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Deer Season Means Big Bucks for Hunters and Businesses
From Friday through Sunday, blaze orange will be making a huge fashion statement. That's because nearly 240,000 hunters are expected to take part in Illinois first firearm season of the year. All the guns, ammunition, and other supplies that hunters are buying means a big season for retailers as well.
Mark Meyer is staked out at the Department of Natural Resources building picking up his deer tags and getting ready for a big weekend.
"I enjoy being outdoors," Meyer said. "I enjoy the challenge of hunting."
Typically one of the biggest factors affecting the success of shotgun season is the timing of the rut, or breeding season.
"There's a tremendous amount of rutting activity going on right now," DNR Deer Program Manager Paul Shelton said. "Now there's some other factors that come into play, obviously temperature, the amount of wind, precipitation, the amount of crops out there in the field, but all of those things look like they're gonna be pretty near perfect this weekend, so we've got a lot to look forward
to."
Hunters aren't the only one hoping for big bucks. Retailers like Farm and Home are aiming to harvest their share of a $34 billion industry nationally.
"We have been swamped up here at this gun counter," Farm and Home manager Caleb Jefferson said. "Printing licenses, printing deer tags, selling shotguns, selling pretty much everything hunting related, from deer slugs all the way to the orange vests."
Those hunters represent a big chunk of their total customers during the fall.
"At least 50 percent," Jefferson said. "If you take a walk through our store at any time, about half the customers are over here compared to the other half of the store."
According to a preliminary report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, hunters like Dave Hauter spent an average of more than $2,400 dollars in 2011.
"You buy warm boots first of all," Hauter said. "Then you got orange this weekend for the shotgun season. You buy scents, good shotguns that shoot good slugs, accuracy, good kills."
For those that are really passionate about hunting, it may not be worth worrying about how much they spend.
"Oh no, that's besides the point," Hauter said. "You don't worry about that during gun season."
Archery deer season has been running since October 1. According to the Department of Natural Resources, through November 11, hunters took a total of 41,025 deer, which is up slightly from 40,508 during the same period last year.
Deer Season Means Big Bucks for Hunters and Businesses
From Friday through Sunday, blaze orange will be making a huge fashion statement. That's because nearly 240,000 hunters are expected to take part in Illinois first firearm season of the year. All the guns, ammunition, and other supplies that hunters are buying means a big season for retailers as well.
Mark Meyer is staked out at the Department of Natural Resources building picking up his deer tags and getting ready for a big weekend.
"I enjoy being outdoors," Meyer said. "I enjoy the challenge of hunting."
Typically one of the biggest factors affecting the success of shotgun season is the timing of the rut, or breeding season.
"There's a tremendous amount of rutting activity going on right now," DNR Deer Program Manager Paul Shelton said. "Now there's some other factors that come into play, obviously temperature, the amount of wind, precipitation, the amount of crops out there in the field, but all of those things look like they're gonna be pretty near perfect this weekend, so we've got a lot to look forward
to."
Hunters aren't the only one hoping for big bucks. Retailers like Farm and Home are aiming to harvest their share of a $34 billion industry nationally.
"We have been swamped up here at this gun counter," Farm and Home manager Caleb Jefferson said. "Printing licenses, printing deer tags, selling shotguns, selling pretty much everything hunting related, from deer slugs all the way to the orange vests."
Those hunters represent a big chunk of their total customers during the fall.
"At least 50 percent," Jefferson said. "If you take a walk through our store at any time, about half the customers are over here compared to the other half of the store."
According to a preliminary report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, hunters like Dave Hauter spent an average of more than $2,400 dollars in 2011.
"You buy warm boots first of all," Hauter said. "Then you got orange this weekend for the shotgun season. You buy scents, good shotguns that shoot good slugs, accuracy, good kills."
For those that are really passionate about hunting, it may not be worth worrying about how much they spend.
"Oh no, that's besides the point," Hauter said. "You don't worry about that during gun season."
Archery deer season has been running since October 1. According to the Department of Natural Resources, through November 11, hunters took a total of 41,025 deer, which is up slightly from 40,508 during the same period last year.
