Now Playing: MSNBC News: Less Americans out their rodding, reeling and shooting.
Topic: Willapa Magazine
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Not Gone Fishing Nor Hunting
A five-year survey of outdoor recreation finds a sharp drop in the number of Americans who cast a rod and reel—and a lesser decline in hunting. But that doesn’t mean we’re spending less time with animals in nature.
Web exclusive
By Steve Tuttle
Newsweek
Updated: 6:21 a.m. PT June 16, 2007
June 16, 2007 -
If you're a squirrel or a trout, we've got some good news for you: Americans are hunting and fishing less. Every five years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service puts together a massive survey of outdoor recreation, and the 2006 preliminary numbers were released today. They show ominous trends, depending on your worldview-or species. The number of anglers has dropped 12 percent since 2001; the hunter count has fallen off by 4 percent during the same five-year period. This doesn't mean Americans aren't spending time outdoors or interacting with wild animals; "wildlife watching" is up 8 percent since 2001. They're just choosing not to kill them so much.
