected to increase, 
there will still be millions of people 
who want to hunt in the future. 
Management of the fish and wildlife 
resource to provide this experience will 
be especially challenging because of 
the competing demands that will be 
placed on the forest and range resource 
by a growing and affluent citizenry. 
